Round Lake senior Alejandro Cordova doesn’t like to back down from challenges.

Two years ago, Cordova was confronted with a difficult choice. He discovered he had a tumor in his adrenal gland, which was producing too much of certain hormones.

“I had the option of getting it taken out before or after my wrestling season,” he said. “I wanted to get rid of it. I decided to do it before the season in September.

“A lot of people thought I would not wrestle because of it. I wanted to prove everybody wrong. I wanted to go to state that year.”

Cordova defied the odds by not only returning to the mat for his sophomore season but also reaching the Class 3A state meet. Now a two-time state qualifier, Cordova (7-2) is one victory away from breaking Round Lake’s record for career wins, which is 90. He recently finished in fourth place in the 120-pound weight class at the Chris Hruska Wrestling Classic.

“He’s looking to be the first or second three-time state qualifier in our program history,” Round Lake coach Kenneth Filas said. “He wants to be one of the best in our history, if not the best to come out of our school. He’s always been very motivated. … He’s focused and got his sights set on being a state champion. He wants to get on that podium.”

Cordova’s mother, Claudia Moreno-Cordova, understood the decision he faced two years ago. A surgical technician, Moreno-Cordova said she spelled out the short- and long-term issues for him.

“I kind of made the decision to leave it up to him since it was his body,” she said. “He could take it out now or later. We knew that was the reason he grew really fast and had a manly voice in seventh grade. All of these things were why he was already going through puberty a lot faster when he was younger.”

Cordova said he had some tough days, both mentally and physically, following his surgery.

“It was really bad because it was on my stomach and I could barely get up,” he said. “I couldn’t do anything for eight to 10 weeks. I couldn’t exercise. I would watch my teammates wrestle, and I would see them getting better, but I’m not getting better. I was healing slowly.”

Moreno-Cordova said she recorded Cordova’s progress to keep his spirits up.

“It was very difficult for Alejandro,” Moreno-Cordova said. “He’s a very passionate, determined, strong and resilient kid. He was very upset. He had been working all summer, and then to get hit with this. But I knew he would overcome it.

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“He was not supposed to do a lot of activity. By the third day, he was walking half a mile to his grandmother’s house and back. He has such a love for the sport.”

Filas said Cordova experienced a few setbacks but that his resiliency helped pave the way for a successful career.

“He was very upset,” Filas said. “He was scared, just 15 years old. He had something growing in his body that shouldn’t be there. He bounced back from that, but it definitely took him awhile. He was very determined to make it to state that year.”

Wrestling at 113 pounds, Cordova lost both of his matches at state that season. But he returned to state as a junior and reached the quarterfinal round of the wrestlebacks at 113, finishing with a 33-11 record.

Cordova, who credits mentor and coach David Gallegos for pushing him to excel, said he’s not done yet.

“My goal always has been to be the first state champion at Round Lake,” Cordova said. “Every year I’ve gotten closer to my goal. I knew after last season was done that I had to get back in the club, so I’ve been working hard.”

Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.