Pleasantville's Adriana Palumbo is first female New York wrestler to win Super 32 title

It's nice to surprise others, and sometimes, it feels even better to surprise yourself. Wrap both feelings inside a highly-esteemed championship belt, and you might come close to how Pleasantville junior Adriana Palumbo felt after capturing the Super 32 title at Greensboro, North Carolina this past weekend.

"My anniversary for when I started wrestling is on Thanksgiving, actually, so it'll be the two-year mark then," Palumbo said. "If you'd ask me two years ago, what I would be doing in two years, I definitely would not say winning a national title. I'd probably tell you playing volleyball or something like that. I've definitely grown a lot in that aspect as a wrestler, but I've also grown as a person and learning how to take losses and use them to my advantage and motivate me to work harder. I'm just excited for what comes next."

Palumbo became the first female wrestler from New York to ever capture a Super 32 championship, as she emerged on top in the 160-pound division.

She defeated Colorado native Matilda Hruby by tech fall midway through the second period in the championship match.

"She's just been working really hard and improving every week," Pleasantville wrestling coach Bob Bernarducci said. "Last year, she went to that tournament and she didn't place, so I think she was very disappointed last year and she went down there with a certain goal in mind to win a tournament."

The Super 32 is one of the biggest wrestling tournaments in the country. Each weight class is stacked with some of the best wrestlers in the nation. The Super 32 girls tournament was first added in 2017 to complement the boys.

Palumbo is an acclaimed grappler, entering the tournament as the No. 8 nationally-ranked 155-pound wrestler according to FloWrestling.

There were eight other wrestlers nationally-ranked in the top 30 also competing in her weight class.

The Pleasantville native was not going to be denied. She made her run to the title as the No. 4 seed and only gave up one point throughout the entire tournament.

Palumbo pinned Alabama's Teegan Robinson to start her journey, and followed up with a tech fall of Missouri native Jayci Shelton in the quarterfinals.

Her semifinal bout with Ohio's Erie Prep Academy top-seeded Alexandria Alli, a former Wyoming Seminary standout and No. 4 nationally-ranked wrestler at 170, was her biggest of the tournament.

It was a 1-1 stalemate in a hard-fought battle, but Palumbo earned enough to win on criteria and advance to the title match, where she won in lopsided fashion.

"That was a very tactical match, (Alli) is very talented," Palumbo said. "I really respect her and we're actually friends off the mat, but I was definitely very nervous. That was definitely my biggest match of the tournament, even though it was only the semifinals. It really just came down to grit and pushing through, and just winning."

Although Palumbo is no stranger to the national stage, previously earning All-American honors twice at Fargo Nationals and taking second at Virginia Beach nationals last season, Sunday marked her first national title victory.

It's been a rapid ascension, despite being a relative newcomer to the sport. She previously had experience as a student in jiu jitsu and a competitive gymnast.

She decided to give wrestling a try at the modified level in seventh-grade, but the season was limited due to COVID-19. She eventually returned to the sport as a freshman, and she's been hooked ever since.

"It's a little bit of validation for not just the work she's putting in, but her resilience and the way she handles loss," GPS Wrestling founder and Palumbo's club coach Grant Paswall said. "You never want to identify yourself off of a win or a loss, but it's easier said than done. She's right back in the wrestling room every week and that's really what I'm proud of, her resiliency, attention to detail and the way she handles adversity and is process-driven."

How'd she celebrate?

She went out for dinner with her family and explored Greensboro, but was back on a plane the following day to return home and hit the gym. Her attention is now solely on the upcoming Section 1 wrestling season.

"From this, I'm just more excited to see what I can learn, what I can do and how I can grow," Palumbo said. "I'm just ready for the next thing, the next challenge."

Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay. 

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Pleasantvilles Adriana Palumbo wins Super 32 national wrestling title