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Iowa maxes out at Final X: Six Hawkeyes make Senior World team

by: Tanner Lafever06/15/25TannerLafever
Final X winners
Six different Hawkeyes will compete at the Senior World Championships this September. (Photo Credit: USA Wrestling)

Entering Saturday’s Final X event up to six past/present Iowa wrestlers had a chance to earn a spot on Team USA for the 2025 World Championships.

By the end of the competition the Hawkeyes had batted a perfect 1.000 in their (black and) golden opportunities.

It was just that kind of day in Newark, New Jersey. And because of it, Iowa will be represented by a whopping 30 percent of the Senior men’s/women’s freestyle teams in Zagreb, Croatia this September (13-21).

For some, the achievement was a bit of ‘old hat’ – namely Macey Kilty and Kylie Welker, each of whom made the third Senior World team of their young careers.

For two others – Olympic silver medalists Kennedy Blades and Spencer Lee – it represented a stepping stone toward a goal each barely fell short of last summer in Paris.

And for Felicity Taylor and Real Woods it gave the pair of Hawkeyes the opportunity to compete on their grandest wrestling stage yet.

Here’s how it all went down in what turned out to be a sterling showing for University of Iowa products.

Even in victory, Spencer Lee is far from pleased

It’s probably not a stretch to suggest that one of the more dissatisfied athletes with Saturday’s Final X performance was actually one of the victors.

This, even after Spencer Lee swept Penn State product Luke Lilledahl (7-2, 6-0) in their best-of-three series at 57 kilograms.

(A Luke Lilledahl whom FloWrestling ranks as the fifth-best wrestler in the world at 57kg, by the way.)

In both matches, an early six-point flurry by Lee effectively put things out of reach.

The Hawkeye scored from short offense 53 seconds into Bout #1, followed by a pair of tight gut wrenches near the edge:

Bout #2 was a similar story, with Lee scoring on a nearly identical takedown sequence, then tacking on an old school leg-lace to double his lead. 20 seconds later he’d score again – again from short offense, but this time horsing Lilledahl across his back for a two-point exposure.

And then…well that was about it…for both wrestlers.

Lilledahl scored his lone points of the series on a takedown late in the first period of Bout #1. But beyond that he rarely, if ever, threatened the Olympic silver medalist.

The same could be said for Lee, whose only other score came on a step out with a minute left in Bout #1.

Taken collectively, it all precipitated this incredibly harsh, yet candid post-series interview from the Hawkeye legend:

“I didn’t do literally anything in both second periods,” said Lee.

“Got a lead, didn’t do anything. (A) pretty bad showing for someone who keeps preaching that I score points and then I don’t score points. So maybe I should stop preaching it because I’m not doing it.”

Asked about his health – a well-chronicled issue in the past – Lee was overwhelmingly positive, yet somewhat conflicted about his encouraging condition.

“Maybe some of that has to with how I’m wrestling. I’m trying not to do things that could get (me) out of position and hurt myself…Maybe internally it’s like, ‘Just win Spencer.’ And it’s a constant battle for me. It’s not about winning; it’s about scoring points. And it’s about constantly going out there and entertaining.”

“I’m super athletic, man. I’ve got a Judo background. I can explode, I can throw, I can foot sweep, I can duck…and then I go out there and I just walk at him like a robot, and I’m not a robot. If you watch me at practice I’m cartwheeling, I’m exploding, I’m ducking, I’m throwing people, I’m exciting. And then I go out in a match, and I just stand there, and it’s very frustrating for me because I have a lot more to give. And I keep telling people that and I haven’t shown it, and that’s why I keep losing on the big stages.”

In case you weren’t familiar with the mindset of Spencer Lee – one rare even amongst his peers in this incredibly self-critical, unforgiving sport – that should tell you about all you need to know.

He just earned his first Senior World team spot after years of injuries robbed him of opportunities he surely could’ve seized long before now. He swept a top-five caliber opponent in doing so. And yet, he couldn’t have sounded more displeased in its immediate aftermath.

But that’s why he’s Spencer Lee. And it’s why there’s no way in hell I’ll be picking anyone against him in Croatia this September.

Taylor takes down former teammate in all-Hawkeye affair

We knew coming in that an Iowa wrestler was guaranteed to make the women’s World team at 53 kilograms. We also knew a tightly contested series was likely in store as former teammates Felicity Taylor and Brianna Gonzalez met for the fifth and six times in 16 months.

Check and check – as the elder Taylor (24) swept Gonzalez (20) in their series by a combined three points to make her first-ever Senior World team.

I wrote in my Final X preview that shot quality would be the key for Gonzalez, while par terre could prove the difference for Taylor. As it turns out, I’m right about some of this stuff every once in a blue moon.

Bout #1 was an exceedingly cagey affair, with little in the way of threatening attacks for either competitor. But a long shot attempt by Gonzalez late in the opening period allowed Taylor to get to her short offense and score a step out point with just nine seconds until intermission.

That proved to be the difference in a 2-1 victory, as the two traded activity clock points in either period of the hand fight-heavy contest.

With 20 seconds remaining, Gonzalez had a chance to steal things late, but Taylor fought off a single leg attempt to hang on.

That set the stage for Bout #2, with Gonzalez converting a quick takedown thanks to a notable uptick in her offensive activity. And after excellent defense to prevent a response from Taylor, she led 2-0 at the break.

Another deep shot early in the second period appeared set to extend the lead, but Taylor was able to stuff it and then capitalize from the front headlock position after a prolonged 30-second sequence.

It was worth it though, as Taylor not only secured the go-behind takedown but locked up a trap-arm gut wrench for two additional exposures:

That six-point sequence was the decider, despite another takedown by Gonzalez and a hard charge over the final 50 seconds.

Taylor, who now trains out of Big Game Wrestling Club in the Iowa City area, was asked in an interview afterward about the challenge of facing her former teammate.

“I think at the end of the day I’m a better wrestler,” said Taylor. “It’s just when I show up. And today I showed up, and I plan on showing up for however long it takes.”

“Those were my matches. Those have always been my matches.”

‘Real’ good when it matters most

Of all the Iowa athletes at Final X, it’s tough to say any thrilled more than Real Woods.

In only his first full season of freestyle competition, the two-time Hawkeye All-American had already overachieved in the eyes of many to reach this moment. But facing accomplished Senior-level veteran Joey McKenna he wasn’t about to let it go to waste.

Bout #1 between the two had no shortage of action, but less in the way of scoring…at least until it didn’t.

With McKenna leading 3-1 thanks to an exposure and step out point in the second period the match was stopped for blood time with 0:22 left on the clock. After the restart, Woods did exactly what he did a few weeks ago in his opening match at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament – come up as clutch as can be:

Now up on criteria with 0:13 to go, Woods tacked on a four-point throw at the buzzer to cement his 7-3 win.

Perhaps just to mix things up, he wouldn’t wait nearly so long for his high-flying heroics in Bout #2.

Woods soared for this early feet-to-back takedown to build an early lead and held on for the 5-4 win:

Just like that, the freestyle newbie had earned the 65-kilogram spot on Team USA.

“I didn’t really compete (in freestyle) coming up in my career, so transitioning late – in my head – at first seems like it would be a hard thing to do,” said Woods. “But knowing the sport of wrestling, it’s all the same.”

And much like he had great success during his college career, Real Woods is doing the very same now as he readies to take on the best in the world.

Talk about a way to make your debut.

Welker sweeps, navigating her opponent’s wheelhouse to do so

For all of Kylie Welker’s excellence, the talent/familiarity of her Final X opponent meant Saturday would be no easy task.

But after a pair of hard-fought matches in Newark, what had been a 3-2 series advantage over Dymond Guilford now stands at 5-2 after the Hawkeye swept both bouts at 76 kilograms.

Truthfully, things couldn’t have gone much more according to plan for Guilford. The 2022 Senior World teamer slowed the pace, held ground and consistently dug for her underhooks.

As such, Guilford led both bouts at intermission (1-1 on criteria), trading single leg step outs both times in almost immediate succession.

And in both bouts, it was Welker who was put on the activity clock in the second period, only to score step outs within the 30 seconds to regain the lead.

Ironically, the decisive score in each match was determined by Welker wrestling through Guilford’s preferred position.

Twice Guilford transitioned from underhooks to a body lock, and twice Welker managed to counter with some incredible horsepower of her own.

In the opening bout, the result was Welker’s final point of a 2-1 victory. And in Bout #2 the effort resulted in Guilford being rolled onto her back – which Welker parlayed into a pair of additional exposures to blow open a 9-1 win.

With this latest triumph, the junior-to-be makes her third Senior World team – having earned bronze at 72kg last fall. And come September in Croatia she’ll be ever bit a threat to win it all.

Blades battles for the win at 68 kilograms

In somewhat of a surprise, not much came easy for Kennedy Blades on Saturday afternoon.

Most (myself included) expected a quick and tidy sweep of Brooklyn Hays for the 2024 Olympic silver medalist – especially after Blades took all of 27 seconds to defeat Hays in their lone previous meeting.

But in case we needed reminding, this is still wrestling after all. And Blades very much had to grind her way onto the first Senior World team of her young career.

In both matches (10-4 and 5-2 wins) Hays was able to muck things up with upper body ties. She also presented the rare opponent who could contend with Blades’ unique length (listed at 5’11) – something the Hawkeye remarked upon in her post-series interview.

In any case, Blades was able to navigate the discomfort – particularly in Bout #2.

There, she took a hard knock on the head in the opening moments, and injury time less than a minute later during which she appeared to go through some form of concussion protocol before continuing.

Ultimately, Blades would tack on a trio of step outs to extend a lead she’d never relinquish.

In so doing, the 21-year-old will join Team USA at the World Championships in three months. And she’ll arrive there knowing she can win important matches in whatever fashion may be required.

Kilty cruises to third-consecutive World team

When it comes to the most dominant performance of any Hawkeye wrestler in Newark, Macey Kilty holds the undisputed title.

Ever since her arrival at Iowa last summer, Kilty has won often and won big. Heck, she did that long before joining the Hawkeyes too – earning a 2023 Senior World silver medal plus a treasure trove of other age-level accolades to boot.

And perhaps no opponent has more familiarity with the ‘Macey Kilty experience’ than Aine Drury, who’s now wrestled Kilty six times in 26 months – all of them to disastrous results.

On Saturday, two more first-period technical falls continued an ongoing tradition between the two.

In Bout #1 Kilty finished things off with just three seconds to spare before intermission:

Bout #2 lasted barely two minutes, as the Iowa graduate cinched a trap-arm gut wrench mid-way through the period and rolled her way onto her third-straight World team:

Kilty has nabbed a pair of medals in each of her two previous forays at 65 kilograms – one silver, one bronze. Needless to say, she’ll be aiming to complete the set this September.

Short time

And with that, our wall-to-wall Final X coverage has come to a close.

If you couldn’t tune in to the action this weekend – both Iowa-related and otherwise – I’d highly recommend going back and doing so.

There was some wildly entertaining wrestling out in New Jersey. And for many of the athletes, it’ll be the last time we get to see them compete until either the World Championships or the college season this November.

I should also note that each of Brianna Gonzalez (53kg), Kennedy Blades (68kg) and Kylie Welker (76kg) are eligible to claim a spot on the U23 World team for the United States if they so choose.

That event will be held this October (20-26) in Novi Sad, Serbia. So, for Blades/Welker that could mean double duty (and hopefully hardware) on the World stage before they don the Iowa singlet once again.

Thanks as always to everyone for following along. And congratulations to all seven Hawkeyes who took the mat this weekend.

Just making it to this point in the process is a major feat. The fact that Iowa wound up maxing out its number of possible World teamers further multiplies the accomplishment.

It also means I’m going to be real busy when the World Championships roll around in September. And for that, I cannot wait.

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