Jul 1, 2024 2 min read

To say Canon-McMillan senior Valarie Solorio dominated her opponents this season would be a huge understatement.

Solorio, who committed to wrestle for the University of Iowa prior to her senior season, was 16-0 with 14 victories coming by fall, including all four matches at the first girls state championships, held in March at the Giant Center in Hershey. She has the distinction of being the first girls wrestler to win a state title in PIAA competition.

Solorio received a forfeit in a dual meet against Mount Lebanon on Jan. 3 and earned a 16-1 technical fall over Montour’s Kristen Walzer to win the WPIAL championship at 100 pounds.

Solorio pinned Walzer in their next match, at the Southwest Regional, the following week.

Solorio was 21-1 during her junior season and won a state title at 100 pounds in an event that was not sanctioned by the PIAA. Her lone loss was a 7-6 setback to Bensalem’s Julia Horger.

While Solorio didn’t have any trouble when she stepped on the mat this season, she faced adversity from a partially torn ACL and a strained MCL in a knee, which kept her out of action until January.

Solorio wasn’t able to compete in the Walsh Jesuit Ironwoman and Powerade tournaments because of the injury, but once she came back, no one could stop her.

Solorio was invited to compete at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic, but because of to a prior commitment, didn’t wrestle in the all-star event.

The Big Macs won the PIAA Southwest Regional and the state tournament teams titles, and if team scores were tabulated, would have won the WPIAL championship with three individual champions and five finalists.

Canon-McMillan was 14-1 in dual-meet competition, with its lone loss coming to Olentangy Orange, Ohio.