PHOTO PROVIDED Hughesville girls wrestlers celebrate after winning the District 4 team title on Saturday at the District 4 championship tournament. Hughesville had a pair of wrestlers win district gold and in total, 11 qualified for the regional tournament.

Hughesville’s girls wrestling team may not have had the most District 4 champions on Saturday afternoon at Williamsport’s Magic Dome, but the Spartans walked away with something a little bit sweeter: the team title.

The Spartans accumulated 180 points, winning by just 1.5 points over second-place Athens to win the program’s first team title at the District 4 championships on an exciting day of competition in which Hughesville saw five girls qualify for the regional tournament in two weeks.

“Its huge for these girls, they worked hard all year. It’s a great season and to cap it with a district championship is great for them,” Hughesville coach Royce Eyer said. “It’s a team effort. There were so many matches where the girls didn’t advance (to final), but they got pins and wins when they needed and that was the difference in the entire tournament.”

The Spartans had a pair of gold medalists in Avery Earnest and Alexis Kurzawa, who won back-to-back medals at 142 and 148 pounds, respectively. Hughesville’s Julia Ritter (100) and Ariahna Moore (112) took silver and Bella Young took third at 118.

The area was well represented at districts with a total of 36 wrestlers qualify for the regional tournament. The top six wrestlers at each weight from districts qualifies for the regional tournament.

Montgomery had three gold medalists in Jenna Houseknecht (106), Emily Murphy (124) and Zoe Furman (130) while Jersey Shore’s Addison Dangle won at 155 and Sullivan County’s Kayla Fowler took gold at 190.

Taking silver from the area were Montgomery’s Briella Walk (136) and Georgina Leet (155), Jersey Shore’s Isabella Gottschall (170) and Williamsport’s Mia Davis (190). Eva Nagel of Muncy (112), Bella Young of Hughesville (118) and Emmalyn White of Sullivan County (170) all took bronze.

Milton had three fourth-place finishers in Louise Cromley (112), Cage Farr (118), Adelyn Bush (136) and and Jersey Shore’s Olivia Spotts (124) finished fourth.

Taking fifth from the area were Hughesville’s Isabella Olshefski (106), Abbi Bowman (135), Avery Puderbach (130) and Caroline Hicks (155), Montgomery’s Chloe Gordner (142), Malayna Beattie (170) and Adelyn Rice (235) and Wellsboro’s Jordan Rumsey (112).

Sixth-place finishers were Wellsboro’s Isla Twoey (100) and Megan Robbins (130), Montgomery’s McKenna Hakes (118), Jersey Shore’s Taylor Ross (142), Williamsport’s Mckylee Vollman (155) and Hughesville’s Jatiah Peterkin (235).

Eyer was glad to see Earnest and Kurzawa claim district gold at their respective weights.

“I thought Lexi looked great all day, she got three pins and she was under control. She’s been wrestling well and peaking at right time,” Eyer said. “Avery is just a freshman and she’s got so much potential. She’s a little dynamic, some other moves and was happy to see her get a championship her first time at it.”

Hughesville’s most impressive run was Young’s at 118. The Spartan was seeded sixth and made it to the championship semifinals. She earned a 1:31 fall in the Round of 16 over Sugar Valley’s Aaliyah Hopkins. In the quarterfinals, Young knocked off third-seeded Cage Farr of Milton by fall, 3:51, to get to the championship semifinals. Young fell to two-seeded J.C. Allis of Towanda by tech fall, 15-0, 3:05, but in the consolations beat Makenna Hakes in 55 seconds in the semifinals to advance.

“She just grinded. She had a tough draw there, there’s two real all-stars in that weight class and she just kept battling all day,” Eyer said. “Good mind set, good head space and it worked out. It was really nice to see for her as a freshman to place third at districts is all you can hope for.”

The Spartans saw ten girls qualify for the regional tournament in Milton in two weeks.

“We made it hard on ourselves, we had a rough consi semi round and put ourselves in the pressure cooker and they responded today in fifth-place matches,” Eyer said. “We got a lot of wins and answers. It was nice to get that many. They all show up and out work in every week it was nice to get them to continue on their season.”

DISTRICT 4 GIRLS WRESTLING RESULTS

TEAM RESULTS: 1. Hughesville 180; 2. Athens 178.5; 3. Montgomery 167.5; 4. Shikellamy 138; 5. Selinsgrove 124; 6. Towanda 100; 7. Williamsport 97.5; 8. Jersey Shore 75; 9. Northeast Bradford 65; 10. Milton 55; 11. Mifflinburg 52.5; 12. Sullivan County 48.5; Wellsboro 41; 14. Central Columbia 37.5; 15. Benton 32; t-16. Danville 24; t-16. Muncy 24; 18. Sugar Valley 23; 19. Line Mountain 22; 20. CMVT 19; 21. Wyalusing 11; 22. Sayre 5; 23. Lewisburg 2.

FIRST-PLACE FINALS

100: Danica Bacorn, Williamsport, dec. Julia Ritter, Hughesville, 6-2. 106: Jenna Houseknecht, Montgomery, dec. Lillie Maynard, Towanda, 8-1. 112: Emma Renninger, Athens, dec. Ariahna Moore, Hughesville, 8-7. 118: Lillian Rumsey, Williamsport, pinned J.C. Ellis, Towanda, 2:14. 124: Emily Murphy, Montgomery, tech fall Anaiah Kolesar, NEB, 16-0, 4:19. 130: Zoe Furman, Montgomery, pinned Callie Hess, Benton, 1:45. 136: Karissa Springer, Selinsgrove, maj. dec. Briella Walk, Montgomery, 11-1. 142: Avery Earnest, Hughesville, pinned Elizabeth Varner, Selinsgrove, 0:29. 148: Alexis Kurzawa, Hughesville, pinned Yamira Thomas, Selinsgrove, 1:00. 155: Addison Dangle, Jersey Shore, pinned Georgina Leet, Montgomery, 2:43. 170: Abigail Wagner, Athens, dec. Isabella Gottschall, Jersey Shore, 7-3. 190: Kayla Fowler, Sullivan County, pinned Mia Davis, Williamsport, 1:09. 235: Leah Nason, Athens, pinned Aubrey Edgar, Central Columbia, 4:52.

THIRD-PLACE FINALS

100: Autumn Dersham, Mifflinburg, tech fall Alyssa Rhinebold, Athens, 15-0, 2:37. 106: Mary Henry, Athens, pinned Mikayla Martin, Selinsgrove, 1:40. 112: Eva Nagel, Muncy, pinned Louise Cromley, Milton, 2:46. 118: Bella Young, Hughesville, pinned Cage Farr, Milton, 2:14. 124: Rylee Campbell, Shikellamy, dec. Olivia Spotts, Jersey Shore, 7-0. 130: Hanna Rathbun, Athens, pinned Aubrey Rebuck, Shikellamy, 4:32. 136: Ryleigh Ziants, Shikellamy, pinned Adelyn Bush, Milton, 1:23. 142: Memphis Paul, Athens, pinned Pipper Reed, CMVT, 0:41. 148: Ava Lambert, NEB, maj. dec. Lylah Bride, Towanda, 11-3. 155; Roslyn Snyder, Shikellamy, pinned Cora Franklin, NEB, 2:25. 170: Emmalyn White, Sullivan County, pinned Elizabeth Naughton, Towanda, 1:45. 190: Kirsten Grubbs, Shikellamy, def. Taylor Stewart, Mifflinburg, via DQ. 235: Santiana Guajardo-Prieto, Line Mountain, pinned Shaylynn MOrris, Towanda, 2:28.

FIFTH-PLACE FINALS

100: Juliet Steckley, Danville, dec. Isla Twoey, Wellsboro, 6-3. 106: Isabella Olshefskie, Hughesville, pinned Kohana Yamashita, Sugar Valley, 3:58. 112: Jordan Rumsey, Wellsboro, pinned Dariela Reyes-Ramirez, NEB, 2:55. 118: Skyler Weist, Shikellamy, pinned McKenna Hakes, Montgomery, 0:32. 124: Joyce Clink, Athens, pinned Quinn Smith, Selinsgrove, 3:16. 130: Avery Puderbach, Hughesville, pinned Megan Robbins, Wellsboro, 2:48. 136: Abbigale Bowman, Hughesville, dec. Saleah Shannon, Central Columbia, 6-1. 142: Chloe Gordner, Montgomery, pinned Taylor Ross, Jersey Shore, 4:46. 148: Alexa Jayne, Wyalusing, pinned Jadelyn Sarviss, Danville, 1:51. 155: Caroline Hicks, Hughesville, dec. Mckylee Vollman, Williamsport, 8-2. 170: Malayna Beattie, Montgomery, dec. Danielle Bottiger, Shikellamy, 4-2. 190: Gabby Heckman, Selinsgrove, pinned Morgan Reichard, Central Columbia, 1:27. 235: Adelyn Rine, Montgomery, maj. dec. Jatiah Peterkin, Hughesville, 8-0.

CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINALS

100: Danica Bacorn, Williamsport, dec. Juliet Steckley, Danville, 2-0; Julia Ritter, Hughesville, dec. Alyssa Rhinebold, Athens, 7-4 SV. … 106: Jenna Houseknecht, Montgomery, tech fall Mary Henry, Athens, 17-0, 2:37; Lillie Maynard, Towanda, pinned Isabella Olshefskie, Hughesville, 1:39. … 112: Ariahna Moore, Hughesville, pinned Jordan Rumsey, Wellsboro, 2:22; Emma Renninger, Athens, pinned Dariela Reyes-Amirez, NEB, 1:24. … 118: Lillian Rumsey, Williamsprot, tech fall Skyler Weist, Shikellamy, 17-0, 1:23; J.C. Allis, Towanda, tech fall Bella Young, Hughesville, 15-0, 3:05. … 124: Anaiah Kolesar, NEB, tech fall Oliiv a Spotts, Jersey Shore, 16-0, 3:48; Emily Murphy, Montgomery, pinned Rylee Campbell, Shikellamy, 0:29. … 130: Callie Hess, Benton, pinned Aubrey Rebuck, Shikellamy, 2:48; Zoe Furman, Montgomery, tech fall Hanna Rathbun, Athens, 15-0, 4:23. … 136: Karissa Springer, Selinsgrove, dec. Abbigale Bowman, Hughesville, 7-5; Briella Walk, Montgomery, de.c Saleah Shannon, Central Columbia, 8-5. … 142: Avery Earnest, Hughesville, pinned Pipper Reed, CMVT, 1:50; Elizabeth Varner, Selinsgrove, pinned Memphis Paul, Athens, 0:52.

148: Alexis Kurzawa, Hughesville, pinned Ava Lambert, NEB, 0:49; Yamira Thomas, Selinsgrove, pinned Lylah Bride, Towanda, 1:21. … 155: Georgina Leet, Montgomery, pinned Roslyn Snyder, Shikellamy, 0:52; Addison Dangle, Jersey Shore, pinned Cora Franklin, NEB, 3:46. … 170: Abigail Wagner, Athens, pinned Emmalyn White, Sullivan County, 2:24; Isabella Gottschall, Jersey Shore, pinned Elizabeth Naughton, Towanda, 1:06. … 190: Kayla Fowler, Sullivan County, pinned Morgan Reichar,d Central Columbia, 1:42; Mia Davis, Williamsport, pinned Kirsten Grubbs, Shikellamy, 1:49. … 235: Leah Nason, Athens, pinned Jatiah Peterkin, Hughesville, 0:44; Leah Nason, Athens, pinned Jatiah Peterkin, Hughesville, 0:44.