WAGNER AND FALLS EARN TRIPS TO STATE TOURNAMENT

By Joe Walker

MILTON – The Central Mountain Lady Wildcat duo of Austynn Falls and Kendall Wagner punched their tickets to the PIAA Girls State Championships by taking second place finishes at the Girls Central Regional Tournament Saturday at Milton High School. 

Wagner is making her third trip to state tournaments, her second in the PIAA sanctioned events, as the Bucktail junior placed fourth two seasons ago and took an eighth place finish last season. Wagner will take a 25-7 record into the state tournament and a career mark of 71-23. 

Wagner made her way into the state finals by winning a 5-2 overtime decision over District 2 Champ Sierra Ripka (29-1) of Greater Nanticoke in the 170 pound championship semifinals. In the championship finals she ran into her old nemesis two-time state champion Jael Miller (27-0) of Punxsutawney. 

Miller got the initial takedown and then recorded a fall over Wagner in 1:23 of the first period. Miller won states and finished second in the state when it was a non-sanctioned PIAA event, but then captured the title last season and is now 66-1 for her career. Wagner’s career record of 71-23 is marred by an 0-8 record against the standout Lady Chuck. 

Falls will be making her first trip to the state tournament, as she earned her trip by winning her 142 pound championship semifinal match over Shelby Shirley (21-7) of Bradford by a 6-5 overtime score. The Lady Wildcat sophomore will take a 29-4 record into the state tournament and a current career mark of 54-13. 

In the championship finals she faced District 5/6/9 champion Sayona Harris-Haye (6-0) of Greater Johnstown, who pinned Falls in the District finals a week ago. Harris-Haye is the only member of the Lady Trojans team and for the past two seasons wrestled the boys during the regular season and is 19-19 against the boys in those two years. She was a fourth place winner in last year’s state tournament. 

Harris-Haye again had the better of Falls, as she built up an 11-2 lead before pinning the Lady Wildcat in 2:28 to claim the title, while Falls again settled for second, but earned her way to Hershey for the state tournament starting this Thursday. 

Ashlyn Miller won her first round bout, but then dropped her next two matches to be eliminated from the tournament, as the Lady Wildcat junior finished the season with an very good 22-8 record and has a career record of 40-21 thus far. 

Montgomery won the team title with 127 points and two champs and two runner-ups, while Hughesville was a distant second with 92.5 points and Athens finished a close third with 91.5 points. The Lady Wildcats finished in 11th of the 63 teams competing, while Bald Eagle Area was 10th with 47 points, as Grace Crestani was second at 190 and Eden Eveleth was fourth at 106 to earn a trip to states for the Lady Eagles.

LADY WILDCAT RESULTS: 

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 16: 

142 – Austynn Falls (CM) pinned Lily Shymanski (Wyoming Valley West), 0:54 

170 – Kendall Wagner (CM) pinned Annalia Ward (Hazleton), 1:04 

235 – Ashlynn Miller (CM) pinned Jatiah Peterkin (Hughesville), 3:08 

CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINALS: 

142 – Austynn Falls (CM) pinned Elizabeth Varner (Selinsgrove), 0:50 

170 – Kendall Wagner (CM) dec Abigail Wagner (Athens), 4-1 SV 

235 – Leah Nason (Athens) pinned Ashlynn Miller (CM), 3:18 

CONSOLATION 2nd ROUND 

235 – Samara Bailey (Crestwood) F Ashlynn Miller (Central Mountain), 1:18 

CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINALS 

142 – Austynn Falls (CM) dec Shelby Shirley (Bradford Area), 6-5 SV 

170 – Kendall Wagner (CM) dec Sierra Ripka (Greater Nanticoke), 5-2 SV 

CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS: 

100 – Kaylee Ebersole (Northern Bedford) dec Nina Twigg (Marion Center), 13-7; .. 106 – Jenna Houseknecht (Montgomery) pinned Lillie Maynard (Towanda), 0:52; .. 112 – Iris Reitz (Redbank Valley) pinned Gia Silva (Wallenpaupack), 3:55; .. 118 – Lillian Rumsey (Williamsport) pinned Saige Olver (Honesdale), 4:43; ..124 – Anaiah Kolesar (Northeast Bradford) maj dec Emily Murphy (Montgomery), 10-1; .. 130 – Zoe Furman (Montgomery) pinned Callie Hess (Benton), 1:21; ..136 – Charlotte Hunt (Philipsburg-Osceola) maj dec Briella Walk (Montgomery), 12-1; .. 142 – Sayona Harris-haye (Greater Johnstown) pinned Austynn Falls (Central Mountain), 2:28; .. 148 – Violette Lasure (Chestnut Ridge) pinned Alexis Kurzawa (Hughesville), 0:29; .. 155 – Juliet Alt (Chestnut Ridge) won by default Raegan Snider (Northern Bedford), (5-0), 4:00; .. 170 – Jael Miller (Punxsutawney) pinned Kendall Wagner (Central Mountain), 1:23; .. 190 – Katelynn Krepps (Juniata) dec Grace Crestani (Bald Eagle Area), 6-1; .. 235 – Mylah Steinbuch (Bedford) dec Jaidyn Mikulak (Honesdale), 6-1