Val Solorio had an 18th birthday she will always remember. September 30, 2023, is the day she got the call from Iowa coach Clarissa Chun inviting Solorio to be a Hawkeye. 

Without hesitation, Solorio, a 2021 16U National champion, accepted. The Canon-McMillan star narrowed her choices to Iowa, North Central, and King before verbally committing to Iowa on her 18th birthday. 

“Iowa first came on the radar when it came on the radar for everyone,” Solorio said. “As soon as they announced they had a program, I looked into it immediately and figured out who their coach was going to be. 

“As they started recruiting more and more, I started looking at their personalities and I wondered if we would be good friends. All the lightweights they recruited drew me toward the program. I felt like I’d have the most partners there and a lot of room to develop.” 

Solorio anticipates competing at 101 pounds through the duration of her career but didn’t rule out bumping a weight. She also mentioned the influence of Pennsylvania native Spencer Lee making his high school debut when Solorio was seven — then following his career as a Hawkeye. 

The Panama City Beach, Florida, native will complete her senior season at Canon-McMillan High School in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. Since she competes at the lightest weight class (100 pounds), she will attempt to become the first wrestler to win a sanctioned Pennsylvania girls' high school state championship — a feat she accomplished in Florida in 2022. 

“(Becoming the first) is all that’s on my mind,” Solorio said. “That’s what I did in Florida and I want to do the same thing in Pennsylvania. To end it with a PA state title would be icing on the cake.” 

A full interview with Solorio about choosing Iowa is at the top of this article. 

Women's Spotlight: Val Solorio