Sparrows Point Wins Lady Husky Open

Sparrows Point’s Grace Paesch woke up last Friday knowing she was scheduled to participate in The Lady Husky Open at Patterson Mill for the second straight year.

But the 145-pound sophomore also said she “was not feeling my best.”

“It was tough being sick, but I was motivated to put in my best effort,” Paesch said. “I didn’t place at this tournament last year, so that’s what drove me. I knew I wasn't missing it, and I was determined to do better this year.”

Perseverance paid off for Paesch, whose three-pin performance comprised those in 56 and 73 seconds and another in 3:41 of her championship match with freshman Adriana Wambold of Eastern York High of Pennsylvania.

“I was able to push through and come out on top in the end,” Paesch said. “I had mentally prepared myself to go into each match giving it my all.”

Joining Paesch on the victory podium was sophomore teammate Adrianna Torres (190), as the Pointers (88.5 points) edged second-place Manchester Valley (86) by placing seven wrestlers within the top four of their divisions for their program’s first-ever tournament triumph.

Torres used a 25-second pin to reach the finals, where she decked Hereford’s ninth-ranked junior Mia Stevenson with a minute left in their title bout.

“Wrestling girls who have more experience, more titles and a better understanding of the sport pushes me into becoming the wrestler I am today,” Torres said. “This season has been tough so far, but if it weren’t for my teammates and coaches, I would have never had the confidence to win this tournament.”

The Pointers had a runner-up in 10th-ranked sophomore Skylar Leopold (235), with

third place finishes from 12th-ranked junior Tinsley Jones (125) and sophomore Kylie Keffer (140), and fourth-place efforts from senior Hailey Smith (110) and sophomore Alyssa McDonald (155).

“We were very pleased with how the girls competed on Friday. This is a hard-working group that continues to get better. They have lost some heartbreaking duals in the past couple of weeks to some state powers,” Pointers’ coach Mike Whisner said.

“What impressed me the most was that despite injuries and illness that took away a couple of starters, they keep grinding to get better. We filled 13 weight classes, and they all came out and battled.”

Torres is a second-year wrestler who suffered a season-ending collarbone injury as a freshman.

“The Sparrows Point girls wrestling team has an amazing atmosphere, and we showed that at the Lady Husky Open,” Torres said. “Everyone on the team is kind and they’re all hard workers. Winning as a team is going to push every single one of us toward securing the county title as individuals and a team.”

Paesch is a returning Baltimore County champion who placed second at regions. Her record of 17-3 includes a victory over LaPlata’s 10th-ranked junior Lauren Jackson.

“I am so proud of my teammates for their hard work. Everyone has been putting in the work at practices, and I think it showed at The Lady Husky open,” Paesch said. “We were able to get our first-ever team win at a tournament. This program has grown so much in the past two years, and I am excited for what the rest of the season has to bring.”

Leopold is a returning county runner-up, was fourth at regions last season, and placed third at the “Who’s No. 1” Girls’ Tournament at Northeast High two weeks ago.

“This season has shown me how amazing this sport truly is, and how much wrestling means to me. I’m so thankful for the incredible coaches and the people around me who support me and help me become a better wrestler,” Leopold said. “Winning the Lady Husky Open tournament truly showed the potential we have as a team. Our girls wrestling program would love to bring home our first-ever girls county title at Sparrows Point, and to see many of our girls qualify for states as well.”

Jones is looking to improve over last season when she was a runner-up at counties and regions.

“I started wrestling as a freshman and was one of four girls on the team. Since then, the sport has really taken off. I tried my best to recruit as many girls as I could, and now Sparrows Point has the largest girls wrestling team in Baltimore County,” Jones said.

“Wrestling is an individual sport, but it takes a team effort. I am excited to see where the rest of this season takes me as a wrestler. I enjoy the competitiveness of the sport, and I look forward to watching it grow.”

The runner-up Mavericks crowned a pair of champions in top-ranked senior Chloe Chwang (135) and sophomore Abi Nelson (140), as did third-place Hereford in 15th-ranked sophomore Sophia Garbarino (235) and freshman Annie Stutz (125).

A returning fifth place finisher at states, Chwang scored a fall at 2:43 of her title match with Oakdale’s fourth-ranked junior Lyla Ladd, who was a runner-up at The War On The Shore Tournament.

Chwang had reached the finals after a fall in 2:20 and a semifinal, 4-0 decision over Bel Air’s second-ranked sophomore Grace Reilly.

Chwang was a week removed from winning the “Who’s No. 1” tournament, where she scored a title bout fall pin in 5:20 against Reilly, who was sixth at states last year.

Nelson used pins in 75 and 89 seconds to reach her championship bout, where Patterson Mill junior Aubrey Goble succumbed by fall in 3:31.

Garbarino overcame Leopold by 4-1 decision, having also defeated Oakdale senior

Nikki Arnold by 2-1 decision. Leopold also earned a fall in 2:51 against Arnold, who was a runner-up at The War On The Shore Tournament.

Stutz decked all three opponents in 26 seconds, 2:32 and 2:55, the last in her title match with South Carroll junior Rhea Dupre. Stutz’s fall in 2:32 was against Jones.

Other champions were top-ranked Bel Air junior Madison Birth (115), third-ranked Oakdale sophomore Madelyn Hartman (110), fourth-ranked Glen Burnie sophomore Pashince Gregory 100), fifth-ranked Calvert senior Samantha Potter (130), South Carroll sophomore Lexy Davis (120), St. James sophomore Gia Lotsikas (155) and Catoctin junior Jennie Ann Smith (170).

A returning two-time state champion, Birth earned consecutive falls in 75, 67 and 35 seconds, improving her record on the year to 10-4 with nine pins.

Birth’s 35-second pin came in her title bout against Liberty junior Aubrey Ohler, a returning state runner-up who is ranked second at 120 pounds by Legacy Wrestling.

Hartman’s run comprised first-period pins in 14 and 57 seconds to go with a third in 2:27 of her championship bout with Catoctin sophomore Christiana Smith.

A returning fourth-place finisher at states, Hartman’s record improved to 15-3 with 12 pins and two technical falls.

Gregory followed a 43-second pin with a semifinal 9-3 decision and a fall in 5:43 of her title match with eighth-ranked Hereford junior Julia Abel.

Potter nailed down a pin in 1:55, won her semifinal by 11-2 major decision, and dominated Patterson Mill’s top-ranked Kylie Buehler by 19-4 technical fall in the finals. Buehler was a week removed from winning the “Who’s No. 1” Girls’ Tournament.

Davis used pins in 3:45 and 4:26 to reach the finals, where she earned an overtime, 6-3 decision over Glen Burnie junior Mia Campos. Campos won her semifinal by 2-0 decision over Calvert’s 14th-ranked senior Serenity Sowers.

Lotsikas earned a 62-second pin and a 12-2 major decision and a pin at 2:49 of her title match with Calvert sophomore Allahna Brown.

Smith earned a pair of falls, the first in 3:14 and the second in 2:54 of her championship bout with Calvert sophomore Ashley Wilson.

Patterson Mill Lady Husky Open Team Scores

1 Sparrows Point 88.5

2 Manchester Valley 86.0

3 Hereford 78.0

4 Oakdale 70.0

5 Calvert 69.0

6 South Carroll 59.0

7 Eastern York Hs, PA 57.5

8 Patterson Mill 49.0

9 Catoctin 37.0

10 Bel Air 35.0

11 Glen Burnie 31.0

12 St. James School, MD 28.0

13 Liberty 22.0

14 Perryville 21.0

15 Aberdeen 13.0

15 John Carroll 13.0

17 Fallston 8.0

18 Guilford Park 7.0

18 Havre de Grace 7.0

18 North Harford 7.0

21 C. Milton Wright 2.0

22 Northwestern 1

100

1st Place Match

Pashince Gregory (Glen Burnie) 11-3, So. over Julia Abel (Hereford) 10-3, Jr. (Fall 5:43)

3rd Place Match

Michaelynn Gillespie (Perryville) 4-1, Fr. over Saanvi Bethu (Oakdale) 11-8, Fr. (Fall 3:11)

105

1st Place Match

Ciara Mobley (Eastern York Hs) 7-5, Fr. over Hadley Rice (Oakdale) 6-13, So. (TF-1.5 3:47 (20-5))

3rd Place Match

Chloe Utz (Hereford) 3-1, . over Chesney Gilmore (North Harford) 2-2, . (Fall 2:37)

110

1st Place Match

Madelyn Hartman (Oakdale) 18-3, So. over Bryanna Nolt (Eastern York Hs) 6-10, Fr. (Fall 0:57)

3rd Place -

Bryanna Nolt (Eastern York Hs) 6-10, Fr. over Hailey Smith (Sparrows Point) 3-7, Sr. (Fall 0:26)

115

1st Place Match

Madison Birth (Bel Air) 7-0, Jr. over Aubrey Ohler (Liberty) 8-3, Jr. (Fall 0:35)

3rd Place Match

Izzy Snyder (Manchester Valley) 13-8, Jr. over Johonna Marroquin (Calvert) 4-3, Jr. (Fall 3:41)

120

1st Place Match

Lexy Davis (South Carroll) 4-1, So. over Mia Campos (Glen Burnie) 6-6, Jr. (SV-1 6-3)

3rd Place Match

Arabella Leonard (Manchester Valley) 7-5, So. over Serenity Sowers (Calvert) 6-4, Sr. (Dec 5-1)

125

1st Place Match

Annie Stutz (Hereford) 15-2, Fr. over Rhea Dupre (South Carroll) 4-1, Jr. (Fall 2:55)

3rd Place Match

Tinsley Jones (Sparrows Point) 16-6, Jr. over Elliana Grubb (Manchester Valley) 8-7, Fr. (Fall 2:21)

130

1st Place Match

Samantha Potter (Calvert) 11-0, Sr. over Kylie Buehler (Patterson Mill) 18-2, So. (TF-1.5 3:54 (19-4))

3rd Place Match

Brynn Ryan (Manchester Valley) 17-2, Sr. over Diamond Bailey (Eastern York Hs) 9-6, Sr. (Fall 0:22)

135

1st Place Match

Chloe Chwang (Manchester Valley) 17-0, Sr. over Lyla Ladd (Oakdale) 18-3, Jr. (Fall 2:43)

3rd Place Match

Grace Reilly (Bel Air) 10-4, So. over Lillyana Rodriguez (Aberdeen) 4-2, . (Fall 1:00)

140

1st Place Match

Abi Nelson (Manchester Valley) 9-7, So. over Aubrey Goble (Patterson Mill) 10-7, Jr. (Fall 3:31)

3rd Place Match

Kylie Keffer (Sparrows Point) 13-7, So. over Marrisa Reidlbauer (Fallston) 5-8, So. (Fall 1:19)

145

1st Place

Grace Paesch (Sparrows Point) 17-3, So. over Adriana Wambold (Eastern York Hs) 8-9, Fr. (Fall 3:41)

3rd Place - Allie Alvarez of South Carroll

Allie Alvarez (South Carroll) 4-6, Jr. over Clara Larsen (C. Milton Wright) 0-3, So. (Fall 1:50)

155

1st Place Match

Gia Lotsikas (St. James School) 9-9, So. over Allahna Brown (Calvert) 5-5, So. (Fall 2:49)

3rd Place Match

Ladina Koller (Catoctin) 4-2, Jr. over Alyssa McDonald (Sparrows Point) 8-10, So. (MD 8-0)

170

1st Place Match

Jennie Ann Smith (Catoctin) 7-3, Sr. over Ashley Wilson (Calvert) 4-2, So. (Fall 2:54)

3rd Place Match

Brooklyn Nager (John Carroll) 5-3, Sr. over Maddy Tetlow (South Carroll) 5-6, Jr. (Fall 4:32)

190

1st Place Match

Adrianna Torres (Sparrows Point) 7-3, So. over Mia Stevenson (Hereford) 11-3, Jr. (Fall 5:00)

3rd Place Match

Joendy Ruiz-Sierra (Patterson Mill) 7-4, Jr. over Macy DeHaan (South Carroll) 6-5, Sr. (Fall 3:30)

235

Round 1

Sophia Garbarino (Hereford) 5-4, So. over Nikki Arnold (Oakdale) 12-6, . (Dec 2-1)

Round 2

Sophia Garbarino (Hereford) 5-4, So. over Skylar Leopold (Sparrows Point) 16-5, So. (Dec 4-1)

Round 3

Skylar Leopold (Sparrows Point) 16-5, So. over Nikki Arnold (Oakdale) 12-6, . (Fall 2:51)