Kylie Welker is in a class by herself.

The Iowa star captured her third U23 world title on Thursday night at the 2026 U23 World Championships at the Thomas & Mack Center, becoming the first American to win three U23 world crowns.

Welker, a three-time collegiate national champion, needed just 47 seconds to dispatch Serbia's Evelin Ujhelji in the 76-kilogram final. She scored a quick takedown and then locked in a leg lace, turning Ujhelji four times to close out a 10-0 technical superiority.

Welker did not surrender a point in Las Vegas. She rolled through her four opponents with three technical superiorities and a pin. She opened with an 11-0 technical superiority over Poland's Patrycja Cuber, pinned Türkiye's Elmira Yasin in 1:05 in the quarterfinals and blanked Russia's Mariia Silina 11-0 in the semifinals before making quick work of Ujhelji.

Welker's place in history extends beyond American wrestling. She is the first women's freestyle wrestler to win three consecutive U23 world titles. Welker joins Moldovan Greco-Roman wrestler Alexandrin Gutu as the only athletes to win three straight U23 world titles.

Welker's Iowa teammate Everest Leydecker bounced back from a semifinal loss to claim a bronze medal at 55 kilograms.

Leydecker took a page out of Welker's book in the bronze-medal match. Facing Uzbekistan's Ulmeken Esenbaeva, a two-time age-group world medalist, Leydecker held a narrow 3-0 lead in the first period before locking in a leg lace of her own. The Hawkeye turned Esenbaeva repeatedly to put away an 11-0 technical superiority.

Leydecker, who won her second U20 world title earlier this year, will represent the United States at the Senior World Championships.