The new college women's wrestling season opened across the country this past weekend, and second-ranked Iowa made an emphatic statement close to home. The Hawkeyes put five wrestlers in the finals and crowned five champions at the Luther Hill Open in Indianola on Saturday and Sunday.
According to Yahoo Sports, the NCAA now sanctions more than 125 women's wrestling programs, including seven at the Division I level. Three of those Division I programs sit in the top five of the national rankings: Iowa at No. 2, Presbyterian at No. 3, and Lehigh tied at No. 5. All three were in action over the weekend, along with top-ranked McKendree and fifth-ranked King University.
Iowa Hawkeyes Dominate at the Luther Hill Open
Wrestling at the Blake Field House in Indianola, Iowa crowned champions in five weight classes. Madison Nieuwenhuis won at 103 pounds, Isabella Gonzalez took the title at 110, Harlee Hiller won at 124, Emily Frost at 131, and Lilly Luft earned a title at 138.
The Hawkeyes' one close call came at 117 pounds, where returning All-American Brianna Gonzalez settled for second. She lost to two-time NAIA champion Mia Palumbo, who currently trains with the Cyclone RTC in Ames. The early in-state storyline gives Iowa wrestling fans something to watch as the season develops.
Top-Five Showdown Headlines Opening Weekend
The weekend's marquee dual came Sunday in Marietta, Georgia, where NCAA No. 5 King knocked off NAIA No. 4 Life University 27-12. Life entered the dual as the two-time defending NAIA champion, but King came in reloaded with a strong recruiting class, All-American transfers, and the return of sophomore Isis France at 138 pounds.
Returning All-Americans Virginia Foard at 131, Zoey Lints at 145, Stella Steigler at 160, and Kathryn Hingano at 180 all scored wins for the Tornado. Diana Gonzalez at 110 and Ariana Martinez at 124 picked up wins for Life.
“Life is a tough, well-coached program,” King head coach Bret Fry said. “Several of those matches could have gone either way. Our girls were resilient tonight.”
Steigler, the top-ranked 160-pounder in the country, backed up her billing with a 10-0 dismantling of Life freshman Faith Bane. In other dual action, No. 24 Simon Fraser rolled past Evergreen State 38-6.
Mcendree, Presbyterian, and Lehigh Make Early Statements
Top-ranked McKendree sent nine wrestlers to the finals and brought home six titles at the Tiffin Open in Ohio. Returning national champion Yu Sakamoto won at 117 pounds with three pins and two technical falls, an opening performance that kept the Bearcats firmly at No. 1.
Yusneiry Agrazal won at 124, Alex Szkotnicki at 131, Caley Graber at 138, Savannah Gomez at 160, and Sandra Guerrero at 207. Heather Crull reached the finals at 110 but lost to Grand Valley State freshman Julia Horger. The NCAA's preseason list of wrestlers to watch highlighted McKendree's depth as a defining strength of the program.
Third-ranked Presbyterian placed six in the finals at the Princeton Open at the Jadwin Gymnasium in New Jersey. Zoe Griffith won at 138 with three pins and a technical fall, May Cuyler took 160, and Maria Aiono claimed 207. USA Wrestling's season preview had flagged the Blue Hose as one of the teams to beat in the Division I ranks this year, and the opening weekend did nothing to change that view.
Lehigh won the team title at the ESU Open in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, scoring 60 points to outpace Delaware State and Sacred Heart. The Mountain Hawks put seven wrestlers in the finals and won four individual titles: Ava Fodera at 110, Abbi Cooper at 117, Zorina Johnson at 131, and Alex Alli at 160.
Freshmen Turn Heads Right Away
First-year wrestlers made noise all over the country. Grand Valley State's Horger beat returning All-American Crull for the 110-pound title at Tiffin. McKendree's Graber, also a freshman, won the 138-pound crown with a 13-11 decision over another touted rookie, Madilyn Peach of Grand Valley State.
Lehigh freshman Alex Alli was nearly untouchable at the ESU Open, outscoring her opponents 44-0 with two technical falls, two pins, and a 9-0 win in the finals at 160 pounds.
Fourth-ranked North Central opens its season Monday night in Michigan against Northern Michigan University, one of the last top-five teams to take the mat in the young season.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many NCAA women's wrestling programs are there?
The NCAA now has more than 125 women's wrestling programs, including seven at the Division I level, according to Yahoo Sports.
Where did Iowa's women's wrestling team open the season?
The second-ranked Hawkeyes opened at the Luther Hill Open at the Blake Field House in Indianola, where they crowned five individual champions.
Who is the top-ranked women's college wrestling team?
McKendree holds the No. 1 ranking and won six individual titles at the Tiffin Open to open the 2026-27 season.