CORALVILLE — Mariaha Benedict will never forget her first two state meet experiences.

In fact it’s always in her mind and is a driving force for the Fort Dodge junior.

On Thursday, Benedict will take part in her third state tournament, joined by Dodger freshman Makayla Liska.

The Dodger duo will begin their trek for medals in the first session of the girls state meet at 10 a.m. and conclude at 2:30 p.m. inside the Xtream Arena in Coralville.

This is the third year of sanctioned girls wrestling in the state of Iowa. It is the first year of two classes for girls and the bracket goes from 32 to 16 wrestlers at each weight.

“They have the mentality, if they’re on the back they’re going to get third and if they’re on the front, they’re going to get first,” said Fort Dodge head coach Jon Koenig. “They both have confidence and the understanding that if they lose, earning a medal comes on the backside.”

In Benedict’s first two state meets, she reached the blood round, one win away from earning a medal.

“Mariaha has that drive and she’s ready to complete her goal and earn a medal,” Koenig said. “Everyone in front of her she has seen. The girls that she lost to, she has the mentality that she wants to face them again, because she just got caught.

“She has so much drive to go out there and compete.”

Benedict was knocked out of the medal round, losing a tight 5-4 decision to Bella Mulder of Dallas Center-Grimes.

As a freshman she lost 9-7 in SV-1.

“Going to state for the third time feels like a huge accomplishment,” Benedict said. “After losing in the blood rounds both years at state, it was always in the back of my mind to come back stronger.

“That loss really pushed me to work harder, train smarter, and stay focused on my goals.”

Those matches have driven her and now as the fifth-seed, Fort Dodge’s all-time wins leader (114-27), looks for redemption.

“Mariaha will tell you, the big thing for her is to not duplicate the last two years,” Koenig said. “Both times she was one match from the podium.”

Benedict (42-5), the fifth seed at 135 pounds, will face Cedar Rapids Jefferson’s Josephine Budederi (21-8) in the opening round.

The top-seed is defending state champion, sophomore Bella Miller (6-0), No. 2 is Cadence Bushong (42-5) of Nevada. The third-seed is a familiar opponent in Waverly-Shell Rock’s Lilly Stough (38-3) and the fourth-seed is Lexa Rozevink (37-3) of Ames.

All four opponents are familiar opponents. Benedict lost to Miller last season on the championship side of the bracket. She lost by fall to both Bushong and Rozevink. Benedict owns three wins over Stough.

“It’s been a tough journey,” Benedict said. “The drive to do better and not repeat last year’s outcome kept me motivated every single day.”

Liska owns an impressive resume of the high school mat. She is a two-time USA champion, three-time AAU state champion, winter nationals champion, two-time Tulsa place winner, multiple All-American honors at national duals and a Fargo qualifier.

“I had always had a goal of going to high school as a freshman and now it’s becoming more real,” Liska said. “This whole season I would tell myself that no matter what, I was here for the experience so don’t take it too seriously, but I feel like this year, I had an amazing team that surrounded me.

“As a freshman, that is everything I could ask for to motivate me to do better in the sport.”

Although she was on the mat on her own, she had a team behind her that was in her corner.

“The team wasn’t even really a team, we were more of sisters because of the bond we all have now,” Liska said. “So I feel like the one thing that really got me through the year was that I learned, was having a great team and motivation is a really great thing to have and if you have it — use it.”

In her first varsity season, she compiled a 34-11 record and earned the seventh-seed at 145 pounds.

She will face junior Luisa Meade (39-12) of Cedar Rapids Prairie in the opening round. Awaiting her in the quarterfinals could be second-seed Skylar Slade (38-0) of Southeast Polk.

“Makayla got a lot of experience at the tournaments she competed in before high school,” Koenig said. “So I never really had to reel her back in. She knew she was going to lose some and when it was an important time to turn it on.”

Liska, who fought through an illness and an injury this season, has come back strong.

“Coming off the injury and being sick with influenza A, was a tough patch,” Koenig said. “But she fought through it.”