Canon-Mac wins 2nd straight Powerade girls title
By Jonathan Guth
For the Observer-Reporter
newsroom@observer-reporter.com
CANONSBURG — The Canon-McMillan girls wrestling team had a bittersweet day at the Powerade Christmas tournament Monday.
The Big Macs won their second straight team championship, but didn’t have an individual champion. Canon-McMillan had seven placewinners and scored 127.5 points to top WPIAL-rival Connellsville (106). Kissimmee Osceola, Fla. was third with 84 points.
“We have been starting to get healthy now,” C-M coach Ron Totterdale said. “The girls are working hard, and it was nice to win the Powerade championship two times in a row. It was good to see that we won and Connellsville was second because that shows the quality of WPIAL wrestling.”
The Big Macs’ Natalie Rush suffered a 9-5 setback to Plum’s Alaina Claassen in the finals at 190. Rush defeated Claassen, 6-5, on Jan. 14, 2023, at Mid-Winter Mayhem inside the Kovalchick Center at IUP, but Claassen was able to avenge the loss after building up a 5-0 lead after two periods with a takedown and reversal.
Rush cut the deficit to 5-3 in the third with a takedown. She let Claassen escape and looked for the match-tying score, but Claassen scored her second takedown to extend her advantage to 9-3. Rush secured a reversal with eight seconds left but wasn’t able to turn Claassen who held on for the victory.
“I just need to get to my attacks more and improve on my conditioning,” Rush said. “It is a tough match going the whole six minutes, no matter who it is against. It was great that we repeated from last year, and it definitely helps, because we want to repeat our state championship, so getting these little victories here and there helps give us a boost.”
Rush earned the 100th win of her career at the Findlay (Ohio) Invitational on Dec. 21, but she wanted to have a celebration in her home gym. She was recognized for being the first Canon-McMillan girl wrestler to win their 100th match after recording a fall in 34 seconds in the quarterfinals.
Rush is committed to wrestle in college for West Liberty.
The Big Macs’ Marlee Solomon finished fourth at 112, but the result was not without some controversy, as she was disqualified for an illegal slam in her round of 16 match before wrestling back to the third-place bout with five pins.
Solomon, who attended school in California last year where she was a highly decorated wrestler, couldn’t compete in the consolation final because she had already competed in six matches during the day, which is the limit for high school wrestling in tournament action.
“The referee ended up calling it a slam,” Totterdale said. “She had her up in a double and took her down hard. Her family moved here this year, and it was exciting because I was told she wrestled and it turns out she is really good.
“It’s unfortunate how that all turned out because she was winning that match very comfortably when she was DQ’d for the slam. She was dominant in all her matches, and the ultimate goal for not only her, but the entire team, is the state championship.”
Canon-McMillan’s Malia Ramos was fourth at 106. Teammate Natalia Clem took fifth at 100. Milly Willliams (136), Paige Ward (142) and Eva Gray (148) all placed sixth.
Avella’s Abigail Dolanch and Hondsale’s Maddison Miller probably had the match of the tournament with Miller edging Dolanch, 9-7, in double overtime to win the title at 142.
Dolanch, who wrestled for Fort Cherry in a co-op last year because the Eagles didn’t have a team, scored with 11 seconds left in the first period for a 3-0 lead. Miller scored a takedown and two near-fall points in the second but Dolanch used a reversal to tie the match at 5-5 heading into the third.
Miller reversed Dolanch for a 7-5 advantage 14 seconds into the third and appeared to have the victory in regulation, but Dolanch tied the match on a reversal with one second remaining.
After a scoreless minute of wrestling in sudden victory, Miller rode out Dolanch in the first 30-second rideout of double overtime before scoring a reversal in the second 30-second rideout and hung on for victory.
“I wrestled in this tournament last year and didn’t place, so I am glad I was able to place this time,” said Dolanch who was sixth in the state tournament last season as a freshman. “I was one match from placing in this tournament last year. I just need to circle a little bit more when I am setting up my shots. I put in a lot of work over the summer and went to clubs to get better in my three years of wrestling.”
Burgettstown freshman Chloe Speicher won three matches on her way to the final at 106, but was pinned by Maya Alvarado of Lake Highland Prep, Fla., in the final.
Despite the loss in the finals, Speicher was encouraged by her tournament.
“I need to work on setting up my shots,” Speicher said. “I kind of pinned myself in that last match. I am trying to get my friends to join the team, but most of them play basketball. We have three girls, but one of the girls wrestles for the boys team. I just rotate with those girls in practice.
“We have a tournament coming up at Connellsville this week, so I hope to improve in that one. It was nice to be able to place in my first time at this tournament.”
Peters Township’s Lilliana Guilianelli earned the bronze medal at 190.
Trinity’s Alaxia (142) and Elaina (148) Ashby finished in fourth place.
Ringgold’s Rhiana Tolliver was sixth at 112.