4 gold medals, team crown for McCaskey girls wrestling

She had company in winning back-to-back titles. Of the eight who entered the tourney with a title, four others, including two of her teammates, Kaleia Timko (136) and Jurerlys Peguro del Rosario (190).At 148, Township’s Isabella Valudez pinned McCaskey’s Kashmere Aguilera in 2:50.All she did was win all four of her matches, en route to bringing home back-to-back 112-pound championships.

“Sometimes I get really anxious, and I think it makes my stomach feel kind of sick,” Rodriguez said. “I can’t predict how I am going to feel at states, so you have to work through this. You never know if you are going to feel 100% every time you step out onto the mat, sometimes unexpected injuries happen, or you feel sick. So I think this is great preparation, and I think I had a different perspective on it. Instead of letting it get to me, I worked through it, and it worked out.”Gracie Woodring (118) was the final match of the night, the marquee TV matchup of the finals, and she wasted no time taking command of the match. Utilizing headlock after headlock three near the end, she brought home gold with a 16-1 tech fall (2:00) over Lebanon’s Angy Martinez Severino.For many athletes this would be a problem, causing some to pull out. Not Rodriguez.When it comes to Hempfield, with her father in her corner, Hattie Mack (100) also won a second L-L crown, with a fall in 3:53 over Elizabethtown freshman Zaria Phillips. The two did a lot of hand fighting to start, and Phillips even got her down, but Mack executed a perfect armbar for the fall.Journie Rodriguez is no stranger to the mats at Manheim Township. As a matter of fact, she’s gotten relatively comfortable with them over the past four years.Laila Colon stayed heavy on top in her fall (2:51) at 142 over Northern Lebanon’s Dakota Dengler.“Right now I am really happy,” McMillion said. “There is a lot of pressure here, but coming back to leagues and realizing how much of an impact I had on our girls. They help me mentally get better and stronger. This won’t sink in until I take a shower today that I did it.”Kori Elle McMillion of Warwick was the other to go back-to-back, and it came fast, as in just 32 seconds over Lilliana Bohn of Cedar Crest with a bundle after catching her in a headlock.But as weigh-ins approached Saturday morning, the McCaskey senior wasn’t feeling her best. Her stomach was churning and because of it, didn’t get much food in her as the long day at the Lancaster-Lebanon League girls wrestling championships progressed.In a rematch of last year’s final, Peguero del Rosario needed just 26 seconds to down Octorara’s Taylor Orner.“I’m really excited, it is pretty cool and a really great feeling,” Mack said. “Some of my shots didn’t work out, but eventually I got there and tried to stay dominant. I’ve been waiting for it to click, and feel it did today. So now that I have that feeling, I am going to carry it forward.”Other winners included Hempfield’s Vanessa Houck (106, fall 5:22), Octorara’s Jolee Johnson (124, 9-1 major decision), and Elizabethtown’s Jordyn Griswold (170, fall 1:06).

If you include the two River Rock unofficial League meet titles, Timko ended her annual championship trips to Neffsville with four titles.Rodriguez, Timko, Peguero del Rosario and 235-pound champ Neveah Ramos — she pinned Elizabethtown’s Braelynn Lee in one minute flat —helped lead McCaskey to the team title (165.5), just ahead of second-place Hempfield (155).“I actually was scared before my match, definitely terrified, I won’t lie,” Timko said. “She is a very talented wrestler and had strength on me. I’ve just been trying to leave my mark the best I can. I want to leave a legacy for my siblings when they come up. This is very bittersweet, but a great way to end my L-L meet season. I am really going to miss this.”Timko (136, 22-2) went upper body late in the match and nearly stuffed Cedar Crest’s Madelyn Shanfelder, but she was able to recover. Shanfelder tried to go for a headlock, but Timko countered and then caught her with a headlock of her own. It paid dividends, as she would get the fall in 3:33.In addition to a second title, Rodriguez (26-0) also won the Outstanding Wrestler award and had the most falls in the least amount of time.O’Brien was aggressive, but Rodriguez snapped in, made her moves, and caught O’Brien on the chin instead of being defensive. The result was that O’Brien ended up pinned in just 1:46. In excitement after shaking hands, Rodriguez rounded the mat, acknowledging the crowd, before finding her parents on the sidelines.Manheim Township, who finished third (126), had two of its grapplers mine gold.“I was really nervous starting off the day, and before the match was stress eating,” Woodring said laughing. “I got the most techs I think I had of my career. I didn’t know what the score was, but got up and saw 16-1. I’m really excited about the post-season.”Her last one was expected to be the marquee match of the tournament, a potential rematch with Elco’s Kylee Trostle. Instead, Trostle had to forfeit her semifinal match due to an injury to her elbow, pitting her against Hempfield’s Clementine O’Brien.Her match in the semifinals proved to be one of her closest of the year, a 14-1 decision over Elizabethtown’s Cassidy Carl, setting up her gold-medal match against O’Brien.“She keeps getting better,” McCaskey coach Kevin Franklin said. “Taylor keeps getting better, but Jurelys started to figure out last year she could be decent at this. So it has been exciting to watch her grow this year.”“Oh my gosh, this is bittersweet knowing this is my last time competing here,” Rodriguez said. “And the journey I took throughout the years … wrestling with the guys then transitioning to the girls. I am so happy I am able to finish off on top of my final year. It is a big confidence boost and I am excited for the rest of the year.”Rodriguez jumped out to a 9-2 lead in her opening match against Lebanon’s Chloe Tice and never looked back after getting her in 1:09. She allowed just two escapes against Northern Lebanon’s Natasha Swingholm before pinning her in 1:41.“I am really stoked, the beginning of the season wasn’t great for me, and I peaked at the right time,” Colon said with a huge smile. “It is all about not letting it get in your head and working hard for what you have. This will never sink in. I was unaware of how good she was until after I wrestled her. I am just happy where I am at right now.”