Racine Sun

Kylie Welker is ready for her close-up as the first commit in the history of the University of Iowa women’s wrestling program.

"I want to achieve everything that I can in college, between national titles, team titles, I want to continue the legacy of Iowa wrestling on the female side,” Welker told TMJ4.com. “Then during the 2024 Olympics, I also want to win that, so I want to do pretty much all that you can in the sport of wrestling all within these couple next years."

It all starts with the Franksville, Wisconsin native and top pound-for-pound recruit in the country settling on Iowa, the first Division 1 Power 5 school in the country to add women’s wrestling.

To the delight of Hawkeye’s women’s wrestling coach Clarissa Chun, Welker comes with plenty of pedigree, having won a gold medal in the 2021 Junior World Championships, placing third at the U23 World Championships that same year and earning a bronze medal at the Cadet World Championships in 2019.

“This is an incredible moment for Kylie, her family and the Iowa wrestling program,” Chun told HawkseyeSports.com. “She is the complete package — competitively, socially, academically — and the perfect ambassador for the university and this program. This is only the beginning for her and Iowa women’s wrestling.”

Welker and Chun share a history that Welker insists made it easy for her to settle on Iowa

“One of the biggest reasons I chose Iowa is because of coach (Clarissa) Chun,” she told TMJ4.com. “I have worked with her since a young age, and I have a lot of trust and respect for her. She also has a lot of faith in me. She believes I am capable of achieving my goals and more, and she’s willing to help me get there. That means a lot to me.”

Welker got her start in the sport by watching her older brother and wanting to follow in his footsteps.

"I started wrestling when I was four,” she said. "My older brother kinda got me into it. I just followed him out to the wrestling practice and everything. That's how I got started and then everything took off from there."

These days, Welker is looking to spread the love, coaching other wrestlers across the state.

"I'm in a position right now where I can help grow the sport along with help the younger generation,” she said. “If I had someone in my spot when I was their age, like if I had someone to look up to that was coaching me and also a female, it would have changed my perspective completely, it would have helped me. So, I just want to create opportunities for the younger ones."