Crawford Wrestling Club wins first all-girls dual on northwestern Pa.
SAEGERTOWN – It was one loss Brooke Dylon tolerated.
The Union City junior's participation in northwestern Pennsylvania's first sanctioned all-girls wrestling dual, which took place on her 17th birthday, was ample compensation for her setback during Tuesday's historic event.
Dylon was one of 10 girls who started for the Crawford Wrestling Club during its 48-27 victory against Canon-McMillan at Saegertown's Steve Scott Gymnasium.
More than 100 fans showed up for the dual, which attracted coverage from two local newspapers and a radio station. It also was streamed online.
Dylon, one of two Crawford wrestlers with wrestling experience before this season, was pinned by Canon-Mac's Chloe Ault during the second period of their 148-pound match.
That result, though, was largely an afterthought to her by the event's conclusion.
Girls wrestling: Crawford Wrestling Club hosts girls wrestling event vs. Canon-McMillan
Dylon was aware she was a participant in an unprecedented high school athletic event. It also was one held 50 years after the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, better known as Title IX, helped make real the team's previous tournament appearances and Wednesday's dual.
“I know I was super nervous with this being a first-time thing,” Dylon said. “But I also knew we were pretty hyped up because we wanted to win this.”
Home mat heroics
No Crawford victory approached the drama produced by Elora Dillinger, a Saegertown sophomore who competed in her home gymnasium.
Canon-McMillan's Dynisty Williams led Dillinger 13-7 well into the third period of their 155 match. The only way the Panthers' student could win as the closing seconds ticked off was with a pin.
Which is what happened.
Dillinger, from her inverted top position, rolled Williams' shoulders and recorded a fall with four seconds left in the third period. Her six team points also gave Crawford an insurmountable 42-15 advantage.
“It was my first dual where my friends could see me,” Dillinger said. “(The match) was very nerve-wracking, but when I saw the clock and how much time was left, I knew I had to go for (the pin).”
Dillinger was responsible for the last of Crawford's five falls. Jenna Kophazy (112), Kasey Kophazy (118), Kylie Stafford (130) and Kallah Zacherl (142) had the others.
First of many planned
Tuesday also was Kane Patron's first dual as Crawford's coach. The former Strong Vincent wrestler, who was hired shortly after the Penncrest School District sanctioned the program, watched the girls compete in five tournaments ahead of facing the Mighty Macs.
Patron was matside throughout the dual, as were assistants Melissa Bartholomew and Andy Dylon, Brooke Dylon's father.
They, like all but the active wrestlers and two officials, watched the matches in darkness. All of the gym's lights were turned off, save for one that was lowered to roughly 10 feet above the mat's center.
“There's no other atmosphere like Saegertown's spotlight, which is the whole reason we wanted this here,” Patron said. “I was a little iffy about that because our girls never wrestled in this (environment) before, but they fed off that.”
The PIAA has stated that if 100 schools agree to sponsor girls wrestling, it would sanction the sport. As of this week, 32 have formally agreed to such a sponsorship through SanctionPA, an organization which bids to make that happen.
Seneca is the lone District 10 school on the list.
PIAA sanctioning or not, Patron plans for Crawford to compete in multiple duals next season.
Canon-Mac coach coming back
Canon-McMillan, also in its first season of girls wrestling, made its dual debut last Dec. 18. The Mighty Macs defeated North Allegheny's club team 60-15 at Canonsburg.
The Big Macs were coached by Brian Krenzelak, who also was hired to run its boys program starting this season. The Canon-McMillan graduate worked with its youth wrestling program for two decades.
“At the beginning of the year, we weren't really sure how to (coach girls),” Krenzelak said. “But after a week or two, we approached it like they were six-year-old wrestlers. Then, after another week or two, we were coaching them like eight-year-olds. It was very basic techniques we taught them, but they've been soaking it in and they're very eager to learn.
"That part's been a great experience.”
Tuesday was the first of two trips Krenzelak will make to the region this week. He'll be back on a Canon-McMillan bus Saturday, when its boys wrestling team travels to Cathedral Prep for an 11 a.m. non-region dual at Joann Mullen Gymnasium.
Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNcopper.
Girls wrestling at Saegertown
Crawford Wrestling Club 48, Canon-McMillan 27
100 pounds: Cameron Boozer (CWC) by forfeit; 106: Emma Spencer (CWC) by forfeit; 112: Jenna Kophazy (CWC) p Madi Mansmann 3:24; 118: Kasey Kophazy (CWC) p Erin Delong 5:47; 124: Leilani Ramos (CM) by forfeit; 130: Kylie Stafford (CWC) p Nadia McGee 3:22; 136: Rylie Stewart (CM) d Kacie Mook 8-6; 142: Kallah Zacherl (CWC) p Bella Arnold 3:18; 148: Chloe Ault (CM) p Brooke Dylon 3:31; 155: Elora Dillinger (CWC) p Dynisty Williams 5:56; 170: Paige Ward (CM) by forfeit; 190: Natalie Rush (CM) p Chelsea Wilson 1:36; 205: Olivia Kernohan (CWC) by forfeit
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Crawford Wrestling Club wins historic all-girls dual
