Women’s wrestling took the stage in 1972 with the signing of Title IX legislation, allowing women to participate in sports. Hawaii became the first state to sanction high school girls’ wrestling in 1998, marking a significant milestone in the sport. Over time, more states followed, with Colorado sanctioning girls’ wrestling in 2020. Women’s wrestling was introduced to the 2004 Olympics in Athens, providing a global stage for the sport. Athletes like Helen Maroulis, after winning an Olympic gold medal in wrestling at the 2016 Rio Olympics, highlighted the increasing recognition for women’s wrestling. Recently, wrestlers such as Amit Elor has significantly helped the rise of watching and participating in women’s wrestling.
I did a year of wrestling my sophomore year in high school and then never did it again until I heard that my college is starting a women’s wrestling team. The idea excited me so much, and now, collegiate wrestling is my favorite part about school. I learned about the top college teams in women’s wrestling because I happened to wrestle in a college in Iowa. I didn’t know how huge Iowa was with wrestling until I moved here for college. These are two top nationally ranked wrestling teams in the country. This article discusses different wrestlers from the teams at the University of Iowa (UI) and North Central College (NC) in 2024 to 2025.
Bella Mir (145 lbs) transferred out of UI in August of 2024 after two years with the Hawkeyes. She made a huge stir in wrestling history after transferring to UI’s biggest rivalry school, North Central. Mir made an Instagram post about her transfer, explaining that UI did not treat her injuries enough. “And with all those injuries, brought feelings of self doubt and criticism, confusion, and disappointment, and a loss of love for the sport.” She further wrote in her post that these thoughts are not welcome as an athlete of both wrestling and MMA. Mir is now thriving at North Central.
After winning the 145 pound national championship title in 2023, Bella Mir has always been the one to watch when my team gets to see her at wrestling meets. Mir is known for her performance in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), Mixed martial arts (MMA,) weight lifting and wrestling. She is an inspiration for young female athletes because of her versatility and her ability to compete in different kinds of tournaments.
Ella Schmit (145 lbs) is top ten nationally ranked and won U20 Pan American Championship in 2024. She is first place winner in the 2024 Luther Hill open. It is obvious that she always stays strong and diciplined during her entire match. Being the first Iowa native to join women’s wrestling at UI, all eyes are on Schmit when she steps on that mat.
Macey Kilty (145 lbs) is a very talented wrestler at UI. I had the privilege of wrestling her at the 2025 NCAA Regionals tournament at Simpson College. She quickly attacked the hand fighting, and went straight into two, perfect singles which took me down each time. Kilty is overall a strong and dominant wrestler, and I felt very happy to have the opportunity to wrestle her. She is 2024 Senior World Bronze Medalist and runner up at the 2020 United States Olympics.
I was the most starstruck when I was able to meet and wrestle in the same tournament as Kennedy Blades (160 lbs.) She sat behind me in the lines for weigh-ins before the wrestling meet started. I remember feeling honored to let her know that our line was for the 145 and 160 pound weight class. Watching her dominate in the 2024 Paris Olympics for Women’s freestyle wrestling was my favorite part about the Olympics this year. She is now a silver medalist for freestyle wrestling. She just finished her season at UI, winning the 160 pound national championship title. I love watching her long arms take smooth shots, fast takedowns, and her flawless suplexes electrifying stadiums.
“You can be as talented as you want, but if you don’t work hard, someone else is going to catch up.” This quote from Blades reminds me that I constantly need to prioritize my goals and stay disciplined in my sports to take advantage of the time that I have during the season. When it is time to step on the mat and give it my all, I feel confident because I know I’ve worked hard and I have excitement to put that into the match.
In conclusion, I’ve come to appreciate the profound impact these athletes have on both the sport and their communities. The rise of collegiate women’s wrestling is a testament to the power of perseverance and achieving goals. The future of women’s wrestling looks bright, and I am excited to see how this inspiring sport continues to evolve.
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