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 High School State Champion 103-pounds
• 2003 High School State Champion 125-pounds
• 2004 High School State Champion 152-pounds
• 2005 High School State Champion 171-pounds
• 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 meet
• 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
• Wrestling USA Scholastic All-American and three-time honor roll student

College

University of Iowa

CoachTom Brands

Record98-10

• 2006 Redshirted at Virginia Tech University (28-5)
• 2007 Transferred to U of I (13-3) unattached, recorded three major decisions and two pins

• 2008 Third Place Big Ten Championship 174-pounds
• 2008 Third Place NCAA Championship
• 2009 Third Place Big Ten Championship, (29-5 collegiate matches)
• 2010 Big Ten Champion 174-pounds
• 2010 NCAA National Champion

• Two-Time All American
• Three-Time NCAA Qualifier
• Three-Time Academic All-Big Ten Honoree
• Two-Time NWCA All-Academic Team Member
• Member of three NCAA and Big Ten championship Iowa teams
• 2010 22-2 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena
• 2010 Iowa’s Male Athlete of the Year