Wahluke qualifies two wrestlers for Mat Classic
Dyani Hernandez from the Wahluke Warriors readies herself to face her opponent during a Royal tournament earlier this season. Hernandez is entering the state tournament as the 13th seed.
CALEB PEREZ/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
MATTAWA — The Wahluke High School girls wrestling team advanced two wrestlers to Mat Classic 2026 in what coach Windy Lovejoy said was a learning year.
“We have primarily freshmen on the team,” Lovejoy said. “There were three upperclassmen.”
Her team adapted to a pretty steep learning curve, however.
“You’ve got to be resilient in this sport,” Lovejoy said. “You’ve got to learn quickly.”
Wahluke senior Dyani Hernandez returns to the Tacoma Dome in the 235-pound class after qualifying in 2025. Hernandez is the 13th seed at Mat Classic in her weight class.
“She was one match away from placing (in 2025),” Lovejoy said. “We expect her to wrestle quite well.”
Freshman Sandra Rodriguez qualified in the 190-pound class.
Other sports like basketball sort players by levels of experience, fielding things like C teams and junior varsity. Wrestling is different, Lovejoy said – at any given competition, a wrestler with just a few matches of experience can be up against a state champion. There were some bumps and bruises along the way, but her team responded to the challenge, she said.
“At the end of the day, they are very resilient,” she said.
Her team has gained a lot of experience, she said, not just on the mat, but they’ve grown in other ways, with more confidence in themselves outside the weight room.
“I’m excited for next year,” Lovejoy said.