Wahluke qualifies two wrestlers for Mat Classic
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 15 hours, 43 minutes AGO
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
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | February 18, 2026 1:00 AM
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.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Experience big factor for Royal boys at Mat Classic
ROYAL CITY — Royal High School boys wrestling coach Darrin Miller said his team’s experience should help them when they get to the Tacoma Dome. “We have a large group of seniors this year, so I think the consistency of showing up to practice every day for four straight years for a lot of these kids, as well as the underclassmen learning from some of those upperclassmen,” Miller said. “Everybody has just been really committed up to this point, which is what it really takes in the sport to be successful.”
Wahluke qualifies two wrestlers for Mat Classic
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.
Royal girls wrestlers rise to the challenge, have high hopes for state tournament
ROYAL CITY — They’ve had a lot of success on the mat, but it’s still been a tough year for the Royal High School girls wrestling team. Their coach Seth Weeks said the girls have risen to meet the challenge. Jesus Carlos Villa, the head coach who led the Knights to a second-place finish at the 2025 Mat Classic, suddenly passed in a car accident in July 2025. Coach Carlos has been missed, Weeks said.