Kadel takes over IW wrestling

Jake Kadel led the majority of the Iowa Wesleyan Men’s and Women’s Wrestling Teams for the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach.

As of April 1, Kadel is now the new head coach for both programs.

Kadel, who is a New London, Iowa native helped lead the Iowa Wesleyan Women to a thirteenth place finish at the NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Invitational in Jamestown, North Dakota on March 11-12.

Adaugo Nwachukwu was crowned as Iowa Wesleyan’s first ever NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Champion at 136 pounds.

The Tiger’s Mia Palumbo finished as the National Runner-up at 109 pounds.

Palumbo and Nwachukwu were both selected as NAIA All-Americans.

Five Tigers in all qualified for the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships this past season. Alaina Sunlin and Daisy Scholz ended with fifth and sixth place finishes, while also garnering All-American honors.

Kadel was the assistant coach for the Tigers in the women’s inaugural season and for the return of the men.

Before Iowa Wesleyan, Kadel spent one year as the Assistant Wrestling Coach at St. John’s Jesuit High School and Academy in Toledo, Ohio. He was also a wrestling instructor for the Hard Drive Performance Center in Cedar Rapids prior. As a member of the University of Iowa Men’s Wrestling Team, he served as a camp counselor at the University of Iowa Sports Camps in Iowa City.

"I am excited to get the opportunity to lead this program going forward," said Kadel in a news release. "I cannot say enough about the current student-athletes of this program. They are committed to the success of this program and extremely passionate about Iowa Wesleyan University. I would like to thank President Plunkett, Derek Zander, and the administration for supporting me through this transition. I look forward to developing young men and women who will be successful on the mat and in the classroom.“