PIAA GIRLS WRESTLING: ATHENS' NASON, CLINK ADANCE TO QUARTERFINALS; RATHBUN, RENNINGER ALIVE IN WRESTLEBACKS (24 PHOTOS) (2025-03-06)
Valley Sports ReportHERSHEY — Athens junior Leah Nason and sophomore Joyce Clink advanced to the quarterfinals, and two of their teammates are alive in wrestlebacks after Day 1 of the PIAA Girls Wrestling Championships here Friday at the Giant Center.
Junior Hanna Rathbun and senior Emma Renninger each lost their opening-round matches, then came back to win their first match in wrestlebacks. Sophomore Haily Young was 0-2 at 170 pounds.
"It was a strange day," said Athens coach Jay White. "We didn't wrestle really well, we wrestled scared and tentative.
"We had a girl at 124 (Joyce Clink) who didn't wrestle today because the top seed didn't make weight," noted White.
"And, how often does a two-time defending state champ drop down to you, and can't wrestle," added White in reference to Emma Renninger's forfeit win in the consolation bracket. "We caught some good breaks today, which we needed because we didn't wrestle our best."
White said the Wildcats a few of the Wildcats were also a bit under the weather.
"We had some girls who have a stomach bug, and it's hindering them," he noted. "We have to fight through it, and wrestle a little bit better tomorrow."
At 235 pounds, Nason won her opening-round match, taking advantage of four penalty points, in a 5-3 decision over Sharpsville's Bella White.
"I was really pleased Leah was able to get her first win at States," said White. "She's been working really hard.
"She's getting better," noted White. "If you look at the results, the ones who are beating her and how long it's taking to beat her, they're still beating her, but they are closer bouts, and we have more options.
"She's going to be a dangerous out for some people," added White.
After a scoreless first period, White chose top and was hit with a locked-hands call to give Nason a 1-0.
Less than a minute later, White was penalized a point for a full-Nelson to give Nason a 2-0 lead.
In the waning moments of the period, Nason nearly reversed White, but couldn't get her leg free, and time expired.
In the third Nason chose top, but opponent reversed her to tie the bout at 2-2. White was then whistled for another locked-hands call — and was penalized two points for it being her third violation.
White cut Nason to make it 5-2, and got in on a shot late, but Nason locked in on her upper body, then sprawled and time expired.
"It feel good to be moving on to the quarterfinals," said Nason. "Last year, I was 0-2 here, so I really wanted to win a match, and it feels good to win the first one.
"My mindset was to keep my head up and my hands and hips moving because I've struggled on bottom a lot the past couple seasons," she noted. "I couldn't let her ride me out.
"I felt like I was wearing her out a bit," added Nason. "Every time we got up, her technique was getting sloppier. I knew if I kept moving, I could catch her."
Nason will take on top-seeded and defending champ Brenda Banks in the quarterfinals.
At 124 pounds, sophomore Joyce Clink advanced to the quarterfinals via forfeit from Beaver's Emmaleigh Cunningham.
Clink will face Julissa Ortiz of Mariana-Bracetti in the quarterfinals.
At 112, junior Emma Renninger lost her opening-round match via technical fall, 15-0 in 4:40, to Pleasant Valley's top-seeded Juliet Trout, who led 11-0 after the first two minutes.
Renninger won via forfeit in the opening round of the consolation bracket.
"There are kids you don't want to lose," said White. "This is only Emma's second year of wrestling and she's doing phenomenal.
"She's here, and she's going to be in the blood round," he added.
At 130 pounds, junior Hanna Rathbun dropped a 21-7 major decision to McDowell's Chloe Zacherl, who is ranked third in the state, in the opening round.
Zacherl scored a takedown just 13 seconds into the match, but Rathbun recorded a reversal midway through the first period, then turned Zacherl to her back for near-fall points and a 6-3 lead.
Zacherl countered with a reversal, but was hit with a penalty point moments later. Rathbun led 7-5 after the opening two minutes,.
Zacherl trimmed the deficit to 7-6 with an escape midway through the second period, then it a seven-point move in the final seconds of the stanza to take a 13-7 lead into the final two minutes, where she used to two sets of four near-fall points to blow open the bout.
Rathbun bounced back in the consolation bracket with a 19-0 technical fall over Gianna Jones of Owen J. Roberts.
Rathbun took a 3-0 lead with takedown late in the first period.
Jones chose top top start the second, but Rathbun scored a quick escape and takedown for a 7-0 lead, then tacked on four near-fall points to make it 11-0 heading into the final two minutes.
Rathbun chose bottom to start the third period, and recorded a quick escape, followed by a seven-point move to finish off the technical fall.
"Hanna wrestled really slow and scared that first match," said White. "She's been in the blood round two years in a row, and she's scared it's just not going to happen for her, and it's eating her up; she has to get over that.
"She didn't get going in the first match, but she wrestled really well once she got it going in the second match," added White.
At 170 pounds, sophomore Abigail Wagner dropped an 11-0 major decision to Erie's Davaya Truman in the opening round.
In the consolation bracket, Wagner scored a takedown midway through the first period, and led 4-1 in the second period when Cumberland Valley's Emma Beaven, who started the period on top, turned her for a fall at 2:34.
"I feel bad for Abigail," said White. "She got to the blood round last year, and wanted a medal really bad.
"She just caught the stomach bug at the wrong time, she just didn't have any energy," he added.
Action begins Friday at 11:45 a.m.
——————————
IN PHOTO 1 and TOP PHOTO: Athens junior Leah Nason. ... PHOTOS BY LANCE LARCOM and CHRIS MANNING.
Print Friendly Version
