Almost all athletes start out a season with high hopes but few get to see their expectations become reality.

The four Lady Trojan wrestlers who are going to be competing at this weekend’s state wrestling tournament in Austin have a chance to fulfill those hopes and dreams from the start of the season.

Amanda Villegas, Brittney Rodriguez, Noemi Lopez and April De Los Santos will represent the Trojan wrestling program to the best of their abilities at the state meet. Two are Region IV champions, Rodriguez and Lopez, and all qualified at region in the top four of their weight classes.

Rodriguez is in her third year of wrestling for coach Terry Foster.

“I set my goal at the first of the year to win state, not just get there,” Rodriguez said.

At 165 pounds, Rodriguez won all four matches at region, two on pins and two by decision.

“Brittney was the first girl we’ve had to win a region championship and Lopez followed that up with another amazing run through the region meet for our second girl to win at region,” Foster said.

“It was awesome,” said Lopez on her winning region.

“I want to win state. I am in great shape and feel I can do it,” Lopez said.

At 180 pounds, Lopez breezed through the Region IV meet with four first period pins.

Amanda Villegas will be making her second consecutive trip to the state meet at 95 pounds. Villegas finished fourth at region for the second year in a row and will be experienced and under control at the upcoming big meet.

“It’s been my yearlong goal to get back to state. Hopefully, I’ll have a little different outcome than last year,” Villegas said.

She dropped her first two matches last year and had to watch the remainder of the meet from the sidelines.

“I am keeping my fingers crossed and I am really looking forward to competing again at state,” Villegas said.

De Los Santos had a little less expectation going into the season.

“I just wanted to make it out of district,” De Los Santos said.

That she did and went on to finish second at region at 119 pounds, defeating an arch nemesis in a Killeen Ellison wrestler along the way, who had defeated her three times this year at various meets.

When asked what her thoughts were upon her second place finish at region and earning the trip to state, De Los Santos exclaimed, “Oh my goodness, I am not a loser!”

All four are winners whatever the outcome at state.