PIAA GIRLS WRESTLING: ALL FOUR WRESTLERS LOSE IN 'BLOOD ROUND' — ONE WIN SHY OF PODIUM (24 PHOTOS) (2025-03-07)
Valley Sports ReportHERSHEY — All four Athens wrestlers ended up one win shy of the podium in action Friday at Day 2 of the PIAA Girls Wrestling Championships here at the Giant Center.
Junior Leah Nason and sophomore Joyce Clink, who both reached the quarterfinals Thursday night, went 0-2 Friday, while senior Emma Renninger and junior Hanna Rathbun both lost their first bout of the day in the consolation bracket after winning their first Thursday.
"It was definitely not the morning we wanted," said Athens coach Jay White. "It just wasn't a good day.
"The girls wrestled hard, they worked hard, and they wanted it really bad, but it just didn't happen this year, and that's frustrating," noted White.
"All the girls are disappointed, and I'm disappointed for them," added White. "They work hard, and are a great group of girls."
At 112 pounds, Renninger lost via fall in 3:32 to Nevaeh Colon of Wilson Area. Colon led 11-0 at the time of the fall.
"Emma is a second-year wrestler and she made it here, that's an accomplishment," said White.
At 124 pounds, Clink lost via 16-0 technical in 4:08 in the quarterfinals to Julissa Ortiz of Marianna-Bracetti.
In her first wrestleback match, Clink lost a 17-1 technical fall to Arizona Strader of Pine-Richland.
"No one thought Joyce (Clink) was going to get out of districts, but she miraculously pinned a girl after getting dominated for fifth place to get out of districts," said White.
"Then qualified out of Regionals in fourth ... just to get here was something.
"If you had told me at the beginning of the year that girl was going to get to States , I wouldn't have believed it, but she got here," added White.
At 130 pounds, Rathbun dropped a 2-0 decision to Souderton's Kayla Husti-Luca, who scored a reversal with 55 seconds remaining in the bout.
"This is the third time Hanna has lost in the blood round," said White. "Girls she's beaten are going to place, and it's frustrating for her."
At 235 pounds, Nason lost via fall in 60 seconds to defending state champion Brenda Banks of Panther Valley in the quarterfinals.
In wrestlebacks, Nason scored a takedown with 21 seconds remaining in the first period to take a 3-0 lead over Dallastown's Noelani Knott.
Early in the third period, with the score still 3-0, Knott caught Nason in a headlock for a fall at 3:17.
"Leah knew it was coming, but she just couldn't stop that headlock," said White.
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