Iowa High School Girls' Wrestling Champion Daniesha Watson shares her journey to becoming a champion and discusses the growth of the sport

Daniesha Watson/photo/Iowa City Press-Citizen

Volume 82 sat down with Daniesha "Day Day" Watson, the 2026 Iowa High School Girls' Wrestling Champion (130 lbs), along with her parents, to discuss athletic legacy, the evolution of girls' wrestling, and her journey to becoming a state champion. Check out the interview below!

Vol 82: So, Day Day, let everyone know your background in wrestling!

Day Day: I got into it through my older brothers. They were involved in the Future Trojans wrestling club, so I would tag along with my dad when he went to their practices. When I turned three, I started joining practices. And then at four, I was officially allowed to start competing in tournaments.

Vol 82: I knew you were young, but I didn't realize you were that young when you started!

Day Day: And then I wrestled all the way to my freshman year, then I got injured, and I didn't come back out for wrestling until this year. So I took two and a half years off from wrestling and practices.

(2026) Iowa Girls State Wrestling Tournament

Vol 82: Wow!

Day Day: And then this year, I joined late; they were already about three weeks in, and so I joined at the busiest time.

Vol 82: Wow! And snagged the whole state title? That's boss activity, Day Day!

Vol 82: You and your dad both have state titles! (While speaking to her father and former coach Anthony Watson), I asked, what year did you get your state title?

Anthony: In 2002?

Vol 82: So you were a senior at Iowa City High? (Anthony left East High as a freshman with Coach Johnny Galloway to attend Iowa City High). You went to state some other times, too, didn't you?

Anthony: I went all 4 years. I was at East High my freshman year. I moved to Iowa City during winter break, and I still made it to state.

Vol 82: What other titles did you take at state?

Anthony: I placed fourth as a freshman, got two runner-ups, and won first place my senior year.

Vol 82: That's so lit! Day Day, you come from a wrestling background on both sides of your family. Your uncle, Dion Reed, earned a first-place title at the state level in 1994 while competing for East High. Your uncle, Chuck Pearson, also won a first-place title with East High in 1984.

Vol 82: When I was in high school, there was no girls' wrestling! What should people know about girls' wrestling today?

Day Day completing her bracket at state!

Day Day: Well, when I was growing up, there weren't that many girls in wrestling. And girls wrestled boys then. In ninth grade, there was more exposure to girls' wrestling; it became sanctioned and allowed us to continue wrestling boys, but now you have the option to only wrestle girls. That was really amazing to me! And especially this year, seeing how much exposure girls got through interviews and media attention, the pink themes, it was all amazing. It shows the growth.

Vol 82: That's awesome. So you think you're going to coach once you start college? (Day Day will attend the University of Northern Iowa, and they don't have a women's wrestling program). Now, will this be with AAU, with junior wrestlers, or at the high school level?

Day Day: I'm thinking AAU, then I can coach outside the state as well. I think that would help me out a lot...Maybe a travel team. I'd rather get the AAU coaching certification.

Photo/Facebook/Daniesha Watson

Vol 82: Sure. What are you going to major in at college?  

Day Day: I'm gonna major in Spanish, and minor in ASL (American Sign Language). I don't know what job area I'm gonna pursue. I know I want to travel and, of course, interact with people. I don't wanna sit in an office or anything like that. So, I'm trying to figure out which area I want to go into that lets me travel and interact with people.

Vol 82: Yeah. That'll be good.

Day Day: I'm looking into that to get a clear idea of what I want to do.

Day Day and her parents, (Davette and Anthony Watson)/photo/Facebook

Vol 82: Yes. You have time. You're going out with a bang for your senior year! What else would you like the readers to know about you?

Day Day: I would like them to know that I'm in the Cotillion, and I'm currently a Spanish interpreter at an elementary school.

Vol 82: You're an interpreter? That's awesome!

Day Day: I interpret in kindergarten. I'm putting my speaking and listening skills to work, which is nice.

Vol 82: That is awesome! There will be many opportunities for you to travel and serve as an interpreter. So what did your celebration week look like for you?

Day Day: So, Monday, when I went to Cunningham Elementary School, because that's where I interpret at, they did a full parade for me! All the students made posters and cards for me, and then the staff gave me gift cards from places like Casey's, Panda Express, and Texas Roadhouse.  

Vol 82: Nice. I saw that right after state, you hung out with Kyven Gadson (East High's former two-time state wrestling champion, NCAA All-American, and current MMA fighter).

Day Day & Kyven Gadson/photo/Facebook

Day Day: Oh yeah, we went to his MMA event Saturday. Yeah, that was my 1st time going to an MMA fight. That was nice. He invited all of us to his event.

Anthony: It's funny how the world is. (Anthony reflected back to his high school wrestling career: Kyven's dad, the late Coach Willie Gadson, was one of his coaches at Iowa City High). Coach Gadson helped coach me to a state championship. He was the coach when I was in the finals and stuff. That was right before they moved to Waterloo. (Coach Gadson eventually moved to Waterloo and became the head wrestling coach at East High).

Anthony: I remember Kyven when he was just a small kid. I moved to California and came back to Iowa, and Kyven was about a junior in high school. So, just him going to college, winning a national championship, coming back to Waterloo, getting into MMA, and then asking her to come out so he could acknowledge her was dope! He was the last state champ for the East High Trojans (before Day Day's win). We've had some state placers, but he was the last state champ!

Vol 82: That's definitely a full circle moment!... I wish she were going to wrestle in college.

Anthony: Right. Like I always say, she's still young. In college, you can take red shirt years, Olympic trial years, medical red shirt, you know—so that extends your wrestling time. And that might give UNI time to create a wrestling team.

Vol 82: But you have a scholarship to UNI, right?

Day Day: Yep, I have a full ride!

Davette (Mom): Another good thing about her wrestling career was meeting Charlotte Bailey of Iowa City. Chrolette started FEW (Female Elite Wrestling). She would travel with FEW. And now fast forward, a lot of those girls were at the state tournament, so it was another full circle moment, it was kind of like a reunion. A lot of them are juniors and seniors now. FEW sponsored many girls and helped them get their USA cards.

Young Day Day/photo/Davette Watson/Facebook

Anthony: I just unraveled one of her posters. It was when she was five. It was from her first dual team meet with the boys, not the girls! We went to Tennessee. It was she and one other little girl competing with the boys. They were the only two on that dual squad that won their matches.

Vol 82: Did you ever do the Junior Olympics?

Day Day: Yes. I did during fifth or sixth grade.

Vol 82: Wow! And the person that you beat at state won state before?

Day Day: She won state last year.

Vol 82: What's your record?

Day Day: 33-4 is my record for this year.

Vol 82: Awesome!

Congrats, Day Day!

(Day Day won the award for Most Outstanding Wrestler at Iowa's 2026 Girls' State Tournament)!

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