C-M girls wrestling makes strong debut
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Canon-McMillan’s Chloe Ault reacts as the official’s hand slaps the mat to seal her win over North Allegheny’s Leyna Rumpler on Tuesday in the first girls wrestling dual meet in the local area.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
The Canon-McMillan girls wrestling team huddles in the middle of the mat prior to its dual meet against North Allegheny in 2022. Canon-McMillan is one of 103 girls wrestling programs in the state. The sport is expected to be sanctioned by the PIAA next school year.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Rylie Stewart leads the Canon-McMillan girls wrestling team through warmups before they take to the mat against North Allegheny in the 2021-22 season.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Canon-McMillan wrestlers, from left, Libby Montgomery, Hope Carmona, Riley Hickton, and Madison Mansmann cheer on their teammates in the match against North Allegheny.
Canon- McMillan’s Leilani Ramos look for an opening against her opponent in a girls wrestling match against North Allegheny in the 2021-22 season.
Mark Marietta/For the O-R
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Canon-Mac's Sienna Van Balen sizes up her North Allegheny opponent.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
The Big Macs' Rylie Hickton, front, works for position against her North Allegheny opponent.
Canon- McMillan’s Chloe Ault comes up strong after her victory over North Allegheny’s Leyna Rumpler in a match in the 2021-22 season.
Mark Marietta/For the O-R
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Girls from both the Canon-McMillan and North Allegheny wrestling teams get congratulations and encouragement from North Allegheny coach Dan Heckert after the match Tuesday.
CANONSBURG – When applying for the head wrestling coaching position at Canon-McMillan High School, Brian Krenzelak was asked if he would be receptive to establishing a girls wrestling team at the school.
Being the bright young man that he is, and realizing a positive response might tip the scale in his favor for the boys position, he eagerly agreed to the request.
On Tuesday night, in front of a nice-sized crowd at the Canon-McMillan gymnasium, Krenzelak showed his work with the girls.
The Big Macs made history at the school by taking on North Allegheny, the first time two female programs competed against each other in the WPIAL.
But the best feeling came when the match ended and Canon-McMillan’s female club team beat up North Allegheny, 60-15.
“I’m excited about it,” Krenzelak said. “I think the sport of wrestling needs the girls teams to really grow. The boys numbers have been a slow, steady decline over the past couple decades. Whereas the number of girls has risen 325 percent. It’s a great opportunity for them.”
Krenzelak said the girls train with the same room as the boys but don’t work out with the male wrestlers. They run through the same drills but there are more than enough females to pair up with other girls.
As a club sport, female wrestling has a more relaxed feel to it. Pairings are made up with girls close to their opponent’s weight. Competitors can go out for the boys team without ruining their eligibility for the club team.
A state tournament has been set up for the day after the PIAA Championships for boys in Hershey.
If the number of girls teams in the state reaches 100, the PIAA will recognize the sport.
“I don’t really know why I came out,” said Canon-McMillan senior Rylee Stewart. “I only know a couple friends who wrestled. No one in my family wrestled. But I thought it would be fun.”
Concerned about what her parents would think about her wrestling in a room full of boys, Stewart kept her participation a secret until that early morning automobile accident with a deer blew her cover.
“I heard all the time how hard it was,” said Stewart. “It is hard. There is pressure, but the only thing you can do is count on yourself.”
Stewart said the workouts are hard but they allow you to build your body.
Chloe Ault, a junior at Canon-McMillan, also did not have a strong family background in wrestling. Her father is Mike Ault, a famous soccer player who graduated from Trinity in the 1980s.
“We used to play soccer,” said Ault. “Then, I hurt my back really bad in gymnastics. So it wasn’t a thought. Then wrestling came along and I jumped at it.”
Wrestling was always the subject in the Ramos house. Gio was a heavyweight before graduating from C-M two years ago. Giancarlo is a senior middleweight. And now Leilani is a lightweight.
“My brothers always encouraged me to try it,” Ramos said. “My friends also encouraged me. I was terrified because I had to go out first (against North Allegheny). But going to their matches gave me confidence doing what I can do.”
Ramos started things right with an 8-6 decision over Taylor Stover.
Stories like that are why Dan Heckert put himself in the middle of North Allegheny’s process. He didn’t wait for the administration to offer him the head coaching job for the girls, he approached them with the idea.
“I went to our AD to see if we could get this done,” Heckert said. “We had some girls on the guys team and this was something I was passionate about.”
Madi Mansmann, Hope Carmona, Paige Ward, Cameron Jones, Stewart, Sienna Van Balen, Nadia McGee, Ault, and Natalie Rush had pins for Canon-McMillan.
The next competition for the C-M girls will be at the Powerade Tournament on Tuesday.