FAYETTE, Iowa - The Upper Iowa women's wrestling team starts the 2025-26 season this weekend at the Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointer Open. This marks the beginning of the Jay Tiedemann era for the program, as the head coach enters his first season. 

MEET THE PEACOCKS: RETURNERS
The Peacocks return two wrestlers from last season in Bentley Hills and Mya Mendoza. Hills is an exercise science major from Oak Park, Illinois, and Mendoza is an education major from Lompoc, California. Mendoza competes at 160 pounds, and Hills competes at 103 pounds. 

"Bentley is a quick & explosive wrestler who is determined and I believe fully capable of winning big matches this season," Tiedemann said. "She was a national qualifier as a freshman at Carthage College, and she's looking to return to the NCAA tournament this year."

Mendoza is a two-sport athlete for the Peacocks, competing in both women's wrestling and softball. 

"Mya is the strongest female wrestler I've ever coached," Tiedemann said. "She works incredibly hard to be successful and will surprise many people with her performance this season. Mya is a wrestler you will never want to count out of a match. Her resiliency will be crucial to her success this year."

These two returners are looking to help Tiedemann set the tone for Peacock wrestling for years to come. 

"It's an opportunity to leave a legacy for the rest of Peacock women's wrestling," Tiedemann said. "Obviously, having a shortened season last year, they didn't get to have the most opportunity to compete. This year, they get the chance to set the bar high for future athletes that come in here."

MEET THE PEACOCKS: NEWCOMERS
Upper Iowa has six newcomers added to the roster this season. Freshman Eliana Callies is the lone wrestler from out of state. She hails from Rochester, Minnesota, and will be competing at 145 pounds. Callies placed sixth at the Minnesota high school state tournament last year. 

"She's a physically strong and aggressive wrestler," Tiedemann said. "She's going to come in and, from a physical standpoint, bully her opponents around the mat and impose her will on anyone she wrestles."

Kylie Doty joined the team during her senior year. She is a graphic design and marketing major from Mingo. She's re-entering the world of wrestling after being a four-time Iowa state placer in high school. 

"She wrestled in high school and decided to wrestle here in her last year in college," Tiedemann said. "She's someone who brings a veteran presence to the team and is a very natural wrestler. Kylie has adapted to freestyle well and is ready to make some noise for us at 160."

Freshman Ryley Hartman is a local talent out of Oelwein, winning over 100 matches in high school. 

"She's very technical and she's a hard worker," Tiedemann said. "Ryley is coming in and going to start for us at 124. I'm excited for her to showcase her skills and technique on the mat."

Kylee Shoop will be competing at 131 pounds for the Peacocks this season. The biology major hails from Ryan and competed last year at West Delaware High School. She is coming off a third-place finish at the Iowa State Tournament.  

"Kylee is a very fast, very energetic and very skilled wrestler," Tiedemann said. "We're very excited about her this year, and we think she can make some serious noise. "

The team also brings in a talent from Decorah in McKenzie Tollefson. She will be competing at 138 pounds and is another wrestler who won over 100 matches in high school. 

"McKenzie brings very strong, solid wrestling," Tiedemann said. "She is someone who can dominate in a lot of positions. Another skilled wrestler who can compete with anybody in the nation."

Gracee Tompkins is a freshman from Lost Nation and is majoring in exercise science at Upper Iowa. 

"She has a great attitude and is a hard worker," Tiedemann said. "She's going to be challenging in the 160 division. Someone who has already shown the willingness to help the team wherever she can. She's a great teammate and we're excited to see how she transitions from high school to college."

GLVC POLL
The Peacocks were selected sixth in the GLVC Preseason Poll, totaling 12 points. McKendree (Ill.) was picked first with 35 points and five first-place votes. 

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Upper Iowa is participating in three opens this November. The Peacocks will compete at the GLVC Duals on Dec. 7 in Quincy, Illinois, and on Jan. 24 in Allendale, Michigan. 

"The Pointer Open is a good starting point, and we want to have a good start to the season," Tiedemann said. "In our two conference matchups, we're going to test ourselves against some pretty tough teams. McKendree and Grand Valley State are both top-five teams in the nation. It's going to be challenging for us, but we're excited to see how we stack up. 

The Peacocks host the Upper Iowa Triangular on Jan. 30. This will be the program's first home event in Dorman Memorial Gymnasium.

"That's a big one for us against Luther and Morningside," Tiedemann said. "We're excited for that, and it's going to be really fun."

The Peacocks will compete at the NCAA Region V Championships hosted by Simpson College in Indianola on Feb. 21. The NCAA Championships are on March 6 at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.