Iowa men dominate with eight titles at Soldier Salute; Life women win tight team race by a half-point

University of Iowa men and Life women pose with their Soldier Salute championship banners. Photos by Mark Lundy, LutteLens.

The first Soldier Salute competition displayed the strength of both University of Iowa’s wrestling team, its No. 2 ranked men’s program and its women’s program, which is competing unattached this season.

Iowa men win eight titles at Soldier Salute, with Wyoming and Army West Point each with a champion

CORALVILLE, Iowa – The No. 2 ranked Iowa men’s team dominated the first Soldier Salute with eight individual champion.

Claiming golds for Iowa were three-time NCAA champion Spencer Lee (125), plus Cullan Schriever (133), Real Woods (141), Max Murin (149), Patrick Kennedy (165), Abe Assad (184), Jacob Warner (197) and Tony Cassioppi (285).

Three of the finals were all-Iowa battles. Lee pinned Drake Ayala in 1:24. Murin stopped Caleb Rathjen, 7-4. Warner defeated unattached freshman Kolby Franklin, 10-2.

The tightest win among the Iowa champions was at 184, where Assad needed to go to overtime to defeat South Dakota State’s Bennett Berge in sudden victory, 6-4.

Schriever beat Angelo Rini of Columbia, 4-2. Woods pinned Julian Sanchez of Army West Point in 2:43. Kennedy beat Jack Thomsen of South Dakota State, 10-5. Cassioppi pinned Ryan Catka of Navy in 2:11.

Other individual champions were Jacob Wright of Wyoming (157) and Benjamin Pasiuk of Army West Point (174). Wright defeated Cael Swenson of South Dakota State, 4-3 in the finals. Pasiuk received a medical forfeit over Lennox Wolak of Columbia in the finals.

Iowa tallied 228 points, more than double runner-up Army West Point with 106 points. Wyoming was third with 99.5 points, with Columbia fourth with 88.5 points and South Dakota State fifth with 79.5 points.

Unattached Iowa wrestlers win three women’s titles at Soldier Salute, as seven programs get at least one champion

CORALVILLE, Iowa - Champions in the inaugural Soldier Salute women’s freestyle event came from seven different programs, an indication of the skill and depth of the field. The tournament completed with its finals round at Xtream Arena on Friday night.

Iowa, the nation’s first Power Five program, is competing unattached in 2022-23. Unattached Iowa wrestlers claiming titles were Sterling Dias (101), Felicity Taylor (116) and Reese Larramendy (143).

Dias beat her teammate Emilie Gonzalez, 6-0. Taylor scored a 10-0 technical fall over Aleeah Gould of Army WCAP in the finals. Larramendy stopped tough Brenda Reyna of Army WCAP, 7-0. Reyna was a 2021 NCWWC national champion for McKendree before joining the Army.

Army WCAP champions were Vanessa Ramirez (123) and Tristan Kelly (170). Ramirez beat her teammate Estrella Dorado Marin, 2-1 in the finals. Kelly finished with a 4-1 record in a three-athlete weight class, in which each athlete wrestled a best-of-three against each other. Kelly lost her first match against runner-up Kylie Welker of unattached Iowa, but Welker was injured in bout two. Kelly won the next bout against Welker by forfeit.

NJCAA No. 1 Victoria Baez-Dillone of Umpqua CC won a tough seven athlete 130-pound round robin with a perfect 7-0 record. Included was a 10-0 technical fall over runner-up JoAnna Vanderwood of Iowa Wesleyan.

2022 NAIA champion Adaugo Nwachukwu of Iowa Wesleyan scored a technical fall over Bridgette Duty of Army WCAP, 12-0 at 136 pounds. Duty was a 2021 NAIA national champion for the University of the Cumberlands before joining the Army.

Freshman Jenavi Alejandro of Tiffin won the 109-pound seven-athlete round robin with a 5-1 record, in a weight where none of the athletes were able to go unbeaten. Runner-up Brianna Gonzalez of unattached Iowa also went 5-1, but Alejandro beat Gonzalez in the first round of competition.

Latifa McBryde of Life was the 155 pound champion with a 6-0 record in a seven-athlete round robin. Her key win was a seventh-round pin of runner-up Bella Mir of unattached Iowa in 4:07.

Indiana Tech freshman Riley Dempewolf went 4-0 in her three-athlete weight class to claim the title at 191 pounds. Dempewolf scored two pins and two decisions.

Life University won the team standings with 129 points, just a half-point ahead of Army WCAP at 128.5 points. Iowa Wesleyan was third with 118.5 points, with Indiana Tech in fourth with 116 points and Tiffin in fifth with 60.5 points. Unattached wrestlers scored 162.5 points in the meet.

SOLDIER SALUTE
At Coralville, Iowa

Men’s folkstyle

125
1st - Spencer Lee (Iowa) pin Drake Ayala (Iowa), 1:24
3rd - Jore Volk (Wyoming) dec. Nick Babin (Columbia), 4-2
5th - Ethan Berginc (Army West Point) dec. Blair Orr (The Citadel), 2-1
7th - Charlie Farmer (Army West Point) dec. Jack Parker (Bellarmine), 7-4

133
1st - Cullan Schriever (Iowa) dec. Angelo Rini (Columbia), 4-2
3rd - Brendan Ferretti (Navy) dec. Jace Rhodes (Iowa), 6-4
5th - Rich Treanor (Army West Point) dec. Ryan Franco (Army West Point), 6-0
7th - Dylan Coy (Wisconsin) dec. Garrett Funk (Northern Iowa), 4-2

141 pounds
1st - Real Woods (Iowa) pin Julian Sanchez (Army West Point), 2:43
3rd - Caleb Gross (South Dakota State) med forfeit Matt Kazimir (Columbia)
5th - Drew Bennett (Iowa) maj dec Jager Eisch (Minnesota), 14-5
7th - Darren Green (Wyoming) pin Connor Thorpe (Northern Iowa), 6:50

149 pounds
1st - Max Murin (Iowa) dec. Caleb Rathjen (Iowa), 7-4
3rd - Anthony Echemendia (Unattached) dec. Wil Guida (North Carolina), 4-3
5th - Danny Fongaro (Columbia) dec. Joel Jesuroga (Iowa), TB-1 2-1
7th - Alek Martin (South Dakota State) maj dec. Chase Zollmann (Wyoming), 12-2

157
1st - Jacob Wright (Wyoming) dec. Cael Swensen (South Dakota State), 4-3
3rd - Job Chishko (VMI) dec. Bryce Dauphin (Wyoming), 7-0
5th - RJ Weston (Northern Iowa) dec. Nathan Lukez (Army West Point), 4-2
7th - Cooper Voorhees (Wyoming) dec. Evan Yant (Northern Iowa), 5-3

165
1st - Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) dec. Jack Thomsen (South Dakota State),10-5
3rd - Cole Moody (Wyoming) dec. Dalton Harkins (Army West Point), 5-4
5th - Drake Rhodes (Iowa) dec. Aiden Riggins (Iowa), 2-0
7th - Braxton Lewis (VMI) dec. Geno Quodala (Navy), 6-4

174
1st - Benjamin Pasiuk (Army West Point) med. fft. Lennox Wolak (Columbia)
3rd - Hayden Hastings (Wyoming) dec. Devan Hendricks (Bellarmine), 4-3
5th - Graham Calhoun (Wisconsin) med. fft. Brennan Swafford (Iowa)
7th - Kyle Mosher (Columbia) dec. Benjy Haubert (The Citadel), 8-4

184
1st - Abe Assad (Iowa) dec. Bennett Berge (South Dakota State), SV-1 6-4
3rd - Roman Rogotzke (South Dakota State) dec. Sahm Addulrazzaq (Army West Point), SV-1 8-6
5th - Quayin Short (Wyoming) dec. Guillermo Escobedo (Wyoming), 2-0
7th - Micah Dicarlo (The Citadel) dec. Aidan McCain (Iowa), 7-3

197
1st - Jacob Warner (Iowa) maj. dec. Kolby Franklin (Iowa-unattached), 10-2
3rd - Zach Glazier (Iowa) maj. dec. Wyatt Voelker (Northern Iowa), 12-3
5th - Jake Lucas (Navy) med fft Tyler Mousaw (VMI)
7th - Tyce Raddon (Wyoming) maj dec Adam Ahrendsen (Northern Iowa), 15-6

285
1st - Tony Cassioppi (Iowa) pin Ryan Catka (Navy) 2:11
3rd - Luke Rasmussen (South Dakota State) pin Gannon Rosenfeld (Wisconsin) 4:07
5th - Bradley Hill (Iowa) dec. Jonathan Chesser (The Citadel), 9-8
7th - Terren Swartz (Wyoming) med fft Austin Kohlhofer (Army West Point)

Top 10 teams (of 16 programs)
1 Iowa 228.0
2 Army West Point 106.0
3 Wyoming 99.5
4 Columbia 88.5
5 South Dakota State 79.5
6 Navy 54.5
7 The Citadel 46.5
8 Northern Iowa 42.0
9 Wisconsin 39.0
10 VMI 37.5

Women’s freestyle

101 pounds
1st - Sterling Dias (Unattached) dec. Emilie Gonzalez (Unattached), 6-0
3rd - Taylor Wilson (Indiana Tech) pin Alaina Sunlin (Iowa Wesleyan), 2:08
5th - Sydney Kutzke (Indiana Tech) pin Mya Turnmire (Iowa Wesleyan), 1:35
7th - Devyn Gomez (Life University) pin Anika Barker (William Penn), 1:32

109
1st Place - Jenavi Alejandro of Tiffin University
2nd Place - Brianna Gonzalez of Unattached
3rd Place - Ava Bayless of Unattached
4th Place - Mia Palumbo of Iowa Wesleyan
5th Place - Kory Phillips of Life University
6th Place - Tehani Soares of Indiana Tech
7th Place - Destiny Carranza of Iowa Wesleyan
Round 1 - Jenavi Alejandro (Tiffin University) won by tech fall over Brianna Gonzalez (Unattached) TF 10-0
Round 1 - Mia Palumbo (Iowa Wesleyan) won by fall over Kory Phillips (Life University) Fall 0:45
Round 1 - Ava Bayless (Unattached) won by tech fall over Destiny Carranza (Iowa Wesleyan) TF 11-0
Round 2 - Brianna Gonzalez (Unattached) won by fall over Ava Bayless (Unattached) Fall 2:51
Round 2 - Mia Palumbo (Iowa Wesleyan) won by decision over Jenavi Alejandro (Tiffin University) Dec 6-2
Round 2 - Tehani Soares (Indiana Tech) won by fall over Destiny Carranza (Iowa Wesleyan) Fall 1:36
Round 3 - Brianna Gonzalez (Unattached) won by tech fall over Kory Phillips (Life University) TF 10-0
Round 3 - Mia Palumbo (Iowa Wesleyan) won by decision over Tehani Soares (Indiana Tech) Dec 5-0
Round 3 - Jenavi Alejandro (Tiffin University) won by tech fall over Destiny Carranza (Iowa Wesleyan) TF 10-0
Round 4 - Ava Bayless (Unattached) won by decision over Mia Palumbo (Iowa Wesleyan) Dec 4-1
Round 4 - Jenavi Alejandro (Tiffin University) won by tech fall over Tehani Soares (Indiana Tech) TF 10-0
Round 4 - Kory Phillips (Life University) won by fall over Destiny Carranza (Iowa Wesleyan) Fall 1:56
Round 5 - Brianna Gonzalez (Unattached) won by tech fall over Tehani Soares (Indiana Tech) TF 10-0
Round 5 - Mia Palumbo (Iowa Wesleyan) won by fall over Destiny Carranza (Iowa Wesleyan) Fall 0:37
Round 5 - Ava Bayless (Unattached) won by tech fall over Kory Phillips (Life University) TF 10-0
Round 6 - Brianna Gonzalez (Unattached) won by tech fall over Destiny Carranza (Iowa Wesleyan) TF 10-0
Round 6 - Ava Bayless (Unattached) won by tech fall over Tehani Soares (Indiana Tech) TF 10-0
Round 6 - Jenavi Alejandro (Tiffin University) won by tech fall over Kory Phillips (Life University) TF 10-0
Round 6 - Brianna Gonzalez (Unattached) won by tech fall over Destiny Carranza (Iowa Wesleyan) TF 10-0
Round 7 - Jenavi Alejandro (Tiffin University) won by decision over Ava Bayless (Unattached) Dec 8-7
Round 7 - Kory Phillips (Life University) won by decision over Tehani Soares (Indiana Tech) Dec 8-4
Round 7 - Brianna Gonzalez (Unattached) won by decision over Mia Palumbo (Iowa Wesleyan) Dec 6-0

116
1st - Felicity Taylor (Unattached) tech. fall Aleeah Gould (Army WCAP), 10-0
3rd - Faith Cole (Iowa Wesleyan) pin Emma Jones (Indiana Tech), 2:59
5th - Paige Denke (Life University) tech. fall Grecia Martinez (William Penn), 11-0
7th - Leah Pekar (Tiffin University) forfeit Brianna Funakoshi (Life University)

123
1st - Vanessa Ramirez (Army WCAP) dec. Estrella Dorado Marin (Army WCAP), 2-1
3rd - Katrina Kling (Columbia) pin Andrea Hernandez (Indiana Tech), 4:09
5th - Anna Krejsa (Life University) tech. fall Alejandra Hernandez (Tiffin University), 10-0
7th - Aubree Kuhns (Indiana Tech) pin Brittany Cotter (William Penn), 1:47

130
1st Place - Victoria Baez-Dillone of Umpqua Community College
2nd Place - JoAnna Vanderwood of Iowa Wesleyan
3rd Place - Destiny Campbell of Iowa Wesleyan
4th Place - Nonnie Justice of Iowa Wesleyan
5th Place - Zaynah McBryde of Life University
6th Place - Mami Selemani of William Penn
7th Place - Mariah Webster of William Penn
Round 1 - Victoria Baez-Dillone (Umpqua Community College) won by tech fall over Mami Selemani (William Penn) TF 10-0
Round 1 - Zaynah McBryde (Life University) won by decision over JoAnna Vanderwood (Iowa Wesleyan) Dec 8-5
Round 1 - Nonnie Justice (Iowa Wesleyan) won by tech fall over Mariah Webster (William Penn) TF 14-3
Round 2 - Victoria Baez-Dillone (Umpqua Community College) won by tech fall over Mariah Webster (William Penn) TF 10-0
Round 2 - Zaynah McBryde (Life University) won by tech fall over Mami Selemani (William Penn) TF 11-0
Round 2 - Destiny Campbell (Iowa Wesleyan) won by fall over Nonnie Justice (Iowa Wesleyan) Fall 1:44
Round 3 - Victoria Baez-Dillone (Umpqua Community College) won by tech fall over JoAnna Vanderwood (Iowa Wesleyan) TF 10-0
Round 3 - Destiny Campbell (Iowa Wesleyan) won by forfeit over Zaynah McBryde (Life University) FF
Round 3 - Mami Selemani (William Penn) won by decision over Nonnie Justice (Iowa Wesleyan) Dec 6-0
Round 4 - Mariah Webster (William Penn) won by forfeit over Zaynah McBryde (Life University) FF
Round 4 - Destiny Campbell (Iowa Wesleyan) won by tech fall over Mami Selemani (William Penn) TF 12-0
Round 4 - JoAnna Vanderwood (Iowa Wesleyan) won by decision over Nonnie Justice (Iowa Wesleyan) Dec 4-2
Round 5 - Victoria Baez-Dillone (Umpqua Community College) won by tech fall over Destiny Campbell (Iowa Wesleyan) TF 10-0
Round 5 - Nonnie Justice (Iowa Wesleyan) won by forfeit over Zaynah McBryde (Life University) FF
Round 5 - JoAnna Vanderwood (Iowa Wesleyan) won by tech fall over Mariah Webster (William Penn) TF 10-0
Round 6 - Victoria Baez-Dillone (Umpqua Community College) won by tech fall over Nonnie Justice (Iowa Wesleyan) TF 10-0
Round 6 - Destiny Campbell (Iowa Wesleyan) won by fall over Mariah Webster (William Penn) Fall 1:48
Round 6 - JoAnna Vanderwood (Iowa Wesleyan) won by fall over Mami Selemani (William Penn) Fall 4:57
Round 7 - Mami Selemani (William Penn) won by tech fall over Mariah Webster (William Penn) TF 10-0
Round 7 - JoAnna Vanderwood (Iowa Wesleyan) won by decision over Destiny Campbell (Iowa Wesleyan) Dec 4-4
Round 7 - Victoria Baez-Dillone (Umpqua Community College) won by tech fall over JoAnna Vanderwood (Iowa Wesleyan) TF 10-0

136
1st - Adaugo Nwachukwu (Iowa Wesleyan) tech. fall Bridgette Duty (Army WCAP), 12-0
3rd - Sarah Savidge (Life University) forfeit Valerie Hamilton (Unattached)
5th - Riley Dalrymple (Life University) tech. fall Emily Neumann (Iowa Wesleyan), 10-0
7th - Michal Buska (Tiffin University) forfeit Glenda Veiga (Indiana Tech)

143
1st - Reese Larramendy (Unattached) dec. Brenda Reyna (Army WCAP), 7-0
3rd - Maya Letona (Columbia) dec. Jamilah McBryde (Life University), 5-2
5th - Marisol Nugent (North Carolina) pin Samantha Snow (Indiana Tech), 2:34
7th - Zoey Smalley (Umpqua Community College) forfeit Elleni Johnson (Army WCAP)

155
1st Place - Latifah McBryde of Life University
2nd Place - Bella Mir of Unattached
3rd Place - Aspen Barber of Army WCAP
4th Place - Grace Doering of Indiana Tech
5th Place - Erin Martin of Tiffin University
6th Place - Sidney Ramos of Tiffin University
7th Place - Emma Cole of Iowa Wesleyan
8th Place - Jessica Kemgne of Columbia
Round 1 - Latifah McBryde (Life University) won by tech fall over Grace Doering (Indiana Tech) TF 10-0
Round 1 - Bella Mir (Unattached) won by fall over Aspen Barber (Army WCAP) Fall 2:26
Round 1 - Erin Martin (Tiffin University) won by decision over Emma Cole (Iowa Wesleyan) Dec 8-2
Round 1 - Sidney Ramos (Tiffin University) won by decision over Jessica Kemgne (Columbia) Dec 2-1
Round 2 - Latifah McBryde (Life University) won by tech fall over Jessica Kemgne (Columbia) TF 10-0
Round 2 - Bella Mir (Unattached) won by tech fall over Grace Doering (Indiana Tech) TF 10-0
Round 2 - Sidney Ramos (Tiffin University) won by tech fall over Emma Cole (Iowa Wesleyan) TF 10-0
Round 2 - Aspen Barber (Army WCAP) won by decision over Erin Martin (Tiffin University) Dec 7-0
Round 3 - Latifah McBryde (Life University) won by fall over Aspen Barber (Army WCAP) Fall 1:05
Round 3 - Bella Mir (Unattached) won by fall over Emma Cole (Iowa Wesleyan) Fall 5:17
Round 3 - Grace Doering (Indiana Tech) won by decision over Sidney Ramos (Tiffin University) Dec 1-1
Round 3 - Jessica Kemgne (Columbia) won by tech fall over Erin Martin (Tiffin University) TF 14-1
Round 4 - Latifah McBryde (Life University) won by fall over Erin Martin (Tiffin University) Fall 0:45
Round 4 - Bella Mir (Unattached) won by fall over Jessica Kemgne (Columbia) Fall 0:31
Round 4 - Grace Doering (Indiana Tech) won by decision over Emma Cole (Iowa Wesleyan) Dec 7-0
Round 4 - Aspen Barber (Army WCAP) won by tech fall over Sidney Ramos (Tiffin University) TF 14-3
Round 5 - Latifah McBryde (Life University) won by fall over Emma Cole (Iowa Wesleyan) Fall 1:38
Round 5 - Bella Mir (Unattached) won by tech fall over Sidney Ramos (Tiffin University) TF 10-0
Round 5 - Aspen Barber (Army WCAP) won by forfeit over Jessica Kemgne (Columbia) FF
Round 5 - Grace Doering (Indiana Tech) won by decision over Erin Martin (Tiffin University) Dec 1-1
Round 6 - Latifah McBryde (Life University) won by tech fall over Sidney Ramos (Tiffin University) TF 10-0
Round 6 - Emma Cole (Iowa Wesleyan) won by forfeit over Jessica Kemgne (Columbia) FF
Round 6 - Bella Mir (Unattached) won by decision over Erin Martin (Tiffin University) Dec 4-1
Round 7 - Grace Doering (Indiana Tech) won by forfeit over Jessica Kemgne (Columbia) FF
Round 7 - Aspen Barber (Army WCAP) won by tech fall over Emma Cole (Iowa Wesleyan) TF 10-0
Round 7 - Latifah McBryde (Life University) won by fall over Bella Mir (Unattached) Fall 4:07

170
1st place – Tristan Kelly (Army WCAP)
2nd place – Kylie Welker (Unattached)
3rd place – Catherine McNulty (Indiana Tech)
170A Round 1 - Tristan Kelly (Army WCAP) won by tech fall over Catherine McNulty (Indiana Tech) TF 10-0
170A Round 2 - Tristan Kelly (Army WCAP) won by fall over Catherine McNulty (Indiana Tech) Fall 1:24
170B Round 1 - Kylie Welker (Unattached) won by tech fall over Catherine McNulty (Indiana Tech) TF 10-0
170B Round 2 - Kylie Welker (Unattached) won by tech fall over Catherine McNulty (Indiana Tech) TF 10-0
170C Round 1 - Kylie Welker (Unattached) won by tech fall over Tristan Kelly (Army WCAP) TF 10-0
170C Round 2 - Tristan Kelly (Army WCAP) won by injury default over Kylie Welker (Unattached) (Inj. 0:31)
170C Round 3 - Tristan Kelly (Army WCAP) won by forfeit over Kylie Welker (Unattached) (FF)

191
1st place – Riley Dempewolf (Indiana Tech)
2nd place – Grace Gray (Iowa Wesleyan)
3rd place – Samantha Ruano (William Penn)
191A Round 1 - Grace Gray (Iowa Wesleyan) won by fall over Samantha Ruano (William Penn) Fall 5:43
191A Round 2 - Grace Gray (Iowa Wesleyan) won by decision over Samantha Ruano (William Penn) Dec 2-1
191B Round 1 - Riley Dempewolf (Indiana Tech) won by fall over Samantha Ruano (William Penn) Fall 1:23
191B Round 2 - Riley Dempewolf (Indiana Tech) won by fall over Samantha Ruano (William Penn) Fall 0:49
191C Round 1 - Riley Dempewolf (Indiana Tech) won by decision over Grace Gray (Iowa Wesleyan) Dec 7-0
191C Round 2 - Riley Dempewolf (Indiana Tech) won by decision over Grace Gray (Iowa Wesleyan) (Dec 9-1)

Team Standings
1 Life University 129.0
2 Army WCAP 128.5
3 Iowa Wesleyan 118.5
4 Indiana Tech 116.0
5 Tiffin University 60.5
6 Columbia 39.0
7 Umpqua Community College 34.0
8 William Penn 28.5
9 North Carolina 16.5
10 Cornell College 0
Note: Unattached wrestlers scored 162.5 points in the tournament