Southmoreland’s Murphy continues to rise in WPIAL girls wrestling

By: Ted Sarneso
Monday, March 3, 2025 | 11:11 AM

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A year ago, Southmoreland’s Zoey Murphy came away with silver at the WPIAL girls individual wrestling championships after being pinned by Plum’s Alaina Claassen in the 235-pound final.

After an offseason during which she developed her skills, Murphy came into the WPIAL championships Feb. 15 at North Allegheny ready to take gold.

“I’ve improved a lot this year,” Murphy said.

Added coach Tristan Ice: “She’s become more of a complete wrestler rather than just relying on the bigger moves.”

The proof was in the way Murphy, a junior, breezed through the competition.

In her first match against Elizabeth Kantoris from Latrobe, Murphy pinned her in 1 minute, 13 seconds. Her next two matches combined didn’t last that long.

“I try to take a shot off the whistle because they’re not expecting it. If I don’t get that shot, I end up in a headlock,” Murphy said. “Most of the time my headlocks come with my opponent straight on their backs. I have to adjust and hold it there until I get called for the pin. Most of the time I don’t make it past the first period.”

Murphy pinned Trinity’s Daelyn Norris in the semifinals in 12 seconds and pinned Woodland Hills’ Brooklyn Pearson in 42 seconds to win gold and become the first WPIAL champion for the Scotties girls program.

“It’s very exciting because I get to be a part of Southmoreland’s history,” Murphy said.

Asked if there were any nerves going into that title match, Murphy said she felt calm.

“I watched her previous match, and (Pearson) did a lot of hand fighting,” said Murphy. “So, I just got right into it at the very start of the match.”

All the work Murphy has put into being better this year has shown. She is 15-1 and has a career mark of 44-18, with 29 of those wins coming via pin. Hernew found confidence and attitude are something her coach has noticed.

“I can tell she’s more excited to be on the mat compared with last year,” Ice said. “She used to dread the thought of losing, but now she’s letting herself enjoy the sport more and just competing.”

Murphy started her wrestling journey in fifth grade, which meant that she had to compete against the boys, which wasn’t easy.

“I would get discouraged because I wouldn’t always win because the boys are always stronger in general,” Murphy said.

When she needed advice or help, Murphy didn’t have far to look. Her mom was the first girl in the area to wrestle.

“She gave me the push to wrestle and always made sure I made it to offseason practices,” Murphy said. “She’s given me a lot of tips over the years.”

When she got to high school, possessing a wrestling gene, it came as no surprise that the coaches quickly noticed her natural abilities.

“When she first started, we knew right away that she had some talent,” said Southmoreland boys wrestling coach Terry Quashnock, who coached Murphy her freshman year. “It’s nice to see her develop that natural wrestling ability into something more technical on the mat and being able to score at will.”

Looking back on those tough matches with the boys, Murphy knows those challenges came with a benefit.

“When I started wrestling with girls, it was a lot easier just because of those experiences wrestling with the boys,” Murphy said. “Those matches taught me to never give up, keep my heart in it and keep practicing.”

That determination was on display this year at the Powerade Tournament on Dec. 30.

In the second round, Murphy pinned Caroline Perez of Plum in 13 seconds, but she lost to Mylah Steinbuch of Bedford in the next round. Steinbuch beat Murphy in the championship match in the same tournament last year.

Murphy fell into the consolation bracket but fought her way back to take third place after beating Bella White of Sharpsville, 7-4, with a takedown in the sudden victory period.

“That was probably the best match, best competition I faced all year,” Murphy said.

Then, in the Lady Falson Invitational at Connellsville in January, Murphy came away as champion at 235 with an 18-1 tech fall win against Latrobe’s Josephine Kubas in the semis and beat another Wildcat, Miranda Kantoris, by a 6-3 decision in the finals.

“She has a dominant presence on the mat when she steps out there,” said boys wrestling coach Terry Quashnock, who coached Murphy her freshman year. “She can intimidate the other girls and they know what she’s capable of. When she does get out there and gets a hold of them, it’s game over from there.”

In the last two years, Murphy has garnered a lot of success. After getting silver in last year’s WPIALs, she took silver at Regionals after losing to Claassen. But what’s more important is how her success is affecting her teammates.

“The other girls see her success, and they want to get to that same level,” Quashnock said.

That’s one way to help bring along a program, but Murphy doesn’t just lead by example. She does her part in the practice room aiding her coaches and providing advice to her teammates.

“It’s great having her there,” Ice said. “When I’m helping someone else out, she is someone the other wrestlers can turn to. She’s like having an extra assistant.”

Added Murphy: “It’s nice that I get to help the other girls with their wrestling and watch as they grow and progress.”

Tags: Southmoreland