If drama is your thing, then the 2025 Missouri Valley Women’s Open had plenty of it. 

For starters, #1 Iowa and #2 McKendree were competing. 

The top two teams in the country aren’t supposed to like each other, but this goes deeper than that. 

McKendree was the team to beat, winning the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships from 2020-22 under Sam Schmitz. In 2022, Garcia inherited a winning program ravaged by the transfer portal.

The Bearcats performed admirably, finishing third, fourth, and third at nationals from 2023-25, with Iowa winning the past two titles.

Division I Iowa is on top now, with D2 McKendree giving chase. Garcia secured several high-profile high school recruits and transfers as his team attempts to wrestle the inaugural NCAA title away from Iowa in its backyard. 

The Hawkeyes have a powerhouse team led by World/Olympic medalists Kennedy Blades (160) and Kylie Welker (180), and their depth is unprecedented. 

Neither team had all its top stars at the Missouri Valley Open, but the first two weights had enough intrigue to carry us through 2025. 

103 Was The Place To Be

Take two deep breaths, because 103 pounds has the best storylines in women’s college wrestling. And it’s far from over. 

Iowa is in the midst of a roster battle like no other. Three national title contenders are vying for one spot. This wasn’t as much of an issue last season since teams could take 15 wrestlers to nationals, but that changed with the NCAA taking over and only allowing one qualifier per weight. 

Val Solorio is in the lead after dropping from 110 to 103 for her sophomore season. She didn’t make the 2025 postseason roster and is attempting to earn the spot over two-time All-American Sterling Dias (2nd in 2024 and 4th in 2025 at nationals) and All-American Rianne Murphy (3rd in 2025 at nationals). 

Here is this season's breakdown as Iowa attempts to sort this out at 103.

Val Solorio
W — Sterling Dias (11-1) on Nov. 1 at Luther Hill Open
W — Rianne Murphy (Fall) on Nov. 16 at Blue Hose Open
W — Sterling Dias (2-1) on Nov. 22 at Missouri Valley Open

Sterling Dias
L — Val Solorio (11-1) on Nov. 1 at Luther Hill Open
W — Rianne Murphy (2-2) on Nov. 1 at Luther Hill Open
L — Rianne Murphy (4-2) on Nov. 8 at Waldorf Open
L — Val Solorio (2-1) on Nov. 22 at Missouri Valley Open
W — Rianne Murphy (5-2) on Nov. 22 at Missouri Valley Open

Rianne Murphy
L — Sterling Dias (2-2) on Nov. 1 at Luther Hill Open
W — Sterling Dias (4-2) on Nov. 8 at Waldorf Open
L — Val Solorio (Fall) on Nov. 16 at Blue Hose Open
L — Sterling Dias (5-2) on Nov. 22 at Missouri Valley Open

Bonus: Murphy vs Dias for third at the 2025 National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships.

If you had the first-, third-, and fifth-place matches at 103 pulled up on your screen, then you witnessed the best simultaneous action of the season so far. Here’s what happened with links to matches. 

First-Place Match: Jaclyn Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary) over Val Solorio (Iowa), 14-3
Bouzakis, a high school junior, was the class of the field, teching everyone in the first period 10-0 until surrendering three points and going to the second period with Solorio. This was a rematch of the consolation semifinals at U20 World Team Trials, where Solorio won, 7-6, when both were competing at 50 kg (110 pounds).

Most of the top teams will be hot on the recruiting trail for Bouzakis. 

Third-Place Match: Sterling Dias (Iowa) over Heather Crull (McKendree), 3-2
Crull was ranked #3 nationally but fell to Dias, who is currently #2 on Iowa’s depth chart. Crull defeated Dias 10-3 and 10-0 in the best-of-three series at the 2024 U23 World Team Trials.

McKendree and Iowa could meet two more times in duals, and will likely face off in multiple matches at the 2026 NCAA Championships on March 6-7. Crull vs Iowa’s 103-pounders will be fun to watch. 

Fifth-Place Match: Katey Valdez (McKendree) over Rianne Murphy (Iowa), Fall 6:00
Don’t let this result fool you. This was a knock-down, drag-out match. Murphy raced to a 6-0 lead before Valdez scored four as the first period ended. The second period saw Murphy pull away with a 16-7 lead before Valdez hit a four-point throw with eight seconds left and secured a fall with under a second remaining. Iowa challenged that the time expired, but lost the challenge, and Valdez won. 

Valdez has made the epic comeback her calling card. She nearly secured a fall over Bouzakis in the 2025 Junior National finals in July, but time expired as Bouzakis was on her back.

110 Was Fun, Too

No. 2 Gabby Tedesco (McKendree) was down 3-0 against #3 Nyla Valencia (Iowa) in the 110-pound finals but scored four points as time expired for a 4-3 win after a long review. Valencia defeated returning national champion and teammate Ava Bayless, 8-0, to take the in-room lead for Iowa at 110 pounds. Tedesco is a returning 2025 national finalist at 103 pounds. 

Marlee Solomon Is For Real

Solomon is also a high school junior, and she won the 117-pound bracket with a thrilling 9-9 semifinal win over U17 World champion Kaura Coles where she scored as time expired (there’s a theme here), and pinned Grace Lashinsky (Lindsey Wilson) in the finals. Coles, a high school senior, finished in third place. 

More Iowa “Wrestle-Offs”

124: Cali Leng has the lead after winning her fifth-place match, 4-2, against teammate Isabella Marie Gonzales.

131: Karlee Brooks defeated teammate Emily Frost, 2-1, on activity clock points. We didn’t learn much other than that both have good headlocks. Freshman Bella Williams went 3-2 and didn’t place. Brooks won 8-0 over Frost in the 2025 U20 World Team Trials quarterfinals.

138: Skye Realin finished first, but a few of her teammates, including All-Americans Lilly Luft and Ella Schmit, did not compete. 

Returning National Finalists Square Off

Victoria Baez Dilone finished second at the 2024 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships for King. Shelby Moore finished second at the 2025 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships for McKendree. Baez Dilone transferred to William Penn (NAIA) and looked sharp at her new school, winning 5-1 over Moore. 

Simon Says: "Let’s Redshirt"

It appears that Iowa’s Naomi Simon is redshirting after entering unattached at 180 pounds. The 2024 U20 World bronze medalist is behind Welker, so it makes sense that she wouldn’t compete in a Hawkeye singlet this season. Simon finished third after falling to McKendree’s Destiny Rodriguez in the semifinals. 

Iron Woman Award

There’s no official Iron Woman Award, but it should probably go to McKendree’s Gabriella Gomez at 124 pounds. She lost by fall to Iowa’s Isabella Marie Gonzales in the opening round, then reeled off nine consecutive wins to finish third. 

Finals Results (with links to matches)
103: Jaclyn Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary) over Val Solorio (Iowa), 14-3
110: Gabby Tedesco (McKendree) over Nyla Valencia (Iowa), 4-3
117: Marlee Solomon (Unattached) over Grace Lashinsky (Lindsey Wilson), Fall 3:31
124: Victoria Baez Dilone (William Penn) over Shelby Moore (McKendree), 5-1
131: Karlee Brooks (Iowa) over Emily Frost (Iowa), 2-1
138: Skye Realin (Iowa) over Julia Chambers (Quincy), 10-0
145: Reese Larramendy (Iowa) over Valerie Hamilton (Iowa Central), Default
160: Savannah Gomez (McKendree) over Mercy Adekuoroye (Wayland Baptis), Fall 5:52
180: Isabella Renfro (Fort Hays State) over Destiny Rodriguez (McKendree), Fall :55
207: Julia Richey (Simon Fraser) over Jaycee Foeller (Iowa), 2-1