Iowa's Kylie Welker Wins World Championship

The Iowa Hawkeyes’ wrestling sensation, Kylie Welker, was on fire at the 2025 U23 World Wrestling Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia. She opened her campaign in the qualification round with a sensational 10-0 technical fall over India’s five-time age-group World medalist Priya Priya in less than a minute.

In the quarterfinals, Welker continued her dominance, overpowering Canada’s Nyla Burgess with another technical fall, this time an 11-0 rout. Burgess, a Senior Pan American silver medalist, seemed no match for Welker's pace and precision.

The semifinal bout was a massive task for the 21-year-old in the form of Edna Jimenez Villalba of Mexico, the U20 Pan American champion. However, Welker’s tactical skill prevailed as she secured a 16-6 victory, combining aggressive offense and defensive discipline to punch her ticket for the gold medal match.

Kylie Welker Dominates in U23 World Wrestling Championship

In the gold medal match, Welker met returning bronze medalist Valeriia Trifonova of Russia. Welker wasted no time, taking control with early takedowns and dominant top pressure. She overwhelmed Trifonova en route to a commanding 10-0 technical fall, clinching the gold medal.

Got the 𝗚𝗢𝗟𝗗. @kylie_welker secures the 10-0 TF to bring home the U23 World Championship medal! pic.twitter.com/Fx8EPftdzX
— Iowa Women's Wrestling (@IowaW_Wrestling) October 23, 2025

With the gold medal on Thursday, Welker becomes a two-time U23 world champion. She previously won the 72 kg title in 2024 and a bronze medal in the 76 kg category in the 2021 U23 World Championship. In May 2025, she earned a gold medal at the Pan American Championships in Monterrey, Mexico. She is expected to be a leading contender in the upcoming senior World Championships and Olympics.

Just one month before competing in Serbia, Welker earned a bronze medal in the 76 kg category at the 2025 World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.

Welker was virtually unstoppable for Iowa during the 2024-25 college wrestling season. She finished the season with a perfect 27-0 record as a redshirt sophomore, capturing the NCWWC (National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championship) title at 180 pounds.

The undefeated campaign was preceded by her dominance on the collegiate level. She won the NCWWC title at 170 pounds during her redshirt freshman season with a 23-1 record. As the program's first signee and currently its most decorated wrestler, Welker has helped the program attract top recruits and elevated Iowa to new heights in women's wrestling.

Her college success mirrors her international dominance. Over the past 356 days heading into the U23 championships, Welker's only loss came in the 2025 Senior World Championship quarterfinals.

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