NEWS: Iowa women set for BIG recruiting weekend - headlined by P4P #1 Taína Fernandez (story included)

Tanner Lafever · Sep 7, 2026

Coach Chun & Company have some big-time visitors coming in for the Cy-Hawk game this weekend.

I can report that Iowa will welcome a quartet of highly ranked seniors on official visits, headlined by 3x U17 World champion Taína Fernandez (MD) - who became the fifth-ever woman (and first non-Japanese wrestler) to accomplish the feat when she pinned her way to gold earlier this summer.

Also visiting Iowa City will be these three blue chippers:

Brooke Huffman (WI)
- a multi-time Fargo and HS Recruiting Showcase champion ranked #1 nationally at 190lbs, and a priority target for the Hawkeyes

Eve Skrocki (IA)
- a Dubuque native (now training at Valient Prep in Arizona) who made the latest U17 World team, ranked top four at 145lbs

Ryleigh Sturgill (TN)
- a past Fargo/Who’s Number One champ, ranked #4 at 105lbs

sdvike · Sep 7, 2026

Best mid weight without question. Hope she commits during visit.

HawkAlum2002 · Sep 7, 2026

She would fit in nicely after Hays' one year fill in at 160.

Tanner Lafever · Sep 8, 2026

HawkAlum2002 said:
She would fit in nicely after Hays' one year fill in at 160.

I'm actually not quite sure what weight she'll decide on - collegiately or internationally.

Fernandez had competed in the 135-138lb range as sophomore/junior all the way up through this February - and at 61kg (~134.5lbs) internationally.

Then at World Team Trials in April, she jumped way up to 68/69kg (~150/152lbs) to make both the U20 and U17 teams - then was back down at 145lbs less than two weeks later at the HS Recruiting Showcase in Las Vegas.

Roughly two weeks after that, she beat Kaili Manuel - the soon-to-be U17 World champ at 73kg (~161lbs) - in a match at 155lbs and beat the nation's #2 ranked 170lb'er in a Greco match that same weekend.

So, it's certainly possible she's continuing to grow. Or perhaps she's just challenging herself in any way possible - especially since she's not yet old enough to compete in Senior-level events.

None of this matters in regard to her recruitment, obviously. Iowa would be thrilled to have her at whatever weight she wants to wrestle.

(I'll be catching up with all of the recruits post-visit, so I can ask her then what her plans are going forward.)

Squatch96 · Sep 8, 2026

Fernandez is and should be priority no 1 but I think Huffman is a close second pretty thin in her weight range. If I had to guess i think most likely to commit this weekend would be Skrocki thought I saw some pics of her training in the iowa room recently but thats just a guess

Squatch96 · Sep 8, 2026

Tanner and Ross over at Iawrestle just reported Landri Von Gotten is also visiting #1 ranked at 140 and no.3 P4P on matscouts interesting she committed to iowa state just nine days ago

Tanner Lafever · Sep 8, 2026

Squatch96 said:
Tanner and Ross over at Iawrestle just reported Landri Von Gotten is also visiting #1 ranked at 140 and no.3 P4P on matscouts interesting she committed to iowa state just nine days ago

Yep, the Hawks are bringing in another big time visitor (and very recent Cyclone commit).

Watch out folks, the women’s recruiting game in getting real now.

Squatch96 · Sep 8, 2026

Tanner Lafever said:
Yep, the Hawks are bringing in another big time visitor (and very recent Cyclone commit).

Watch out folks, the women’s recruiting game in getting real now.

Already has the makings of a fun rivalry. Any other chances for a surprise visit or two Tanner? Awesome scoop by the way!

sdvike · Sep 8, 2026

Is Van Gonten visiting because of interest in being a Hawk or coming to recruit visitors to ISU?

Tanner Lafever · Sep 8, 2026

Squatch96 said:
Fernandez is and should be priority no 1 but I think Huffman is a close second pretty thin in her weight range. If I had to guess i think most likely to commit this weekend would be Skrocki thought I saw some pics of her training in the iowa room recently but thats just a guess

RE Skrocki: You’re correct - she was at some IWWC practices as recently as July.

You’re also spot on in your thinking about Huffman. She’s very much a priority target for the Hawkeyes - and I believe she’s also trained in the Iowa room previously (last summer IIRC).

I’ll have more written tomorrow in a story previewing the entire group, so stay tuned.

Tanner Lafever · Sep 8, 2026

sdvike said:
Is Van Gonten visiting because of interest in being a Hawk or coming to recruit visitors to ISU?

While I can appreciate your cynicism when it comes to the recruiting game, yes, I do think Von Gonten is very much interested in Iowa.

This next part isn’t inside info by any means, but the fact that someone would set up an official visit barely a week after committing elsewhere sure feels like there may’ve been some buyer’s remorse with the original decision.

Tanner Lafever · Sep 8, 2026

Squatch96 said:
Already has the makings of a fun rivalry. Any other chances for a surprise visit or two Tanner? Awesome scoop by the way!

Just for clarification, Ross Baratchek at IA Wrestle was first to report the Von Gonten visit - which was certainly a surprise based on the list of recruits I’d learned of last Friday.

As for other surprises, I wouldn’t predict any necessarily. But hey, the whole point of a surprise is to be unpredictable, so who knows

sdvike · Sep 8, 2026

Tanner Lafever said:
While I can appreciate your cynicism when it comes to the recruiting game, yes, I do think Von Gonten is very much interested in Iowa.

This next part isn’t inside info by any means, but the fact that someone would set up an official visit barely a week after committing elsewhere sure feels like there may’ve been some buyer’s remorse with the original decision.

Thanks Tanner. I didn't know if this was an official visit or just coming as a fan of ISU at the Cy-Hawk game.

Squatch96 · Sep 8, 2026

Tanner Lafever said:
Just for clarification, Ross Baratchek at IA Wrestle was first to report the Von Gonten visit - which was certainly a surprise based on the list of recruits I’d learned of last Friday.

As for other surprises, I wouldn’t predict any necessarily. But hey, the whole point of a surprise is to be unpredictable, so who knows

Oops I should of said nice scoop guys! the news kinda took me by surprise as a iowa fan nothing in recruiting surprises me anymore but 9 days after a commitment seemed kinda fast haha

Reymundo · Sep 9, 2026

Tanner Lafever said:
Just for clarification, Ross Baratchek at IA Wrestle was first to report the Von Gonten visit - which was certainly a surprise based on the list of recruits I’d learned of last Friday.

As for other surprises, I wouldn’t predict any necessarily. But hey, the whole point of a surprise is to be unpredictable, so who knows

Tanner, any word on Jaclyn Bouzakis visiting thIs fall?

Tanner Lafever · Sep 9, 2026

Reymundo said:
Tanner, any word on Jaclyn Bouzakis visiting thIs fall?

Not yet, but I would certainly expect her to make it to Iowa City at some point.

She’s a major priority for the staff - which also has pretty deep ties with both her and the Bouzakis family.

When it’s all said and done, Iowa will probably have 10+ roster spots available for next season. So, this weekend’s five recruits are hardly the only ones it’ll be hosting this fall.

Tanner Lafever · Sep 9, 2026

Here's my preview of the weekend ahead - with some more background on each of the five blue chippers visiting campus:

Huge recruiting weekend on tap for Iowa women's wrestling - On3

sdvike · Sep 10, 2026

Sturgill would be a very good pick up. She needs to be more consistent and think she gets that with Chun.

Tanner Lafever · Sunday at 8:25 PM

From what I’ve gathered thus far talking with a few folks, Iowa feels really good about how the weekend went.

Idk yet what that means as far as a timeline for any of these respective recruitments - but hopefully I’ll find out more in the coming days as I touch base with the recruits themselves.

That said, I’m sure the Cy-Hawk win was some nice icing on the cake, as was getting to see Everest Leydecker celebrated in front of 70k mid-game for her latest U20 World Championship.

Here’s a few photos of this weekend’s Big Five visitors - all courtesy of our own Dennis Scheidt, who was pulling (at least) quintuple duty on Saturday evening shooting the football game + recruits from four different sports:

sdvike · Sunday at 9:18 PM

Hope it's a good sign Von Gonten wearing black and not red.

Tanner Lafever · Tuesday at 5:23 PM

I believe this is the first time Iowa has ever allowed recruits to try on the official Hawkeye singlet - which should further indicate what a huge weekend this was:

Tanner Lafever · Wednesday at 8:35 AM

I’m told Von Gonten will be sticking with her commitment to Iowa State - so that leaves four of the big five from last weekend still on the table.

If you’d asked me to rank them in terms of importance for Iowa, I would’ve gone with the following order:

1. Fernandez
2. Huffman
3. Sturgill/Von Gonten
4. Skrocki

Additionally, Iowa did host a sixth visitor last weekend as well - Larra Mullin.

Mullin (125/130lbs) previously wrestled for new Iowa assistant coach Jenna Burkert at Bixby High School (OK), placing third at last year’s Oklahoma State Championships.

Squatch96 · Wednesday at 9:04 AM

Tanner Lafever said:
I’m told Von Gonten will be sticking with her commitment to Iowa State - so that leaves four of the big five from last weekend still on the table.

If you’d asked me to rank them in terms of importance for Iowa, I would’ve gone with the following order:

1. Fernandez
2. Huffman
3. Sturgill/Von Gonten
4. Skrocki

Additionally, Iowa did host a sixth visitor last weekend as well - Larra Mullin.

Mullin (125/130lbs) previously wrestled for new Iowa assistant coach Jenna Burkert at Bixby High School (OK), placing third at last year’s Oklahoma State Championships.

Thought von gonten might take longer to decide whether or not to stick with her commitment maybe she was recruiting for the clones

I kid I kid. Its a tough descion for kids to make i get why they would wanna make sure of the choice they made

Tanner Lafever · Wednesday at 10:20 AM

Squatch96 said:
Thought von gonten might take longer to decide whether or not to stick with her commitment maybe she was recruiting for the clones I kid I kid. Its a tough descion for kids to make i get why they would wanna make sure of the choice they made

I just spoke with her yesterday actually, and it sounds like she was pretty transparent with Iowa‘s and ISU’s coaches about the whole process - i.e. wanting to make sure she’d done her due diligence before finalizing her decision.

sdvike · Wednesday at 11:12 AM

Tanner Lafever said:
From what I’ve gathered thus far talking with a few folks, Iowa feels really good about how the weekend went.

Idk yet what that means as far as a timeline for any of these respective recruitments - but hopefully I’ll find out more in the coming days as I touch base with the recruits themselves.

That said, I’m sure the Cy-Hawk win was some nice icing on the cake, as was getting to see Everest Leydecker celebrated in front of 70k mid-game for her latest U20 World Championship.

Here’s a few photos of this weekend’s Big Five visitors - all courtesy of our own Dennis Scheidt, who was pulling (at least) quintuple duty on Saturday evening shooting the football game + recruits from four different sports:

Huffman sure has that look like how in the world does that janitor recognize me.

NEWS: Iowa women set for BIG recruiting weekend - headlined by P4P #1 Taína Fernandez (story included)

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