Mar 7, 2024 By Jonathan Guth 3 min read

HERSHEY – It was a day of firsts for girls wrestling, and Canon-McMillan was at the forefront of the inaugural PIAA Girls Wrestling Championships with four of its eight wrestlers advancing to the quarterfinals Thursday afternoon.

The Big Macs’ Val Solorio had the first near-fall points, win and pin as she won her opening round match in 1:23. The Iowa commit will wrestle Parkland’s Ella Hesener in the quarterfinals at 100 pounds.

Prior to the first whistle at 2:10 p.m. to start the first match, the contestants were introduced as a group to a rousing ovation inside the Giant Center. Solorio was glad to be part of the moment.

“It was amazing,” said Solorio in reference to the standing ovation when the girls entered the arena floor. “It just feels so cool to be here, and it’s kind of unreal. It was something that I never expected to do growing up because girls wrestling was never sanctioned, so for it to be like that is just amazing.

“To see my name up there and be the first match out there makes me feel like a firework. I just kind of start things off, get it going and I think that’s an amazing feeling. I am so glad that I am the lightest weight class because I like going out there first and starting the show.”

Despite this being her first and last state tournament sanctioned by the PIAA, Solorio is glad she was able to experience it as part of Canon-McMillan’s program, which has a tremendous reputation for success under the boys umbrella.

“We are trying to build a legacy with our girls team,” Solorio said. “Canon-McMillan is the school I started wrestling at, so to be able to finish my career there is amazing. I think I owe it all to Coach Slack (Brian Krenzelak) and (athletic director) Frank Vulcano for just looking at us as just wrestlers, and not girl wrestlers. They treat us exactly the same as the boys, and I think that is why we are doing so well. Coach Slack doesn’t call us his girls wrestling team. He just calls us his wrestlers, which I really love about him.”

Teammate Natalie Rush has been around the sport all her life, as her brother wrestles for the boys team, but the junior only started to seriously train during her freshman year.

Rush has proven she is a quick learner, as she won by fall in 2:57 in the first round at 190 to advance to today’s quarterfinals, when she will face Bald Eagle’s Grace Crestani.

“I grew up around wrestling so it’s an atmosphere I’m used to,” Rush said. “It is an amazing feeling to be on the mat and getting cheered on by everyone. My brother has been wrestling since kindergarten, so I’ve grown up attending wrestling tournaments. I have also been a practice partner for my brother.”

Dynisty Williams (155) and Audrey Calgaro (170) each won by fall for Canon-McMillan.

Williams’ quarterfinal opponent will be Gettysburg’s Kylie Monroe, while Calgaro will tangle with York Suburban’s Angela Imorhoa.

Fort Cherry’s Abigail Dolanch advanced to the quarterfinals at 136 with a fall. She wrestles Schuylkill Valley’s Kayley Weidner in the quarterfinals.

Peters Township’s Grace O’Korn won her opening bout by fall in 2:38 at 142. O’Korn wrestles Chestnut Ridge’s Violette Lasure in the quarterfinals.

Ringgold’s Anna Duncan won by fall at 130 and will next meet Montgomery’s Emily Murphy.

The quarterfinals are scheduled for 11:45 a.m.