The Iowa City Area Sports Commission announced Nov. 18 that Xtream Arena in Coralville would be hosting the Ukrainian and American women’s wrestling teams next month for a “friendly” dual meet. 

Before the national teams compete, the West High girls wrestling team will face off against City High at 6 p.m.; before facing their cross-town rivals, City will wrestle Cedar Rapids Washington. For these high school wrestlers, this is a rare opportunity to compete on the same stage as a national team. 

“I’m very, very excited to be wrestling on the same stage that I know that USA versus Ukraine is wrestling,” West girls wrestling captain Sylvia Broffitt ’26 said. “I watched Ukraine versus USA women’s at the World Cup two years ago, and it’s kind of a surreal moment where I’m going be wrestling on the same net that they’re going to be wrestling on.”

Before the friendly, Team Ukraine and Team USA will host a two-week training program with the Iowa Hawkeye Women’s Wrestling team.

“We’ve developed a truly special relationship with this group over the past several years,” Josh Schamberger, board president of the IWW and president/CEO of Think Iowa City and the ICASC, said in a press release. “We’re borrowing a term from the soccer world and calling the head-to-head dual at Xtream Arena a ‘friendly’—but make no mistake, the competition will be fierce when Team Ukraine’s best takes on Team USA.” 

Two of Team USA’s wrestlers are currently also members of the Iowa Hawkeye Women’s Wrestling Team: Kennedy Blades and Kylie Welker. USA’s 53 kg Felicity Taylor was a 2023 graduate and NCAA champion and currently coaches at Big Game Wrestling in North Liberty, Iowa.

At the last senior world championships, held in Croatia in September, Team USA placed second, and Team Ukraine placed 11th.

Instead of purchasing tickets, attendees will be encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to the Coralville Community Food Pantry.