H.S. GIRLS WRESTLING: RATHBUN WINS TITLE; ATHENS PLACES THIRD AT RUGGED COAL CRACKER INVITE (2025-01-18)

Valley Sports Report
JIM THORPE, Pa. — Junior Hanna Rathbun won six straight matches, including four by fall, to win her weight class at the rugged Coal Cracker Invite, leading Athens to a third-place finish in the 58-team field.

Rathbun was joined on the podium by sophomore Leah Nason, who placed sixth, freshman Alyssa Rinebold, who was a seventh-place finisher, and junior Emma Renninger and sophomore Abigail Wagner, who both placed eighth.

Big Springs won the team title with 163.5 points, while runner-up Hughesville had 139 points, Athens tallied 121 points, fourth-place Pocono Mountain West had 116 points, and fifth-place Palisades had 104.5 points. Montgomery was sixth at 102.5 points.

Rathbun, the top seed at 132 pounds, opened with three straight first-period falls, decking opponents in 35 and 52 seconds, then finishing off the streak in 1:26.

In the quarterfinals, Rathbun scored a 14-4 major decision over Southern Lehigh's Lucia Crossken.

Rathbun pinned Hughesville standout Avery Puderbach, the fourth seed, in 4:58 in the semifinals, then won by injury default over Montgomery's Brielle Walk in the finals.

Walk, the sixth seed, advanced to the finals when second-seeded Donita Anwari, who was leading 17-4, was disqualified.

Nason, the fifth seed at 237, went 3-3 to finish sixth.

Nason won her opening-round match with a 16-second fall, but fell to fourth-seed Aubrey Edgar of Central Columbia via a third-period fall.

Nason won her first wrestleback match with a 57-second fall, then scored a fall in 1:10 in the blood round.

In the consolation semifinals, Nason lost via third-period fall to second-seeded Emily Dolan of Boiling Springs, then lost again to Edgar in the fifth-place match in a third-period fall.

Rinebold, unseeded at 102 pounds, was 5-2 to finish seventh.

Rinebold scored a fall in her first bout, but was pinned by second-seeded Mackenzie Koyste in 2:15 in the round-of-16.

Rinebold bounced back with three straight falls — in 1:17, 55 seconds, and 1:52 — before losing to ninth-seed Emma Barrick in a second-period fall.

In the seventh-place match, Rinebolc pinned Hanover Area's Morgan Osburn in 45 seconds.

Renninger, the seventh seed at 114 pounds, went 3-3 to finish seventh.

Renninger scored a pair of first-period falls (in 1:51 and 24 seconds) before losing in a first-period fall to second-seeded Juliette Trout of Pleasant Valley.

Renninger bounced back with a 12-5 decision over Cheltenham's Samantha Bentz, but dropped a 9-7 decision to Pocono Mountain West's Zada Johnson in her next match, and dropped a 12-4 major decision to Claudia Pagotto of Lehighton in the seventh-place match.

Wagner, the fifth seed at 172 pounds, was 3-3 to finish eighth.

Wagner won her first two bouts via fall (in 3:03 and 1:10) before losing via third-period fall to fourth-seeded Alisa Williams of Panther Valley.

Wagner bounced back with an 8-2 win over Satasauqua's Esermedla Serrano in her first wrestleback match, but lost via second-period fall in her next bout, and injury defaulted out of the seventh-place match.

Sophomore Joyce Clink was 3-2 in the 126-pound bracket.

Clink won her first two matches by fall, but lost to eighth-seeded Deja Roark of Hughesville in the quarterfinals.

She bounced back with a pin in the wrestlebacks, but saw her day end with a 4-2 loss to Pocono Mountain East's Elaina Mecandante.

Freshman Memphis Paul was 3-2 in the 144-pound weight class.

Paul won her first match by fall, then dropped a 10-5 decision to seventh-seeded Alana Burnette of Pocono Mountain East.

Paul won her next bout by medical forfeit, then scored a fall at the second-period buzzer against Benton's Alyssa Posey. She saw her day end via a second-period fall against Hughesville's Avery Earnest.

Junior Haily Young was 1-2 at 192 pounds, with her win a pin of Pleasant Valley's Hailey Marsh in 1:27 in the first round of wrestlebacks.

Senior Mary Henry was 1-2 at 108 pounds, with her lone win a 42-second fall of Montgomery's Jenna Houseknecht in the opening round.

Freshman Isabella Henry was 1-2 at 126 pounds, with her win a fall of Hazleton's Sophia Krebs in 3:15 in her first consolation bracket match.

Sophomore Janaya Heinrich was 1-2 at 144 pounds with her lone win a pin of Pleasant Valley's Emilynn Stick in 3:40 in the first round of wrestlebacks.

Sophomore Kaylynn Kletz was 0-2 at 120 pounds, and freshman Anika Lezak was 0-2 at 132 pounds.

Athens returns to action Feb. 1 at the Williamsport Showcase.

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IN PHOTO: Athens junior Hanna Rathbun.


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