116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Home / Sports / Iowa Hawkeyes Sports / Hawkeye Wrestling
5 Iowa storylines to follow at the 2024 USA Wrestling Olympic Team Trials
Spencer Lee looks for an Olympic opportunity at Penn State
K.J. Pilcher
Apr. 18, 2024 7:01 pm
Eighteen spots for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials are up for grabs Friday and Saturday at Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa. Some former and current Iowa Hawkeyes will attempt to claim one of six in men’s and women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman disciplines. Here are five things to watch during the weekend event.
Spencer Lee looks for Olympic opportunity
Spencer Lee’s return to freestyle has been the version of Iowa’s three-time NCAA champion and three-time age-level world champion that fans expect. He has seemed strong and healthy, winning titles at the Bill Farrell Memorial tournament in November, Senior Nationals in December and the Pan-American Championships in February.
Lee came to Iowa with a Cadet and two junior world titles. Injuries hindered his ability to compete in freestyle. His performances over the last six months have been phenomenal. He hasn’t been challenged much in his bouts, including victories over former Penn State NCAA champion Nico Megaludis in the finals of the Farrell and Senior Nationals.
The road to the Olympic spot is filled with interesting matchups at 125.5 pounds (57 kg). Lee is the No. 4 seed and will likely face No. 5 Megaludis. It would be their third meeting in half a year. They both trained with the Young Guns Wrestling Club in Pennsylvania run by former Hawkeye Jody Strittmatter. Lee has talked about admiring the older Megaludis when he was younger.
If he reaches the semifinals, it will probably be against top-seed and world team member Zane Richards, who wrestled at Illinois.
The last hurdle could be former Hawkeye NCAA finalist and 2021 Olympic bronze medalist Thomas Gilman, the No. 2 seed. Lee was Gilman’s heir apparent at 125 in the Hawkeyes’ lineup. The two shared space in the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex as Gilman won a world silver medal with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. The matchup could be epic, especially since Gilman moved from HWC to the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club.
Remember, Lee has been waiting for this chance for about a decade. He had the opportunity to take an Olympic redshirt for the 2019-20 college season, but he elected to compete for the Hawkeyes and help them win an NCAA team title. Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic caused him to miss on Olympic aspirations and the national tournament. Lee finally has his shot in a discipline he likes best.
No matter who wins the spot, the winner will have to wrestle in May to qualify the weight for the Olympics. It is the final chance to do so before the Olympic Games in Paris.
Thomas Gilman attempts to reclaim spot
Gilman has been a regular senior-level representative for the U.S. at multiple world and Olympic events. He is a four-time world-level medalist. He was a world champion in 2021 and earned silver in 2022 and 2017. Gilman finished third in 2021 (postponed from 2020) at the Tokyo games.
Richards unseated Gilman last season. Gilman moved to NLWC in April 2020. He has had success except for last year’s bump but this year’s bracket is loaded. U20 World champion Daton Fix just finished his college career at Oklahoma State and is the No. 3 seed on Gilman’s side. If he gets through to the finals, he will likely have a rematch with Richards or a clash with Lee. This makes for good theater.
Something else to keep an eye on in this bracket: high school wrestlers Luke Lilledahl, Jax Forrest and Marcus Blaze are seeded ninth through 11th in the field.
Alex Marinelli mixes it up with the best
Iowa All-American and four-time Big Ten champion Alex Marinelli is the No. 8 pre-seed at 163 (74 kg). The weight class is overflowing with talent — partly caused by four fewer weights in the Olympics compared to the World Championships.
Four-time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist Kyle Dake awaits the challenge tournament winner for the best-of-3 series to determine the Olympic team member. Olympic champion, nine-time world medalist and six-time world champion Jordan Burroughs is the No. 1 seed. Former Penn State NCAA champions Jason Nolf (No. 2 seed) and Vincenzo Joseph and 2024 NCAA finalist Mitchell Mesenbrink are in the field, along with Missouri NCAA champion Keegan O’Toole.
Marinelli’s physical and stingy style could serve him well, but every match will be a battle.
Former Hawkeye Tony Cassioppi is also the No. 8 seed at 213.9 pounds (97 kg). He had to defeat teammate Jacob Warner at Senior Nationals to earn a spot. Cassioppi has dropped down to a lower weight than he was as a four-time All-American for Iowa.
Hawkeye women in the field
Iowa women’s wrestling captured the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals and National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships team titles in its first official season of competition. A large contingent of Hawkeyes will be in the women’s freestyle field.
National champions Kylie Welker and Reese Larramendy lead Iowa wrestlers. Welker is the No. 2 seed at 167.5 (76 kg), while Larramendy is the No. 3 seed at 149.75 (68 kg).
Welker is a legit contender but six-time world champion, nine-time medalist and Olympic silver medalist Adeline Gray is back. Gray awaits the challenge tournament winner in a best-of-3 series Saturday. Welker has a chance to make the final series but will have to get through top-seeded Kennedy Blades.
Interestingly, Hawkeye national champion Marlynne Deede is up to Welker’s weight and is the No. 7 seed. Hawkeye Rose Cassioppi is the No. 9 seed in the bracket.
Larramendy is seeded behind No. 1 Forrest Molinari and Alexandria Glaude with the winner taking on Amit Elor in the final series. The hard-nosed Molinari is a former Hawkeye Wrestling Club member and is a world bronze medalist.
Former South Winneshiek prep Felicity Taylor is the No. 6 seed at 116 (53 kg). She is one spot ahead of Hawkeye teammate Brianna Gonzalez. Taylor has wrestled on USA Wrestling’s World Cup team.
Keep an eye on William Penn and former Iowa Wesleyan national champion Adaugo Nwachukwu. She has international experience and is the No. 2 seed at 136 (62 kg). Kayla Miracle is in the catbird seat but don’t be surprised if Nwachukwu makes the final series. She is coached by former Hawkeyes Jake Kadel and Cash Wilcke.
Former Cornell staff member and former HWC member Lauren Louive is the seventh seed at 136. She is making her third Olympic Trials appearance.
Dubuque’s Brady Koontz competes in Greco-Roman
University of Dubuque All-American Brady Koontz, who previously wrestled at Ohio State, is the 10th seed at 132 (60 kg). He is sponsored by Dubuque Regional Training Center and Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, which is one of the biggest and most influential clubs in international wrestling.
It isn’t rare for small-school competitors to make the field, especially in Greco-Roman. Koontz also has an advantage being able to train with Spartans head women’s wrestling coach and men’s assistant Dennis Hall.
Hall is a 10-time U.S. national champion, world champion and three-time Olympian in Greco-Roman. He won a silver at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Maybe the pupil can follow the teacher’s footsteps.
Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com