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All six Lebanon County girls wrestling programs made the trip to Manheim Township High School on Saturday for the District 3 South Central Regional Championships, where the stakes were simple — a regional podium was good, but a top-four finish meant a ticket to Hershey.
By the end of the day, Lebanon County athletes delivered plenty to celebrate. Six LebCo wrestlers reached the podium with top-six finishes, and with only the top four advancing, three Lebanon County wrestlers extended their seasons to the PIAA State Championships, set for March 5th at Hershey’s GIANT Center.
At the top of the list was Kylee Trostle, who continues to be the standard at 112-pounds. The ELCO junior dominated her way to another title, capturing her second South Central Regional Championship and securing her third career trip to States after also winning a regional crown as a freshman.
LebCo added two more State qualifiers behind Trostle’s championship run. Northern Lebanon sophomore Dakota Dengler finished as the regional runner-up at 148-pounds to punch her second straight ticket to Hershey, while Lebanon junior Isabella Poole Martinez placed 4th at 100-pounds to become the first girl in Lebanon program history to qualify for the PIAA State Championships after missing out by one place during her freshman season.
Just as impressive was the depth behind the qualifiers. Cedar Crest sophomores Lily Harchuska (5th, 124-pounds) and Madelyn Shanfelder (5th, 142-pounds) earned their first trips to the Regional podium, while Northern Lebanon senior Anna Lanka closed her career with her first regional medal by finishing 5th at 130-pounds. Annville-Cleona sophomore Kora Wolfe also made history with a 5th-place finish at 136-pounds — the first regional medal by a girls wrestler in program history — and Palmyra added two more medalists in senior Cala Hipple (6th, 112-pounds) and freshman Cadence Manney (6th, 130-pounds).
On the team side, Lebanon County had three programs crack the top 20 in the highly competitive 62-team field, led by Northern Lebanon in 14th, followed by Cedar Crest in 15th and ELCO finishing 19th.
Also of note from the weekend, Central Dauphin has quickly established itself as one of the area’s premier girls wrestling programs — not only piling up individual qualifiers year after year, but now backing it up with team success as well after winning the District 3 team championship. The rise is especially noteworthy for Lebanon County fans because the Rams are led by head coach Jim Collins, the legendary Northern Lebanon wrestler who won the 2001 state championship.
Next up is the final stop: the PIAA Girls Wrestling Championships begin March 5th at Hershey’s GIANT Center, where Lebanon County will be represented by Trostle, Dengler, and Poole Martinez as the road to a state podium begins.
Below are team-by-team recaps.
Team Finish: 44th
Annville-Cleona finished 44th in the team standings, led by a breakthrough podium run from sophomore Kora Wolfe at 136-pounds. Wolfe went 4-2 on the day and became Annville-Cleona’s first girls wrestler to medal at the regional level, carving out a spot on the podium with a gritty bounce-back through the consolation bracket.
After an opening-round loss, Wolfe responded with three straight wins — pinning an opponent in consolation round one, edging a tight decision in the next round, and then adding another fall to reach the consolation semifinals. Wolfe’s run was stopped there, but she finished strong in the placement bout, earning a pin in the fifth-place match to lock up a medal.
Wolfe’s postseason push capped an impressive sophomore campaign, as she finished the year with a 24-10 record and will look to take the next step — breaking through to States — when she returns next season.
Medalists
5th – Kora Wolfe — 136-pounds
Wolfe
Team Finish: 3rd
Cedar Crest placed 15th in the team standings and put together one of Lebanon County’s strongest overall weekends, highlighted by two regional medalists and a deep run of championship-bracket points.
At 124-pounds, sophomore Lily Harchuska went 3-2 on the day and earned a spot on the podium. She opened with a fall, then powered into the semifinals with a major decision in the quarterfinals. After a tight semifinal loss and another tough bout on the backside, Harchuska still finished as a regional medalist, taking fifth place. Harchuska wrapped up an outstanding sophomore season at 34-5.
At 142-pounds, sophomore Madelyn Shanfelder was 4-2 at the tournament and wrestled her way to fifth place. Shanfelder recorded multiple first-period pins to reach the semifinals, then rebounded after a loss to secure her medal with a pin in the fifth-place match. Shanfelder finished the season with a 37-10 record.
Cedar Crest also picked up key points at 155-pounds from sophomore Lilliana Bohn, who opened with a clutch one-point decision in the first round before dropping to the backside. Bohn’s season ended at 33-10, giving the Falcons a trio of underclassmen cornerstones who will be back in the title chase next winter.
Medalists
5th – Lily Harchuska — 124-pounds
5th – Madelyn Shanfelder — 142-pounds
Harchuska
Shanfelder
Bohn
Team Finish: 19th
ELCO finished 19th in the team standings and was paced, once again, by the postseason excellence of junior Kylee Trostle at 112-pounds. Trostle earned her third trip to the PIAA State Championships and added another major chapter to her résumé, winning her second South Central Regional title after also capturing a regional championship as a freshman.
Trostle was dominant throughout the bracket, opening with a 30-second pin, then adding another fall in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, she posted a 15-0 tech fall before closing the tournament in style with a pin in the championship finals.
Behind Trostle, ELCO’s underclass core gained valuable regional experience. At 100-pounds, sophomore Lorelai Boehler (25-8) rebounded from a first-round loss with a decision before being stopped in the next round. At 118-pounds, sophomore Ava Stewart (26-13) fought back with a major decision, but was edged in round two of consolations. Junior Nevaeh Fischer (24-14) battled at 155-pounds, and sophomore Maracelys Morales Sanchez (21-15) competed at 235-pounds in a bracket loaded with depth.
Medalists
1st – Kylee Trostle — 112-pounds*
*Advances to State Championship
2x Regional Champ Kylee Trostle
Team Finish: 40th
Lebanon finished 40th in the team standings, but the headline was a historic breakthrough from junior Isabella Poole Martinez at 100-pounds. Poole Martinez became Lebanon’s first girls wrestler to qualify for the PIAA State Championships, earning her trip to Hershey after coming up one place short of States during her freshman season.
Poole Martinez opened her tournament with a pin, then dropped into the consolation bracket after a quarterfinal loss. From there, she went on a tear — scoring a decision and then stringing together pins to reach the third-place match. Her run ended there, but the fourth-place finish still sealed Lebanon’s first-ever ticket to States.
Lebanon also had junior Nataliah Rodriguez battling at 235-pounds, where she faced a tough draw in the championship bracket and then in consolations, but gained valuable regional experience in a weight class that’s always a grind this time of year.
Medalists
4th – Isabella Poole Martinez — 100-pounds*
*Advances to State Championship
Poole Martinez
Team Finish: 14th
Northern Lebanon finished 14th in the team standings and came away with two regional medalists, led by a runner-up finish from sophomore Dakota Dengler and a breakthrough podium run from Anna Lanka.
At 148-pounds, Dengler powered her way to the championship finals with a dominant weekend that included a first-round tech fall, followed by major decisions in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. In the finals, Dengler was pinned, but her second-place finish still punched her ticket to Hershey. It will be Dengler’s second straight trip to the PIAA State Championships, after she placed fourth at Regionals last season, and she’ll enter States with plenty of momentum despite still being just a sophomore.
At 130-pounds, Lanka opened with a pin and then rolled into the semifinals with a major decision in the quarterfinals. After a setback in the semis and another tough bout in the consolation semifinals, Lanka finished her tournament the way medalists do — pinning an opponent in the fifth-place match to secure her first regional medal. The run was a fitting finish for Lanka, who closed out her senior season at 32-11.
Northern Lebanon also got a postseason effort from senior Sophia Opazo at 100-pounds, who fought through a difficult bracket and battled into the consolation round. Opazo’s season ends with 17 victories, adding another experienced senior presence to a Vikings lineup that had multiple athletes in the mix on the regional stage.
Medalists
2nd – Dakota Dengler — 148-pounds*
5th – Anna Lanka — 130-pounds
*Advances to State Championship
Dakota Dengler
Anna Lanka
Team Finish: 36th
At 112-pounds, senior Cala Hipple closed her season with a podium finish, going 2-3 at the tournament on the way to sixth place. Hipple opened with a major decision and followed with a quarterfinal fall to reach the championship semifinals. After a setback there, Hipple battled into the placement rounds and ultimately secured a regional medal. Hipple finished her senior season with a 23-13 record.
At 130-pounds, freshman Cadence Manney (27-17) also earned a regional medal, putting together a strong response in the consolation bracket. After dropping into consolations, Manney recorded three straight wins — two pins and then a shutout decision — to reach the consolation semifinals. Manney ultimately came up short in her final two bouts, but finished sixth to land on the podium in her first regional trip.
Palmyra also had senior Riley Zettlemoyer battling at 118-pounds. Zettlemoyer, who is committed to York College, wrapped up her high school career with 75 victories, adding another milestone to a senior class that helped push Palmyra’s girls program forward.
Medalists
6th – Cala Hipple — 112-pounds
6th – Cadence Manney — 130-pounds
Cala Hipple
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