STERLING — Sophomore Hadley Losoya will represent the Rochelle Hub wrestling program during the IWCOA Fresh/Soph & Girls State Championship at the Bank of Springfield Center.

Losoya won four of his five matches and medaled in third during the IWCOA Sterling Sectional over the weekend. Losoya, who started wrestling in eighth grade and split time between varsity and JV for the Hubs this winter, is taking advantage of the extra mat time after the season.

“A lot of kids start wrestling when they’re young, but I didn’t start until eighth grade,” Losoya said. “My biggest downside right now is experience and I need more of that… I think the experience of competing at a high-level tournament will bring out a lot of confidence in me.”

Wrestling at 138 pounds, Losoya cruised into the semifinal round of his weight bracket, scoring an 18-3 technical fall against Geneseo’s Dawson Hull before pinning DeKalb’s Kameron Sims during the quarterfinals. Despite a loss against Amboy’s Caiden Heath in the semifinals, Losoya fought back through the blood rounds, snatching two takedowns during his 12-6 decision over DeKalb’s James Brown in the consolation semifinals to punch his ticket to the state meet.

“I stayed in it, even after a loss, and I didn’t get in my head,” Losoya said. “I wrestled to the best of my ability… My coaches want me on the varsity mat and I feel like this experience will bring my confidence up and I feel like I can perform on the varsity mat. I know that it’s OK to lose because it makes me better and as a wrestler, I want to perform at a level that I’m proud of.”

Losoya clinched third place with an 11-4 decision over Rock Island’s Elijah King, who the Hub sophomore defeated twice during the IWCOA Morrison Regional earlier this month. Losoya, who also finished third in the regional tournament, has won seven total matches over his last two tournaments. During the high school season, Losoya earned the Interstate 8 JV title at 144 pounds and was a brief contributor at the varsity level, where Rochelle went 21-7 overall.

“I stay in the match and I don’t get in my head too much,” Losoya said. “Wrestling is a mental battle. A lot of wrestlers try to lure me across the mat, but I’ve learned to stand my ground.”

Losoya went 3-1 over four matches to medal in third at the IWCOA Morrison Regional on March 2. The sophomore scored two decisions over Rock Island’s Elijah King, including one in the third-place match, while adding a second-period fall over Peru St. Bede’s Nicholas Del Pilar. The IWCOA State Championship will run Saturday and Sunday at the Bank of Springfield Center.