Plum’s girls wrestling team shows improvement in early-season matches

By: Michael Love
Saturday, January 7, 2023 | 11:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

The Plum School District sanctioned girls wrestling in June — the 47th district to do so in Pennsylvania — and since then, the program has made significant strides. Its wrestlers, coach Dave Miller said, are making progress both in the practice room and on the competition mat.

“I first saw them on the mat in the fall, and they’ve improved so much since then,” Miller said.

“For some of them, it was their first-ever time on the mat. With the competitions and getting in matches, it has allowed them to see the intensity of wrestling. They don’t see that as much in the practice room. There’s a lot of excitement in the program, and it is really growing.”

Team members met for workouts throughout the fall before official practices began in November. They tested their mettle at a scrimmage at Saegertown on Dec. 6.

Powerade at Canon-McMillan was the setting Dec. 28 for the team’s first competition as four wrestlers — juniors Madison Pickett (126) and Emma Scatena (126), sophomore Emma Leiendecker (138) and freshman Saphia Davis (114) — were a part of the high school brackets.

Davis, who placed fourth in a junior high bracket at Powerade last year, placed fourth this year at the high school level.

She went 3-2 overall and was 3-1 in the consolation bracket.

“We have really come together as a team and have gotten a lot closer,” Davis said. “We all really want this team to do well and grow.

“I felt really accomplished getting that fourth place. I feel I’ve progressed so much more this year. There are things I need to work on, and maybe next time, I will get first place.”

Scatena and Leiendecker each went 2-2 at Powerade, and Pickett went 1-2. Leiendecker finished an ultimate rideout away from the consolation final at 138.

Eighth-grader Addison Claassen went 3-1 in the 117-122 junior high bracket and took third, while fellow eighth grader Haley Leiendecker wrestled in the 97-105 bracket just two weeks after joining the team.

“I registered Haley just in case she wanted to wrestle,” Miller said. “She said she wanted to try, and I was really pleased with her effort. Emma talked Haley into coming out, but I don’t think it took too much convincing.”

Scatena, Emma Leiendecker, Davis and Pickett competed in six varsity girls matches against Fox Chapel last Wednesday, and each recorded pins en route to a 5-1 team record.

Davis, Haley Leindecker, Claassen and freshman Madison Killmeyer also wrestled in the boys junior high match with the Foxes.

The team dealt with adversity a little more than a month ago when freshman Alaina Claassen, a former state champion and medalist throughout her young wrestling career, suffered a significant knee injury during a practice and has been sidelined since.

Claassen said she has been going to rehab to strengthen the area around the knee in the hopes to being able to wrestle a few matches with a brace before having surgery to repair the damage.

“It was preseason in the wrestling room, and she was working hard to get ready,” Miller said. “If the doctor clears her to wrestle, she will wrestle. It was really tough to see her suffer that injury, but she’s received a ton of support. She’s been doing whatever she can to help the other girls.”

According to Sanction PA, 90 schools have sanctioned girls wrestling programs as the sport continues to gain traction. District 11’s Pocono Mountain West and Pocono Mountain East were the latest two in a month of December that saw a total of eight schools join the ranks.

Among those eight was the latest WPIAL school to sponsor girls wrestling: Trinity.

The Hillers brings the total number of WPIAL schools to 15: North Allegheny, Canon McMillan, Connellsville, Kiski Area, Southmoreland, Plum, Fort Cherry, Seneca Valley, Laurel, Mt. Lebanon, Moon, Burgettstown, Pine-Richland, Penn Hills and Trinity.

A total of 100 schools sanctioning girls wrestling is needed before the PIAA can sanction it as an official sport.

Plum was scheduled to wrestle at the Wright Automotive Tournament at North Allegheny Intermediate on Saturday.

Additional tournaments at IUP (Jan. 14) and Southmoreland (Feb. 4) lead up to the Western PA Championships at North Allegheny on Feb. 19.

Kiski Area hosts at PA regional tournament March 5, and the state championships are slated for March 12 at Central Dauphin High School.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Plum