IAC WRESTLING: WAVERLY GIRLS PROGRAM HITS THE GROUND RUNNING (2022-12-02)
By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports ReportWAVERLY — It’s the first full year of girls wrestling in New York State, and Waverly is hitting the ground running.
An “emerging sport,” girls wrestling did have a Section IV Championship last season, and Waverly junior Mackenzie Laforest was among the first to ever win Section IV gold.
Laforest and senior Lillyparker Ennis are the only returners for the Lady Wolverines.
“Mackenzie (LaForest) won a Section IV title last year, and LP (Lillyparker Ennis) has been with us since she was a freshman,” said Waverly coach Devan WItman. “They are definitely team leader who are leading this new crop of girls.”
Witman has brought in longtime youth wrestling coach Justin Wolcott, as well as former Waverly wrestler Lexy Streeter, and former Waverly three-sport standout Zoe Mennig to serve as coaches for the girls team.
The weight classes for the girls are different than those in boys wrestling. They are: 94, 100, 107, 114, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 165, 185, and 235.
Witman spent a lot of time recruiting new girls to the program.
“One of my selling points in the hallways recruiting girls is that nearly everyone is going to be brand-new to the sport, and the quicker you can get into it, the more successful you can be.
“I think that really hit home with a lot of the girls we have on the team … that they’re not going to be the least experienced ones there,” said Witman. “Everyone is going to be in the same boat, in the first year of wrestling.
“Then, it really comes down to athleticism, determination, and who wants it most,” he added.
Newcomers for the Lady Wolverines are juniors Lillian Wright, Lily Sickler, and Abby Knight, and freshmen Tayanna Andrews, Elona Holmes, Lizzy Robinson, Sydney Rosenbloom, Emma Vanderhoof, and Shylea Swank.
Witman said there are several newcomers to keep an eye on.
“Lillian Wright has been putting in a lot of extra time. She’s going to be a hammer for us,” he said. “And, Lily Sickler has put in a lot of work.
“Elona Holmes is very strong,” noted Witman. “She is putting it together, and is going to be a strong wrestler for us in the future.
“Honestly, all the girls have a lot of potential,” Witman added.
Witman is excited to be in on the ground floor of women’s wrestling in New York State.
“I think this is an incredible opportunity.
“Finally, a movement here in New York that is long overdue,” said Witman. “We’re well behind some of the other states that have had girls wrestling championships for the past 5 to 10 years.
“I have no doubt that next year this will be a championship sport, and will no longer be an emerging sport,” he noted. “I think you’ll only see women’s wrestling in New York State continue to grow.
“I’m excited to be one of the coaches at Waverly, which has one of the biggest girls teams in our Section,” Witman added.
With only a handful of teams in Section IV, Witman’s biggest challenge has been putting together a schedule for the girls team.
“One of the toughest things about coaching the girls is making sure they have enough competition without that many sanctioned teams here in New York,” he said.
Waverly will open its season Saturday in a round-robin tournament Saturday at the Stephens Classic in Horseheads. They will also be in action at the Jarvis Tournament in Athens next weekend.
The following weekend, Waverly will be traveling to the “Queen of the Mountain Tournament” at Central Mountain High School in Mill Hall, Pa.
Waverly also wrestle in a girls division at the Southern Tier Memorial Open, and there will be a girls division at IAC Championships.
The weekend of the New York State Duals at the SRC Arena in Onondaga, N.Y., there will be a New York State Girls Invite.
“It can’t be called a state championship because it’s still an ‘emerging sport,’” noted Witman.
Waverly’s season will end with the Section IV Championships.
Waverly will also have duals against Athens, Tioga, and Horseheads during the season.
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IN PHOTO: Waverly’s Mackenzie LaForest.
