This year’s wrestlers have been admirably tussling their way through the sport, but a particular student has taken their place as this seasons’ cream of the crop and she is ready to girlboss her way past everyone else.

Junior Kiona Hill, one of the only three girls in a team of 35, poses to be one of the best wrestlers on the team with six wins to one loss this year and has shown great improvement over her high school journey. 

In a male-dominated sport, wrestling as a female is one rough journey that Hill has had to face. With the long hours and intense mental and physical strength needed to get through daily practices, wrestling isn’t an easy thing to take on.

“The losses are really tough because when you take the loss, it’s your loss, like there’s nothing anybody else could have done. So having that loss be all on you, it can be heavy sometimes,” Hill said.

There have been times when her own strength hasn’t been enough for her, and the disheartenment of the loneliness of losses almost gets to her. However, she’s remained steady and gained determination with every loss, a quality to be proud of. Even though things may seem unfair or too rough on her at times, she’s learned from every mistake she’s made through methods like filming herself and heeding advice from the coaches. 

Every loss and win, they all pushed her to strive for betterness and success.

“I feel as if wrestling really built my character and my mental toughness. My team also really drives me because I love being able to support my team,” Hill said. 

Though it may be rough and lonely at times, Hill knows she isn’t alone in her journey.

Wrestling has been a very inclusive sport throughout the years, and remains to be to this day. All the members stay positive and supportive of each other throughout the season, and everyone agrees that it is an enjoyable sport with the others. 

“We’re almost like a family; we are always looking out for each other,” Hill said.

Though Hill has been a valuable asset to the team, others in wrestling have also been performing outstandingly this season. Students like junior Gabriel Mendoza Acoltzi, freshman Jackson Mostrom, seniors Nathan Nguyen and Winston Xavier, and captain Drake Woelfl have been doing great with their matches and keeping morale within everyone. 

The team competed in the KingCo Championships on Friday and Saturday at Juanita High School, where ten wrestlers advanced to regionals with four others having a chance as alternates. Jackson Mostrom achieved the title of KingCo Champion in the one-hundred thirteen pound weight class and Gabriel Mendoza-Acoltzi and Nicholas Alegrete both were KingCo runner-ups. Other great students also qualified for regionals, which will take place at University High School in Spokane this Friday and Saturday. Qualifiers from there will advance to the State Tournament in the Tacoma Dome.

Everyone in wrestling can agree that they all make a great team, and are excited for what will await them.

“I think that no matter what, if you’re new to wrestling or old, you’re always welcome to try out for the team and see what you can do,” Nguyen said.