H.S. wrestling: Delran's Roskos, Pennsauken's Dahl achieve history in numbers

WOOLWICH TWP. – Kalli Roskos never expected to win a championship belt.

She never anticipated being one of the trailblazers in the sport, either.

After being recruited from the soccer team three years ago, Roskos experienced both as she captured her record third South Region title, winning the 120-pound bracket at the tournament held at Kingsway Regional High School.

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The event jumped from 80 wrestlers last season to over 200 who donned singlets to compete on Saturday.

“It’s crazy to see how fast the sport is growing,” said Roskos, who is also a two-time state place winner. “I’m just so excited and so thankful that I’ve gotten to be a part of it all.

“This was the toughest of the three (title runs), definitely. I think the competition from year to year has gotten so much better.”

While that may be true, Roskos made the run to a third title look easy as she pinned her first three opponents before notching a 9-2 decision over Mainland’s Jackelin Oviedo Ramos in the final.

Roskos will be one of the favorites at the state tournament next Sunday at Phillipsburg High School. After finishing runner-up in the state as a sophomore, Roskos was the top-seed at 121 but finished fourth.

“It’s having a different mentality that has really helped me this year,” the Ursinus-bound Roskos said. “Be confident, trust myself, trust my strength and my ability and just leave it all out on the mat. It’s been working.”

Roskos’ teammate, Emma Matera, competed in the toughest weight class at the tournament. The two-time defending state champion was the No. 2 seed in the 138 bracket and lost to a 7-5 tiebreaker to eventual champion and tournament Outstanding Wrestler Jayla Hahn, of Central, in the semifinals. Matera did wrestle back to third place, advancing to states.

Roskos and Princeton's Ava Rose each earned their third region titles at the tournament.

The championship belts, which were provided by the host school, were definitely the hottest accessory to hit the female wrestling scene.

Roskos wasn’t the only repeat champion for South Jersey at the meet.

Pennsauken’s Hannah Dahl scored a 2-1 tiebreaker win over Gateway/Woodbury’s Shaelie Young to win the 185 title, becoming the first female in school history to achieve the feat and the first Pennsauken wrestler since Mike Panarella won titles in 1967 and 1968.

“It really makes my heart so much better to be a part of this,” Dahl said. “I’m the first girl to win two region titles. … The other day, it was the last practice for us as a whole team. All the seniors wrote a letter about what wrestling has meant to us and I mentioned how I wanted to be a team manager and I never even wanted to do this. I’m so glad I did, it has meant so much to me."

Dahl certainly had to earn her title, scoring an escape in the second tie-breaker period for the win over the talented freshman Young.

“I know I’m going to sleep well (Saturday night),” Dahl said.

Grueling bouts are nothing new for Dahl, who had four of them at states last season including a ultimate-tiebreaker loss in the semis and a tough 1-0 setback in the third-place bout.

Getting out on bottom was difficult back then was a focal part for Dahl in preparation for the region tournament.

“We need to get Hannah off the bottom, it was right there in the practice plan,” Pennsauken coach Steve Wallace said. “We really thought she could have been a state champion last year. She had a lot of tough matches and the losses were because she couldn’t get out of the bottom."

While gritty on the mat, Dahl’s effervescent personality away from the sport can be infectious. Just ask the former wrestler whose record Dahl matched.

“To say I’m proud of her would be an understatement,” said Panarella, who still works out with the team at the age of 71. “She’s overcome a lot, but she’s an easy kid to like and she’s the type of kid you want positive things to happen for.”

South Region

Finals

152: Alexa Firestone, Kingsway, p. Ella Yanuzzelli, Southern Regional, 3:43

165: Kyla Norman, Kingsway, d. Jade Huerta, Brick Township, 14-10

185: Hannah Dahl, Pennsauken, d. Shaelie Young, Gateway/Woodbury, 2-1 (2-TB)

235: Brea Heil, Kingsway, p. Shellith Collins, Ewing, 2:35

100: Jaclyn McDowell, Gloucester, d. Ella Hansen, Middletown South, 9-3

107: Emma Coesfield, Delsea, d. Kloi Tighe, Pennsville, 4-0

114: Ava Rose, Princeton, p. Riley Lerner, Cedar Creek, 0:18

120: Kalli Roskos, Delran, d. Jaceline Oviedo Ramos, Mainland, 9-2

126: Maya Hemo, Cherry Hill East, d. Chloe Lawler, Jackson Memorial, 4-1

132: Kamila Bleszczad, Jackson Memorial, d. Olivia Palmer, Timber Creek, 15-10

138: Jayla Hahn, Central Regional, d. Skyelar Smith, Jackson Memorial, 3-1

145: Gabby Miller, Old Bridge, d. Jordyn Katz, Jackson Memorial, 4-2.

Third-place consolation

138: Emma Matera, Delran, p. Jaden Bennett, West Deptford, 1:34; 145: Sophia Santorelli, Freehold Township, d. Isabella Prem, Lenape, 8-7; 152: Savanna Marlin, Rancocas Valley, p. Alani Ubarry, Cherry Hill West, 3:39; 165: Abigail Stanberry, Jackson, p. Macenzie Hunter, Pennsauken, 0:58; 185: Ari Tyson, Cherry Hill West, d. Atiyana Williams, Pemberton, 4-3; 235: Evelyn Santana, Cherry Hill West, p. Marima Sow, BCIT-Westampton, 0:45; 100: Lizzy Argueta, Lakewood, p. Treasure Holder, Paulsboro, 0:45; 107: Caitlin O’Reilly, Middletown South, p. Jessica Carmargo, Lakewood, 0:41; 114: Gracie Cordasco, Southern Regional, p. Dinayah Vazquez, Central Regional, 0:29; 120: Alexandria Graffius, Holy Spirit, p. Rebecca Royer, Millville, 0:22; 126: Dakota Morrissey, Pemberton, p. Tatiana Walker, Pennsauken, 4:14; 132: Lexi Mazzella, Bordentown, d. Jaleika Hernandez, Pemberton, 8-0.

Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: H.S. wrestling: Delran's Roskos, Pennsauken's Dahl achieve history in numbers