IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa head wrestling coach Tom Brands and Hawkeye Wrestling Club head coach Brandon Sorensen announced Wednesday that Michael Caliendo, Patrick Kennedy, Dean Peterson, and Crew Howard will continue their wrestling careers in Iowa City as members of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club.

Caliendo and Kennedy combined for five All-America honors and 156 wins wrestling collegiately for the Hawkeyes, representing a dangerous 1-2 punch at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively, from 2024-26.

Peterson posted a 15-9 record and qualified for the NCAA Championships at 125 pounds in his one season at Iowa in 2026. Howard was a two-time All-American at Division II Nebraska-Kearney, posting a 69-7 record while wrestling at heavyweight.

“We are talking about three guys that are not necessarily new additions to the room, but they are new to these roles, and another guy who is new to the room and new to this role,” said Iowa head wrestling coach Tom Brands. “Their college careers are complete. They ran that race and ran it well. Now they’re training to compete at the senior level, and the way they compete and go about their business will serve them and this program well.”

“These guys are proven winners determined to take their success to the international level,” said Sorensen. “We are very like-minded in that our standard is high and their standards are high. They are the kind of guys you want in your program. They check every box on and off the mat.”

Caliendo earned four All-America honors at the NCAA Championships. He placed seventh as a freshman at North Dakota State before transferring to Iowa and climbing the podium with a fourth-place finish in 2024 and earning NCAA runner-up honors in 2025 and 2026.

“I knew when I came to Iowa that this would be part of the plan,” said Caliendo. “I feel like my wrestling has gotten better every workout, every day, every season, training for the next best thing and I’m never satisfied. What’s next is world and Olympic titles and this is where it can happen. This is where I want to be, and this is what I want to be doing.”

Kennedy arrived in the Iowa wrestling room as a freshman in 2020. He was Big Ten runner-up in his first full season in the lineup, putting together a 21-5 record as a redshirt freshman. He earned his first of two All-America honors in 2025, placing fourth at the NCAA Championships. He finished his career with a third-place finish at the national tournament in 2026.

“The people at Iowa are the best and that’s what I want to be,” said Kennedy. “The path to this point isn’t always easy, but it’s not supposed to be easy, and that adversity is what makes you better. With the people in this room, you can’t help but get better if you do things the right way. I’m still chasing the ultimate goal of world and Olympic gold medals, and I’m going to do it as a Hawkeye.”

Peterson is a four-time NCAA qualifier at 125 pounds, totaling 77 career wins from 2022-26. He competed at Rutgers from 2022-25 before transferring to Iowa as a senior for the 2025-26 season.

“I know there is a lot more wrestling in me,” said Peterson. “I learned a lot about myself in the one season I was able to train in this room, and wrestling for these coaches, and going to battle with these guys; I want to see how far I can go and take that next big step.”

Howard earned All-America honors in 2025 and 2026, anchoring a Loper lineup that won the NCAA Division II National Championships. He finished on the podium twice at the Iowa High School State Tournament wrestling for Clarinda High School.

“Getting a chance to train and compete for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club is an honor,” said Howard. “I understand the expectation that comes with representing this program and it’s not something I take lightly. I’m ready to answer the bell and get to work.”

The four wrestlers join an HWC roster that includes Spencer Lee, Austin DeSanto, Brandon Sorensen, Stephen Buchanan and Jesse Ybarra.

The financial support that allows each wrestler to pursue Olympic and World Championships is privately funded. Since 2017, the HWC board has accepted monthly contributions towards the club by inviting fans to join the INNER CIRCLE. This fundraising approach has been instrumental to the development of the HWC, as monthly gifts of $25 or more help with day-to-day expenses, offset operations costs, and provide HWC athletes with a competitive living wage.

In 2022, the HWC established the Herb Tyler 50-year Fund, an endowment fund, with the intent of providing a lasting source of income to the club. This fund provides an avenue for significant donors to help ensure the viability and stability of the club’s future.

About the Hawkeye Wrestling Club:

Since its inception in 1973, the focus of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club — a 501(c)(3) organization — has always been to provide the training, coaching, and resources necessary to help our athletes pursue their dreams of becoming World and Olympic Champions. The money raised through the HWC goes directly to benefit the athletes helping with living expenses, training, and traveling needs.