CORALVILLE — The hardest part for Alexis Ross on the opening day of the state wrestling tournament was staying ready and focused.

“We just kept moving and watching,” Ross said. “We did a lot of workouts and I kept my mind on wrestling.

“For me, it’s not that bad. I’m just constantly thinking about what’s my next plan and that I have a goal and I want to keep that on my mind.”

In her third state tournament, Fort Dodge’s top-ranked 135-pounder spent only two minutes and 14 seconds on the mat in her two matches.

Ross, who was a silver medalist a year ago, earned a first-round bye and waited through two rounds before she had the chance to hit the mat again.

“When we woke up this morning before we weighed in, we talked and came up with a plan,” said FDSH girls coach Jon Koenig. “We knew she had a first-round bye and wouldn’t wrestle until late in the morning. So we worked out, she went and watched some matches. Then relaxed.

“This year we were able to use a fieldhouse on the side, so we were able to go over there. We were just trying to break things up.”

After weighing in before the wrestling started at 10 a.m. for IWCOA state championships, Ross had some time for working out and checking in with friends and opponents on the mat.

In her first match, Ross (24-0) pinned Evelyn McDowell of Cedar Rapids Kennedy in 1:31.

“I just want to go out there and take care of business,” Ross said. “That is the goal, get out there and get it done.

“This is like a second life for me. It’s just automatic.”

Next up for Ross was so more down time to get in some more workouts. Once she hit the mat, it only took her 43 seconds to pin Carroll Kuemper’s Kyra Wolterman to the mat.

“We talked about we just want to worry about where we are now and not the next match,” Koening said. “We wanted to go out, get done quickly, and not give a whole lot away.

“We just want to take it one match at a time, making sure that we have that narrow vision.”

Ross, who is now 51-2 in her career, is in Saturday morning’s quarterfinals, which are slated to run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m The championship matches will start at 4 p.m. inside the Xtream Arena.

In her quarterfinal match, Ross will meet West Des Moines Valley senior Jazmyn Knutson (12-2), who upset sixth-ranked Emily Waters of Annamosa in the third round, 7-5 in SV1.

The other quarterfinal on Ross’ side of the bracket is fifth-rated Anna Sondall of Boone and No. 4 Moorea Brown of Center Point-Urbana.

Waverly-Shell Rock’s Kailey Hervol pulled off the upset of the bracket, pinning second-ranked Morgan Griffin of Spencer in the third round.