Donning the iconic Iowa Hawkeye wrestling singlet brings the pressure of being the hunted virtually anywhere but Iowa City. “Everyone wants you to lose,” said Alexandra “Allie” Baudhuin, a member of the Iowa women’s wrestling team who will earn a master’s degree in mechanical engineering this month.

Hawkeye athletes learn to trust in the team, each other, and themselves. “We have to push each other to succeed because everyone else wants you to fail,” said Baudhuin, who has racked up 10 technical fall victories and two victories by pin fall. “Success means overcoming an environment in which you have a target on your back.”

The challenge made victory all the sweeter as Iowa has claimed the first two national championships since women’s wrestling was recognized as a Division 1 sport.

The level of support and facilities for women’s wrestling at the University of Iowa was a draw, but equally appealing for Baudhuin was the ability to earn a degree mechanical engineering while competing with the best in wrestlers in the world. 

The Coppell, Texas native learned about wrestling from her dad, who wrestled in high school and college, and she formally started wrestling in eight grade. She competed collegiately at University of Jamestown in North Dakota, before transferring to Iowa to pursue an advanced degree.

Fun facts about Allie

• How do you spend your downtime? “I like to let my mind wander.” This could be going for walks or watching movies, such as recent dive into Val Kilmer movies including Top Gun, Tombstone, and Real Genius). 
• What are you hobbies: Extreme activities. Allie has been skydiving six times, including around the canyons of Utah. “Bungee jumping is on my bucket list.” 
• Most import memory at Iowa? “Winning nationals for the first time. Everyone was so competitive. There was a lot of expectations. We had so much to prove to the wrestling community and ourselves.”
• What does your future hold? “I want to be an aerospace engineer.”