Meredith Donovan admits it wasn’t her idea.

Of her own accord, this volleyball player had no intention of ever becoming a wrestler – until her brother, Nathan, stepped in.

“At first, I didn’t want to do it; he forced me,” Donovan said. “He told me I had to do it with him, so I started my junior year. He’d been doing it since his sophomore year. He taught me a lot, so that helped.”

While Nathan Donovan, who has also advanced to the state championships on the boys' side, may have forced his sister to take up the sport, she’s forcing competition in the 105-pound division to sit up and take notice of her efforts.

According to Flowrestling.com, the senior owns a 27-14 record this season, but the 14 losses have taught her a lot, her brother said. She’s taking those lessons into the Class 1 state tournament at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.

“I’m super-proud of Meredith coming in as only a second-year wrestler and making it to state, it’s beyond impressive to me,” Nathan Donovan said. “(She’s) wrestling girls who have previously beaten her and (she’s) beating them, especially at districts.”

One of the more important rebounds came against Kylee Cunningham of Holt.

After dropping an 8-2 decision at the GAC Tournament, Donovan has since rebounded to earn the 7-2 decision as part of her fourth-place finish at the Class 1 District 2 meet to earn her place at state.

State championship contender has a nice ring to it, Donovan admits.

“I thought it would be possible if I worked hard enough and I got here,” Donovan said. “I worked hard over the summer and I went to off-season camps with my brother. He has been a big help to me.”

Warrenton Coach Clayton Olsson said Donovan has developed into a wrestler with many tools at her disposal.

The fact that they come from just one move, at first, shows her growth, the coach said.

“She had an idea of what wrestling was because of her brother,” Olsson said. “By the end of the year last year, she had a High-C (High-Cross) and a half nelson and that was, kind of, it. This year, every time we get the choice, she chooses top because she’s got arm bars, reinforced arm bars, and the half still. Seeing her take girls that are more experienced and should be beating her based on experience because she can get turns and pins, is awesome.”

For Donovan, the evolution of her technique was simple.

She said she knew that, to compete at the level she hoped to, she would have to vary her repertoire, even though she knew the area of offense she wanted to concentrate on this season.

“I figured this season, I would have to learn more than one move,” Donovan said. “I knew I needed more moves to be harder for other girls to wrestle. The (upper body) was my comfort zone, but I needed to do more.”

No matter how the tournament, and by extension, her wrestling career ends, Donovan said she’s enjoyed the ride.

She would like to end on a high note, she said.

“I want to wrestle to my ability, work as hard as I can and I hope to place,” Donovan said.