It’s a reality that didn’t faze her then, as she went on to overcome a few of those girls in route to finishing regionals as a runner-up and states as a bronze medalist. And it isn’t one that fazes her now, as she faces a similar scenario in 2026.

Moving into her third appearance at the PIAA Girls Wrestling Championships, the senior’s primary goal is her magnum opus: a state title. It doesn’t matter that four girls outrank her heading into the tournament. In this being the year the job gets done, Wagner is vastly confident.

“I don’t even look at the brackets; my dad and coaches do,” said Wagner when asked how seedings and rankings alter her mindset. “My coaches do that for me and tell me what I need to know for that match. I just try and keep a clear head and not really worry about anything.”

“I feel good. I have a lot of confidence when I go into a match. I don’t really think about too much, other than what I know. And that’s helped me,” she added on her confidence heading into states.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain's Kendall Wagner gets her hand raised after winning at 170 pounds during the District 5/6/9 Girls Wrestling tournament at Altoona.

Though three-time PIAA finalist and two-time champ Jael Miller has since graduated, the 170-pound weight class has only deepened since last year’s tournament. Previous state runner-up Bryce Snyder (Palisades) is back, occupying the bracket’s top seed and residing particularly close to Wagner. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Four girls in the field, including Snyder, have gotten the best of Wagner in the last year. In fact, all seven losses on her 2025-26 resume have come against the wrestlers reference below.

Snyder was the one to end Wagner’s chances of a state championship appearance last season, sending her to the consolation bout with a second-period pin. A rematch on the championship side would come in quarterfinals if both wrestlers advance, and that would require Wagner to overcome her first-round matchup against No. 8 Octavia Walker (Norwin) – who defeated Wagner in overtime at Queen of the Dam.

That leaves two remaining, with each residing on the other side of the bracket and serving as Wagner’s greatest examples of kryptonite. Brockway sophomore Elysabeth Myers has two wins over the Central Mountain senior, most recently in the Central Regional final on Saturday. And Shikellamy freshman Finley Boetsch has four.

Even with their best chances of meeting coming in either final, they’re certainly imposing matchups, ones that’ll require plenty of focus from Wagner to see through. But she’s aware of where she needs to improve to give herself a shot at both.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte's Bailee Scott wrestles against Clearfield's Makayla Taylor at 155 pounds during the District 5/6/9 Girls Wrestling tournament at Altoona.

“It’s been tough to overcome,” said Wagner on her matchup against Myers on Saturday. “Getting off bottom, that’s where she’s been getting me, but I know what I need to work on, and we’re going to work on that (this week).”

“She was a state runner-up at PJWs and wrestles a lot of freestyle, and that’s one matchup where Kendall’s made adjustments and gotten it closer each time,” said Central Mountain head coach Dylan Caprio when discussing her matchup against Boetsch at the BEA Invite. “This one was a one-point match, so she’s doing a job of giving herself an opportunity there. She’s dealing with some adversity here, but she’s had a great attitude about it.”

On top of pursuing a state title, Wagner also stands four wins away from 100 in her career heading into the tournament. Whatever happens throughout the next three days, the senior has set a high standard for the talent that looks to follow her up, with trios of district and PIAA regional silvers and a pair of PIAA medals also on her resume.

PRIDEFUL DEBUT

Heading into last Saturday’s Central Regional, Bellefonte sophomore Bailee Scott didn’t reference states when discussing her goals for the event. All she wanted was to make herself proud, a goal she more than accomplished as she became the first Red Raider in program history to secure a PIAA bid.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte's Bailee Scott wrestles against Clearfield's Makayla Taylor at 155 pounds during the District 5/6/9 Girls Wrestling tournament at Altoona.

It’s a mindset that Scott is carrying into Thursday. Whatever happens in her opening bout against No. 2 Camilia Hathaway (Mount Lebanon) and the matches that follow, Scott simply hopes to be able to look back on the way she wrestled fondly in the months to follow.

“I’m looking forward to my first trip to Hershey,” said Scott with a smile following her fourth place showing at the Central Regional. “I’ve never been to Hershey before and like I said, I’m just looking to make myself proud knowing that I have two more years left and my parents will be proud of me no matter what because I’ve gotten this far.”

In overcoming one matchup that’s plagued her on Saturday, there’s now potential for that trend to continue through the week. No. 5 Makayla Taylor (Clearfield) has beaten Scott four times in a row this season, and it’s a matchup Scott hopes she can overcome were it to occur.

The chances of a runback are unlikely, with both wrestlers perched on opposite sides of the 155-pound bracket. But if they find themselves facing off in either final, Scott feels a more patient approach could help her chances.

“I feel rushed, like I need to get ahead before anything happens,” said Scott, referring to picking up an early lead in her previous two matchups against Taylor.

“So, I get that seven-point lead but get tired and slow down, and then that’s when she’s starting to go because she’s down 7-0. I’m tired from getting there, and she’s just now starting.”

Whatever happens, Scott is setting up a building block for what could be an exciting career for the underclassman, having already set the bar high by punching her first ticket to Hershey. As it stands, the sophomore has medaled in every postseason tournament she’s attended, a feat in itself.

Day One of the PIAA Girls Wrestling Championships is set to begin on Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Giant Center.