QUAKERTOWN >> Kennett’s Haylie Jaffe has won international tournaments and a couple unsanctioned girls state tournaments, among other things, but what she did Sunday at Quakertown High will be written in the history books forever.
The Kennett senior became the first girl from the Ches-Mont League to qualify for the PIAA Girls Championships, winning the first ever girls South East Regional tournament at 136 pounds.
Downingtown West’s Sienna Landrum followed Jaffe with a title at 142 and Sun Valley’s Jameson Strickland made it three in a row for the Ches-Mont with gold at 148.
“I think it means a lot,” Jaffe said. “This is the first time it’s official and the growth here has been insane. It’s like triple the numbers of what it used to be. It means a little more than the other years because it’s grown so much and we’re going to be in Hershey with the boys.”
The top four finishers from the tournament qualified for the inaugural PIAA-sanctioned girls state tournament alongside the boys tournaments at the Giant Center in Hershey, March 7-9.
Jaffe will head to Hershey as the favorite in her weight class after barely breaking a sweat Sunday. She pinned her way to the finals and decked Whitehall’s Ruth Rivera just as the first period buzzer went off.
“I kind of look at all my matches the same,” Jaffe said. “It’s more me versus myself. I want to improve myself. It doesn’t matter who my opponent is, I just want to improve each match.”
Landrum was just as dominant, using her third pin of the tournament to defeat Garnet Valley’s Jessica Ayala to find her place atop the podium.
“I felt confident going into it,” Landrum said. “It’s exciting. (States) is definitely a really cool experience to have.”
Strickland was one of just two freshmen to claim gold, joining Neshaminy’s Grace Nesbitt (100 pounds). She had to strain a bit more than her league cohorts, taking a 1-0 lead into the third period against Northwestern Lehigh’s Katie Brensinger. But from the top position Strickland picked up three near-fall points before earning the fall.
“I was just thinking, I was already going to states so I didn’t have much to lose,” Strickland said. “I thought about how proud my coaches and parents would be, not only winning it but just being in that situation so I might as well do the best I can.”
Garnet Valley’s Reese Dewar (106) also finished runner-up, along with Ayala, and both won one-score decisions in the semifinals to punt their tickets to Chocolatetown.
West’s Sarah Pearson (130) used a last-second reversal to edge Avon Grove’s Emma Arnold, 6-4, for third place.
A few matches later, Emma’s sister Kaitlynn Arnold not only avenged her sister’s defeat, but a pair of losses to Upper Perkiomen’s Kaylyn Adair the week before, for third place.
“It felt really good after getting my butt kicked by her last week,” Kaitlynn Arnold said. “When I saw I was getting her again I looked at my coaches and just said, ‘you know what, let’s just kick her butt,’ and the third time was the charm.”
Coatesville’s Gabrielle Costa (136) finished fourth and Kennett’s Taya Wuchter (100) was fifth, making her the first alternate should someone withdraw.
Pottstown’s Savannah Richards (118) and Vida Torres (190) punched their tickets with third and fourth-place finishes, respectively.
“It means everything to me,” Richards said. “It proved why I’m here and proved that I deserved to be here.”
As for next week, Richards speaks for all the local contestants.
“I just hope I keep getting more double-ues,” Richards said. “That’s all I can ask for.”
Owen J. Roberts’ Rylyn Schwoyer (136) also took fifth.
Souderton was the highest-placing District 1 team in the tournament where District 11 and District 12 also competed, finishing second behind Parkland. Downingtown West finished seventh, with Garnet Valley a spot behind them.
Championship Finals
100- Nesbitt (Neshaminy) pinned Hinkle (Bensalem), 1:57
106- Horger (Conwell-Egan) pinned Dewar (Garnet Valley), 4:00
112- Bibeau (East Stroudsburg North) pinned Trout (Pleasant Valley), 2:34
118- Witt (Palisades) won by tech. fall. Ramirez (Souderton), 2:29
124- Rivera (Pen Argyl) forfeit Ortiz (Marian Bracetti Academy)
130- Krazer (Easton) pinned Husti-Luca (Souderton), :43
136- Jaffe (Kennett) pinned Rivera (Whitehall), 2:00
142- Landrum (Downingtown West) pinned Ayala (Garnet Valley), 1:17
148- Strickland (Sun Valley) pinned Brensinger (Northwestern Lehigh), 4:33
155- Gelb (Parkland) dec. Lambert (Northampton), 6-3
170- Haflich (Bethlehem Liberty) pinned Case (Easton), 3:11
190- Hattala (Quakertown) pinned Maxwell (North Penn), 1:09
235- Banks (Panther Valley) dec. Atkinson (Souderton), 7-1
Consolation Finals
100- Hesener (Parkland) pinned Dressler (Nazareth), :27
106- Sarr (Souderton) dec. Abel (Pennsbury), 3-2
112- Parham (Parkland) maj. dec. Needham (Central Bucks), 8-0
118- Richards (Pottstown) maj. dec. Branch-Huston (Cheltenham), 9-0
124- Taylor (Parkland) pinned Clift (Abington), 1:24
130- Pearson (Downingtown West) dec. E. Arnold (Avon Grove), 6-4
136- Anwari (Bethlehem Liberty) pinned Costa (Coatesville), 1:32
142- Netter (Upper Dublin) pinned Capra (Easton), :48
148- Kurtz (Pine Grove) pinned Drey (Bethlehem Liberty) 3:31
155- K. Arnold (Avon Grove) pinned Adair (Upper Perkiomen), :54
170- Fratus (Parkland) dec. Krieger (Bensalem), 5-4
190- Snyder (Palisades) dec. Torres (Pottstown), 2-1 TB
235- Fries (Quakertown) pinned Munro (Bethlehem Liberty), 2:23
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