How District 10 wrestlers performed on first day of inaugural PIAA girls tournament in Hershey
HERSHEY — Ashley Campbell made District 10 history Thursday.
The General McLane junior, when she checked in at the scorer's table for one the Giant Center's six mats, became northwestern Pennsylvania's first participant in the PIAA's inaugural girls wrestling tournament.
Campbell, a 106-pounder for the Lancers, was one of 11 district participants who qualified for the meet. The PIAA, which officially sanctioned girls wrestling in July, incorporated it into its traditional Class 2A and Class 3A boys competition.
The 208 female wrestlers and their coaches were given a rousing welcome by the public address announcer and fans in the stands when they poured onto the arena floor for warmups.
"We were very excited to be part of this," McLane coach Lorraine Zacherl said. "It's great that the girls can compete alongside the boys."
"This was long overdue. It was time."
However, Zacherl's sense of satisfaction wasn't as robust as it could have been. She spoke moments after Campbell lost her tournament opener to Natalie Handy.
The South Western senior only needed 3 minutes, 36 seconds to record a 17-0 technical fall. She advanced to the 106 quarterfinals at 27-1 overall.
Campbell dropped to 19-8. She, like all others who lost Thursday, weren't eliminated from medal contention.
The PIAA only scheduled one round of girls wrestling for the first day of the three-day event. Wrestling in the consolation bracket will begin Friday.
'Up for the pressure'
It was Madilyn Enterline who achieved the kind of first that matters to any athlete, regardless of gender.
The Greenville senior, who beat Campbell in last weekend's West Region 106 final, became the district's first female to win a PIAA girls wrestling match.
Enterline pinned Hempfield's Clementine O'Brien 1:01 into their meeting. Her record of 6-0 only accounts for her postseason matches, and not those she wrestled with the Trojans' boys program.
That background was a plus, according to Enterline.
"(Boys wrestling) has been around a lot longer," she said, "so it's more intense. I think that actually helped me in this environment. I don't know if all the girls here are ready for all this, but I'm up for the pressure and intensity."
Enterline will face Garnet Valley's Reese Dewar (8-3) in Friday's quarterfinals. Dewar shut out Bald Eagle Area's Eden Eveleth 7-0 in her tournament opener.
Kelly Enterline, Madilyn's younger sister, also qualified for states. The freshman dropped into the 124 consolation bracket after her 7-6 loss to Isabella DuVall of Philipsburg-Osceola.
Ryhal ready for latest rematch
No district entrant arrived at Hershey with more gold medal expectations than 155-pounder Avry Ryhal. The Hickory senior, a Lock Haven University recruit, was 23-2 after her 3:56 fall of Bedford's Camryn Steinbuch.
Ryhal has been ranked second in her division for the brunt of this season. Her two losses were to Leyna Rumpler of North Allegheny.
The same Leyna Rumpler (33-1) who's been ranked first in same 155 standings. The second of her two victories againt Rumpler was their 155 region final at Canonsburg's Canon-McMillan High School.
Rumpler won 2-1. That final score is also her season record against Ryhal.
"I'm ready for her again," Ryhal said. "I was winning that last match against (Rumpler), but I took a stupid shot."
What's next
Two of the district's three other first round winners were in the same bracket. Conneaut's Daylee Watson won in the top half of the 112 field and Hickory's Emma Johnston in the bottom.
Watson (6-0) won by decision against Selinsgrove's Nevaeh Strouse 5-3. She drew Isabella Baccio (31-3) of Manheim Township as her quarterfinal foe.
Johnston (20-8) also won 5-3 against Western Wayne's Lexi DiSiato. Her next opponent is Andi Bibeau (6-0) of East Stroudsburg North.
Leah Sample was Crawford County's lone winner during Thursday's inaugural session for females. The Saegertown sophomore doubled up Wyoming Valley West's Isabelle Seip 4-2 at 118.
Sample (26-3) drew Savannah Witt of Palisades. Witt (28-0) was bracketed as the division's favorite.
The addition of PIAA girls wrestling meant a massive overhaul of its daily schedule and sessions.
The girls championship quarterfinals and consolation first round will begin Friday at 11:45 a.m. The consolation second round immediately follows.
The championship semifinals are scheduled for 7 p.m. and consolation third round at 9. Those rounds will run at the same time as the boys Class 2A and Class 3A matches for those same rounds.
Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNcopper.
More: PIAA wrestling: Which local wrestlers advanced in the state tournament on Thursday?
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Historic PIAA girls wrestling tournament held at Hershey's Giant Center
