Iowa

GOP lawmakers abandon Iowa's civil rights legacy

Published

2 years ago

April 25, 2024

GOP lawmakers abandon Iowa's civil rights legacy

Ralph Rosenberg served in the Iowa legislature from 1981 through 1994 and was director of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission from 2003 through 2010.

The Iowa legislature turned its back on our state’s proud civil rights legacy with last week’s passage of Senate File 2385, which neuters the effectiveness of the civil and human rights agencies and eliminates specific commissions dedicated to marginalized populations.

This combination undercuts Iowa values of respect and protecting the dignity of all Iowans. The bill compounds the removal of legal authority to proactively act on civil and human rights violations, by broadcasting a national message about how the Iowa government devalues diversity in religion, race, ethnic background, gender, or national identity. (Other pending Republican legislation reinforces this message, by calling for K-12 schools to teach history from a Western Civilization perspective, or limiting diversity, equity, and inclusion programming on college campuses.)

NEUTERING THE IOWA CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION

SF 2385 closely tracks Governor Kim Reynolds’ proposed bill on boards and commissions. Senate Republicans largely copied the governor’s ideas for their bill. Key provisions of the legislation strip the Iowa Civil Rights Commission of independent policy advice and statutory authority to:

investigate potential discrimination;
conduct and release findings of independent research without prior approval of the director and governor; and
examine civil rights violations based on whistleblower evidence or patterns and practices.

SF 2385 removes responsibility and duties from the commissioners and concentrates power with one person: the governor’s appointed director of a renamed Office of Civil Rights.

The bill restricts the commission’s ability to follow up on evidence of discriminatory patterns or practices or to proactively investigate discrimination and to engage in preventative efforts, such as testing for discriminatory practices. Those may include allegations of discrimination in housing based on whether an Iowan has children or a family, failure to accommodate a disability, or steering potential housing renters and buyers of a certain race towards certain neighborhoods.

Commissioners will be prohibited, or effectively hamstrung, from lobbying or providing information to policymakers unless they receive approval from the governor’s office.

Here are a few examples illustrating how the commission’s work will be affected if it cannot independently investigate or initiate complaints against alleged violators of civil rights.

In the past, if the commission learned that people with disabilities (such as veterans with PTSD needing companion animals) were being denied accommodations, staff could proactively “test” landlords to determine patterns or existence of discrimination. That practice allowed the commission to support the actions of staff and the director, to follow up on a whistleblower informal complaint. SF 2385 removes existing, clear-cut authority to use time-honored efforts like testing to uncover systemic discrimination practices.

Commissioners understood Iowans in the workplace or renting can be intimidated from filing cases. Even with evidence of patterns or trends, the commission and staff will face legal barriers to initiate testing or other investigations, like people being evicted because they had a service animal or because of their physical disability, or women in a particular industry or workforce being harassed.

The bill erases past efforts to educate the public and prevent discrimination. Past commissioners and staff helped achieve annual educational outreach efforts, often exceeding 200 per year. Today’s agency’s performance plan has a goal of 2 per month. Today’s performance plan for the Iowa Civil Rights Commission has a goal of two per month.

Other provisions of SF 2385 eliminate existing human rights commissions, consolidating all into one Human Rights Board with twelve members and just seven voting members. That will reduce representation and voices for Iowans with disabilities, or who are part of marginalized racial and ethnic groups. (Earlier this year, the House State Government Committee had crafted a different bill, which would have spared dozens of state boards and commissions, including the community-specific ones.)

The restructured Civil Rights Commission and Human Rights Board will be unable to offer rapid and independent insight into bills that positively or negatively impact marginalized groups. Current members of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission voted unanimously in March to oppose these changes to the commission and the community-specific bodies.

HOUSE DEBATE REVEALED BIPARTISAN OPPOSITION, CONCERNS

Advocates of SF 2385 portrayed the bill as a way to reduce bureaucracy. During the Iowa Senate debate on April 10, State Senator Chris Cournoyer asserted, “This bill is about maximizing meaningful public participation in the boards and commissions process, and it increases state government accountability and efficiency by eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy.”

While floor managing the bill in the Iowa House on April 16, State Representative Jane Bloomingdale touted the idea of concentrating accountability with a single director. “We’re not taking away any civil rights,” Bloomingdale said. “We are putting a director in charge of an agency, just like every other department. The director is in charge, and the director is accountable for her department. She’s appointed by the governor, confirmed by the Senate.”

Bloomingdale added, “The commission will stay in place. They are also appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.” She did not acknowledge how the bill would undermine the 60-year-old values and purpose of the Iowa Civil Rights Act, which remains just as important in 2024.

Democratic State Representative Ross Wilburn offered an amendment that would strike the section relating to the Iowa Civil Rights Commission from SF 2385. He walked through some of the ways the bill would downgrade the commission’s authority. This video shows his opening remarks, comments from Bloomingdale, and Wilburn’s rebuttal.

Bloomingdale claimed, “The commission will continue to hear cases and make decisions as they do right now. The director of the agency will now be in charge of her department and the 27 full-time employees, instead of a volunteer board. But the volunteer board will continue to hear cases and make decisions on cases, just as they do now.”

She was apparently referring to contested case hearings. But only a small number of the 1,700 to 2,000 civil rights complaints filed in Iowa each year reach the hearing stage in front of the commission. The remainder of the cases are settled, mediated, dismissed, or issued the right to sue in court.

Wilburn replied that “Words matter,” before reading several passages in SF 2385 that remove the commission’s authority.

The bill’s proponents did not mention that the new Office of Civil Rights would inevitably face pressure to avoid claims against other state agencies for employment, public accommodation, and other areas. There was no consideration of the need for a law enforcement agency to maintain independence.

Concentrating power in the hands of one individual, closely situated to the governor or governor’s staff, fractures the commission’s nearly 60-year history. The Des Moines Register highlighted that problem in its April 18 editorial: “Don’t hand over the authority of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission to Kim Reynolds.”

House members rejected Wilburn’s amendment by 58 votes to 38, with four Republicans (Mark Cisneros, Megan Jones, Charley Thomson, and Hans Wilz) joining Democrats to support the proposal.

Democratic State Representative Jerome Amos Jr. offered another amendment that would restore the state’s current community-specific commissions on the status of African Americans, Latino affairs, women, Asian and Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, and people with disabilities. He warned that if the bill was left unchanged,

What it’s going to do is, it’s going to water down the voices of individuals that live in this state. Originally, you had a commission report that actually was made up of those different ethnic groups and they actually had a voice, a collective voice. But what this is going to do, it is going to take away that voice.

The new Human Rights Board might include one individual from each marginalized group. “It’s just not going to work. It will not work,” Amos Jr. said.

House members rejected this amendment by 54 votes to 42, with eight Republicans (Eddie Andrews, Mark Cisneros, Chad Ingels, Megan Jones, Brad Sherman, Ray Sorensen, Charley Thomson, and Mike Vondran) joining Democrats to support it.

Several Democrats remarked on the rushed process for considering a 243-page amendment reflecting negotiations between House and Senate Republicans. Bloomingdale introduced that amendment hours before the House debated and voted on the measure. The lack of adequate notice left little time to analyze a significant bill. During the floor debate, State Representative Amy Nielsen, the ranking Democrat on the House State Government Committee, reminded Iowans of the majority’s failure to acknowledge opposing viewpoints and refusal to consider concerns from opponents.

Similar to how the bill forced out state government representation of Iowans who are members of marginalized groups, the debate muted citizen input and ignored offers by the minority party to collaborate. State Representative Adam Zabner characterized the bill as “a power grab that took away the rights of Iowans and the voices of Iowans in the process of government.”

State Representative Charley Thomson was the only Republican to speak against SF 2385 during the floor debate.

Thomson explained that he generally disagreed with the approach of the bill: “I think government is better when lots of people are participating in it.” He highlighted how the bill would change the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, noting that civil rights statutes “were very carefully constructed, the result of many years of debate and compromise, and I think it is disappointing, to say the least, that we are dealing with it in a rather hurried manner without the consent of, or the consensus of many of the people involved.”

The House approved final passage of SF 2385 on April 16 by 54 votes to 42, with all Democrats present and Republicans Eddie Andrews, Steven Bradley, Mark Cisneros, Zach Dieken, Tom Jeneary, Megan Jones, Brad Sherman, and Charley Thomson voting no.

The Senate approved the final version of the boards and commission bill on a party-line 32 to 14 vote on April 19.

BETRAYING OUR STATE’S HISTORY ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Since its inception, the Iowa Civil Rights Commission has been a stalwart defender against discrimination. From Edna Griffin’s stand in 1948 (actually a sit-in six years before Rosa Parks) to recent efforts to enforce disability accommodation laws and safeguard LGBTQ+ rights, the commission has been pivotal in effecting positive change.

Iowa’s legacy is tarnished by this bill. The Iowa legislature and governor are abandoning this history. The State Historical Society of Iowa has done the homework on our history in the publication Iowa: Leader in Civil Rights and Equality. The subtitle of that work is, “How does Iowa demonstrate, ‘Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain?’”

For generations, our state has been a leader in making progress on civil and human rights–enacting laws and advocating for policies to combat discrimination and champion equality. Every day, Iowa becomes more diverse and more diverse than any other day in its history. The proposed changes effectively muffle the voices and concerns of fast-growing groups in Iowa, including the least represented groups in society. Nearly one in five Iowans have disabilities or are members of marginalized racial or ethnic groups.

Sixty years ago, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was quoted as saying, “I had the audacity to believe that people everywhere could have three meals a day, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.” Dr. King’s vision is stalled by this legislation. When the governor signs this bill, she will leave her legacy on civil and human rights.

Top photo of Ralph Rosenberg published with permission.

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Iowa

Iowa Girls High School Basketball: Top Returning Juniors

Published

12 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

Iowa Girls High School Basketball: Top Returning Juniors

We have officially closed the book on the 2025-26 Iowa girls high school basketball season with the crowning of state champions and individual all-state and player of the year awards being handed out by High School on SI.

Now, we take a sneak peek towards 2026-27 with a look at some of the top junior players in Iowa girls high school basketball. All numbers are from those listed on Bound.

Iowa Girls High School Basketball: Top Returning Juniors

Melina Snoozy, Sioux City Bishop Heelan

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Snoozy was dominant this past winter again, averaging 21.2 points to lead all juniors while adding eight rebounds, three assists and over two steals per game.

Kylee Pexa, Dunkerton

In addition to her 19 points a game, Pexa contributed almost five steals, five assists and 3.5 rebounds a game.

Ainley Ulrich, North Union

Ulrich nearly helped the Warriors reach the state tournament this past year after posting 20 points with five rebounds and 2.4 steals per game.

Izzy Gilbertson, Mount Ayr

At nearly 21 points and over nine rebounds per game, Gilbertson is a tough opponent to slow down. She also blocked four shots a night with 3.6 assists and 3.6 steals.

Maryn Franken, Sioux Center

Franken posted 20 points per game with nearly nine rebounds while also averaging six steals, three assists and a block to her stat line.

Taryn Petersen, Exira-EHK

Petersen was just a shade under 20 points per game for her team, adding in over six steals, five assists and four rebounds.

Cora Sauer, Lake Mills

Lake Mills went as Sauer did, reaching the regional final before falling to Bishop Garrigan. She contributed 19.7 points, six rebounds, almost four steals and just under four assists a game.

Lizzy Frazell, Waverly-Shell Rock

Frazell and the Go-Hawks continue to make a strong statement, as she finished the year averaging 19 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks.

Addy Wolfswinkel, Cherokee Washington

Wolfswinkel recently committed to Omaha to play volleyball, but she is strong on the basketball court as well, averaging 19 points, six rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.5 steals.

Maggie McChesney, Glenwood

In addition to her 19.5 points per game, McChesney averaged eight rebounds, 3.5 steals, three assists and over a block.

KeaOnna Worley, Cedar Rapids Prairie

Watch out for a big senior season from Worley after producing 18 points, nearly five assists, over four rebounds and two steals.

Graclyn Eastman, Bishop Garrigan

Eastman and the Golden Bears reached the finals this past season in Class 1A, as she averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks, three steals and two assists.

Katie Muller, Dowling Catholic

The Maroons will lean heavily on Muller next year, as she steps in for sister Ellie Muller. This past year, she averaged 16.5 points, six rebounds, 3.6 assists and a steal.

Fayth Sullivan, North Polk

Sullivan and the Comets made it back to state after she averaged 16 points, nine rebounds, three steals and three assists.

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H-1B visa holders protest Iowa bill to ban them from universities

Published

1 day ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

H-1B visa holders protest Iowa bill to ban them from universities

A proposed Iowa bill would prohibit public universities from hiring visa holders from certain countries.
Opponents argue the bill would drive away global talent and harm Iowa’s university system.
Proponents of the bill cite national security and the protection of sensitive research as reasons for the restrictions.

Many wore hats and sunglasses and some brought umbrellas to shade themselves from the hot sun as they rallied at the Iowa Capitol in opposition to a bill that would prohibit the hiring of certain visa holders at Iowa’s public universities.

The group of about 150 marched in a circle with signs that read “International scholars build Iowa too,” “Education not discrimination,” and “Strong universities, strong Iowa.”

Iowa State University, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa, as well as community colleges, would not be able to hire citizens from countries that are designated as foreign adversaries or state sponsors of terrorism under House File 2513. The House passed the bill on March 3 with a 68-27 vote. A Senate subcommittee recommends the bill’s passage.

Faculty members of Iowa State University and the University of Iowa spoke to the crowd at the rally Saturday, March 21 about their experiences as H-1B visa holders and how the bill would affect the university system and Iowa.

Hongwei Zhang, a computer engineering professor at Iowa State since 2017, said in an interview that “by this bill, H-1B visa holders may lose their rights to stay in Iowa. Essentially, families will potentially, starting July 1, have to move out of the state.”

Zengyi Shao, a chemical engineering professor at Iowa State, became a H-1B visa holder after completing her PhD at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2009 and later became a U.S. citizen. The process took 17 years, she said, and “many people of Chinese origin who now work in universities and community colleges have followed this same path.”

“If this bill had been in place years ago, I would not have been able to come to Iowa and serve as an educator,” she said to the crowd. Shao has been teaching at Iowa State since 2013.

American flags were flown during the rally, organized by the Chinese Association of Iowa, United Chinese Americans, the Iowa City Area Chinese Association, the Chinese Faculty and Staff of Central Iowa Association, and Iowans for Brighter Future.

“What worries me is it will also push those who are already here, not including many current or even previous H-1B visa holders, to live in other states that are more welcoming,” Shao said. “So if this happens, basically the spirit of Iowa nice will likely become a thing of the past.”

Jie Lie, a researcher at Iowa State University who has lived in Iowa since 2009 and worked at the university since 2011, said the H-1B visa is a “pipeline of global talents for the United States.”

“It’s just trying to put Iowa in a very bad place,” Lie said of the bill.

What is House File 2513? What would it do if passed?

An H-1B visa allows “non-immigrant alien workers” to be hired for “specialty occupations or as fashion models,” according to the U.S. Department of Labor. A “specialty occupation” requires specialized knowledge and a minimum education of a bachelor’s degree, helping employers hire qualified candidates who cannot fulfill the needed skills and abilities of the U.S. workforce.

Having an H-1B visa allows for the temporary employment of qualified candidates who may not otherwise be authorized to work in the United States.

Under HF 2513, even those who hold a valid H-1B visa would be prohibited from entering into an employment contract if they come from countries identified as foreign adversaries or as state sponsors of terrorism, including China, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Russia and Venezuela. If passed, it would take effect July 1.

During floor debate, Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Hull, said that “our universities are for Americans and Americans first.”

“This bill enhances national security and protects sensitive research at Iowa’s public universities by preventing potential risks from espionage or intellectual property theft associated with hires from adversarial nations such as China, aligning with broader U.S. concerns over foreign influence in academia while prioritizing American or allied talent,” Wheeler said.

There are about 120 employees through the H-1B visa program at Iowa’s state universities, according to the Iowa Board of Regents.

“If this bill passes, our jobs are gone,” said Emily Gao, an assistant teaching professor of architecture at Iowa State and an H-1B visa holder.

Iowa would join Texas, Florida in H-1B hiring halt

Iowa isn’t the first state to eye restrictions on hiring employees through the H-1B visa program.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Jan. 27 called for the freeze of new H-1B petitions at all Texas state agencies and universities, as well as a review of the current H-1B visa program “abuse.”

The Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s university system, approved a one-year ban on hiring through the H-1B visa program on March 2.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a social media post in October universities across the nation are “importing foreign workers on H-1B visas instead of hiring Americans who are qualified and available to do the job.”

Iowa’s restrictions on H-1B visa hiring would follow President Donald Trump’s restrictions on the visa holders, unveiled in September, that decried the “large-scale replacement of American workers” and “systemic abuse” of the H-1B program and lamented the growth in the foreign share of the workforce in computer and math occupations.

The Iowa Capital Dispatch contributed to this report.

Kyle Werner is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@registermedia.com.

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Iowa

Iowa Wrestling Results From Day Three Of NCAA Wrestling Championships – FloWrestling

Published

2 days ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

Iowa Wrestling Results From Day Three Of NCAA Wrestling Championships – FloWrestling

As the sun shines on another day in Cleveland, Ohio, the final day of the 2026 NCAA D1 Wrestling Championships is in full force. With new national champions being crowned in just a few short hours, the medal matches have concluded.

The Iowa Hawkeyes came to assert dominance and it definitely shown on the first two days of action from Cleveland.

Following the medal matches, the Hawkeyes slot in fourth in the team standings with 92.5 total points. Ohio State trails behind with 84.5 points.

The final matches from Ohio will start at approximately 6:30 PM ET/ 5:30 PM CT. Fans won’t want to miss any of the action so follow along to this article for all of the live updates.

Iowa Hawkeyes Day 3 Results

3rd Place:

174lbs:

Patrick Kennedy defeats Carson Kharchla, 9-6 by Dec.

What Time Do The NCAA Wrestling Finals Start?

The finals for the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships start at 6:30 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast on ESPN. Stay tuned to FloWrestling for live updates and results.

NCAA Wrestling Championships Finals Matchups

Finals

125 lbs – (1) Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) vs. (10) Marc-Anthony McGowan (Princeton)
133 lbs – (1) Jax Forrest (OK State) vs. (2) Ben Davino (Ohio State)
141 lbs – (1) Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) vs. (2) Sergio Vega (OK State)
149 lbs – (1) Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) vs. (10) Aden Valencia (Stanford)
157 lbs – (5) Landon Robideau (OK State) vs. (2) Antrell Taylor (Nebraska)
165 lbs – (1) Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) vs. (3) Mikey Caliendo (Iowa)
174 lbs – (1) Levi Haines (Penn State) vs. (3) Christopher Minto (Nebraska)
184 lbs – (1) Rocco Welsh (Penn State) vs. (3) Max McEnelly (Minnesota)
197 lbs – (1) Josh Barr (Penn State) vs. (7) Cody Merrill (OK State)
285 lbs – (1) Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) vs. (2) Isaac Trumble (NC State)

NCAA Wrestling Championships Team Scores

Last updated 1:13 p.m. ET, March 21.

Penn State – 164.0
OK State – 119.0
Nebraska – 101.5
Iowa – 92.5
Ohio State – 84.5
Michigan – 66.0
Stanford – 63.5
Iowa State – 52.0
Minnesota – 44.5
Virginia Tech – 41.5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries

NCAA Wrestling Championships 2026 Final Placements

125 lbs

TBD
TBD
Nico Provo (Stanford)
Vincent Robinson (NC State)
Troy Spratley (OK State)
Jacob Moran (Indiana)
Jore Volk (Minnesota)
Tyler Klinsky (Rider)

133 lbs

TBD
TBD
Aaron Seidel (Virginia Tech)
Marcus Blaze (Penn State)
Drake Ayala (Iowa)
Tyler Knox (Stanford)
Jacob Van Dee (Nebraska)
Lucas Byrd (Illinois)

141 lbs

TBD
TBD
Luke Stanich (Lehigh)
Brock Hardy (Nebraska)
Carter Nogle (Air Force)
Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State)
CJ Composto (Penn)
Wyatt Henson (Lock Haven)

149 lbs

TBD
TBD
Lachlan McNeil (Michigan)
Chance Lamer (Nebraska)
Collin Gaj (Virginia Tech)
Ryder Block (Iowa)
Cross Wasilewski (Penn)
Casey Swiderski (OK State)

157 lbs

TBD
TBD
PJ Duke (Penn State)
Brandon Cannon (Ohio State)
Kannon Webster (Illinois)
Ty Watters (West Virginia)
Cameron Catrabone (Michigan)
Meyer Shapiro (Cornell)

165 lbs

TBD
TBD
Cesar Alvan (Columbia)
Nicco Ruiz (Arizona State)
Andrew Sparks (Minnesota)
Joey Blaze (Purdue)
Bryce Hepner (North Carolina)
Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State)

174 lbs

TBD
TBD
Patrick Kennedy (Iowa)
Carson Kharchla (Ohio State)
Cam Steed (Missouri)
Danny Wask (Navy)
Beau Mantanona (Michigan)
MJ Gaitan (Iowa State)

184 lbs

TBD
TBD
Aeoden Sinclair (Missouri)
Caleb Campos (American)
Brock Mantanona (Michigan)
Angelo Ferrari (Iowa)
Eddie Neitenbach (Wyoming)x
Zack Ryder (OK State)

197 lbs

TBD
TBD
Stephen Little (Little Rock)
Joey Novak (Wyoming)
Camden McDanel (Nebraska)
Angelo Posada (Stanford)
Gabe Arnold (Iowa)
Branson John (Maryland)

285 lbs

TBD
TBD
Taye Ghadiali (Michigan)
Konner Doucet (OK State)
Ben Kueter (Iowa)
AJ Ferrari (Nebraska)
David Szuba (Arizona State)
Christian Carroll (Wyoming)

Iowa Hawkeyes Day 2 Results

Semifinals:

165lbs:

No. 3 Mikey Caliendo walked away with a victory over No. 2 Joey Blaze, 8-5 by Dec SV.

174lbs:

No. 5 Patrick Kennedy suffers a loss to to No. 1 Levi Haines, 18-3 in TF.

184lbs:

No. 7 Angelo Ferrari is defeated by No. 3 Max McEnelly, 3-1 in TB-1.

Quarterfinals:

125lbs:

No. 8 Dean Peterson defeats No. 9 Maximo Renteria, 4-1 in Dec.

133lbs:

No. 6 Drake Ayala takes down No. 11 Tyler Ferrara, 19-4 by TF.

141lbs:

No. 7 Nasir Bailey picks up a major win over No. 10 Jack Consiglio, 11-5 in Dec.

149lbs:

No. 15 Ryder Block suffers a loss to No. 2 Jaxon Joy, 10-3 in Dec.

165lbs:

No. 3 Mikey Caliendo walked away with a victory over No. 19 Noah Mulvaney. Caliendo wins with a TF, 20-5.

174lbs:

No. 5 Patrick Kennedy takes down No. 12 Carter Shubert. Kennedy wins 2-1 in Dec.

184lbs:

No. 7 Angelo Ferrari takes down No. 10 Caleb Campos, 11-5 in Dec.

285lbs:

No. 8 Ben Kueter takes down No. 9 Cole Mirasola in Dec, 4-0.

NCAA Wrestling Championships Finals Matchups

Finals

125 lbs – (1) Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) vs. (10) Marc-Anthony McGowan (Princeton)
133 lbs – (1) Jax Forrest (OK State) vs. (2) Ben Davino (Ohio State)
141 lbs – (1) Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) vs. (2) Sergio Vega (OK State)
149 lbs – (1) Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) vs. (10) Aden Valencia (Stanford)
157 lbs – (5) Landon Robideau (OK State) vs. (2) Antrell Taylor (Nebraska)
165 lbs – (1) Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) vs. (3) Mikey Caliendo (Iowa)
174 lbs – (1) Levi Haines (Penn State) vs. (3) Christopher Minto (Nebraska)
184 lbs – (1) Rocco Welsh (Penn State) vs. (3) Max McEnelly (Minnesota)
197 lbs – (1) Josh Barr (Penn State) vs. (7) Cody Merrill (OK State)
285 lbs – (1) Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) vs. (2) Isaac Trumble (NC State)

NCAA Wrestling Championships Team Scores

Last updated 11:45 p.m. ET, March 20.

Penn State – 153.0
OK State – 111.5
Nebraska – 90.5
Iowa – 81.0
Ohio State – 77.5
Stanford – 58.0
Iowa State – 52.0
Michigan – 48.0
Minnesota – 39.5
NC State – 37.0

Iowa Hawkeyes Day 1 Results

Round of 16:

125lbs:

No. 8 Dean Peterson defeats No. 9 Maximo Renteria, 4-1 in Dec.

133lbs:

No. 6 Drake Ayala takes down No. 11 Tyler Ferrara, 19-4 by TF.

141lbs:

No. 7 Nasir Bailey picks up a major win over No. 10 Jack Consiglio, 11-5 in Dec.

149lbs:

No. 15 Ryder Block suffers a loss to No. 2 Jaxon Joy, 10-3 in Dec.

165lbs:

No. 3 Mikey Caliendo walked away with a victory over No. 19 Noah Mulvaney. Caliendo wins with a TF, 20-5.

174lbs:

No. 5 Patrick Kennedy takes down No. 12 Carter Shubert. Kennedy wins 2-1 in Dec.

184lbs:

No. 7 Angelo Ferrari takes down No. 10 Caleb Campos, 11-5 in Dec.

285lbs:

No. 8 Ben Kueter takes down No. 9 Cole Mirasola in Dec, 4-0.

Round of 32:

125lbs:

No. 8 Peterson takes down No. 25 Kael Lauridsen, 9-1 in MD.

133lbs:

No. 6 Ayala takes down No. 21 Marcel Lopez, 11-1 in MD.

141lbs:

No. 7 Bailey defeats No. 26 Braden Basile, 14-3 in MD.

149lbs:

No. 15 Block takes down No. 18 Eugene Harney, 11-2 in MD.

165lbs:

No. 3 Caliendo demolishes No. 30 Thomas Spines by Fall in 2:44.

174lbs:

No. 5 Kennedy takes down No.28 Holden Garcia by Dec, 8-2.

184lbs:

No. 7 Ferrari takes a major win over No. 26 Chase Kranitz, 10-0 in MD.

197lbs:

No. 27 Gabe Arnold suffers defeat against No. 6 Justin Rademacher in a 2-2 Dec.

285lbs:

No. 8 Kueter takes down No. 25 Alex Semenenko, 2-0 in Dec.

Iowa Wrestling At NCAA Wrestling Championships

125 lbs – Dean Peterson (8)
133 lbs – Drake Ayala (6)
141 lbs – Nasir Bailey (7)
149 lbs – Ryder Block (15)
165 lbs – Mikey Caliendo (3)
174 lbs – Patrick Kennedy (5)
184 lbs – Angelo Ferrari (7)
197 lbs – Gabe Arnold (27)
285 lbs – Ben Kueter (8)

NCAA Wrestling Championships Brackets (Quarterfinals)

Quarterfinals

125 lbs

(1) Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) vs. (8) Dean Peterson (Iowa)
(5) Troy Spratley (OK State) vs. (4) Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh)
(14) Jacob Moran (Indiana) vs. (6) Jore Volk (Minnesota)
(10) Marc-Anthony McGowan (Princeton) vs. (2) Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech)

133 lbs

(1) Jax Forrest (OK State) vs. (8) Markel Baker (Northern Illinois)
(5) Kyler Larkin (Arizona State) vs. (4) Aaron Seidel (Virginia Tech)
(3) Marcus Blaze (Penn State) vs. (6) Drake Ayala (Iowa)
(7) Lucas Byrd (Illinois) vs. (2) Ben Davino (Ohio State)

141 lbs

(1) Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) vs. (8) Vance Vombaur (Minnesota)
(5) Luke Stanich (Lehigh) vs. (4) Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State)
(3) Brock Hardy (Nebraska) vs. (6) Vince Cornella (Cornell)
(7) Nasir Bailey (Iowa) vs. (2) Sergio Vega (OK State)

149 lbs

(1) Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) vs. (8) Casey Swiderski (OK State)
(12) Carter Young (Maryland) vs. (20) Chance Lamer (Nebraska)
(3) Cross Wasilewski (Penn) vs. (11) Lachlan McNeil (Michigan)
(10) Aden Valencia (Stanford) vs. (2) Jaxon Joy (Cornell)

157 lbs

(1) PJ Duke (Penn State) vs. (8) Brandon Cannon (Ohio State)
(5) Landon Robideau (OK State) vs. (4) Kaleb Larkin (Arizona State)
(3) Meyer Shapiro (Cornell) vs. (11) Ty Watters (West Virginia)
(7) Kannon Webster (Illinois) vs. (2) Antrell Taylor (Nebraska)

165 lbs

(1) Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) vs. (9) Bryce Hepner (North Carolina)
(12) Cesar Alvan (Columbia) vs. (4) Nicco Ruiz (Arizona State)
(3) Mikey Caliendo (Iowa) vs. (27) EJ Parco (Stanford)
(10) Will Denny (NC State) vs. (2) Joey Blaze (Purdue)

174 lbs

(1) Levi Haines (Penn State) vs. (9) Beau Mantanona (Michigan)
(5) Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) vs. (4) Carson Kharchla (Ohio State)
(3) Christopher Minto (Nebraska) vs. (11) MJ Gaitan (Iowa State)
(7) Cam Steed (Missouri) vs. (15) Danny Wask (Navy)

184 lbs

(1) Rocco Welsh (Penn State) vs. (8) Silas Allred (Nebraska)
(5) Brock Mantanona (Michigan) vs. (20) Brian Soldano (Oklahoma)
(3) Max McEnelly (Minnesota) vs. (6) Eddie Neitenbach (Wyoming)
(7) Angelo Ferrari (Iowa) vs. (2) Aeoden Sinclair (Missouri)

197 lbs

(1) Josh Barr (Penn State) vs. (9) Angelo Posada (Stanford)
(5) Joey Novak (Wyoming) vs. (4) Colton Hawks (Arizona State)
(3) Stephen Little (Little Rock) vs. (11) Camden McDanel (Nebraska)
(7) Cody Merrill (OK State) vs. (15) Remy Cotton (Rutgers)

285 lbs

(1) Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) vs. (8) Ben Kueter (Iowa)
(21) Juan Mora (Oklahoma) vs. (4) AJ Ferrari (Nebraska)
(3) Taye Ghadiali (Michigan) vs. (27) Hunter Catka (Rutgers)
(7) Konner Doucet (OK State) vs. (2) Isaac Trumble (NC State)

NCAA Wrestling Championships TV Schedule 2026

Thursday, March 19

12:00 p.m. ET: Session I (First Round) – ESPN2
7:00 p.m. ET: Session II (Second Round, Consolation Matches) – ESPN

Friday, March 20

12:00 p.m. ET: Session III (Quarterfinals, Consolation Matches) – ESPNU
8:00 p.m. ET: Session IV (Semifinals, Consolation Matches) – ESPN2

Saturday, March 21

11:00 a.m. ET: Session V (Medal Matches) – ESPNU
6:30 p.m. ET: Session VI (Finals) – ESPN

NCAA Wrestling Championships Team Scores

Last updated 10:41 p.m. ET, March 19.

1. Penn State – 40.5
2. Nebraska – 27.0
3. Iowa – 25.0
3. OK State – 25.0
5. Ohio State – 23.0
6. Iowa State – 21.5
7. Arizona State – 17.0
8. Stanford – 15.0
9. Cornell – 14.0
9. Michigan – 14.0
9. Virginia Tech – 14.0
12. Minnesota – 12.5

How To Watch NCAA Wrestling Championships 2026

The 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships will be broadcast across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU from March 19-21 in Cleveland.
Every match will also be streamed on ESPN+, including concurrent mat coverage.

Where To Watch The NCAA Wrestling Championships 2026?

The 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships will be broadcast March 19, 20 and 21 across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. Every match will also be streamed live on ESPN+, including concurrent mat coverage.

When Is NCAA Wrestling Championships 2026

The 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships begin March 19 and run through March 21 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

What Time Does The NCAA Wrestling Tournament Start?

On March 19, the NCAA Wrestling Championships begin at 12:00 p.m. ET with Session II starting at 7:00 p.m. ET.

NCAA Wrestling Today

Today, March 19, is the beginning of the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Session I starts at 12:00 p.m. ET. The tournament runs through March 21. Stay tuned for results and live updates.

Trackwrestling Has Joined The New FloWrestling

Trackwrestling has officially merged with FloWrestling, bringing its powerful tournament tracking tools and live data into a modern, all-in-one platform.

Fans can follow every bout with pro-grade brackets, mat schedules, team rosters and detailed wrestler profiles—all seamlessly integrated within FloWrestling.

This move delivers a faster, smarter and more connected experience for the wrestling community. Through the updated FloSports app, users can track live results, explore brackets and even sign up for free alerts so they never miss a match.

FloWrestling Archived Footage

Video footage from all events on FloWrestling will be archived and stored in a video library for FloWrestling subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.