HERSHEY — Six WPIAL wrestlers will be in the championship round of the PIAA girls wrestling tournament Saturday afternoon after recording victories in the quarterfinals and semifinals Friday at Giant Center.
Of the semifinal wins, Ava Golding’s 18-0 tech fall victory over Laila Colon of Manheim Township in the 142-pound semifinals may not stand out as particularly dramatic, but it was definitely meaningful.
The Kiski Area senior had been injured during last year’s semifinals, ending hopes of a gold medal and medically defaulting her to sixth.
“It’s been an absolute dream,” Golding said of redeeming herself in the semifinal round. “I don’t even have words for it.”
The contest was actually scoreless after one period, but once she scored a quick reversal and four near-fall points, Golding knew she was on her way to the gold medal match.
“I’m really strong with my top game,” Golding said. “I knew once I felt the first turn, I’d be able to keep her down after that.”
Golding won her quarterfinal 5-0 over Avery Baldwin of Dallastown. Her opponent in the finals will be Jenny Gatreau of Owen J Roberts.
Zoey Murphy of Southmoreland ended the semifinal round with a come-from-behind 8-3 win over Mylah Steinbuch of Bedford. She was down 3-0 through one period but rallied for a 4-3 lead and added four near-fall points at the buzzer. Murphy pinned Karla Montes of Allentown in 4:42 in the quarterfinals.
Murphy will be in the last girls championship match Saturday, facing Brenda Banks of Panther Valley.
Aariona Strader of Pine-Richland won her semifinal quite the opposite way from Golding. Strader took her bout 4-1 in overtime over Callie Hess of Benton. After getting a stalling point late in the third period to even the score, Strader recorded a takedown with 26 seconds left in the extra period.
Strader won her quarterfinal with a pin in 4:57 against Payton Hinkle of Bensalem. Her finals opponent will be Neve O’Byrne of Garnet Valley.
Isla Silva of Mt. Lebanon will be in the 112-pound finals after her 7-4 win over Morgan Hyland of Easton in the semifinals. Four near-fall points at the end of the second period were the difference.
Silva beat Kyleigh Ficks of Milton, 13-0, in the quarterfinals. Her finals opponent will be Daylee Watson of Conneaut.
Marlee Solomon of Canon-McMillan continued her pursuit of a second straight PIAA gold medal with a 19-1 technical fall victory over Samiyah Rahming of Northeastern in the 118-pound semifinals. That was on the heels of a 17-1 technical fall win over Gianna Montegari of Governor Mifflin in the quarterfinals.
The last hurdle for Solomon before topping the medal stand again will be Olivia Kearns of Shippensburg.
Haley Smarsh extended her streak of pins to 15, felling Julie Ortiz of Maianna Bracelli in 1:14 in the 130 semifinals. The Moon junior also pinned Emily Sarr of Souderton in 22 seconds in the quarterfinals.
Smarsh will face Shannon Logue of Bishop Shanahan in the gold medal match.
Five other WPIAL competitors lost semifinals Friday night and will place somewhere between third and sixth based on early consolations Saturday.
At 106, Blythe Letters of Shaler won her quarterfinal 8-5 over Clair Gobrecht of South Western, but was pinned in her semifinal in 1:48 by Julia Harger of Conwell Egan.
South Park’s Anna Duncan was denied an all-WPIAL matchup with Strader in 124 after being pinned by Neve O’Byrne of Garnet Valley in 1:48 in the semis. Duncan had won her quarterfinal with a pin in 1:53 against Layla Namerow of Downingtown West.
At 148, Giada Campanella of Pine-Richland won by pin in the quarterfinals, downing Lily Raudabaugh of Big Spring in 2:31. However, she was pinned by Jameson Strickland of Sun Valley in 2:26 of the semifinals.
Mt. Lebanon teammates Paige Jox and Camilla Hathaway had eerily similar losses. Wrestling at the same time, they both lost to Chestnut Ridge wrestlers.
Jox lost to Juliet Alt, 4-1, at 148, while Hathaway was pinned by Violette LaSure in 3:40. In the quarterfinals, Jox pinned Julianna Loux of Wyomissing in 1:29, and Hathaway pinned Kai Czaplicki of Strath Haven in 1:42.
Several other wrestlers were still active in the late-night consolations. These competitors could finish anywhere from third to eighth place, depending on the night results and two more rounds of consolations Saturday morning.
They are Kristin Walzer (100) of Montour, Malia Ramos (106), Yunuen Ayala (124) Audrey Calgaro (170) of Canon-McMillan, Raya Sentipal (112) of Burgettstown, Kaila Keesecker (118) of Derry, Saphia Davis (130) of Plum, Sydney Laboon (130) and Grace Nausman (142) of Upper St. Clair, Abigail Dolanch of Avella (136), Maggie Alfera (136) of Laurel, Karsyn Champion (155) of Norwin, Alyssa Tresco (170) of Kiski Area, Liliana Giulianelli (190) of Peters Township and Jenna Chapman (235) of Albert Gallatin.
Wrestlers who lost in the early afternoon second-consolation round came up short of the medal stand.
Araceli Clem of Canon-McMillan lost her 100-pound consolation match when she was pinned by Cambria Leshko of Southern Lehigh at 3:22. She had been pinned in her quarterfinal as well, at 3:44 by Ashley Stank of Quakerville.
At 106, Ella Trahan of Fort Cherry lost her only Friday bout 10-9 to Taylor Keckler of Gettysburg.
Norwin’s Josephine Dollman lost 18-8 in the quarterfinals against Kimberly Munoz of Berks Catholic. While trailing 9-1 to Michelle Yakupova of Abington, Dollman had to yield to an injury default.
At 148, Alaya Henderson of Canon-McMillan lost her consolation bout 7-0 to Whisper Ambercombie of General McClane.
Norwin’s Octavia Walker lost 5-3 to Fallon Jackson of Gettysburg at 170.
At 190, Seneca Valley’s Hannah Hornick was pinned at 2:30 by Ashley Hoffman of Central Dauphin.