Danica Bacorn wasn’t feeling the best this entire past week. She was out sick until Wednesday and even on Saturday, wasn’t at 100%.

After winning her first match at 100 pounds against Towanda’s Hailey Harbst by major decision, 11-0, Bacorn started feeling sick again.

After winning in the semifinals, Williamsport coach Kevin Werner asked Bacorn if she wanted to sit out the final.

The answer was absolutely not. Not when she had a matchup with Hughesville’s Julia Ritter on the horizon. Bacorn and Ritter are more than familiar with one another and had an outstanding dual in the regular season in which Ritter won in overtime by decision.

On Saturday, Bacorn enacted a bit of revenge and got a win over her rival. Bacorn defeated Ritter in the 100 final, 6-2, to secure District 4 gold at Williamsport’s Magic Dome.

“It meant a lot. I was really impressed with her. She was sick all the beginning of the week … so I didn’t know how she was going to perform, but she’s one of the toughest kids I’ve seen in a long time,” Werner said. “She fought back. Her first match she won, then went out in the hall, got real sick, was having problem having food down, and she came back and we talked about maybe not wrestling in finals and she said absolutely not, I’m going to wrestle her and she went after her and controlled the match. She did a really good job. I was more than pleased with her.”

Bacorn had a takedown 25 seconds into the first period for three points before Ritter would score a point to make it a 3-1 match heading into the second period. With 1:20 to go in the second, Bacorn would take down Ritter for three more points and hold on from there to secure the victory.

“They’re close battles every time they wrestle,” Hughesville coach Royce Eyer said.

Bacorn was one of four Williamsport wrestlers who placed sixth or better to qualify for the regional tournament in two weeks at Milton.

Bacorn and Williamsport standout Lillian Rumsey (118) took home gold. Mia Davis was a runner-up at 190 and at 155, Mckylee Vollman took sixth to qualify. Werner noted that he was disappointed the Millionaires didn’t have more qualify given the talent on the roster. But, as Werner pointed out, it speaks to the talent in the growing sport of girls wrestling.

“I’m happy with the ones who are moving on, but I’m disappointed overall. I think we’re leaving a few good wrestlers behind that I personally expected to do better than they did, but the sport is improving,” Werner said. “Weight class by weight class is getting a lot deeper real quick. It’s definitely not the same tournament as last year.”

Rumsey dominated as she has been doing all year. Rumsey has yet to lose this season improved to 35-0 after posting three wins on Saturday.

The Millionaire pinned Athens’ Kaylnn Kreitz in 34 seconds in the championship quarterfinals and followed it with a dominating 17-0, 1:23 tech fall win against Shikellamy’s Skyler Weist which saw her clinch it thanks to a takedown 10 seconds into the match and two nearfalls by the time the first minute was over.

In the final, Rumsey ran into Towanda’s J.C. Allis, who earned a takedown and held a 3-0 lead over the standout in the first period. In the second period, Rumsey had a takedown to tie it 3-3 before securing the pin and gold.

“She’s always a tough competitor and I know she gets down on herself a little bit if someone scores on her, but she’s never out of a match. Even last year wrestling tough competition, she was never out of a match,” Werner said. “It’s always nice to know that she’s able — even if someone takes her down like happened today — that she can rally and come right back. I was happy with her.”

Davis had a successful run at 190, especially considering this is her first year competing in girls wrestling. Davis pinned Mifflinburg’s Taylor Stewart in the quarterfinals and had a fall in 1:49 against Shikellamy’s Kristen Grubb in the semifinals. Sullivan County’s Kayla Fowler pinned the Millionaire in the first period to hand Davis a silver medal.

“Im just seeing a lot of growth from her, she’s a first-year girl and new to the sport, so every aspect of it is new to her. She doesn’t have any family members who wrestled before or even involved in the sport,” Werner said. “We just had a couple talks, the coaches and her, and letting her know what her future looks like and what she can do.”

Werner was more than happy seeing Davis have the success she did on Saturday and qualify in her first year.

“As far as Mia, I’m extremely pleased. She’s growing as a young lady and representative of the Williamsport School District and is becoming a role model and filling out those shoes, even with the junior high girls,” Werner said.