Newark, NJ—The United States’ Senior World Wrestling Team is officially set, and as usual, athletes with deep ties to Iowa are making waves. At Final X, Saturday afternoon at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, 20 best-of-three matchups determined who will represent the U.S. at the Senior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, this September.
Wrestlers with Iowa connections, both past and present, were front and center — and many punched their tickets to the world stage.
Men’s Freestyle: Lee, Woods, and Carr Dominate
Spencer Lee, Real Woods, and David Carr all swept their opponents 2-0 to secure spots on the U.S. Men’s Senior World Team.
Spencer Lee (former Hawkeye star) took out Penn State’s Luke Lilledahl in commanding fashion. A 7-2 decision followed by a 6-0 shutout showcased his signature gut wrench and par terre strength. Lee now enters Worlds at 57kg as a strong gold medal contender.
Real Woods, now competing out of the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club (University of Michigan RTC), delivered two clutch wins over Joey McKenna. Woods rallied from a late deficit to win 7-3 in the opener, then landed a stunning 4-point throw in the second match to win 5-4. This will be Woods’ first Senior World appearance at 65kg.
David Carr, an Iowa State standout, may have had the most impressive showing. After dropping a match to Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink earlier this year, Carr rebounded with a pair of gritty wins — 4-3 and 4-4 by criteria — to lock down the 74kg spot. Across both bouts, Carr scored four takedowns to Mesenbrink’s zero.
Also noteworthy: Ian Parker, another Iowa State alum, finished third at 70kg to earn a spot on the U.S. Senior National Team. Now a Virginia assistant coach, Parker defeated Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) 7-4 and will receive training and competition support through USA Wrestling.
Meanwhile, Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) came up just short, falling 4-3 to Penn State’s Carter Starocci — echoing their razor-thin battle at the 2025 NCAA Championships.
Women’s Freestyle: Iowa Women Dominate Half the Team
An astounding five of the ten women on the U.S. Senior World Team have Iowa ties, with four coming from the University of Iowa’s women’s program and one from William Penn University.
Felicity Taylor earned her first Senior World team spot at 53kg after defeating former Iowa teammate Brianna Gonzalez. Taylor edged Gonzalez in two close bouts, 2-1 and 6-4, using smart tactics and clutch execution to take the series.
Kylie Welker (76kg) secured her third Senior-level bid with a gritty 2-1 decision and a dominant 9-1 win over Dymond Guilford. Her composure and counterattacks proved key.
Kennedy Blades (68kg), the reigning Olympic silver medalist, had to fight through adversity after dinging her head early in the second bout. She took out Brooklyn Hays 10-4 and 5-2 with powerful blast doubles and tight defense.
Macey Kilty (65kg) made quick work of Aine Drury, scoring two 10-0 technical falls — racking up five takedowns and five turns in each bout. At only 24 years old, Kilty now makes her third World Team.
Adaugo Nwachukwu (William Penn University) made history at 62kg. After splitting the first two bouts with veteran Kayla Miracle, Nwachukwu surged late in the final match to win 8-4. Her explosive four-point throws secured her first Senior-level berth and marked another milestone for the growing NAIA powerhouse.
Croatia Awaits
From NCAA dominance to the global stage, Iowa’s wrestling pipeline continues to produce elite talent. With nine athletes from Iowa-based programs heading to Zagreb, the state’s legacy as a wrestling powerhouse grows ever stronger — fueled by grit, skill, and relentless passion.
Stay tuned as these stars represent the red, white, and blue — and Iowa — on the world stage this September.
