Meeting the Expectations

On Jan. 30, Waterloo East senior Daniesha Watson competed in the 2026 IGHSAU Regional Qualifier Meet at Independence High School in the 130-pound weight class. Ranked at a lower seed than all of her opponents, Watson started with a stunner, beating her opponent, Alannah Mahoney from Solon, by points, 18-2.

Making her way to the first-place match in Independence, Watson ended the night and secured her spot at state with a pin against Cedar Falls wrestler Destiny Hoeppner.

The Stage is Set

On Feb. 5, Watson traveled to The Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa, to partake in the IGHSAU State Tournament.

However, this journey did not come without its challenges. After suffering a subdislocation in her right shoulder, an injury where some of the shoulder joint slips out of the socket while another part remains in place, Watson took two and a half years off from wrestling. But, she shares, “Years prior, I started to lose my passion for the sport, so really I used my injury as an excuse to avoid wrestling.”

Growing up with older brothers who wrestled as well as her father, Anthony Watson Sr. attended East High School as a freshman, where he finished fourth at state in the 140-pound weight class until he moved to Iowa City High and placed at state for his last three years of high school as well. Placing second, second and finally first his senior year, finishing with a record of 33-1.

Watson shares, “My love for wrestling originated from my two older brothers..Seeing the community incorporated in the club and how fun it looked encouraged me to join the club at the age of three.”

While wrestling, you can easily see how Watson has found her safe place on the mat, fast on her feet, with no sign of fear; she is not scared to make the first move on her opponent. Sharing, “Wrestling is a space I can express my interpretation of intelligent aggression, where I can showcase my technique and personality from the time I am preparing for a match up until I am walking off the mat.”

Going strong through the tournament, Watson got first place in the 130-pound weight class with ease, making history as the first girls wrestler from Waterloo, Iowa, to get first place in state wrestling.

Paving the way for young girls in Waterloo, she finally shared, “I started to lose my passion for the sport, so really I used my injury as an excuse to avoid wrestling. Taking that time off helped me realize how much girls wrestling has grown from when I started wrestling until now. Also, it helped me re-evaluate why I joined wrestling in the first place; it was because of the team camaraderie and community. I believe all of these things helped me stay dedicated to challenging myself in the wrestling room, which transformed me into a state champion.”

Watson celebrates after her pin, securing her spot in the championship match against Avaeh Smith from Lewis Central.

Watson smiles brightly after she wins her second match of the night against Cedar Falls in the semifinals, where she secured her spot in the championship match.

Watson looks up at the referee as her match against Brielle Parke from Linn-Mar High School comes to a close with a 9-0 win.

A look of utter terror is brought to the face of Destiney Hoeppner as she comes to the realization that she no longer has control over the match. Watson pinned Hoeppner, knocking out all Cedar Falls wrestlers in the semi-finals, one of the best girls wrestling teams in the state.

Watson points up to the stands, trying to spot her family and friends. She shares, “When I did make it to state, I did not feel any pressure because he (Watson Sr.) reassured me that my placement did not dictate how proud he was of me. However, when I did win State, it was a funny coincidence.”

Watson smiles brightly as she gets interviewed by KWWL after she put on a show on the big stage.

Watson signs her name on the final championship bracket, wearing her Trojan singlet displaying East High pride.

This story was originally published on The Wahawk Insider on March 11, 2026.