The University of Iowa men's wrestling team, currently ranked third nationally, is set to compete at the National Duals Invitational in Tulsa, Oklahoma on November 15-16. The Hawkeyes will open against No. 16 Missouri.
Coverage for the tournament includes streaming of the first 27 duals on Flowrestling and finals televised on ESPN2. Radio broadcasts will be available through AM 800 KXIC, the Hawkeye Radio Network, and online via hawkeyesports.com’s YouTube channel. Steven Grace and Mark Ironside are scheduled as commentators.
Iowa's travel roster features several highly-ranked wrestlers across weight classes. Notable competitors include Drake Ayala (133 pounds), Michael Caliendo (165), Patrick Kennedy (174), Angelo Ferrari (184), Massoma Endene (197), and Ben Kueter (285). Four athletes—Nasir Bailey, Massoma Endene, Dean Peterson, and Jordan Williams—made their debuts for Iowa in a recent 40-0 win over Bellarmine.
Historically, Iowa has a strong record at the National Duals tournament with six titles and an all-time mark of 72-15-3 in the event. Against Missouri specifically, Iowa holds a 4-2 advantage; their last meeting was in the 2015 National Dual finals where Missouri prevailed.
The Hawkeyes’ schedule this season is challenging: nine of fifteen dual opponents are ranked in the NWCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll top 25—including Penn State (1st), Nebraska (2nd), Ohio State (4th) and others. Their home venue, Carver-Hawkeye Arena, continues to be significant for both competition and attendance records. Last season saw an average of more than 13,000 fans per home meet—a continuation of Iowa leading national attendance figures since head coach Tom Brands took over.
Construction recently finished on the $31 million Goschke Family Wrestling Training Center—a new facility supporting both men’s and women’s programs with expanded training space and amenities connected to Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Several newcomers have joined this year’s roster through transfer or recruitment: Nasir Bailey arrives as a two-time NCAA qualifier from Little Rock; Massoma Endene joins after winning three DIII national championships at Wartburg; Dean Peterson transfers from Rutgers with three NCAA appearances; Jordan Williams comes from Oklahoma State/Little Rock as a two-time qualifier.
Drake Ayala extended Iowa’s streak to 34 consecutive tournaments with at least one finalist at last year’s NCAA Championships by reaching the final at 133 pounds. Michael Caliendo also made it to the final round at his weight class.
"Iowa has had at least one wrestler in the NCAA finals every year since 1990," according to program history notes included by university officials.
The Hawkeyes have earned five All-America honors last season and continue their tradition of success: "The Hawkeyes have crowned at least one All-American in 54 consecutive tournaments," university officials stated.
In academic achievements, ten wrestlers were named Academic All-Big Ten for maintaining high academic standards while competing athletically during winter sports seasons.
Former standout Spencer Lee added to Iowa's Olympic legacy by earning silver at Paris in summer 2024—the eleventh medalist from Iowa wrestling history.
After this tournament appearance in Tulsa, Iowa will host Pittsburgh on November 21; that match is set for broadcast on Big Ten Network.
Alerts Sign-up