The Sports ReportsTioga 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.
