Iowa coach Tom Brands was excited to watch his wrestlers compete at the U23 national championships this weekend, and Patrick Kennedy spent the last two days showing why.
Kennedy, the Hawkeyes' talented third-year wrestler, won the U23 men’s freestyle national title on Sunday in Ohio. He went 7-0 to win at 74 kilograms (163 pounds), registering three wins over All-Americans and two more over NCAA qualifiers.
The performance reinforced Brands’ excitement. Kennedy joined the program as a ballyhooed recruit from Minnesota’s Kasson-Mantorville, but he has had to wait two years before cracking the Hawkeye lineup.