Big Macs dominate platform
Canon-McMillan with 3 champs, 11 place-winners on historic day
Valarie Solorio has a strained MCL and a partially torn ACL, but it didn’t stop her Saturday at North Allegheny High School from becoming the first girl to win a WPIALwrestling title.
Solorio, a Canon-McMillan senior, recorded two pins and a technical fall to win the 100-pound weight class , making her the first girl to claim a WPIALgold medal.
“It feels amazing,” said Solorio, a University of Iowa recruit. “I feel like I am paving a pathway for a lot of younggirls.”
In the title match, Solorio posted a 16-1 technical fall against Montour’s Kristen Walzer to improve her seasonrecord to 9-0.
“I have a strained MCL and partially torn ACL that kept me out for five months,” said Solorio, who missed the first month of the season. “Fortunately, it didn’t cause me any pain during the tournament.”
Solorio was one of five Canon-McMillan wrestlers whoadvanced to the finals.
She was joined atop the winner’s platform by teammates Capri Chambers and NatalieRush.
Chambers won the 106pound weight class by pinning North Hills’ Joanna Saad at 2:15. Rush pinned Peters Township’s Liliana Giulianelli at 2:17 of the 190poundfinal.
“I’m surprised the WPIAL did not recognize a team champion,”said Solorio, who was one of 11 Big Macs to earn place-winner status. “At least, we know we were the teamchamps.”
Placing second for the Big Macs were Malia Ramos and AudreyCalgaro.
Ramos was pinned in the 112-pound title match by Hampton’s Isabella McNutt, who was seeded No. 8 in the bracket.
It was the fourth pin of the tournamentfor McNutt.
“It’s amazing,” said McNutt, who wrestled with Hampton’s boys team during theregular season. “I came in with the goal of winning a title and was able to reach that goal. Wrestling with the boys all season really helped prepareme for this tournament.
Calgaro was pinned at 4:33 of the 170-pound final by Norwin freshman Octavia Walker.
“I knew she had a good headlock,” said Walker, who rallied from a 4-0 deficit. “When I saw it coming, I was ableto counter it.”
Walker was one of two freshmenwho won titles.
The other was Moon’s Haley Smarsh, who won the 130pound title with a 5-0 win against Woodland Hills’ Asia Fowler.
“It’s really exciting,” said Smarsh, who recorded four consecutive pins to remain unbeaten at 21-0. “As a freshman, I wasn’t expecting to do this well. It was tough, but I madeit.”
Connellsville had three girls advance to the finals — Trinity Moore, Janayah Nobles and Imani CameronBotti — but all three had to settlefor a silver medal.
Moore was pinned by Butler’s Ana Malovich at 3:44 of the118-pound final.
“I had a concussion that kept me out almost two months,”said Malovich, who posted three pins to improve her record to 12-0. “Fortunately, I got cleared on Jan. 23. That time off actually helpedme.”
Nobles dropped an 8-2 decision to Kiski Area’s Ava Golding in the 136-pound final.
“It’s so exciting. I never thought I would be able to experience this in my high school career,” Golding said. “I’m so excited to be a part of this.”
Cameron-Botti was pinned by North Allegheny’s Leyna Rumpler at 1:25 in the 155-poundfinal.
“Words aren’t able to describe what I am feeling,” Rumpler said. “It’s so amazingto know that all the work I put in the last four years has paid off. It’s even more meaningful to win in my home gym.”
Plumhad two champions. Saphia Davis claimed the 124-pound title with a 5-0 win against Mt. Lebanon’s Paige Jox, while Mustangs teammate Alaina Claassen won at 235 pounds by pinning Southmoreland’s Zoey Murphy at 1:50.
Also winning titles were Norwin’sJosephine Dollman and Laurel’s Contessa Cotelesse, who both recorded first-periodpins.
Dollman pinned Peters Township’sGrace O’Korn in the 142-pound final, while Cotelesse pinned Seneca Valley’s Hannah Hornick at 148.