The Iowa Hawkeyes demolished Lehigh University in this weekend's top-ten dual, 37-7, breaking the Mountain Hawks' undefeated streak and picking up another win in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa won eight of its 10 matches with five techs and three falls. After being upset last weekend in the semifinals of the NWCA Nationals Duals by North Central, the Hawkeyes have not looked back.
For Her. 💛
— Iowa Women's Wrestling (@IowaW_Wrestling)
Just a day before the match, Iowa crowned eight champions at the CK Mike Duroe Invitational and had twenty different top-five finishes. Two of the team's champions rank No. 1 in their weight class: Valarie Solorio at 103 pounds and Karlee Brooks at 131 pounds.
This was Lehigh's first series of duals since Dec. 30 at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championship. The Mountain Hawks opened the tri-dual this afternoon by defeating Otterbein 32-1, a team that Iowa would later top 42-1 after taking Lehigh.
Here are the biggest highlights from Iowa’s dominance over the Mountain Hawks:
Two teams, two techs
Hawkeye redshirt sophomore Sterling Dias started the momentum for the Hawks when she crushed Hattie Mack 11-0 tech with 56 seconds on the clock in the first period. Dias scored a step-out, three takedowns, and two exposures, while Mack was warned for passivity at 2:15 remaining. Dias finished with an exposure, sealing Mack’s fate. Lehigh’s No. 1 Audrey Jimenez evened the score, defeating Iowa redshirt junior Ava Bayless at the 110 with a 10-0 technical victory. Jimenez sealed the deal with 32 seconds remaining after two takedowns and three turns.
Iowa’s Harlee Hiller climbs back from a seven-point deficit to upset Lehigh’s No. 5 Abbi Cooper
Just as Lehigh started to gain momentum with Jimenez's tech and a great offensive start from No. 5 Abbi Cooper, Iowa’s Harlee Hiller found another gear. Trailing 7-0 to Cooper with 47 seconds in the match, Hiller hit the Mountain Hawk with a headlock and tossed her to her back for the fall. Her comeback packed on five more points for Iowa, 9-4.
Takedowns, a tech fall and team points for Leng
Hawkeye's reliable No. 7 Cali Leng picked up another 11-0 tech over Alexa Ciliotta at 124 pounds. Leng led 1-0 at the end of the first period after a step-out. She then picked up the pace and added a takedown and three additional step-outs to win by tech with 16 seconds to go. Her win tacked on another four points to the Hawkeyes' total.
Match of the Day: Lehigh’s Spotlight Moment
Iowa’s two techs and a pin made a statement during the first half of the dual in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, but Lehigh still had another star waiting in the wings. In the top-ranked 131-pound bout, the Mountain Hawks fielded Aubre Krazer, the 2025 Most Outstanding Midlands wrestler and tournament sportsmanship winner, against Iowa’s Karlee Brooks, the latter of whom was favored in the matchup. Rankings didn’t matter to Krazer.
Despite giving up a 2-0 start to the Hawkeye, Krazer answered with a step-out, takedown, and two leg laces to finish the first period 7-2. At the start of the second, Brooks notched a four-point headlock, nearly tying the match 7-6. But Krazer finished with too much strength, securing a leg lace for the 15-6 victory. Her win added three points for Lehigh.
Hawkeyes’ House
The Hawkeyes quickly got back on track, though. At 138 pounds, Iowa’s Ella Schmit got the 10-0 technical fall over Kryssceah Ravenelle. She was followed by Cadence Diduch, who won by fall over Sydney Thompson at 145 pounds.
Iowa’s top-ranked Kennedy Blades then continued her undefeated season with a fall over Cameron Millsapps in just 48 seconds at 160 pounds. The victory marked her ninth win by fall or pin. She’s now accounted for 39 of her team's overall dual points this season.
At 180, Iowa’s No.1 Kylie Welker made quick work of Lehigh’s Genevieve An with a fall in the first period, while Hawkeye No. 5 Jaycee Foeller wrapped up the match with a forfeit win at 207 pounds. Welker’s win was particularly notable as she returned to the mat for the first time since her three wins at the NWCA National Duals over Sacred Heart’s Madeline Hodges, North Central’s Jael Miller, and Grand Valley State’s Maddison Ward.
Iowa will now march forward following the big win and compete in the Journeymen College Duals in New York next week, while Lehigh will compete in the Pennsylvania Collegiate State Championships. Both teams carry one loss on their resume, with Iowa's coming against North Central College and Lehigh's coming against the Hawkeyes.
