THE SPORTS REPORTS: TIOGA'S TOOMEY, NEB'S KOLESAR NAMED 'GIRLS WRESTLERS OF THE YEAR;' TOWANDA'S SLUYTER, ATHENS' NASON, BARRETT ALSO EARN ALL-REGION TOP HONORS (April 28, 2026)

The Sports Reports
Tioga junior Amelia Toomey won a state title, and Northeast Bradford senior Anaiah Kolesar won her fourth state medal in her fourth different weight class to cap a very good girls wrestling season in the Region. They are The Sports Reports / Ziff Law Firm All-Region "Wrestlers of the Year."

Toomey was the eighth-seed at the New York State Girls Wrestling Championships, and ended up on the top step of the podium as state champion.

Toomey posted a 42-2 record on her way to the 138-pound state title. She won her final 33 matches of the season, and was 11-0 in the postseason with four pins and six technical falls.

On the season, Toomey registered 21 falls, and 17 technical falls.

Kolesar finished the season with a 40-3 record, with 26 pins and seven technical falls. At one point, she won 26 consecutive matches.

During the postseason, she was 9-2 with four pins and three technical falls. She won her second District 4 title, and her second Central Region championship.

Kolesar reached the PIAA 130-pound semi-finals before finishing fourth for the for the third straight year. She was seventh as a freshman.

Sluyter posted a 36-9 record with 26 pins and six technical falls.

Sluyter placed third at the District 4 Championships, and fourth at the Central Region Championships to punch her ticket to Sates, where she 1-2 in the 112-pound bracket at the PIAA Championships.

Bly posted a 39-5 record on the season, with 28 pins and three technical falls.

Bly was 20-11, and finished third at the Section IV Championships in 2025.

She won a Section IV title, and finished fourth at the New York State Championships in the 235-pound bracket.

Beach posted a 35-5 record on the season, with 22 pins and nine technical falls.

Beach won the Section IV Championships, and placed fifth in the 120-pound bracket at the New York State Championships.

Nason posted a 29-6 record with 25 pins on the season.

Nason won her third District 4 title, placed third at the Central Region Championships, and placed seventh at the PIAA Championships.

Vesek was 39-7 on the season, with 233 pins and two technical falls. She placed third at the Section IV Championships.

Vesek was 20-14 in 2025 and did not place at the Section IV Championships.

In his first year at the helm, Barrett led Athens to a 2-1 duals record, but, more importantly, to team titles at the Jarvis Tournament, the Panther Holiday Classic, and the Williamsport Classic during the regular season, as well as second-place finishes at the rugged Queen of the Hive, the Curwensville Tournament, and the Coal Cracker Invite.

During the postseason, Athens finished fourth at the District 4 Championships, and won a team title at the Central Region Championships. The Wildcats qualified four wrestlers for States, with seniors Leah Nason and Hanna Rathbun each bringing home seventh-place medals.

2025-26 ALL-REGION GIRLS WRESTLING
Wrestler of the Year: Amelia Toomey, junior, Tioga, and Anaiah Kolesar, Northeast Bradford.

Newcomer of Year: Kaylen Sluyter, freshman, Towanda.

Lightweight Wrestler of the Year: Tayah Beach, senior, SVEC.

Middleweight Wrestler of the Year: Amelia Toomey, junior, Tioga, and Anaiah Kolesar, Northeast Bradford.

Heavyweight Wrestler of the Year: Leah Nason, senior, Athens

Breakout Wrestler of the Year: Elisas Bly, sophomore Horseheads:

Most Improved Wrestler of the Year: Lily Vesek, sophomore, Horseheads: from 20-14 to  39-7

Coach of the Year: Athens' Donnie Barrett.

2025-26 All-Region Girls Wrestling 
FIRST TEAM
Lightweights (94 pounds to 120 pounds)
Tayah Beach, senior, SVEC: See above.

Kaylen Sluyter, freshman, Towanda: See above.

Emma Vanderhoof, senior, Waverly: Vanderhoof posted a 37-11 record, with 24 pins and nine technical falls.

Vanderhoof placed second at the Section IV Championships, and was 202 and States.

Joyce Clink, junior, Athens: Clink posted a 33-9 record with 24 pins and one technical fall.

She finished third at the District 4 Championships, and third at the Central Region Championships. She was 0-2 at States.

Hadley Merrill, 8th-grader, Newark Valley: Merrill posted a 21-10 record on the season, with eight pins and nine technical falls.

She won an IAC title, and followed that up with a Section IV title, punching her ticket to States, while she finished 0-2 in the 94-pound bracket.

Lauren Mahon, freshman, Corning: Mahon was 34-5, with 18 pins and eight technical falls in a season that was shortened by injuries.

Middleweights (124 pounds to 145 pounds)
Amelia Toomey, junior, Tioga: See above.

Anaiah Kolesar, senior, Northeast Bradford: See above.

Hanna Rathbun, senior, Athens: Rathbun posted a 38-7 record with 34 pins and one technical fall. Three of her losses were to NEB's Anaiah Kolesar, who finished fourth at States.

She placed second at the District 4 and Central Region Championships, and placed seventh at States.

Lily Vesek, sophomore Horseheads: See above.

Atlantis Cherry, junior, Elmira: Cherry posted a 36-11 record on the season, with 28 pins and five technical falls.

She finished third at the Section IV Championships.

Memphis Paul, sophomore, Athens: Paul posted a 24-9 record not he season with 17 pins and four technical falls.

She was 2-2 at the District 4 Championships.

Heavyweights (148 to 235 pounds)
Leah Nason, senior, Athens: See above.

Kyah Nelson, sophomore, Tioga: Despite an 0-5 start due to injury defaults at the U-E Tradesman Tournament, Nelson finished the season with 21-9 record, with 15 pins and four technical falls.

Nelson, who lost the Section IV and State finals to U-E's Teagan McGuinness, was a Section IV and State runner-up. She also lost to McGuinnes in the finals at the Southern Tier Memorial and the Windsor Lady Knights Invite.

Elissa Bly, sophomore, Horseheads: See above.

Abigail Wagner, junior, Athens: Wagner posted a 27-9 record with 20 pin falls. She placed second at the District 4 Championships, and fifth at the Central Region Championships.

Skylynn Payne, freshman, Athens: Payne posted a 27-8 record, including 24 falls and one technical fall, and was a PIAA state qualifier.

Payne finished fourth at the District 4 Championships, and third at the Central Region Championships. She was 0-2 at States.

Ayvah Coker, freshman, Elmira: Coker was 31-13 on the season, with 19 pins and two technical falls.

She finished fourth at the Section IV Championships.

SECOND TEAM
Lightweights (94 pounds to 120 pounds)
Sonya Dordoni, sophomore, Horseheads: Dordoni was 37-11 on the season, with 31 pins and three technical falls.

She finished fourth at the New York State Championships.

Michaela Daly, freshman, Owego: Daly posted a 28-13 record on the season, with 20 pins and six technical falls.

She finished third in the Section IV Championships.    

Alea Hartford, junior, Elmira: Hartford was 27-14 on the season, with 18 pins and four technical falls.

She finished third at the Section IV Championships.

Lilly Gullo, freshman, Horseheads: Gullo was 29-12 on the season, with 23 pins and three technical falls.

She finished fourth at the Section IV Championships.

Dariela Reyes Ramirez, sophomore, Northeast Bradford: Reyes Ramirez posted a 24-15 record with 21 pins on the season.

She placed fourth at the District 4 Championships, and was 0-2 at the Central Region Championships.

Ashley Crawford-Bauer, senior, Owego: Crawford-Bauer posted a 24-13 record on the season, with 23 pins.

She finished 2-2 at the Section IV Championships.

Alyssa Rinebold, sophomore, Athens: Rinebold posted a 22-13 record this season with 21 pin falls. 

She finished fourth at the District 4 Championships, and was 0-2 at the Central Region Championships.

Taylor Zufall, sophomore, SVEC: Zufall posted a 21-11 record on the season, with nine pins and nine technical falls.

She won an IAC title, and went 1-2 at the Section IV Championships.

Middleweights (124 pounds to 145 pounds)
Gianna Zieniuk, freshman, Waverly: Zieniuk posted a 33-18 record with 19 pins and 10 technical falls.

She placed fourth at the Section IV Championships.

Amelia Wright, 7th-grader, Waverly: Wright posted a 34-16 record on the season, with 31 pins and two technical falls.

She placed third at the Section IV Championships.

RaeAnne Craft, senior, Owego: Craft posted a 19-2 record in an injury-shortened season, with 11 pins and five technical falls.

Isla Twoey, sophomore, Wellsboro: Twoey posted a 23-10 record on the season, with 18 pins and one technical fall.

She finished sixth at the District 4 Championships.

Chelsey Renninger, freshman, Athens: Renninger posted a 20-12 record with 19 pins and one technical fall.

She was 1-2 at the District 4 Championships.

Kenzie Brown, sophomore, Towanda: Brown posted a 21-14 record on the season with 17 pins.

She placed fifth at the District 4 Championships, and was 1-2 at the Central Region Championships.

Heavyweights (148 to 235 pounds)
Elona Holmes, senior, Waverly: Holmes, who saw her season end in late January due to injury, posted a 25-9 record, with 22 pins.

Isabella King, sophomore, Newark Valley: King posted a 21-8 record on the season, with 19 pins.

She finished fourth at the Section IV Championships.

Ava Northrup, sophomore, Corning: Northrup was 31-15 on the season, with 21 pins and four technical falls.

She finished fourth at the Section IV Championships.

Elizabeth Naughton, junior, Towanda: Naughton posted a 22-13 record with 15 pins and one technical fall.

She was 1-2 at the District 4 Championships.

Kendal Cook, freshman, Towanda: Cook was 23-17 on the season with 19 pins and one technical fall.

She placed fifth at the District 4 Championships, and was 0-2 at the Central Region Championships.

Phoebe Bowen, freshman, Wellsboro: Bowen posted a 21-13 record on the season with 17 pins.

She finished sixth at the District 4 Championships.

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