Iowa incoming freshman Everest Leydecker added another world title to her resume Thursday night at the 2026 U20 World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia, securing her second consecutive U20 world championship with a second-period pin in the 55-kilogram finals.

Leydecker had to rally against Japan's Nana Kozuka, a 2024 U17 world silver medalist. After giving up an exposure 70 seconds into the match, Leydecker found herself trailing 2-1 at the break, but the match turned in her favor moments into the second period. Kozuka shot immediately off the whistle; Leydecker countered, put Kozuka on her back and patiently worked for nearly two minutes before securing the fall.

The championship capped off a dominant run through the bracket for the Arizona native. Leydecker defeated 2026 U20 Asian silver medalist Meilin Zhou of China, 2021 U17 world silver medalist Valeryia Mikitsich of Belarus and 2025 U23 world silver medalist Hansika Lamba of India on her way to the title.

The victory delivered the 20th U20 women's freestyle world gold medal in U.S. history and made Leydecker just the fourth American woman to capture multiple U20 world titles, joining two-time Olympian Ali Bernard (2003, 2005), two-time senior world team member Victoria Anthony (2009, 2010) and Olympic champion Amit Elor (2021, 2022, 2023). Elor remains the only American woman to win three U20 world championships, but Leydecker will have an opportunity to match that feat next year.

Still just 18 and entering her freshman season at Iowa, Leydecker has built an impressive international resume since winning her first U20 world title last summer in Samokov, Bulgaria. She has won senior-level gold medals at the Bill Farrell Memorial International, Zagreb Open Ranking Series and Pan American Championships while also claiming the U.S. Open and Final X titles. Her 2026 season is far from finished. She is scheduled to represent Team USA at the U23 World Championships in Las Vegas and the Senior World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, in October before starting her freshman season of college wrestling.

Iowa State's Piper Fowler, a 2026 NAIA national champion, placed fifth at 76 kilograms, dropping a 6-5 decision to three-time age-group world medalist Elmira Yasin of Turkey in the bronze-medal match.

Iowa's Bella Williams placed seventh at 62 kilograms.

McKendree incoming freshman Caley Graber won two matches on Thursday to reach the semifinals at 59 kilograms before losing on criteria to 2024 U17 world silver medalist Sae Noguchi of Japan, 2-2. The Minnesota native will wrestle for bronze on Friday.

Iowa's Karlee Brooks opened her tournament at 57 kilograms with two technical superiorities before losing to Japan's Konami Ono. She will wrestle in repechage on Friday.

At 68 kilograms, the nation's top senior recruit Taina Fernandez, a three-time U17 world champion, will also wrestle in repechage after she was defeated by India's Mansi Lather, 10-2.