BOOM!! Spencer Lee is the 2026 UWW Senior World Champion at 57kg! Spencer won five straight bouts to bring home his first World medal… and it’s GOLD!
Kennedy Blades brings her World/Olympic medal count to three in Astana, Kazakhstan—Bronze.
Our Hawks are also set to start the 2026-27 season next week, at home, versus Bellarmine University.
Spencer Lee, the 3X NCAA Champion, 2X Hodge Trophy Winner, and Olympic Silver Medalist is now standing atop the wrestling world as World Champion! What an outstanding performance & accomplishment!
Lee dominated the World! He won 5 straight matches en route to his first world title with 4 technical falls and a fall in 4:25. Watch all of his matches by following the links below.
Round One: 11-0 over Segura Guerr (GUA)
Round Two: 12-2 over Valizadeh (IRI)
Quarter Final: 11-0 over Mutaliev (RUS)
Semi Final: Fall in 4:25 over Bazarganov (AZE)
Championship Final: 10-0 over Roman Bravo-Young (MEX)
Kennedy Blades also competed for Team USA at the World Championships in Astana, bringing home her second bronze medal. Kennedy won her first bout over Koehler (GER) and then fell to the eventual World Silver Medalist, Zhumanazarova (KGZ) in round two. On day two Blades won back-to-back repechage bouts, first over Srishti (IND) 12-1 and then pinned Enkhsaikhan (MGL) for bronze!
Austin DeSanto (61kg), Stephen Buchanan (97kg), Patrick Kennedy (79kg), Dean Peterson (57kg), and Crew Howard (125kg) are getting ready to compete in New York City at the Bill Farrell Memorial International tournament this weekend. Action starts on Saturday, Nov. 7th. DeSanto is the returning champ at 61kg. This event is a qualifier for the 2027 US Open/World Team Trials next April.
Our University team is preparing for the upcoming season with a bit of momentum! We’re coming off another top-four finish last year, and return six All-Americans; Nasir Bailey, Ryder Block, Gabe Arnold, Angelo Ferrari, Ben Kueter and transfer Ryan Crookham. This talented roster is set to take on six ranked teams in the top ten and eight in the top twenty. Our Hawks will face Bellarmine University on Friday, Nov. 13th for our home opener. Take a look at our complete season schedule here.
Have you ever been asked at the store to RoundUp for a charity? Well, now you can do just that for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club with every purchase you make! RoundUp is an approved financial partner of Visa and Mastercard that lets you automatically round up everyday credit-card purchases and donate your spare change to any nonprofit you care about.
Check out all the ways you can give to your favorite wrestling team!
Are you ready?!?! Our 2027 Arctic Plunge will be on Friday, January 22, 2027 immediately following the IOWA vs Northwestern Dual — if you’ve never jumped or attended this event, I highly recommend it!! Sign up today to help us support our team AND to push yourself out of your comfort zone!!
We’re also excited about our Pre-Match Social Schedule being released. Plan to join us before select duals this season and in between sessions at the Soldier Salute & NCAA Tournament!
Something new for this season — HWC Bus Trip!!! Come with us to the Dual in the Dome – Iowa vs UNI in Cedar Falls on Friday, December 11. Our Hawkeyes are taking on the Panthers of the University of Northern Iowa for the first time since 2011. There are only a few seats left so DON’T WAIT — Buy yours Now!
And a quick look back to say THANK YOU to all that attended our HWC Sporting Clays Shoot in Riverside last month. Thanks for making it another great event! Take a look at this year’s Photo Gallery.
PRE-MATCH Socials | All Season | Area Restaurants & Bars | More Info.
IOWA vs UNI Bus Trip | Friday, Dec. 11 | Donnelly’s & Cedar Falls | Get Tickets
Giving Tuesday | Tuesday, Dec. 1 | Online Campaign | Give Now!
Arctic Plunge | Friday, Jan. 22 | Blackhawk Mini Park | Open Now!
Annual Banquet | Saturday, May 1, 2027 | Courtyard Marriott Univ Heights | Save the Date
Hometown / Current City: Indianola, IA / Albuquerque, NM
Inner Circle Member: Longtime Member
Favorite HWC Memories:
Mark Ironside knocking off Cary Kolat in the All-Star Classic.
Royce Alger relentlessly pushing Kevin Jackson to the brink of a disqualification for fleeing the mat.
Alex Marinelli locking up his signature inside trip to throw Vincenzo Joseph to his back.
Mike Kemerer’s thrilling victory over Mark Hall in front of a roaring Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd.
About Steve: Originally hailing from Indianola, Iowa, and now making his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Steve’s passion for Hawkeye Wrestling has never been bound by geography. He joined the Inner Circle to ensure he never misses a beat, maintaining a direct lifeline to Iowa City and the program he has backed for decades. Throughout the eras, Steve’s love for the sport has been shaped by the black-and-gold legends who embodied Hawkeye grit—counting icon after icon among his all-time favorites, including Barry Davis, Terry and Tom Brands, Lincoln McIlravy, Mark Ironside, Royce Alger, Brent Metcalf, Mike Kemerer, and Spencer Lee. For Steve, being part of the Inner Circle is all about celebrating that storied standard of relentless wrestling and helping carry the tradition forward.
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