The gym floor at Central York High School features two basketball courts, usually separated by a descending curtain during varsity competition. On Saturday, nearly the entire hardwood surface was covered by orange and black wrestling mats for the inaugural York-Adams League championships. More than 300 wrestlers from 20 league schools converged for the tournament, which began with boys’ opening rounds Friday evening. The girls’ event kicked off Saturday morning, then the two tournaments merged for the finish. Fans and family watched from the upstairs bleachers and balcony as athletes and coaches sprawled across the sidelines. Music filled the building in between public address announcements of prior results.Shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday, champions had been crowned in 13 boys’ and 13 girls’ weight classes. Gold medalists gathered when it was over to pose for photos. They all held the unique distinction of being the first to achieve a specific feat, setting a standard for both peers and the next generation.Brad Keeney, the Susquehannock athletic director and PIAA District 3 wrestling co-chairman who led the organization of the event, was all smiles as the gym emptied. He was thrilled with how everything had unfolded and felt the tournament had fulfilled its goals.“I think the purpose of this was to get kids matchups that they don’t see all year … that are going to help with the postseason,” Keeney said. “But also, it’s a good measuring stick coming out of break, getting ready to go into your second half of the season, of where you’re at.” “The other piece of this was, it’s a sport builder. Our crowd was actually really good, and when we combined the boys’ and girls’ tournament, it was nice. That was fun. It was really cool to see the way the finals ran. Obviously there’s hiccups the first time you do things, but I thought it went smooth. It was a good starting point. I think the kids enjoyed it and I think they benefited from it.”Teams’ interest in a league tournament had swelled in recent years, even back before the PIAA’s official sanctioning of girls’ wrestling in 2023. Keeney and other organizers took plenty of feedback from coaches before settling on the early January date, which makes the tournament more of a mid-winter benchmark than another piece of a jam-packed postseason. Central York stepped up as a host, sponsors chipped in to help alleviate costs and teams agreed to leave the weekend open.“The process started two years ago and really came from the coaching level,” Keeney said. “Then we had to pass it, then we had to build it into the schedule and build it into the league. The planning of it … it was a lot — a lot of figuring out what the format was, when the best time to do it was.”The brackets, seeded by a points system, underwent their share of last-minute changes. The boys’ tournament officially featured 217 wrestlers instead of the expected 227, and Friday’s opening rounds brought nine additional forfeits. The girls’ field dropped from 102 to 93; most weight classes still had at least six entrants, although the 100-pound class wound up with just two grapplers who waited until the finals to meet.The seedings proved largely accurate. Ten No. 1 seeds won gold on the boys’ side, with two more claiming silver and the only early loss coming by medical forfeit. Girls’ top seeds combined for eight titles and 11 finals appearances. Two wrestlers at schools without league-member girls’ teams — Biglerville’s Tori Baker (106) and Delone Catholic’s Faith Gladfelter (118) — served as the party crashers.There were still some upsets along the way, though. Dallastown senior Liam O’Brennan, who was only added to the boys’ 127-pound draw last Thursday, reached the semifinals as a No. 13 seed before dropping his two Saturday bouts. Wildcats junior Carter Reeves, a bottom seed at 172, lost in the round of 16 but went 5-0 in the consolation bracket to place third. Central York’s Kelsey Davis made the girls’ 118-pound final as the seventh seed before falling to Gladfelter.Among the event’s hallmarks was the opportunity it presented for boys’ Class 2A and 3A wrestlers to compete in the same bracket. The three gold medalists from Division III schools — Delone Catholic’s Gavin Green (133), Bermudian Springs’ Hayden Yacoviello-Andrus (145) and Littlestown’s Tanner Rock (189) — all defeated D-I opponents in the finals. Green and Yacoviello-Andrus beat three 3A foes each during their perfect weekends.“The past few years, I’ve just wrestled the same old guys from Berm, Delone, Biglerville,” Rock said Friday. “But it’s nice to get a chance to wrestle guys from Spring Grove, South Western and others.”Girls’ wrestlers from 15 schools competed in the event, and seven teams are playing a full league schedule this season. At the moment, programs at Dallastown, South Western and Spring Grove are a clear step ahead — the Wildcats won six titles, while the Mustangs and Rockets claimed two each. Perhaps the defining story of the tournament, however, was the youth on display. The field of 93 included only 18 seniors, and 11 champions were underclassmen. As the sport grows in the coming years, expect new challengers to emerge each winter.There’s plenty of room for this tournament to grow, as well. The 2025 edition set a strong foundation, but perhaps the 2026 event will feature more action Friday, or a more effective counter to girls’ rounds moving faster than boys’ rounds. Keeney mused about adding flair to the parade of finalists and experimenting with other surrounding facets.“I want to look at the format (and) little things like how we organize the rounds,” Keeney said. “But overall, I think we have a base level now. There’s things we can add to make it better — the little details that really highlight kids and make it a better situation.”By the end of the month, the league will crown boys’ champions in three divisions and a girls’ champion for the first time. District 3 boys’ team tournaments begin Jan. 27 and 28. The individual postseason begins with sectionals Feb. 15 and concludes with boys’ and girls’ state championships March 6-8 at Hershey’s Giant Center. Plenty of stiff competition lies ahead. But at least a few wrestlers will be better prepared for those moments because of their experience at this new event. That’s exactly why it’s here.“I’ve been kind of looking forward to this tournament since the beginning of the year,” New Oxford senior Lane Johnson said Friday. “It’s a good way to see where I’m at before I get to the (Section IV and District 3) tournament.”— York Dispatch correspondent Ryan Vandersloot contributed to this report.

Strong first run for YAIAA wrestling championships sets up exciting future

The gym floor at Central York High School features two basketball courts, usually separated by a descending curtain during varsity competition. On Saturday, nearly the entire hardwood surface was covered by orange and black wrestling mats for the inaugural York-Adams League championships. More than 300 wrestlers from 20 league schools converged for the tournament, which began […]

The gym floor at Central York High School features two basketball courts, usually separated by a descending curtain during varsity competition. On Saturday, nearly the entire hardwood surface was covered by orange and black wrestling mats for the inaugural York-Adams League championships. More than 300 wrestlers from 20 league schools converged for the tournament, which began with boys’ opening rounds Friday evening. The girls’ event kicked off Saturday morning, then the two tournaments merged for the finish. Fans and family watched from the upstairs bleachers and balcony as athletes and coaches sprawled across the sidelines. Music filled the building in between public address announcements of prior results.Shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday, champions had been crowned in 13 boys’ and 13 girls’ weight classes. Gold medalists gathered when it was over to pose for photos. They all held the unique distinction of being the first to achieve a specific feat, setting a standard for both peers and the next generation.Brad Keeney, the Susquehannock athletic director and PIAA District 3 wrestling co-chairman who led the organization of the event, was all smiles as the gym emptied. He was thrilled with how everything had unfolded and felt the tournament had fulfilled its goals.“I think the purpose of this was to get kids matchups that they don’t see all year … that are going to help with the postseason,” Keeney said. “But also, it’s a good measuring stick coming out of break, getting ready to go into your second half of the season, of where you’re at.” “The other piece of this was, it’s a sport builder. Our crowd was actually really good, and when we combined the boys’ and girls’ tournament, it was nice. That was fun. It was really cool to see the way the finals ran. Obviously there’s hiccups the first time you do things, but I thought it went smooth. It was a good starting point. I think the kids enjoyed it and I think they benefited from it.”Teams’ interest in a league tournament had swelled in recent years, even back before the PIAA’s official sanctioning of girls’ wrestling in 2023. Keeney and other organizers took plenty of feedback from coaches before settling on the early January date, which makes the tournament more of a mid-winter benchmark than another piece of a jam-packed postseason. Central York stepped up as a host, sponsors chipped in to help alleviate costs and teams agreed to leave the weekend open.“The process started two years ago and really came from the coaching level,” Keeney said. “Then we had to pass it, then we had to build it into the schedule and build it into the league. The planning of it … it was a lot — a lot of figuring out what the format was, when the best time to do it was.”The brackets, seeded by a points system, underwent their share of last-minute changes. The boys’ tournament officially featured 217 wrestlers instead of the expected 227, and Friday’s opening rounds brought nine additional forfeits. The girls’ field dropped from 102 to 93; most weight classes still had at least six entrants, although the 100-pound class wound up with just two grapplers who waited until the finals to meet.The seedings proved largely accurate. Ten No. 1 seeds won gold on the boys’ side, with two more claiming silver and the only early loss coming by medical forfeit. Girls’ top seeds combined for eight titles and 11 finals appearances. Two wrestlers at schools without league-member girls’ teams — Biglerville’s Tori Baker (106) and Delone Catholic’s Faith Gladfelter (118) — served as the party crashers.There were still some upsets along the way, though. Dallastown senior Liam O’Brennan, who was only added to the boys’ 127-pound draw last Thursday, reached the semifinals as a No. 13 seed before dropping his two Saturday bouts. Wildcats junior Carter Reeves, a bottom seed at 172, lost in the round of 16 but went 5-0 in the consolation bracket to place third. Central York’s Kelsey Davis made the girls’ 118-pound final as the seventh seed before falling to Gladfelter.Among the event’s hallmarks was the opportunity it presented for boys’ Class 2A and 3A wrestlers to compete in the same bracket. The three gold medalists from Division III schools — Delone Catholic’s Gavin Green (133), Bermudian Springs’ Hayden Yacoviello-Andrus (145) and Littlestown’s Tanner Rock (189) — all defeated D-I opponents in the finals. Green and Yacoviello-Andrus beat three 3A foes each during their perfect weekends.“The past few years, I’ve just wrestled the same old guys from Berm, Delone, Biglerville,” Rock said Friday. “But it’s nice to get a chance to wrestle guys from Spring Grove, South Western and others.”Girls’ wrestlers from 15 schools competed in the event, and seven teams are playing a full league schedule this season. At the moment, programs at Dallastown, South Western and Spring Grove are a clear step ahead — the Wildcats won six titles, while the Mustangs and Rockets claimed two each. Perhaps the defining story of the tournament, however, was the youth on display. The field of 93 included only 18 seniors, and 11 champions were underclassmen. As the sport grows in the coming years, expect new challengers to emerge each winter.There’s plenty of room for this tournament to grow, as well. The 2025 edition set a strong foundation, but perhaps the 2026 event will feature more action Friday, or a more effective counter to girls’ rounds moving faster than boys’ rounds. Keeney mused about adding flair to the parade of finalists and experimenting with other surrounding facets.“I want to look at the format (and) little things like how we organize the rounds,” Keeney said. “But overall, I think we have a base level now. There’s things we can add to make it better — the little details that really highlight kids and make it a better situation.”By the end of the month, the league will crown boys’ champions in three divisions and a girls’ champion for the first time. District 3 boys’ team tournaments begin Jan. 27 and 28. The individual postseason begins with sectionals Feb. 15 and concludes with boys’ and girls’ state championships March 6-8 at Hershey’s Giant Center. Plenty of stiff competition lies ahead. But at least a few wrestlers will be better prepared for those moments because of their experience at this new event. That’s exactly why it’s here.“I’ve been kind of looking forward to this tournament since the beginning of the year,” New Oxford senior Lane Johnson said Friday. “It’s a good way to see where I’m at before I get to the (Section IV and District 3) tournament.”— York Dispatch correspondent Ryan Vandersloot contributed to this report.