Herrera made history for the Spartans as he was the first-ever state qualifier. He made more history at the state tournament by winning two matches before departing from the tournament. Herrera is a student that lives in Compton but was commuting to the city of Huntington Park every day. Now that the season is over, Herrera will be concentrating on Freestyle and Greco-Roman before departing to Penn State and be a walk-on for Coach Cael Sanderson.
Di Maria – How long have you been wrestling?
Herrera – This is my fourth-year wrestling, I started as a freshman, I am a senior now.
Di Maria – What goes through your mind when you step on a wrestling mat?
Herrera – Before I step on the mat I just think of my performance. I think of different setups and finishes. I also have music running through the back of my head to get me in the zone.
Di Maria – Toughest opponent you have faced?
Herrera – My toughest opponent was Brandon Leon, I wrestled him at the freak show tournament in Las Vegas and lost by a couple of points.
Di Maria – How special was it to win MVP honors at the section tournament?
Herrera – It was special for me to win MVP from my section because I feel like I was one of the most dominant wrestlers and it felt good being recognized by other coaches and wrestlers
Di Maria – What were your expectations at the state tournament?
Herrera – I was planning on wrestling my very best at the state and I was expecting to win it all.
Di Maria – Is it true you have applied to Penn State and have been accepted?
Herrera –Yes, I applied in November and received my acceptance within a month.
Di Maria – Will you be joining the wrestling team?
Herrera – I plan on being a walk-on and hopefully crack the lineup
Di Maria – What will you be studying?
Herrera – I plan to study Kinesiology and become a sports medicine physician
Di Maria – Favorite song to hear when warming up?
Herrera – I’m a WWE guy so I like to hear the ultimate warriors theme song. His song is one of the greatest pumped up themes of all time. I hear his song and it makes the blood pump through my veins.
Di Maria – Favorite wrestling move and why?
Herrera – My favorite move would be a lateral throw. It can be used as a defense move also can be a lifesaver if you are down by 5 with 10 second
Di Maria – Who would you like to thank for your success?
Herrera - I would like to thank everyone who pushed me and made me a better wrestler. If I were to pick one person, I’d want to thank coach David Corona. He was with me at the start of the journey and was the one who took me to tournaments and coached me through close matches. He believed in me and I believed in his coaching