Jay Borschel

Jay Borschel had an outstanding wrestling career. He achieved a remarkable win-loss record of 163-1 during his time at Linn-Mar High School and 98-10 while at the University of Iowa. Borschel’s impressive performance earned him four state high school championships, one Big Ten title and an NCAA championship.

“I was never the fastest or the strongest, but I was strong enough and fast enough,” Borschel recapped. “I had a good feel for pressure, situations and was mat savvy.”

Borschel didn’t see immediate success as a wrestler even though he and his father decided during his fifth-grade year “If you’re going to work at it, you might as well be good at it.” He never won a state AAU title during those years but did go to plenty of camps and tournaments.

As a 103-pound freshman, Borschel suffered only one defeat, and it came at the hands of Joey Slaton from Cedar Rapids Kennedy. They faced off four times that year, and Slaton emerged victorious once. Remarkably, Slaton went on to become a two-time state champion, while Borschel’s trajectory took a different turn. From that point onward, Borschel remained undefeated throughout his high school career.

During this time, Borschel’s growth and skill were evident. As a 125-pound sophomore, he achieved a perfect record of 41-0. His dominance continued into his 152-pound junior year, where he maintained another flawless record of 41-0. Finally, as a 171-pound senior, Borschel capped off his high school wrestling journey with an impressive 43-0 record. He is the 16th wrestler in high school state history to win four titles. His outstanding performance earned him the title of Outstanding Wrestler in his senior year.

After joining Tom Brands at Virginia Tech University for two seasons, Borschel embarked on an exciting journey. His first year was marked by a redshirt, allowing him to hone his skills. In the subsequent season, he wrestled unattached, showcasing his prowess on the mat. However, Borschel’s path led him back to the University of Iowa along with Brands where he resumed his collegiate wrestling career. In his first year back in Iowa, he achieved praiseworthy results securing third place finishes at both the Big Ten and NCAA championships amassing an impressive record of 32-5. The following year, Borschel continued his strong performance by once again clinching third place in the Big Ten tournament.

In his final year, Borschel launched the season as the second-rank wrestler in the nation. His remarkable performance unfolded as he remained undefeated throughout the season, securing both the Big Ten and NCAA titles. His 37-0 record earned him the prestigious title of 2010 Iowa Male Athlete of the Year.

In his NCAA title match, Borschel faced off against Mack Lewnes from Cornell. Lewnes  had maintained an impressive record. Borschel added, “He hadn’t been beaten either, so they ranked him number one all year. He hadn’t given up an offensive point the whole season.” However, the dynamics shifted swiftly during the match. Borschel demonstrated his prowess, securing a 6-2 victory and claiming the title with confidence. Notably, this win was the first time that Iowa crowned three individual champions since 1998.

Borschel was a three-time academic all-Big Ten honoree majoring in history. He credits the disciplines learned in wrestling for his academic success. He no leads sales teams selling medical equipment out of Iowa City.

Borschel was inducted in the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2024 along with Mike Allen, Travis Paulson, Trent Paulson, Leslie Beers (posthumously), and Arthur Holding (posthumously).

High School

Linn-Mar High School

CoachDoug Streicher

Record163-1

• 2002 103-pound State Champion
• 2003 125-pound State Champion
• 2004 152-pound State Champion
• 2005 171-pound State Champion
• 2002-2005 Greatest span of weight classes covered by an Iowa Four-Time Champions
• The 16th wrestler to win four state titles (that number has doubled by 2024 IWHOF induction year)
• Set school record for most pins (30) and wins (45) in a season
• 98 pins and three undefeated seasons (41-0, 41-0, 43-0)
• Named Co-Outstanding Wrestler at state meet senior year
• Three-time Conference Champion and two-time Outstanding Wrestler at Conference
• Two-time team captain and Academic All-Conference
• 2004 Asics Tiger Honorable Mention All-American
• 2005 Fourth Place High School National Championships earning All-American honors
• 2005 USA Wrestling All-American
• 2005 Linn County Athlete of the Year and The Gazette’s Male Athlete of the Year
• Four-time first team All-Conference, team MVP and The Gazette’s Wrestler of the Year

College

University of Iowa

CoachTom Brands

Record98-10-0

• 2008 174-pound NCAA 3rd Place
• 2010 174-pound NCAA Champion
• 2010 174-pound Big Ten Champion
• Two-time NCAA All American
  • 2010 NCAA D1 Men’s Individual Scholar All-American
• Three-time NCAA Qualifier
• 3 NCAA Team National Titles
• 3 Team Big Ten Titles
• Three-time Academic All-Big Ten
• Two-time NWCA All-Academic Team Member
• 2010 Iowa’s Male Athlete of the Year

Professional

• 2006 174-pound 20-and-Under Kaufman-Brands Open Champion
• 2007 Northern Iowa Open Champion
• 2007 174-pound Harold Nichols Open 3rd Place
• 2009 Midlands Championship 3rd Place
• 2010 Mike Howard Most Valuable Wrestler Award shared with Brent Metcalf and Matt McDonough (all three NCAA Champions)
• 2010 NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals D-I Outstanding Wrestler

Coaching

Northwestern University – Volunteer Assistant Coach (2012-2015)

• 1 Individual NCAA Champion
• 3 Individual NCAA Runner-up Finishers
• 7 Individual NCAA All-Americans