Iowa

Iowa opens $31 million wrestling facility for men’s and women’s programs

Published

2 years ago

May 31, 2024

Iowa opens million wrestling facility for men’s and women’s programs

IOWA CITY – Following a historic day in 2015 at Kinnick Stadium, when the Iowa wrestling program upended the No. 1-ranked Oklahoma State in front of the largest crowd for a collegiate wrestling dual ever, Tom Brands went out to a tailgate at the football practice facility for the upcoming Minnesota-Iowa football game.

A man named Bob Nicolls approached him. They chatted briefly, trading comments as people do at a tailgate. Nicolls was insistent that he could be of help, as a Hawkeye wrestling fan since his days as a freshman and then as a real-estate businessman in operating Monarch Investments. He approached Iowa wrestling’s director of operations at the time, Luke Eustice.

“Let me know if you need anything,” Nicolls told Eustice.

Eustice passed that message to Brands. Not long after, Brands gave Nicolls a call. He and Eustice were headed to Colorado in a car, driving hundreds of miles to have a visit at 7 a.m. the next morning.

After that meet-up, Brands and Eustice walked out of Nicolls’ office in Colorado with a $50,000 check for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club and a $1,000,000 commitment to helping build a new practice facility for Iowa. The Iowa wrestling room was named after Bob and his wife, Kathy Nicolls. That commitment later expanded to $3,000,000.

The facility itself, which was officially unveiled Thursday, is named the Goschke Family Wrestling Training Center, after Doug and Ann Goschke. When Brands met with the Goschke family at their home to discuss the project, he remembers their family dog dashing over the kitchen table and sitting on his lap.

It’s little stories like that of Brands meeting passionate Hawkeye wrestling fans that led to this $31 million facility for the Hawkeyes, all of which has been privately funded.

“In this endeavor, I’ve made a lot of friends,” Brands said. “I’m a pretty gracious person when it comes to being thankful and showing gratitude, so they got me as a friend whether they want to or not.”

‘We have to continue to lead.’

Before you can even reach the main doors, you have to pass the Dan Gable statue with his fist raised high, moved from his original location by the northwest entrance and directly above where the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex was.

Upon entry, you’re greeted with what is dubbed a “Hall of Champions” with team and individual trophies. Also on the first floor are coach and staff offices. Those offices have windows that look down onto the wrestling mats on the lower level.

The first level also includes individual men’s and women’s lounges that house areas to relax, but also nutrition stations and other amenities to promote physical and mental well-being.

On the lower level is where much of the competing is set to occur. Upon going downstairs, the floor opens up to a six-mat-wide wrestling room. Ropes dangle from the ceiling along with televisions plastered on the wall.

The most important feature of that wrestling room, Brands said, may be the layout. Adjacent to the mats and directly underneath where the mats lie is the strength and training center. Athletic training areas to treat injuries and fatigue are accessible right off the mats, as well as bikes with tablets stationed around the outskirts of the mats.

Brands said that was a part of the old facility, an idea introduced by Dan Gable. Brands added the additional athletic training portion to that flow. The idea centers around being able to move from one workout to the next with no delay. Having the athletic training space close by requires and reminds athletes to check in when needed.

Brands and the staff received pushback for trying to implement that once again in the new facility, but that was a deal breaker.

“Notice the flow, it’s by design,” Brands said. “It will get better with time. We will learn how to use it better. We will put more powerful and more credentialed athletes in this space and win championships.”

Down on the lower level are also men’s and women’s locker rooms and individual ice bath and sauna areas. Prior to this facility opening, the women were required to share locker-room space with the opposing teams in Carver-Hawkeye Arena since the previous facility did not have space.

“This personal space allows us to mentally and physically prepare for the battles ahead,” Iowa women’s wrestler Nyla Valencia said. “It ensures we can focus entirely on our performance and well-being.”

From that floor, Hawkeye wrestlers will be able to prepare and race down the tunnel to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for matches.

With the price tag large and a 38,000 square-foot building to build in, the Hawkeyes’ programs have the nation’s premier wrestling facility. That comes at a time when the inevitability of revenue-sharing has prevented other programs from moving forward with projects of their own and will continue to do so in the future.

Iowa is not interested in being in an arms race with other programs, Brands said. This was another step for the men’s program to return to a championship level after missing out on a team trophy this past season, and just as important, a place the women’s program can continue to dominate as it did in its inaugural season.

“We have to continue to lead,” Brands said. “I don’t think we’re in a race to put great facilities in the ground to be ahead of the competition. You look at what’s necessary. We still have a lot of work to do. Our donors dug deep, they stepped up. Now, we got to perform.”

Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23

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Iowa

Iowa women’s wrestling finishes third at National Duals

Published

5 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Iowa women’s wrestling finishes third at National Duals

CEDAR FALLS − The undefeated start to the Iowa women’s wrestling program has ended after the Hawkeyes lost a dual for the first time in program history at the NWCA National Duals on Jan. 10.

A 40-5 win over William Jewell College and a 39-3 victory over Sacred Heart set up a major semifinal clash with rival North Central College on Jan. 10.

Iowa won six of 10 matches in the semifinals. Karlee Brooks beat national runner-up Yele Aycock by a 8-4 decision, 138-pounder Skye Realin defeated a former national champion by a 6-6 score on criteria in Claire Dicugno with a four-point throw at the buzzer, Reese Larramendy knocked off No. 1 ranked and former Hawkeye teammate Bella Mir in a 10-4 decision at 145 and 180-pounder Kylie Welker wrestled and won in just her second match back after a period of rest to start the season.

All of those wins helped put Iowa in front, 21-18, going into the final bout at 207 pounds.

What did the Hawkeyes in was losses by fall at 110, 124 and 207. The 207 loss, with Dasia Yearby pinning Jaycee Foeller in the first period, gave North Central a 23-21 victory despite the Cardinals dropping six of 10 matches. North Central also scored team points in nine of 10 bouts because they scored match points and did not lose by fall.

As a result, the Iowa program’s 42-0 unblemished record in duals was broken.

The final result was eerily similar to the dual between the two teams at the same tournament two years ago, where the Hawkeyes also lost six of 10 bouts, but got crucial bonus points and at least one team point in all 10 bouts to escape with a 21-20 win.

Iowa women’s wrestling coach Clarissa Chun emphasized to her team two years ago that every point mattered in the win. This time around, it worked against them as the Cardinals got the upset victory.

“Every point does matter,” Chun said. “You can’t replicate those moments in those times, in certain moments and positions. We got to be better at finishing, that’s apparent. We can get to the legs, but we got to continue to wrestle through that to the strong finish.”

Iowa women’s wrestling’s Skye Realin discusses loss to North Central

VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Skye Realin discusses loss to North Central

Chun said the emotions were raw afterwards, with wrestlers in and out of the lineup taking the loss to heart. Welker, who won her bout 8-2 against Jael Miller, took it hard since she nearly had a pin that could have flipped the final result.

“There was a lot of us that felt it was hard to take a loss, especially for me, and there was a couple other girls that took it pretty hard,” Welker said. “I have girls that look to me, so I’m like, ‘I got to pull myself together and step forward with them, alongside them so we can finish this tournament.’”

Ultimately, the Hawkeyes finished with a win in the third-place bout shortly after by defeating a solid Grand Valley State team, 26-15. The main difference, they said, was the positive energy exuded from the coaching staff to not harp on the past and look for the next best thing.

Iowa women’s wrestling’s Karlee Brooks discusses loss to North Central

VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Karlee Brooks discusses loss to North Central

While the loss brings an unfamiliar feeling to the program, it’s something they knew would come eventually. While it was their main rival today, McKendree will also present a tough challenge to the field when the NCAA Championships come in March.

Behind stars Welker and Kennedy Blades, rising wrestlers like Brooks and Realin, as well as proven veterans in Larramendy, Brianna Gonzalez and Foeller, Iowa will have a good chance to win a third-consecutive team title this season.

Even in a crushing loss, they got some key wins from those like Realin, Larramendy and Brooks that bode well for the Hawkeyes in the future. The places they faltered were spots they’ll have confidence to bounce back or won’t apply come the NCAA Championships, like Nyla Valencia’s loss by fall after controlling most of the bout at 110 pounds, and Welker and Blades giving up team points in their matches.

Regardless, the third-place finish served as a reminder to the program and fans alike that this year is going to bring Iowa’s toughest challenge yet.

“Everyone on our team knows it, this sport has depth,” Chun said. “There are great wrestlers across the entire country.”

Iowa women’s wrestling’s results at NWCA National Duals

Iowa women’s wrestling’s Kylie Welker’s National Duals press conference

VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Kylie Welker discusses program’s first loss

Round of 16: Iowa 40, William Jewell College 5

103 – Sterling Dias (Iowa) over Juliana Alejandro (William Jewell College) TF 11-0
110 – Nyla Valencia (Iowa) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
117 – Alexandra Waitsman (William Jewell College) over Harlee Hiller (Iowa) Fall 1:04
124 – Isabella Gonzales (Iowa) over Miyah Palacios (William Jewell College) TF 10-0
131 – Emily Frost (Iowa) over Shelby Kemp (William Jewell College) Fall 1:22
138 – Lilly Luft (Iowa) over Zainab Ibrahim (William Jewell College) Fall 2:01
145 – Cadence Diduch (Iowa) over Mckinzie Ross (William Jewell College) TF 11-0
160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Paige Barber (William Jewell College) TF 10-0
180 – Katja Osteen (Iowa) over Jianna Chavez (William Jewell College) Fall 1:22
207 – Jaycee Foeller (Iowa) over Desiree Hall (William Jewell College) TF 10-0

Quarterfinal: Iowa 39, Sacred Heart University 3

103 – Valarie Solorio (Iowa) over Aaliyah Payne-Parris (Sacred Heart) Fall 0:54
110 – Ava Bayless (Iowa) over Tiffany Stoshak (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
117 – Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) over Tatiana Walker (Sacred Heart) TF 11-0
124 – Cali Leng (Iowa) over Lauren Nguyen (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
131 – Bella Williams (Iowa) over Bella Sowards (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
138 – Skye Realin (Iowa) over Elleahna Anderson (Sacred Heart) Fall 2:21
145 – Reese Larramendy (Iowa) over Selena Sifuentes shaffer (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Love Daley (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
180 – Kylie Welker (Iowa) over Madeline Hodges (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
207 – Josephine Larson (Sacred Heart) over Libby Dix (Iowa) Dec 5-2

Semifinal: North Central College 23, Iowa 21

103 – Valarie Solorio (Iowa) over Brianne Graves (North Central College) TF 12-0
110 – Kaelani Shufeldt (North Central College) over Nyla Valencia (Iowa) Fall 5:38
117 – Riley Rayome (North Central College) over Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) Dec 3-3
124 – Sara Sterner (North Central College) over Cali Leng (Iowa) Fall 1:45
131 – Karlee Brooks (Iowa) over Yele Aycock (North Central College) Dec 8-4
138 – Skye Realin (Iowa) over Claire Dicugno (North Central College) Dec 6-6
145 – Reese Larramendy (Iowa) over Bella Mir (North Central College) Dec 10-4
160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Taylor Graveman (North Central College) TF 11-1
180 – Kylie Welker (Iowa) over Jael Miller (North Central College) Dec 8-2
207 – Dasia Yearby (North Central College) over Jaycee Foeller (Iowa) Fall 1:38

Third-place dual: Iowa 26, Grand Valley State 15

103 – Sterling Dias (Iowa) over Rayana Sahagun (Grand Valley State) Dec 7-0
110 – Ava Bayless (Iowa) over Kiely Tabaldo (Grand Valley State) Dec 6-0
117 – Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) over Libby Roberts (Grand Valley State) TF 10-0
124 – Sage Mortimer (Grand Valley State) over Isabella Gonzales (Iowa) Fall 0:37
131 – Karlee Brooks (Iowa) over Aspen Blasko (Grand Valley State) Dec 8-3
138 – Katerina Lange (Grand Valley State) over Lilly Luft (Iowa) TF 10-0
145 – Cadence Diduch (Iowa) over Margaret Buurma (Grand Valley State) TF 10-0
160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Noelle Gaffney (Grand Valley State) Fall 3:45
180 – Kylie Welker (Iowa) over Maddison Ward (Grand Valley State) TF 10-0
207 – Sabrina Nauss (Grand Valley State) over Jaycee Foeller (Iowa) Fall 4:47

Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.

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Iowa

Ben Kueter earns top-10 in return to Iowa men’s wrestling lineup

Published

18 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Ben Kueter earns top-10 in return to Iowa men’s wrestling lineup

Iowa heavyweight Ben Kueter is back and feels better than ever | The Gazette

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Iowa

Semi-truck crash causes Iowa power outage impacting hundreds

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Semi-truck crash causes Iowa power outage impacting hundreds

TAMA COUNTY, Iowa — A pair of power outages left more than 700 people without power in Tama County Friday afternoon.

Alliant Energy says the larger outage, just north of Garwin, was caused by a semi-truck striking one of their power poles. That outages impacted 690 customers as of 5 p.m. Friday.

The smaller outage impacted roughly 36 people in Tama. The outage was caused by equipment needing repairs.

Alliant says crews are on site and working to fix both outages.

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