This winter, the Shaler Area Girls Wrestling team made its debut on the mat. Despite being a brand new program, the Titans were able to show off some impressive skill over the course of the season.
Girls wrestling has been growing in popularity for the past few years. High schools around Pennsylvania, as well as colleges around the country, have begun to add girls wrestling teams as more athletes become interested in the sport. According to head coach Mr. Rob Taylor, the Titans’ program was created after a student suggested the idea to him.
“This all began with Coach D’Agostino, the boys’ head wrestling coach, who was speaking with Lilly Conner about her desire to start a girls’ wrestling team,” Taylor said. “Later that day, Lilly came to me with her pitch. She walked into my room, looked me straight in the eye, and asked, ‘Are you going to start a girls’ team?’ I was totally caught off guard and, without thinking, responded, ‘Yes.’ I then spoke with our Athletic Director, Mr. Rauscher, who said, “If you can get at least eight girls, I’ll take it to the school board.” A week later, I hosted an informational meeting, and two weeks after that, we held our first off-season workout.”
While Taylor only needed eight girls to start the team, the new wrestling program drew interest from more than a dozen.
“We started with fourteen girls,” Taylor said. “And by the end of the season, we had an incredible inaugural year with all of them. “
The team opened its season with a second place finish at the Southwest Kickoff Classic, before beating Kiski Area 42-27 in the first dual meet of the year. The match against Kiski, while early in the season, proved to be one of the highlights of the year.
“The atmosphere was electric,” Taylor said. “The girls were nervous but ready to take on the challenge. Every match was historic and filled with excitement as we went back and forth throughout the dual, with the girls battling and competing in every moment.”
Later in the season, the team traveled to the Phillipsburg Lady Mounties Invitational. Despite a step up in the skill of opponents, the Titans were able to secure a second place finish.
“It was a great opportunity for the girls to bond as a team while also facing some tough competition,” Taylor said. “They competed fiercely all day, and the team score went back and forth throughout the event.”
Standouts for the team included freshman Blythe Letters, senior Haylie Russano and freshman Charlotte Paladin. Letters, despite being a freshman, was the only wrestler on the team to qualify for the state tournament.
“I didn’t really expect it,” Letters said. “I didn’t know what to expect this year, but I’m glad it went the way it did.”
Longtime Titan wrestling fans will notice Letters’ familiar name. Her father, Troy, was one of the boys wrestling team’s most accomplished wrestlers, going 38-0 in his senior year. He went on to wrestle at Lehigh University, winning a Division 1 National Championship in 2004. With a reputation like that, it would be easy for Letters to feel pressure to live up to her father.
“Sometimes,” Letters said. “But he’s always cheering me on, so not too much.”
According to Taylor, the team’s tenacity was one of their biggest strengths.
“Wrestling is a sport that demands a lot, both physically and mentally,” Taylor said. “The dedication, grit, and determination these girls showed throughout the season was nothing short of inspiring.”
The team will look to build on the strong foundation that it created in its inaugural season. With a team full of first-year wrestlers, the Titans should only improve going forward.
“We want to continue improving, pushing each athlete to reach their full potential,” Taylor said. “Our ultimate goal is to get every girl to the State tournament and help them place, showing how far they can go with hard work, dedication, and support from the entire team. We’re just getting started, and the future looks bright.”
