Top 2026 Recruit Signs With Iowa

Nieuwenhuis enters Iowa with an exceptional high school resume across multiple seasons. The Plainwell wrestler captured three consecutive MHSAA individual titles at 100 pounds, finishing her junior season 26-0 with a technical fall over Veronica Tapia of Lowell in the finals.

Following her first state championship as a freshman, Nieuwenhuis posted an unbeaten record as a junior to secure her third consecutive title in 2025. Her consistency and dominance against Michigan's best competition have made her one of the nation's elite lightweights heading into college.

Madison Nieuwenhuis' Dominance in Premier Tournaments

Beyond state championships, Madison Nieuwenhuis has proven herself on the national stage at the nation's most prestigious high school wrestling tournaments. The Plainwell grappler won titles at three of wrestling's most competitive events. 

She captured the 16U National Championship at 100 pounds in Fargo (2023), defeating Caley Graber of Minnesota 2-1 in the championship match.​ 

"There's only a handful of people that have a national title and a state title, as well. Girls wrestling is growing tremendously so to bring that back to Plainwell for us to put back in our room should only enhance our room and our performance next year," Nieuwenhuis' coach said following her 2023 Fargo championship win.

Nieuwenhuis won titles at the Who's Number One tournament in 2023 and 2024. She also won the 2024 Super 32 tournament. 

The Michigan grappler has represented the United States at the international level, earning a spot on the U17 World Team Trials multiple times.​ She was placed 4th at the 2024 U17 World Team Trials and 3rd at the 2025 U17 World Team Trials. 

An interesting element of Nieuwenhuis's recruitment involves her history with current Iowa wrestler Rianne Murphy. The two wrestlers wrestled several close matches against each other during their high school careers.​ 

While Nieuwenhuis currently competes at 100 pounds as a junior, she is projected to compete in the 103-pound category upon arriving at Iowa. Iowa currently has Sterling Dias and Rianne Murphy competing at 103 pounds in the 2025-26 season. 

Nieuwenhuis becomes the first official member of Iowa's 2026 women's wrestling class under head coach Clarissa Chun. The Hawkeyes have the likes of Everest Leydecker, Morgan Turner and Taylor Whiting on their radar.