VALLEY SPORTS REPORT: TIOGA'S TOOMEY NAMED 'GIRLS WRESTLER OF THE YEAR;' ATHENS' PAYNE, NASON, BARRETT, WAVERLY'S VANDERHOOF, ZIENIUK, TIOGA'S SZYMANSKI ALSO EARN ALL-VALLEY TOP HONORS (April 7, 2026)

Valley Sports Report
THE VALLEY — Tioga junior Amelia Toomey got better as the season wore on en route to a New York State title. She is the 2025-26 Valley Sports Report All-Valley "Girls Wrestler of the Year."

Athens freshman Skylynn Payne is the "Newcomer of the Year," while Waverly's senior Emma Vanderhoof is the "Lightweight of the Year," Athens senior Leah Nason is the "Heavyweight of the Year," Waverly freshman Gianna Zieniuk is the "Breakout Wrestler of the Year," Tioga sophomore Cora Szymanski is the "Most Improved Wrestler of the Year," and Athens coach Donnie Barrett is the "Coach of the Year."

Toomey, who is also the "Middleweight of the Year" posted a 42-2 record on her way to the 138-pound state title. She won her final 33 matches of the season, and was 11-0 in the postseason with four pins, six technical falls, and one medical forfeit.

On the season, Toomey registered 21 falls, and 17 technical falls.

Her two losses came against Oneonta's Peyton Little, who Toomey beat twice via technical fall in postseason, and Kaitlyn Young of Shenendehowa, who finished fourth in the State at 145 pounds.

Payne posted a 27-8 record, including 24 falls and one technical fall, and was a PIAA state qualifier.

Payne finished fourth at the District 4 Championships, and third at the Central Region Championships. She was 0-2 at States.

Vanderhoof posted a 37-11 record, with 24 pins and nine technical falls.

Vanderhoof placed second at the Section IV Championships, and was 202 and States.

Nason posted a 29-6 record with 25 pins on the season.

Nason won her third District 4 title, placed third at the Central Region Championships, and placed seventh at the PIAA Championships.

Zieniuk announced her arrival early in the season with a third-place finish at the Phoenix Girls Scramble.

She posted a 33-18 record with 19 pins and 10 technical falls, and placed fourth at the Section IV Championships.

Szymański improved 10-18 as a freshman to 18-12 as a sophomore. She won an IAC title, and placed second at the U-E Girls Tradesman Tournament.

Of her 18 wins, 13 were by pin and two via technical fall.

In his first year at the helm, Barrett led to a 2-1 duals record, but, more importantly, to team titles at the Jarvis Tournament, the Panther Holiday Classic, and the Williamsport Classic during the regular season, as well as second-place finishes at the rugged Queen of the Hive, the Curwensville Tournament, and the Coal Cracker Invite.

During the postseason, Athens finished fourth at the District 4 Championships, and won a team title at the Central Region Championships. The Wildcats qualified four wrestlers for States, with seniors Leah Nason and Hanna Rathbun each bringing home seventh-place medals.

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2025-26 ALL-VALLEY GIRLS WRESTLING
Wrestler of the Year: Tioga's Amelia Toomey
Newcomer of Year: Athens' Skylynn Payne
Lightweight Wrestler of the Year: Waverly's Emma Vanderhoof
Middleweight Wrestler of the Year: Tioga's Amelia Toomey
Heavyweight Wrestler of the Year: Athens' Leah Nason
Breakout Wrestler of the Year: Waverly's Gianna Zieniuk
Most Improved Wrestler of the Year: Tioga's Cora Szymanski
Coach of the Year: Athens' Donnie Barrett.

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2025-26 All-Valley Girls Wrestling 
Lightweights (94 pounds to 120 pounds)
Joyce Clink, junior, Athens: Clink posted a 33-9 record with 24 pins and one technical fall.

She finished third at the District 4 Championships, and third at the Central Region Championships. She was 0-2 at States.

Alyssa Rinebold, sophomore, Athens: Rinebold posted a 22-13 record this season with 21 pin falls. She finished fourth at the District 4 Championships.

Emma Vanderhoof, senior, Waverly: See above.

RaeAnne Feeko, senior, Tioga: Feeko posted a 13-6 record, with 10 pins and two technical falls. Her season was cut short by an injury in early January.

Mia Hall, senior, Tioga: Hall finished her senior season with a 20-18 record, including 17 pins and one technical fall. She placed second at the IAC Championships and was 2-2 at the Section IV Championships.

Middleweights (124 pounds to 145 pounds)
Amelia Toomey, junior, Tioga: See above.

Hanna Rathbun, senior, Athens: Rathbun posted a 38-7 record with 34 pins and one technical fall. Three of her losses were to NEB's Anaiah Kolesar, who finished fourth at States.

She placed second at the District 4 and Central Region Championships, and placed seventh at States.

Memphis Paul, sophomore, Athens: Paul posted a 24-9 record not he season with 17 pins and four technical falls.

Gianna Zieniuk, freshman, Waverly: See above.

Amelia Wright, 7th-grader, Waverly: A 7th-grader, Wright posted an impressive 34-16 record with 31 pins and two technical falls. She placed third at the Section IV Championships.

Heavyweights (148 to 235 pounds)
Leah Nason, senior, Athens: See above.

Kyah Nelson, sophomore, Tioga: Despite an 0-5 start due to injury defaults at the U-E Tradesman Tournament, Nelson finished the season with 21-9 record, with 15 pins and four technical falls.

Nelson, who lost the Section IV and State finals to U-E's Teagan McGuinness, was a Section IV and State runner-up. She also lost to McGuinnes in the finals at the Southern Tier Memorial and the Windsor Lady Knights Invite.

Abigail Wagner, junior, Athens: Wagner posted a 27-9 record with 20 pin falls. She placed second at the District 4 Championships, and fifth at the Central Region Championships.

Skylynn Payne, freshman, Athens: See above.

Elona Holmes, senior, Waverly: Holmes, who saw her season end in late January due to injury, posted a 25-9 record, with 22 pins.

All-Valley Super 7 Newcomers
Skylynn Payne, freshman, Athens: See above.

Amelia Wright, 7th-grader, Waverly: See above.

Evelyn Cummings, freshman, Athens: Cummings posted an 18-6 record, with 17 wins by fall. She won seven of her last eight matches.

Three of her losses were to teammate Leah Nason, who placed seventh in the State, one was to Panther Valley's Brenda Banks, a three-time PIAA champion, and another was to Hazleton Area's Evelyn Sheer, who was third in the State.

Chelsey Renninger, freshman, Athens: Renninger posted a 20-12 record with 19 pins and one technical fall.

Sophia Haney, senior, Tioga: Haney posted an 18-17 record with 14 pins and three technical falls in her first varsity season. She won an IAC title.

Jilliana Presher, 8th-grader, Waverly: Presher was 21-19 in her first varsity season with 15 pins and three technical falls. She placed sixth at the Section IV Championships.

Abigail Ahern, sophomore, Athens: Ahern was 10-13 on the season with eight pins.

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PAST WINNERS
"GIRLS WRESTLER OF THE YEAR"
2025-26 — Amelia Toomey, Tioga
2024-25 — Hanna Rathbun, Athens
2023-24 — Mackenzie LaForest, Waverly
2022-23 — Emily Sindoni, Tioga
2021-22 — Emily Sindoni, Tioga

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