WEDNESDAY, May 7, 2025
Austin DeSanto competed at the U.S. Open last month and placed 5th at 61kg. With his fifth place finish he failed to earn a spot at Final X – the World Team Trials Finals that decide our US rep for the UWW World Championships in September, in Zagreb, Croatia. Austin lost to Seth Gross in the quarter finals (3-6) and Ben Davino (4-6) in the consolation semifinals putting him in the 5th place bout, where he won (10-6) over Michael McGee.
Kennedy Blade is the newest member of the 2025 class Hawkeye Wrestling Club members, joining Stephen Buchanan and Jesse Ybarra. Blades wrestles for the Iowa Women’s team during her NCAA season and with the HWC during the international season. She just won the US Open at 68kg, securing her spot at Final X!
Fans can watch her compete this weekend at the Pan Ams in Monterrey, Mexico. She will take the mat on Friday starting at 10:00am CST live on flowrestling.org.
The World Team Trials are also being contested in Louisville, KY on May 16-18, 2025. This tournament only applies in weight categories where a 2024 Senior Freestyle Olympic Medalist or 2024 Senior Freestyle World Medalist did not accept their automatic berth to Final X or where there is no 2024 Senior Freestyle Olympic Medalist or 2024 Senior Freestyle World Medalist.
Bolded65kg, 70kg, 74kg, 79kg, 86kg, 92kg, 97kg, 125kg
This event will have a mini tournament and a one match final – Winner will advance to the Final X to face the US Open Champion.The next time we will see Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee will be at Final X in Newark, NJ on Saturday, June 14, 2025. Tickets are on sale now for this World Team Trials! Take a look at all the Final X qualified athletes here. You can watch Final X in person (get tickets) or stream it live at flowrestling.org
We had a blast at our Annual Banquet – Saturday, May 3, 2025 at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center in southeast Cedar Rapids. Our guests really showed up for us once again during the live auction, and our friends online supported us by bidding on over 90 silent auction items – just incredible! Thank you to everyone who attended and for those of you who donated to our cause on Saturday evening! Together we raised just over $150,000 for our athletes!
Stephen Buchanan and Spencer Lee were awarded with the 2025 Rob McReynolds Passion Award at the event! The Rob McReynolds Passion Award is presented annually to a member or members of the HWC community who best display the characteristics that define the late Rob McReynolds’ life as a husband, father, friend, athlete, coach, mentor, and businessman. Those characteristics include directing endless energy toward achieving a desired outcome, inspiring others to achieve their highest potential, and providing loving support and compassion for those around him. Eligible recipients include club athletes, club coaches/staff, fans and supporters.
“You couldn’t ask for better people to represent us (the HWC) on the world stage,” said HWC Executive Director Chad Beatty. “Both of these guys hold themselves to a high standard and inspire others within their orbit to do the same. Like Rob, these two are passionate about life, wrestling, and getting after it!”
Read the full press release here.
And if you couldn’t make it this year, we’d love to have you next year – here in Iowa City – on Saturday, May 2, 2026! Add it to your calendar now!!
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