Madison Nieuwenhuis becomes first 2026 recruit for Iowa women

Apologies for the delay, but fret not – we’re not about to skip over the newest addition for Iowa women’s wrestling!

I’m speaking, of course, about Madison Nieuwenhuis – who, 22 days ago, was announced as the first signing of Iowa’s 2026 recruiting class:

Signed & Sealed ✍️

Welcome to the Hawkeye family, Maddie Nieuwenhuis! 💛🖤

🔗 https://t.co/lGKcFkifKR pic.twitter.com/e9WwoZL1Au

— Iowa Women's Wrestling (@IowaW_Wrestling) November 12, 2025

In the Michigan native, the Hawkeyes land a future lightweight who’s won just about every major event at the high school level.

Meanwhile, Nieuwenhuis (pronounced: NEW-en-hice) gets to fulfill a longstanding dream – describing herself as having “wanted to go to Iowa my whole life.”

Here’s how the first member of Iowa’s 2026 class came to be, and what the Hawkeyes are getting.

Winning credentials

Fargo. Who’s Number One. Super 32.

Each of these represent some of the toughest events in high school wrestling.

From July-October of 2023, Madison Nieuwenhuis won all three – and in so doing established herself as one of the top prospects in America.

Two months later, the then-sophomore rolled to a title at the Midlands Championships.

At the prestigious college open tournament, Nieuwenhuis pinned returning NCWWC champion Madison Avila (North Central) in the championship match.

Now a three-time state champion for Plainwell High School, the future Hawkeye has continued to challenge herself ever since – reaching the semifinals at every major event in which she’s entered.

That includes back-to-back U17 World Team Trials and Fargo appearances (2024-25).

And it’s why Nieuwenhuis’ current #10 national ranking at 105 pounds by FloWrestling is a bit misleading.

At both of her last two major tournaments (the National High School Recruiting Showcase and Fargo), Nieuwenhuis was forced to medically forfeit after semifinal defeats – each from a separate injury. And the resulting sixth-place finishes have almost certainly hindered her present ranking.

Regardless, her credentials (and Iowa’s pursuit of her) supports the notion the Hawkeyes have added yet another talented lightweight to a room that’s already bursting at the seams with them.

No need to wait

With Iowa already her dream school, Nieuwenhuis’ official visit in mid-October was more about sealing the deal than convincing.

In fact, it didn’t even take the entire visit to confirm that Iowa City was where she wanted to be.

“I was sitting with my parents for a second, and I just told them that I was gonna verbally commit right there,” says Nieuwenhuis.

“We had kind of been talking about it all weekend – about how right everything was feeling.”

“So, then I went into the hall, and I called my brother to tell him, and then I told the coaching staff.”

That Iowa coaching was one of the primary elements behind her confident decision, as head coach Clarissa Chun and assistants Gary Mayabb and Tonya Verbeek have all made strong impressions on Nieuwenhuis throughout the recruiting process.

“I think the main part was just the coaches. They were so personable and even after my visit, they’ve continued to reach out to me every week – not even about wrestling, just catching up in general.”

“They made me feel like I would become the best person and wrestler that I could be (at Iowa).”

Asked about the reaction of her future coaches to her commitment, Nieuwenhuis describes a lot of happiness and a bit of emotion.

“They were super excited. A couple of us got a little teary eyed, but it was good,” she says.

Her parents reacted similarly to the news that their daughter – who also took visits to top programs like Lehigh and Grand Valley State (MI) – would become a Hawkeye.

“I could tell that (Iowa) is definitely the place they wanted me to go as well.”

Future fit

In Nieuwenhuis, Iowa not only adds a talented wrestler – but one who’s future weight class could make her an even more valuable commodity.

The Michigander projects at 103 pounds – the lightest of 10 women’s college weights. And long-term options are always coveted in that regard.

Additionally, Iowa’s six current 103/110-pounders will all be upperclassmen (two juniors, four seniors) when Nieuwenhuis arrives on campus. So, there’s no better time than now to start preparing for the future.

Nieuwenhuis already has experience with several of her soon-to-be teammates, too. And no one is that truer of than 2025 NCWWC All-American Rianne Murphy.

Two years ago, as high schoolers, they met twice in high-profile fall matchups. And in both instances (Who’s Number One and Super 32) it was Nieuwenhuis who prevailed via criteria.

Asked about her future teammates, the latest Hawkeye lightweight is eager to build relationships on/off the mat.

“I’m excited to get to know all of them, but I’m really excited to be able to work with all three of the 103s,” says Nieuwenhuis. “I think they’re all amazing wrestlers, and me and Rianne used to compete, but it’s been a couple of years, so I’m excited to see where I’m at now and where she’s at.”

Those relationships could get an early jump start next weekend (December 14) at the North Central College Invitational.

There, Nieuwenhuis plans to enter a 103-pound bracket that could feature several Hawkeyes – and as she’s (successfully) done in the past, test herself against a talented collegiate field.

“I’m excited to go to North Central and see where I’m at and see how much I need to step up for when I do get to Iowa,” she says.

Early introduction

“I think I have a good sense of humor and I’m pretty social. I enjoy meeting new people and working with new people, especially in wrestling,” says Nieuwenhuis when asked to describe herself to the Iowa fans who will be cheering her on in the years to come.

As a Hawkeye, she’ll be just the second athlete from the Plainwell girls’ program to wrestle in college. At the same time, she intends to major in Psychology – with an eye toward becoming either a therapist or criminal psychologist.

“I’m more serious on the mat,” says Nieuwenhuis. “I think I’m hard working. I think I’m a good leader in my high school room and club room – and I think that I will be a great fit for Iowa.”