Wingspan: When and why did you start wrestling?

Mendoza: “I started wrestling my freshman year because I wanted to lose weight.”

Wingspan: What is your favorite part about wrestling?

Mendoza: “My favorite part about the sport is the feeling after winning an important match in front of people I care about.”

Wingspan: How has wrestling impacted your life?

Mendoza: “Wrestling has impacted my life in a great way. It helped me get into shape when I first started high school and since has helped me improve in my other sports and taught me perseverance and determination.”

Wingspan: How have you been preparing for this season?

Mendoza: “I wrestled multiple tournaments including the state freestyle tournament post regular season of my junior year and I’m a part of the Ryse wrestling club which I go to weekly.”

Wingspan: What do you hope to accomplish this season?

Mendoza: “This year I want to win as many tournaments as possible without getting injured, hopefully including state.”

Wingspan: What advice do you have for someone who wants to wrestle?

Mendoza: “I would say prepare yourself mentally, it’s a hard sport with a lot of ups and downs but you can make it worth it if you really want it.”

Wingspan: Do you plan to wrestle after high school? Why or why not?

Mendoza: “I do not plan on wrestling after high school, at least not in college. I definitely want to keep doing the sport one way or another, maybe even helping with coaching the club I go to. But it’s not something I’m interested in for college as I want to focus on my degrees and Olympic weightlifting.”