The inaugural season for Iowa Lakes ends with a 14th place finish on the national stage.
Women's wrestling saw its first team on the Estherville campus this past season, and the future of the program looks bright.
While the program had 7 qualifiers, the tournament was highlighted by Isabel Jues and Leilana Kollasch as they earned wins at the event.
The Lakers finished with 5 team points, good for 14th out of 18 teams, and good for 5th out of the 6 ICCAC teams.
Team Scores:
Indian Hills (307.5)
Iowa Central (237)
Umpqua (204.5)
Iowa Western (149.5)
Carl Albert State (137)
Snow College (124.5)
Southeast (115)
Southwest Oregon (71.5)
Morton (24.5)
NIACC (19.5)
Nassau (16.5)
Trinidad (15.5)
Bergen (5.5)
Iowa Lakes (5)
Northland (4)
Ellsworth (3.5)
Northwest Kansas (2)
Joliet Junior College (0)
Here was a breakdown of the competitors and their season.
Alex Carty, Anchorage AK, Freshman, 109 pound National Qualifier:
Alex joined the team outside of the recruiting process, she was on campus already for our Aviation Program, but was looking to join an athletic program. She decided on wrestling after meeting the team and has not looked back since. Her journey is an exciting one as she looks to continue to develop and be a great asset for the program. She also serves as a beacon of hope as it shows that, if you want to put in the necessary work, you can succeed in this sport. "Alaska [Alex] has been great for us, helping fill spots in the line-up when necessary and making the most out of her opportunity. We are beyond excited to have her back next season" - Head Coach Corey Muniz.
Kylie Hessenius, Le Mars IA, Freshman, 109 pound National Qualifier:
Kylie has found success at every level of the sport of wrestling, she has plenty of experience and a contagious work ethic. She represents what it means to be a lady wrestler and serves as a role model for the athletes to follow her. battling in one of the toughest weight classes in the area, she has never backed down from a challenge, and that will pay dividends for her before her time as a Laker expires. She represents Iowa Lakes not only well on the mat but on campus and in the classroom. "Kylie is great. She does whatever is asked of her. Her impact on this team is beyond her and they way she goes about her day-to-day operations will be staples of this program for years to come" - Corey Muniz
Alex Koep, Okoboji IA, Freshman, 116 pound National Qualifier:
Alex is a local athlete that chose Iowa Lakes for our Nursing Program. She has been battling injuries all year that ultimately kept her out of the National Tournament. When she was on the mat, she was a fierce competitor that battled from whistle to whistle. In the classroom, she carries a 3.5+ GPA. "Alex wasn't giving a fair shot to show what she can do out there on the mat, but her uplifting and bubbly presence makes her a great addition to the team. We can't wait to get her back to 100% and back on the mat" - Head Coach Corey
Isabel Jues, Beaver Dam WI, Freshman, 130 pound National Qualifier:
Izze waited just long enough to find success on the mat. entering the National Tournament without a win, she rallied off back-to-back victories to make her way into the quarterfinals. She has stayed the course all year long and was bought in from the first day of practice. Isabel, a member of the Electrical Program, has carried a 3.25+ GPA into her second semester. "Izze is all heart. She wants the most out of the opportunity and never backs down from adversity. It was a ton of fun working with her this year and the NJCAA hasn't seen the last of Izze. She is going to come back stronger and I can't wait to see what she can do" - Coach Muniz
Leilana Kollasch, Spencer IA, Freshman, 136 pound National Qualifier:
Leila has always looked for ways to get better on the mat. She has seen success at the high school level at local Spencer High School and she has not skipped a beat at the college level. She earned one win at the National tournament and her win helped propel Iowa Lakes over conference opponent Ellsworth in the standings. She will carry plenty of momentum into next season. "Leila wants to compete, she wants to be great. That is a quality that a coach can't teach. the athlete has to decide on that aspect. That is what makes Leila so valuable, she will put in the work without thinking twice" - Coach Corey
Kylee Ballesteros, Graettinger IA, Freshman, 155 pound National Qualifier:
KJ needed prerequisites just to earn her spot on the team. Walking on campus without a high school diploma, she knew the path she needed to take was going to be long and filled with adversity. It took the support time that Iowa Lakes had in place to get her through the GED process and earn her that High School diploma. After that, the adversity did not stop. Having not wrestled for some time, she needed to dust the cobwebs off as well. Once all that was done, the Lakers got a stable line-up addition in KJ as she put her foot on the line and competed in each competition post GED completion. "KJ has been great as well, we needed her this year, and she came through for us. Now that we got a year back under our belt, I think we will be looking to knock down all the other barriers in our war this upcoming season!" - Corey Muniz
Morgan Griffin, Spencer IA, Freshman, 155 pound National Qualifier:
Morgan has been a staple of this year 1 team. Breaking down barriers and showing that success can happen her at Iowa Lakes. "Morgan has been big part of the growth of the program. We were grateful that she decided to attend Iowa Lakes and continue to raise the bar for the expectations of the practice room" said Iowa Lakes Women's Wrestling Head Coach Corey Muniz.
OTHER: 23-24 Roster: https://www.iowalakesathletics.com/sports/wwrest/2023-24/Roster
23-24 Schedule: https://www.iowalakesathletics.com/sports/wwrest/2023-24/Schedule
MEDIA: For more information, please contact Head Wrestling Coach Corey Muniz at 712-209-6660 or the Iowa Lakes sports information office at (712) 362-7928