Grace Stem claims second straight state wrestling championship as BEA has four compete
As the PIAA Wrestling Championships came to a close on Saturday, the girls had their chance in the spotlight Sunday.
Bald Eagle Area’s girls team finished its inaugural season with Grace Stem capturing her second straight championship at the MyHouse Pennsylvania Girls Wrestling State Championships.
Though girls wrestling isn’t sanctioned yet by the PIAA, it was recently named an emerging sport in the state.
When Stem won last year, she didn’t have any teammates with her. This year, the senior had three teammates competing alongside of her.
Coach Ron Guenot estimated that there were about 300 competitors this year as opposed to roughly 115 from last year.
“I’m really happy to see how big it’s getting,” Stem said. “I feel like the competition tripled in size from last year. I wasn’t expecting to see that many girls come out.”
Stem had no problems in defending her crown, and she did it in the same fashion as last year — with all pins. This year though, the Lock Haven commit had to put some extra work in as there were 25 girls in her bracket at 142 pounds compared to just seven a year ago.
As the top seed, Stem got a bye to the second round, where she took on North Allegheny’s Callie Rautenbach. Stem took care of Rautenbach in the first period by flattening her in 1:01.
Stem then took on a pair of teammates from Parkland in back-to-back rounds. She finished off Paige Yatcilla 33 seconds into the second period to make the semifinals.
In the semifinals, Stem needed just 20 seconds to dispatch Shannon Fratus.
“This year, especially, before her matches, she was more relaxed and seemed to be having a lot of fun,” said Guenot when asked of the differences he’s seen in Stem. “Right before she wrestled, she was joking around and just excited to get on the mat to compete. A couple of years ago, she might have been a little more nervous.
“To be in Grace’s corner and watch her compete against the other girls, is really amazing, (and) just to see how really good she is competing against the other girls.”
Stem took on the No. 2 seed, Northwestern Lehigh’s Katie Brensinger, in the finals. Brensinger proved the toughest test for Stem as she lasted the longest against the champ.
With only six seconds remaining in the second period, Stem put Brensinger to her back for the fall.
“My bracket was definitely a lot bigger than it was last year. I still got pins all the way through, but the competition was a lot tougher,” Stem said. “I was on the mat for a lot longer. My quarterfinal match was a little tough. I was still pretty confident going into the competition. I felt good going out there.”
Stem had some teammates along for the ride this year in Eden Eveleth, Cameron Corl-Alton and Grace Crestani. Of the three, Eveleth took part in one of the Eagles’ duals.
On Sunday, Eveleth was the lone winner of the three freshmen. She took care of Penncrest’s Bernadette Schlotzhauer, 7-4, in the second round of the 106-pound weight class.
Eveleth was then pinned by the No. 2 seed in Governor Mifflin’s Jayleah Pletz in 1:38 of their quarterfinals match. In the consolation bracket, the freshman suffered a 6-5 defeat to Hamburg’s Isabelle Wilkes.
“It’s a confidence builder (Eveleth’s win). Just the experience of being there and seeing what it’s all about,” Guenot said. “I kind of relate it to the boys in a way. Being there and seeing that, I’m sure her goal is to get on the podium next year at her weight in girls states. I think that is something that she wants to do. I know she is going to work toward accomplishing that top six goal.”
As for Corl-Alton and Crestani, they too got some valuable experience that will more than likely fuel them for next year. Since they are younger wrestlers, Guenot is looking forward to seeing what they can accomplish going forward.
“It’s been fun to start something from scratch and see it grow,” Guenot said, “and to see the improvements that these girls have made. They’ve never wrestled before. They’ve come so far. I’m really excited for what the future holds in the next few years.”
Stem added: “I’m really excited to be able to share that experience with some of the other girls. I think they still had fun even though they didn’t place. I think they did really well for first year wrestlers too. I’m really excited to have the team.”
MyHouse State Championships
Sunday at Harrisburg
Team key: Annville Cleona (AC), Athens (A), Bald Eagle Area (BEA), Bensalem (B), Berks Catholic (BC), Big Spring (BS), Brandywine Heights (BH), Canon-McMillan (C-M), Central Mountain (CM), Chestnut Ridge (CR), Delaware Valley (DV), Downingtown West (DW), DuBois (D), Easton (E), Exeter Township (ET), Fairfield (F), Garnet Valley (GV), Gettysburg (GB), Governor Mifflin (GM), Greater Nanticoke Area (GNA), Hamburg (HB), Hanover (H), Honesdale (HD), Kennett (K), Kiski Area (KA), Manheim Township (MT), McCaskey (MY), Mercer (MR), Milton (M), North Allegheny (NA), Northern Bedford (NB), Northwestern (N), Northwestern Lehigh (NL), Palisades (PS), Parkland (P), Penncrest (PC), Penn Manor (PM), Pocono Mountain (PMT), Pottstown (PT), Punxsutawney (PX), Saegertown (SG), Seneca (S), Slippery Rock (SR), Souderton (ST), South Western (SW), Wallenpaupack (WP), Western Wayne (WW), Wilkes Barre (WB), Williamsport (W)
Team scores: 1. Gettysburg 110, 2. Governor Mifflin 88, 3. Canon-McMillan 76.5, T4. Easton 61.5, T4. Parkland 61.5, 6. Souderton 59, 7. Athens 56, 8. North Allegheny 50, T9. Mercer 42, T9. Penn Manor 42, 12. Bald Eagle Area 36.
Finals
100: Natalie Handy, SW dec. Lexi Doerflinger, SR, 6-1; 106: Aubre Krazer, E, dec. Jayleah Pletz, GM, 4-3; 112: Sierra Chiesa, N, pinned Journie Rodriguez, MY, 2:55; 118: Savannah Witt, PS, dec. Zoey Haines, GB, 6-3; 124: Haylie Jaffe, K, dec. Sienna Landrum, DW, 4-0; 130: Jordyn Fouse, NB, major dec Kayla Husti-Luca, ST, 9-0; 136: Marissa Rumsey, W, dec. Chloe Ault, C-M, 3-1; 142: Grace Stem, BEA, pinned Katie Brensinger, NL, 3:54; 148: Patron Plummer, CR, pinned Leyna Rumpler, NA, 1:53; 155: Avry Ryhal, MR, major dec. Lacey Hinman, A, 8-0; 170: Jael Miller, PX, tech. fall Maya Krieger, B, 16-0; 190: Trinity Monaghan, ST, pinned Andrea Wilmoth, D, 3:05; 235: Xiyah Robinson, PT, pinned Francesca Lisa, GM, :50
Semifinals
142: Stem, BEA, pinned Shannon Fratus, P, :20
Consolation Third Round
106: Isabelle Wilkes, HB, dec. Eden Eveleth, BEA, 6-5; 148: Elora Dillinger, SG, pinned Grace Crestani, BEA, 3:29
Consolation Second Round
142: Emma Flohr, F, pinned Cameron Corl-Alton, BEA, :54
Quarterfinals
106: Pletz, GM, pinned Eveleth, BEA, 1:38; 142: Stem, BEA, pinned Paige Yatcilla, P, 2:33
Second Round
106: Eveleth, BEA, dec. Bernadette Schlotzhauer, PC, 7-4; 142: Stem, BEA, pinned Callie Rautenbach, NA, 1:01; 148: Natalie Olarte, WB, pinned Crestani, BEA, :20
First Round
142: Djenane Leopold, PMT, pinned Corl-Alton, BEA, 2:46
