NTL GIRLS' WRESTLING: TOWANDA LOOKING TO MAKE A SPLASH IN YEAR ONE (2024-12-01)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
Towanda girls’ wrestling is looking to take the sport by storm this season as they open their first season as a PIAA sanctioned team. With 20 girls on the roster coach Brock Nichols is excited with how things have gone so far.

“It’s tough to have good practices if you have three or four girls if they’re all 20-30 pounds away from each other, it’s tough,” said Nichols. “So with those numbers that we have in there right now, it’s huge, because you’re going to have somebody that you’re going to wrestle with all year round, that’s going to push you, that’s going to be right around your weight, and your strength level.”

The team does boast a myriad of talent levels, from accomplished wrestlers like JC Allis, to plenty of newcomers.

“A lot of them are the same skill level, too, because we have a lot of new girls, and a lot of girls that have one or two years experience,” remarked Nichols. “Obviously, that helps, because if you’re just getting beat up every day by somebody who’s way more experienced, it’s tough to stay motivated and continue to better yourself.”

Having a full line-up is also good to keep morale up as they’ll be competitive in dual meets and tournament.

“Having huge numbers and being able to fill a line-up, being able to fill for tournaments for points, and trying to win those things, it’s huge,” Nichols said. “So I’m really happy with the turnout.”

The freshman Allis comes in with plenty of state titles under her belt as she looks to get one more.

“I think it’s a good opportunity for girls wrestling, and for it to grow more, and show all the little kids what’s coming up,” she said. “We were just constantly in the room, posting pictures and stuff of the girls having fun in the room, and getting more girls to show up.”

Allis makes no qualms about where she wants to end up at the end of the season, on top of the state podium, especially after watching the first girls’ tournament last season.

“It was a good thing to watch, and know what’s coming,” she said.

She’s been working on her offense this offseason, but also mentally preparing for varsity matches.

“I’m working on not being nervous going out there to wrestle,” remarked Allis.

Another wrestler Nichols is looking to step up will be senior Lillie Maynard.

“She wrestled for the boys a couple years ago,” he said. “She’s won a couple PJW state titles for girls years ago. She’s going to have knock off the rust, but I expect her to be able to do that, and get right back into the swing of things.”

For Maynard, transitioning from boys to girls has been the biggest different.

“The boys were much stronger than what the girls are,” she said. “I feel like it’s a little bit easier, but I’m glad to be here.”

She too is hoping to make it down to Hershey alongside Allis.

“I’m putting in the extra work, and trying hard,” Maynard said. “I’m helping out with my teammates, and just working on putting the extra work in.”

Nichols also sees a lot of room for growth with his newer girls.

“I have a couple other girls that I’m expected to take a jump this year,” he said. “They never really did the youth wrestling, but are big, strong, tough girls that I think are going to take a step up and open some people’s eyes this year.”

The biggest goal for him is to get wins.

“We want to win, winning is fun, losing is not,” he said. “As a team we want to go into these tournaments, and score as many points as we can, and be aggressive.”

If everything goes right they’ll have plenty of wrestlers headed down to Hersey this March.

“Wrestling is a hard sport, and because wrestling’s as hard as it is, you might as well make your goals as big possible,” said Nichols. “There’s no bigger goal than getting a PA state medal. So I would expect every one of my starters, though all 13 weights, to expect and have a goal to finish their season down at Hershey with a medal around their neck.”

ROSTER

Lillie Maynard

Hannah Petty

Shaylynn Morris

Ava Vanderpool

Deztine Matthews

Rayna Roberts

Kaylee Johnson

Elizabeth Naughton

Lylah Bride

Adalee Wecker

Ily Benjamin

JC Allis

Marley Bride

Lyndsey Hudson

Kenzie Brown

Hailey Harbst

Natalyn Morris

Alivia Spicer

Hailey Petrowski

Hayley Larson

SCHEDULE

Dec. 7 at Jarvis Memorial Tournament (Athens), 10 a.m.

Dec. 10 at Montgomery Quad Meet, 5 p.m.

Dec. 14 at Queen of the Hill (Honesdale), 10 a.m.

Dec. 20 at Central Columbia, 4 p.m.

Jan. 4 at Madness at the MACC (Montgomery), 11 a.m.

Jan. 16 at Wellsboro, 6 p.m.

Jan. 18 at Jersey Shore tri-meet, 10 a.m.

Jan. 25 at Bald Eagle Tournament, 9:30 a.m.

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