A consistent area standout through postseason, Wagner not only reached Hershey for a third straight time as a senior but also took the streaks a step further by reaching her third consecutive championship quarterfinal behind a 1-0 start. Things dematerialized from there, but it didn’t take away from what was another strong postseason for Wagner, one which earned her this year’s award for Express Girls Wrestler of the Year.

As a senior, Wagner mirrored much of what made her junior campaign memorable. Her lack of postseason nerves remained through her final stints at the districts and the Central Regional, which saw her earn her third District 6 silver and fourth regional silver.

At the PIAA Girls Wrestling Championships, Wagner’s lone win came against three-time PIAA qualifier Octavia Walker, who had previously beaten her at an earlier tournament. The win marked her seventh at states, as she closed out her career at the Giant Center with a positive record of 7-6.

Outside of postseason, Wagner put together a solid regular-season catalog. She claimed home gold in the team’s debut tournament at the Lady Phoenix Christmas Classic, silver at the Williamsport Showcase (27 teams), bronze at the Bald Eagle Invite (40 teams) and fourth at Queen of the Dam (18 teams).

CHRIS MANNING/For The Express Central Mountain’s Kendall Wagner competes on Day 1 of the PIAA girls wrestling championships in Hershey this past March.

On the campaign, Wagner finished with 26-9 record and won 74 percent of her bouts. Of her 26 wins, all 26 featured bonus points, including 15 pins and a career-high four tech falls. She also posted a positive record of 4-1 against returning state qualifiers, most notably pinning eventual two-time PIAA medalist Kate Prior at regionals.

In the still newly sanctioned sport, Wagner set career marks that will be difficult for area athletes to surpass.

On top of her number of state wins and postseason silvers, she finished her high school career as a two-time PIAA medalist, posting her highest placement in bronze as a junior – an area best. Through four seasons, she accumulated 97 wins and 71 pins – both area bests, capping things off with a career record of 97-31 and win rate just under 76 percent.

With those accomplishments, Wagner heads into her next chapter with the most decorated career in the area’s very early history of PIAA girls wrestling. Her next chapter will take place at Lock Haven, where she officially committed in early April. Central Mountain head coach Dylan Caprio expects big things from her there, as she looks to apply what she’s learned in high school to the next level.

“You’ve got great wrestling that’s going to come ahead, and it’s because you’re receptive, a coachable kid, and you work hard,” Caprio told Wagner following her states run. “Winning on Thursday and taking third last year, that’s not the best wrestling she’s done yet.”

FRANK DIMON/For The Express Bellefonte’s Bailee Scott wrestles at 155 pounds against Jersey Shore’s Isabella Gottschall during the Central Regional girls wrestling championships this year. cott was named the Express’ Most Improved Wrestler for the 2025-26 season. Gottschall, also pictured, was named to the Express all-star team.

Apart from Wagner, Bellefonte sophomore Bailee Scott and Jersey Shore junior Isabella Gottschall were also considered for this year’s award. Each head into next season as very early candidates for the next.

EXPRESS GIRLS WRESTLING ALL-STARS

Lily Spicer, Bald Eagle

(100 pounds)

Lily Spicer took a promising debut campaign as a junior and built on it as a senior. In coming close to doubling her previous win total, she showed that last year’s late spark wasn’t a fluke, earning a spot on the Express all-star team for a second straight season as a result.

FRANK DIMON/For The Express Sugar Valley’s Pyper Lane was named Express Breakout Newcomer of the Year.

The Penn State Altoona commit turned eight competitive wins as a junior into 14 in the run back, finishing second on Bald Eagle in competitive wins, and compiling a winning record of 16-13. Of her 14 competitive victories, ten were by pin and one was by tech fall.

For the second straight season, she finished fourth at the District 5/6/9 tournament and qualified for regionals. She did fall short of a second straight blood round at this year’s Central Regional, but she still managed to pick up a win against District 2 runner-up Matilda Serrano at the event.

Outside of postseason, she took fifth at the stacked, 40-team Bald Eagle Invite in late January.

She bounced back from a tough, 2-4 start to the season, going 9-5 through the month of January. Ultimately, she closed out her two-season high school with two winning seasons, district medals, two regional appearances and three regional victories, finishing with a career record of 30-25, win rate of 54% and 17 pins.

Emma Scarborough-Perez, Central Mountain

(106 pounds)

After struggling with injuries as a junior, Central Mountain senior Emma Scarborough-Perez showed what she could do mostly healthy in the run back. The result was arguably the best season of her four-year high school career, one which saw her make it all the way to regionals.

At the District 5/6/9 tournament, Scarborough-Perez was one late adjustment away from earning bronze at 106, turning a late 13-1 deficit against Redbank Valley’s Breanna Crawford into a near pin. Not one to shy away from adversity, that match was a great example of what she brought to the table for the Wildcats.

In taking fourth at districts, she finished her high school career as a regional qualifier and put together the best postseason of her three seasons competing under PIAA sanctions. She won more competitive bouts than she lost as well, closing with a 14-12 record, 13 competitive victories, nine pins and a tech fall.

While her career was tumultuous, Scarborough-Perez never stopped grinding for improvements and wins. She finished her career with a 45-45 record, two district medals and a PIAA regional appearance. And outside of PIAA sanctions, she qualified for states as a freshman.

Pyper Lane, Sugar Valley

(112 pounds)

BREAKOUT NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Sugar Valley freshman Pyper Lane certainly hit the ground running to kick off her career. She wrapped up her first season as a regional qualifier and should give Sugar Valley fans plenty to be excited about heading into the future.

To secure her Central Regional bid at districts, Lane first edged out Line Mountain’s Reese Kieffer to reach consolation semifinals. Two matches later, she was posting a pin in the 112-pound fifth-place bout, earning a District 4 medal in her first crack while keeping her season alive.

Even in her regional stint, which ended 0-2, Lane was dangerously close to a come-from-behind victory in her debut, facing one of the bracket’s top seeds in returning state qualifier Gia Silva no less. It’s a performance that hints at potential when it comes to the future.

Outside of postseason, Lane also saw success at multiple regular-season tournaments. She claimed bronze at the first tournament of her high school career in the Lady Phoenix Christmas Classic, added another third-place finish at the Juniata Girls Tournament and finished sixth at the Williamsport Showcase.

On the season, the freshman closed things out with a 20-12 record and win rate just above 62 percent. Of her 20 wins, 17 were by fall, a number not many area athletes surpassed despite having more experience.

That campaign earned her this year’s award for Breakout Newcomer of the Year. With three more seasons, the sky is the limit for the Sugar Valley wrestler.

Addison Tice*, Bald Eagle

(118 pounds)

Prior to a tough postseason, Bald Eagle sophomore Addison Tice was on quite the tear. She entered districts among the top of the area in wins, finishing as one of three area wrestlers to surpass 25 victories on the season.

Ultimately, three straight losses halted a promising postseason in its tracks, as she finished sixth at the District 5/6/9 tournament to fall one win short of regionals. However, even in defeat, she managed to build off her Newcomer of the Year campaign in a lot of ways.

Throughout the season, Tice placed at every tournament she competed in, earning her second straight title at the Lady Phoenix Christmas Classic and taking fifth at the BEA Invite, sixth at the Curwensville Girls Tournament and seventh at Mid-Winter Mayhem.

In a more jam-packed season than the last, the sophomore built on practically every metric. She finished with a 25-11 record, upping her win total by eight, competitive win total by nine and win rate by four percent. And outside of a career high in wins, she also set new watermarks in pins (19) and bonus-point victories (21).

She’s one of four wrestlers throughout a 41-match campaign to go the distance against two-time state medalist Iris Reitz, another bullet point amidst a boat load revolving around potential. Through two seasons, she’s compiled a record of 42-20 and two district medals and heads into her junior campaign with added motivation.

Carly Bair, Bellefonte

(124 pounds)

Carly Bair’s first two seasons of high school career were similar in a lot of ways. They featured the same heartbreak at their conclusions, one win short of a regional bid. But they also featured a solid amount of success.

After missing a month of action early in the season, the Bellefonte sophomore set the tone in a big way in her return, taking eight to finish as the lone Red Raider to place at the 47-team Southern Tier Memorial tournament. She’d go on to place fourth at the Southern Huntingdon Tournament, sixth at the Williamsport Showcase and sixth at districts, rounding out a strong tournament resume.

On paper, her 14-14 record could be seen as a slight step back, but it came amidst an uptick in competition. She pinned two returning regional qualifiers throughout the season, including one against three-time regional medalist Ariahna Moore, and finished with 13 pins.

While neither season has ended the way she wanted them to, she remains a standout within a strong 2027 class at Bellefonte. Through two seasons, she’s compiled a career record of 31-25, win rate of 55 percent and 29 pins. She’s right on the cusp of new heights, so it’ll be interesting to see if she can finally make that jump as a junior.

Aiyana Henninger, Bald Eagle

(130 pounds)

Though her strong freshman campaign was cut short, Aiyana Henninger had still left her mark when it was all said and done. Like her teammate, Addison Tice, Henninger grew up wrestling alongside her brother, which has paid off in a big way.

The Eagle hit the ground running with a pin in her high school debut before going on to establish herself among the team’s most consistent wrestlers. Through 23 matches, she compiled a record of 14-9 while only being granted one win by forfeit. Of her 13 competitive wins, all 13 were secured by pin.

In three regular-season tournaments, she never left an event without a win. She placed sixth at the Curwensville Girls Tournament while falling one win short of medals at Mid-Winter Mayhem and the Bald Eagle Invite. And in all three of the team’s dual wins, she granted it six points by way of pin.

Even without a postseason to fully gauge where she’s at, Henninger has set the stage for what could be an exciting career. It’ll be interesting to see how she builds on it.

Victoria Schellenberg, Bellefonte

(136 pounds)

Like Henninger, Bellefonte senior Victoria Schellenberg saw her 2025-26 campaign cut short just as it seemed to be picking up steam. Nonetheless, what she was able to accomplish prior to the untimely end to her season was enough to land her on this year’s all-star team.

In her lone tournament at 136, the Red Raider showed tremendous promise, winning three straight bouts through consolations – including one over returning regional qualifier Jordana Steffen – to take fifth at the 40-team Bald Eagle Invite. She also took bronze at the Lady Phoenix Christmas Classic, bouncing back in similar fashion with back-to-back wins.

It isn’t the most decorated all-star resume, the lone to lack both a postseason bullet point and double-digit wins, but Schellenberg stood out within her weight class, nonetheless. She finished the season with a 7-9 record, with all seven wins coming by pin, and closed out her career with 15 competitive victories and 14 falls.

Austynn Falls, Central Mountain

(142 pounds)

Even in heartbreak, Central Mountain junior Austynn Falls once again put together one of the strongest campaigns in the area. For the third straight season, the Wildcat managed to surpass 20 competitive wins and medal at both districts and regionals, ultimately falling just one win short of back-to-back trips to Hershey.

There were points throughout the season where Falls seemed unstoppable, as she opened with six first-period pins and won 12 straight before dropping her first match. That span featured a Lady Phoenix Christmas Classic title, a 6-0 showing at Queen of the Mountain Duals and a fourth place showing at the Curwensville Girls Tournament.

Falls rounded out her regular season by claiming gold at the Queen of the Dam Tournament before carrying that momentum into postseason. For the second straight season, she earned district silver before making it all the way to the championship semifinals at the Central Regional.

While three heartbreaking losses followed, two which prevented a PIAA bid, the junior still excelled on her way there. She finished with a 21-6 record, winning 78 percent of her matches, and she was among the area’s pin leaders with 20.

Falls heads into her senior campaign with a chance to make program and area history, standing just 27 wins away from becoming the first area wrestler to surpass 100 career wins with a record of 73-20. She’ll be among next year’s Girls Wrestler of the Year candidates as well.

Alana Rhodes, Central Mountain

(148 pounds)

In a season headlined by high expectations for three of its standouts, Central Mountain got an added bonus in the quick emergence of Alana Rhodes. The junior hit the ground running in her first season of varsity wrestling, immediately proving herself among the top of the district and earning a spot on this year’s all-star team.

Despite a lack of varsity experience, Rhodes was able to prosper under the heightened pressure of her debut postseason. She not only went 3-1 at districts to take home bronze and clinch a regional bid, but also built on it one week later, going 2-2 to reach the blood round with wins over multiple returning district medalists.

In a regular season featuring ups and downs, Rhodes took home hardware in the team’s last regular-season tournament in the Williamsport Showcase with a fifth-place finish, perhaps foreshadowing what would come three weeks later.

On the season, Rhodes finished with a winning record of 17-14 and win rate just under 55 percent. 13 of her 17 wins came by pin, one occurred by tech fall and three came against returning regional qualifiers. In terms of setting the tone, Rhodes certainly has heading into her senior campaign.

Bailee Scott, Bellefonte

(155 pounds)

MOST IMPROVED

Coming off a disappointing conclusion to her freshman campaign, Bellefonte sophomore Bailee Scott used those shortcomings as motivation to work to improve over the offseason. The result was her clearing multiple coveted barriers in the run back, producing one of the strongest runs in the area.

In just her second season, Scott went from a perennial regional qualifier as a freshman to qualifying for states as a sophomore. Her regular season itself was checkered with ups and downs, but she rose to the occasion when it mattered most.

At the Central Regional, Scott overcame one of her biggest obstacles in Jersey Shore’s Isabella Gottschall, defeating her for the first time in three matchups. She’d then secure her PIAA bid with a pin two bouts later, going on to finish her regional debut in fourth. She also claimed bronze at districts a week earlier – the highest placement of her career.

Outside of postseason, the Bellefonte sophomore also took home hardware at multiple regular season tournaments.

She claimed a title at the team’s debut tournament in the Lady Phoenix Christmas Classic, took silver at the Williamsport Showcase and finished fourth at both the Curwensville Girls Tournament and Bald Eagle Invite, placing top four in all but one event.

On the season, Scott finished with a 21-15 record and win rate just above 58 percent. Of her 21 wins, 19 came by pin and ten came against returning regional qualifiers, with one of both coming against two-time PIAA medalist Makayla Taylor. She heads into her junior campaign as an immediate candidate for next year’s Girls Wrestler of the Year award.

Isabella Gottschall*, Jersey Shore

(170 pounds)

It’s been a brutal two-year stretch of postseason for Jersey Shore junior Isabella Gottschall, marred by two heartbreaking finishes at regionals and what-could-have-beens. However, that doesn’t diminish the fact that she’s one of the – if not the – top returning girls wrestler in the area.

As a junior, Gottschall took home her second District 4 championship without seeing a second period, falling nine seconds short of three sub-minute pins in a run of pure dominance. It ultimately didn’t carry over the regionals, where she finished 1-2, but that districts run was more reflective of her capabilities.

Apart from districts, her claim to fame was a memorable run at the Bald Eagle Invite, where she pinned fellow all-star Bailee Scott and eventual two-time state medalist Makayla Taylor on her way to gold. That run was her first at 155 no less, her eventual postseason weight class.

She also took home titles at the Jarvis Tournament, Lady Phoenix Christmas Classic and Williamsport Showcase, never finishing a regular-season tournament without gold. Overall, her regular season was the most spotless in the area, only featuring two losses to returning PIAA qualifiers.

On the season, Gottschall finished with a 26-4 record, leading the area in win rate at just under 87 percent while tying for first in wins. She also wrapped things up with an area high in pins with 24.

Heading into her senior season, Gottschall has the potential to make noise at the Giant Center come March of 2027. It’s just a matter of putting it together at Milton.

Ashlyn Miller, Central Mountain

(190 pounds)

While the season didn’t end the way she wanted it to, Central Mountain senior Ashlyn Miller still closed out her career having put her best foot forward. On top of reaching a district final and regional tournament for the third straight season, she also cleared one hurdle in the former, taking home her first career district title in her last shot.

In her run at the District 5/6/9 tournament, Miller never saw a second period, clinching district gold behind two first-period pins. She’d go on to pick up a win at the Central Regional before falling a few wins short of states, with questionable officiating impacting the run.

Outside of postseason, Miller placed at every regular-season tournament she competed at. She claimed silver at the Lady Phoenix Christmas Classic and Queen of the Dam, bronze at the Williamsport Showcase and fifth at the Bald Eagle Invite.

On the season, Miller finished with a record of 22-9, win rate of 71 percent and 13 pins, surpassing 20 wins and ten pins and winning over 70 percent of her bouts for the second straight season.

She’s been a staple for the team since debuting in varsity as a sophomore, closing with a career record of 62-30 and 36 pins while racking up numerous postseason accolades. As a Wildcat, she finished as a three-time district finalist and regional qualifier, taking home a regional medal as a sophomore and district title as a senior.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

(In alphabetical order)

Julia Hartman, Central Mountain (136); Aaliyah Hopkins, Sugar Valley (118); Abby Immel, Sugar Valley (100); Ella Johnsonbaugh, Bellefonte (142); Aaralynn Kimble, Jersey Shore (124); Arianna Mayes, Bald Eagle (106); Taylor Ross, Jersey Shore (148).

* — moved from postseason weight