What Is The Hawkeye Wrestling Club?
HAWKEYE WRESTLING CLUB History
With a relentless pursuit of excellence, Iowa Wrestling has a reputation and tradition unlike any other. Since 1973, the Hawkeye Wrestling Club has played a vital role in the continued success of not only the Iowa Wrestling program, but also our athletes’ quest to become World and Olympic Champions.
The Hawkeye Wrestling Club Exists to promote wrestling in Iowa and America by producing honorable elite level athletes through high level wrestling opportunities.
There are very few who can deny the sense of pride felt when one of our nation’s athletes stands atop the podium on the world stage, with a gold medal draped around his neck. Especially when it’s a homegrown talent from the state of Iowa.
Olympic Silver Medalist
2x US Open Champion
Bill Farrell Champion
Pan-American Champion
2x Hodge Trophy Winner
3x NCAA Champion
5x NCAA All-American
Spencer Lee
US Olympic Team Trials Qualifier
4x NCAA All-American
Austin DeSanto
US Olympic Team Trials Qualifier
4x NCAA All-American
4x B1G Champion
Alex Marinelli
5x NCAA All-American
Jacob Warner
3x NCAA All-American
Kaleb Young
4x NCAA All-American
Brandon Sorensen
4x NCAA All-American
4x Conference Champion
Jayden Eierman
Height: 5-7
Weight: 174 lbs
University of Iowa, Freshman
Albany, GA
Gabe Arnold
Height: 5-6
Weight: 125 lbs
University of Iowa, Sophomore
Fort Dodge, IA
Drake Ayala
Height: 5-11
Weight: 149 lbs
University of Iowa, Freshman
Waverly, IA
Ryder Block
Height: 5-9
Weight: 174 lbs
University of Iowa, RS Senior
Iowa City, IA
Nelson Brands
Height: 5-8
Weight: 165 lbs
University of Iowa, Sophomore
Geneva, IL
Michael Caliendo
Height: 5-8
Weight: 165 lbs
University of Iowa, Sophomore
Putnam Valley, NY
Will Carano
Height: 5-7
Weight: 125 lbs
University of Iowa, RS Freshman
Fresno, CA
Joey Cruz
Height: 5-8
Weight: 157 lbs
University of Iowa, Freshman
Burlington, IA
Isaiah Fenton
Height: 6-2
Weight: 285 lbs
University of Iowa, RS Freshman
Inwood, IA
Easton Fleshman
Height: 5-6
Weight: 133/141 lbs
University of Iowa, Freshman
Valley City, ND
Koye Grebel
Height: 5-6
Weight: 133 lbs
University of Iowa, Senior
Layton, UT
Aidan Harris
Height: 5-8
Weight: 165 lbs
University of Iowa, Junior
Kasson-Mantorville, MN
Patrick Kennedy
Height: 6-3
Weight: 285 lbs
University of Iowa, Freshman
Iowa City, IA
Ben Kueter
Height: 5-11
Weight: 285 lbs
University of Iowa, RS Freshman
Solon, IA
Gage Marty
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Hawkeye Wrestling Club
When Dan Gable came to Iowa City in 1972, he had a vision of excellence that was contagious. He spent time fostering relationships, honing athletes skills, and sharing his passion for wrestling with everyone he interacted with. Athletes, fans, and donors all knew exactly what the Hawkeyes were setting out to do… dominate.
And they did.
Gable’s teams won everything… dang-near every time. His record as a coach was 355-21-5 between 1976-1997 (21 years). He coached 152 All-Americans, 45 national champions, 106 B1G champions, his teams won 21 straight B1G championships, and 15 NCAA titles.
In order to elevate to the highest levels year-in, and year-out, Gable knew he needed support. So at the very beginning of his coaching career he recruited the best wingman anyone could find – Roy Carver.
HWC & Our Supporters
Carver was the sole contributor to the University of Iowa wrestling team and the then newly founded Hawkeye Wrestling Club for nearly a decade prior to his death in 1981. Together they build the foundation for the biggest wrestling empire in the United States and arguably the world.
To date, the Hawkeye Wrestling Club has celebrated 17 World Medalists, 6 World Champions, 19 Olympians, 10 Olympic Medalists, and 5 Olympic Champions! Carver’s impact was enormous and is still being felt today by Hawkeye grapplers.
Over the past 50 years, hundreds of athletes have benefited from Carver’s contributions and Gable’s vision. Two of those athletes were Tom Brands and Terry Brands, the current torch bearers of the University of Iowa Wrestling program and Hawkeye Wrestling Club.
When they took over the program in 2006, the Hawkeye Wrestling Club funds were depleted. With less than $10k in the bank, Tom and Terry set out to leave it better than they found it, in a big way. Not only in the bank, but also on the mat! That hunger to be the best is a catalyst for the Brands’ everyday. Now more than ever, they need your support to be the very best. For the past 17 years, the Brands brothers have coached the Hawkeyes to a 265-25-1 record, 4 NCAA and 6 B1G team titles, crowning 13 NCAA champions, 25 B1G Champions, and 100 All-Americans.
After tireless work by the leadership of our program, the HWC is best positioned to transform athletes’ lives by providing them with the best training environment, coaching, and teammates the world has to offer.
And with you, we will get back to the top of the wrestling world in perpetuity.
The state of Iowa is synonymous with wrestling because of the success the University of Iowa and the Hawkeye Wrestling Club has obtained.
As of 2023, the state of Iowa now has a staggering 71 national team titles between five different divisions and eight different colleges. The University of Iowa leads the way with 24 NCAA D1 National Championships. That’s why we have been coined WRESTLETOWN, USA!
The Hawkeye Wrestling Club touches all levels of wrestling and is at the epicenter of developmental impacts in our sport. Our program’s coaching tree extends to every corner of the United States from youth to international programs.
The natural progression for high level athletes is to go into coaching, but not all are as passionate for the sport as our Hawks. Coaching coaches is what our program does… Dan Gable has coached approximately 20 head division one coaches and a countless number of coaches at other levels. Tom Brands is also building a representation for developing aspiring coaches with approximately 15 of his athletes choosing to stay in the sport of wrestling as a viable career path.
Being legitimate on the mat takes a lot of unseen hard work behind the scenes, so does the day-to-day operations of a premier institution like the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. We pride ourselves on being professional and understand the value of running an efficient event and marketing our team to the masses. When we travel, people flock to us because they want to catch a glimpse of what we’re all about.
HWC DONATIONS
Hawkeye wrestling club survives on donations from people like you. With your support we can make the Hawkeye Wrestling Club the best Wrestling Club in the world!
