West Central Valley junior Willow Ray was the lone representative for the Wildcats at the 2026 Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union State Wrestling Tournament in Coralville, as she reflects on her performance her second time around.

Ray returned to Coralville this year, after she qualified for the state tournament during the 2024-25 season. However, she says that she was not as confident last year because she made it in due to a medical forfeit, while this year she was named a regional champion. On top of that, Ray adds that was dealing with a low-grade fever heading into the tournament, but mentions that her goal was to have fun and not take it too seriously. In terms of growing from her sophomore to junior year, Ray notes that her composure was vastly improved this season.

“Last year, I had seven losses on my record and every single loss I didn’t take it well at all. I would go away and hide away for 30 minutes without talking to my coaches and just getting in my head and being really upset with myself. But this year, I kind of tried my best to keep it together as best as I could. I mean losing sucks, but it’s apart of the sport and I would try to take the criticism from my coaches that was needed just to know what I can do better in my next match.”

In the state wrestling tournament, Ray, who competed in weight class 130, won her first match in an 11-4 decision against Sioux Central’s Nataley Frerk, then lost to Spirit Lake’s Reece Logan in the Quarterfinals, and was defeated by Osage’s Adyen Keefe in the second round of the consolation bracket. Ray explains that she’ll use these experiences to improve ahead of her senior season.