Redmond High’s Nadia Medvinsky and Madi McDaniel glance at each other and burst out laughing.

They’re both catching their breath after a grueling workout in the wrestling room on Tuesday afternoon: McDaniel’s face is red and Medvinsky sports a red mark on the bridge of her nose. It’s been a good day’s work, they say, and they’re looking forward to testing their mettle at this weekend’s girls Mat Classic XXVIII championships at the Tacoma Dome.

Medvinsky, a junior, said wrestlers’ faces get roughed up at tournaments and she noted that an opponent head-butted her at regionals. She wears her injury like a badge of honor while walking through the school hallways.

“It’s kind of funny, because wrestling’s the only sport where you’d be like, ‘Oh, you have a cool bruise on your face,’” Medvinsky said.

The 135-pound grappler sports a 21-3 overall record and won both the regional and sub-regional championships. McDaniel, a senior who wrestles at 145 pounds, owns a 9-3 overall record and placed first at sub-regionals and fourth at regionals.

Both girls share their reactions to qualifying for state for the first time:

“It felt really amazing. It’s been kind of surreal for me. I worked really hard this season and I was really happy when I was able to qualify for state this year,” Medvinsky said.

Added McDaniel: “It’s kind of crazy, I didn’t really expect it. I kind of expected to get out of Kingco, but I ended up winning and then I just kept winning my matches, so I think it’s a crazy ride.”

McDaniel has come a long way in her first year of wrestling. Her little sister latched onto the sport first in junior high, and then she followed suit when her mom asked her to give it a shot. It’s a tough sport and a fun sport, the senior Mustang said.

“It’s a lot of high impact and cardio. I grew up doing track and cross country, so cardio’s my thing. And I guess I have a lot of aggression built up somewhere and it’s a good stress reliever,” McDaniel said with a laugh. “It’s like a family. So once you join, you can’t quit, otherwise it’s like you’re quitting your family.”

It’s Medvinsky’s third year of wrestling and she remembers wanting to give it a try after volunteering at a junior high tournament.

“I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I’m really glad I did it, I just fell in love with it,” she said, adding that over the years, she’s grown stronger and embraces the sport even more.

When Medvinsky is face to face with an opponent before a match, she likes being focused only on the task at hand as all other thoughts float away. Taking her opponent down and winning the match makes all the time in the practice room worth it.

“After a really good workout, I feel really good about myself and I know I’ve put in the hard work,” she said. “At the end of the season, I’ll know that I’ll be confident in my training and what I’ve done for the season.”

McDaniel and Medvinsky have wrestled both girls and boys and they both like the challenge of getting on the mat and laying it all on the line. Both girls are proud to have notched victories over boys.

This weekend, they’ll take on girl opponents at state and McDaniel speaks for both girls when she notes:

“I like the feeling of a match when you’re against someone who’s your weight and roughly your age and you can just physically take them down, just prove that you’re stronger. I think that’s a really cool feeling,” she said.

MORE FROM THE MAT

Redmond resident Zohdi Cooperrider Young, a senior Tesla STEM High School student who wrestles for Eastlake High, will also compete at state at 105.

On the boys’ side, Redmond High freshman Nadav Levanoni (106) will be an alternate at state. He has a 32-10 overall record and placed first at Kingco and fifth at regionals. He attends STEM High School.

Redmond High senior Maddie Williams (130) placed first at sub-regionals and finished her season at regionals with an 11-12 overall record.