The University of Iowa wrestling team, ranked fourth nationally, is set to compete against Chattanooga and Utah Valley in the Journeymen Wrestling “Uncivil War” event in Hannibal, Missouri. The duals will be streamed on FloWrestling and broadcast on AM 800 KXIC as well as online platforms. Steven Grace and Chad Beatty will provide commentary.
Iowa’s probable lineup features several highly ranked wrestlers, including Dean Peterson at 125 pounds, Drake Ayala at 133 pounds, and Angelo Ferrari at 184 pounds. The Hawkeyes have a history of success against both upcoming opponents: they are undefeated in five matches against Chattanooga and won their only previous meeting with Utah Valley.
Associate head coach Terry Brands previously led Chattanooga from 2002 to 2005, guiding the team to a Southern Conference title during his tenure.
Massoma Endene has made an impact since joining Division I this season with a 6-1 record and notable victories over top-ranked opponents. Four Hawkeyes—Nasir Bailey, Massoma Endene, Dean Peterson, and Jordan Williams—made their debuts for Iowa earlier this season in a win over Bellarmine.
This year’s statistics show that Iowa has recorded twice as many takedowns as it has allowed (100 to 50) and holds a significant advantage in total match points over its opponents (423-275). Two freshmen have participated under NCAA guidelines allowing limited competition without losing eligibility.
At the National Duals Invitational, Iowa finished second after defeating several ranked teams before falling to Ohio State in the finals. This marks the fifth time Iowa has been runner-up at the event.
The program continues its tradition of family involvement; multiple sets of brothers are currently competing for Iowa men’s wrestling. Head coach Tom Brands himself was part of one such sibling pair alongside associate head coach Terry Brands.
Iowa boasts five past All-Americans on its current roster. The team has produced at least one All-American every year since 1972—a streak spanning more than five decades—and accumulated a total of 332 All-America honors during that period.
Four Hawkeye wrestlers claimed titles at the Jim Koch Wisconsin Open while three others earned titles at the Luther Open earlier this season. Eight newcomers joined the roster for 2025-26, including four transfers with significant collegiate achievements.
Preseason polls placed Iowa third or fourth nationally depending on the ranking source. Eight dual meets will be televised throughout the season across BTN and ESPN networks; additional matches can be streamed via B1G+ or FloWrestling subscriptions.
Michael Caliendo secured a U23 National Title at 74 KG earlier this year by winning eight out of nine matches to make the world team. Kael Voinovich also placed sixth at U23 Nationals.
Construction was completed in May on a new $31 million training facility—the Goschke Family Wrestling Training Center—which provides expanded practice space and amenities for both men’s and women’s programs. The facility includes dedicated locker rooms, student lounges, coaches’ offices overlooking practice areas, strength training rooms, and displays honoring program history.
Iowa City remains recognized as “Wrestletown USA,” having led national attendance figures for college wrestling for eighteen consecutive years—including last season when average home attendance exceeded thirteen thousand fans per meet.
Ten current wrestlers have NCAA Championships experience; among them are multi-time qualifiers such as Dean Peterson (three times), Drake Ayala (three times), Nasir Bailey (two times), Michael Caliendo (three times), Patrick Kennedy (three times), Gabe Arnold (once), Ben Kueter (once), Joey Cruz (once), Jordan Williams (twice), and Victor Voinovich III (once).
Nine out of fifteen scheduled dual opponents are ranked in preseason polls—with six inside the top ten—highlighting another challenging slate that includes regular-season tournaments plus Big Ten and NCAA Championship events later in March.
Last season concluded with Iowa posting a 14-1 overall record while finishing third at Big Tens and fourth nationally; five wrestlers earned All-America status while ten were named Academic All-Big Ten honorees based on athletic participation requirements combined with academic achievement standards requiring full-time enrollment for twelve months or more along with maintaining cumulative GPAs above three-point-zero.
The Hawkeyes have reached either first or second place at fifteen out of seventeen recent NCAA Championships under head coach Tom Brands’ leadership—a run interrupted only by pandemic-related cancellation—and have earned forty-nine team trophies historically alongside seventy top-ten finishes overall.
Carver-Hawkeye Arena remains central to program tradition: since moving there from UI Field House in 1983, Iowa holds an all-time home record above ninety percent winning percentage; it has hosted major national events including Olympic Trials as well as multiple conference championships where Hawkeye teams frequently prevailed on home mats.
Historically speaking since Gary Kurdelmeier guided them to their first national title nearly fifty years ago—Iowa leads all schools with twenty-four NCAA team championships compared to Penn State’s eleven or Oklahoma State’s seven.
After facing Chattanooga and Utah Valley this week—the Hawkeyes will return following New Year’s Day for competition at Soldier Salute scheduled January third through fourth.