Barberio breaking barriers at Hatboro-Horsham
Hatters’ wrestler making a name for herself
HORSHAM » Alanna Barberio is not about to be dissuaded from her first love. For those who want to know, that love is wrestling.
And at Saturday’s Wetzel Classic at Hatboro-Horsham High School, Barberio earned some hardware.
Barberio had her hand raised in the seventh-place consolation match when scheduled foe Brett Rama of Upper Dublin was unable to wrestle.
And no one was going to tell her that only boys belong on a wrestling mat.
“I love wrestling so much,” said the diminutive scrapper. “It started in fourth grade when I saw John Cena on television. “His motto is always ‘never give up’.’’
Suitably inspired by Cena, Barberio found herself on a wrestling mat and has not been from one since.
“I fell in love with it,” she beamed. “In seventh grade I went out for the middle school team, and I really fell in love with it.”
Of course, school kids being school kids, Barberio has had to put up with more than her fair share of abuse.
Her reaction is in keeping with her plucky attitude.
“I hear it all the time,” she said, “but this is my life, not theirs.
“You do what you have to do.
Stereotypes are meant to be broken. Wrestling gives me a natural high.”
As for the future, Barberio is not about to be dissuaded from following her dream.
“I want more,” she said. “It’s just a feeling of, “I did it, what’s next?’”. Team Scores: 1. Downingtown East, 175; 2. Hatboro Horsham, 136; 3. William Tennent, 126.5; 4. Avon Grove, 124; 5. Springside Chestnut Hill, 119; 6. Pennsbury, 116.5; 7. Bensalem, 109; 8. Wissahickon, 108; 9. Perkiomen Valley, 98; 10. Abington, 95.5; 19. Conestoga, 67
Championship Finals 106- Manuel (Downingtown East) pinned Cleland (CB West), 1:15 113- Kakos (Perk Valley) dec. Lofland (Conestoga), 3-1 120- Rose (Abington) dec. Howard (Avon Grove), 3-0 126- Colella (William Tennent) dec. Purcell (Springside Chestnut Hill), 4-2 SV 132- Richie (Downingtown East) dec. Banyai (Pottsgrove), 5-1 138- Tamburrino (William Tennent) tech. fall Horne (Downingtown East), 16-0 145- Lledo (Lower Merion) dec. Barnhart (Avon Grove), 6-5 152- Anderson (Central) dec. Martin (Abington), 5-3 160- Senderling (Wissahickon) dec. Arnold (Westerfield), 3-2 UTB 170- Dav. Esenov (Bensalem) dec. Novak (Upper Dublin), 10-4 182- Clements (William Tennent) tech. fall Grier (Hatboro Horsham), 15-0 195- Coles (Northeast) dec. Aladinov (William Tennent), 3-2 220- N. Chapman (Hatboro Horsham) pinned Pelham (Conestoga), 2:44 285- Cooper (Bensalem) pinned Petro (CB East), 1:22
Consolation Finals 106- Perline (Central) dec. McGurrin (Pennsbury), 6-4 113- Rainey (Ridley) dec. Andrews (Abington), 6-1 120- Hodges (Lower Merion) tech. fall Sithens (Pottsgrove), 17-1 126- Martoccio (Pennsbury) pinned Mittelstadt (Downingtown East), 2:50 132- Bosio (Avon Grove) dec. McGrath (Ridley), 3-1 138- Rubino (Northeast) pinned Showaker (CB South), 4:59 145- Polinchock (CB South) dec. Mallon (Hatboro Horsham), 10-4 152- Hugee (Springside Chestnut Hill) pinned Stehman (Cheltenham), :51 160- Dan Esenov (Bensalem) maj. dec. P. Chapman (Hatboro Horsham), 13-1 170- Needleman (Hatboro Horsham) dec. Romanelli (Downingtown East), 5-3 182- Buonocore (Avon Grove) maj. dec. Myers (Ephrata), 9-1 195- Wileczek (Downingtown East) maj. dec. Lee (Pennsbury), 8-0 220- Hieber (CB West) dec. McLeod (Pottsgrove), 4-3 285- McCann (Springside Chestnut Hill) dec. Thompson (Wissahickon), 3-1