CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Central Mountain’s Kendall Wagner wrestles during this past weekend’s PIAA girls wrestling championships in Hershey. Wagner took bronze at her weight at 170 pounds.

From one year to the next, the growth of girls wrestling competition throughout the state of Pennsylvania cannot be understated. Teams brought out fuller rosters, the most daunting returning wrestlers got even more dominant and a vast array of new talent entered the field, with the result being stronger competition across the board.

Nonetheless, even in a field that hindered noticeable, on-the-stat-sheet improvements, the Wildcats didn’t seem to notice, displaying notable progress and only growing stronger as the season approached its end. Their three leading returners – Kendall Wagner, Austynn Falls and Ashlyn Miller – were at the fore front of that growth.

Through March of 2024, Wagner had put together a strong PIAA seasonal debut, one which culminated in an eighth-place finish at states and presented plenty of promise heading into the second half of her high school career. Cut to a year later and that promise proved it had legs, as she finished her current campaign as one of the best wrestlers in the state.

As a junior, the Wildcats won 29 matches – a nine-match uptick from last year and a six-match uptick from her previous career high as a freshman. She produced the most bonus-point victories (23) and pins (20) of her career, the best win rate of her career at .784 and capped things off with the most notable improvement of the campaign, jumping five spots up to PIAA bronze with a strong run in Hershey.

Even her district and regional runs, which saw her earn silver for the second straight season, reflected how much she had developed from season to season.

At the Central Regional, Wagner prospered amidst the event’s toughest weight class in 170, defeating two highly ranked wrestlers in Sierra Ripka and Abigail Wagner in sudden victory to make it to the finals. At both events, her only loss came to Punxsutawney’s Jael Miller, an eventual two-time PIAA champion.

As a sophomore, she was a bit more one-dimensional, showing an affinity for picking up pins but often relying on that ability. But through her most recent postseason, she consistently proved capable of going the distance, seeming to grow stronger and more composed as the tough matches wore on through late February and early March.

Her two sudden victory wins at regionals showed she could outlast her opponents and produce quick takedown opportunities in a small amount of time. The rest showed he could pick up an early lead and aptly protect it, using her chances well and rarely making a mistake.

Of her last ten matches, eight were won and six were won by decision, with that latter number doubling her career number of wins by decision (3) entering the season.

“We really focused on getting to our shots and feeling comfortable, that’s what won that match for her. Getting that first takedown, getting that stance, getting her feet moving and being a little less one-dimensional,” said head coach Dylan Caprio on Wagner, referring to her third-place bout against Isabella Priano.

“Having different attacks and different things that she can get to, that’s where I’ve seen the most improvements. And just her mindset, the way she sets the tone and pace in these matches. I’m extremely proud of her, she works extremely hard through the offseason doing freestyle and stuff like that and that’s getting other girls interested.”

Falls produced similar promise to cap the 2023-24 season and like Wagner, kept rolling upward in the runback. Both have wrested for just four years but neither displays that relative lack of experience on the mat, whether through their technique of mindset.

To close her sophomore season, Falls led the entire area in wins with 30, an eight-victory uptick from her freshman stint. She notched career bests in bonus-point victories (28), pins (20) and win rate (.833). And come postseason, the Wildcat jumped three spots at districts and four at regionals, earning silver medals in both and punching her first ticket to Hershey.

Similarly, Falls showed more flexibility when it came to picking up wins in differing scenarios, most notably picking up the first overtime victory of her career to clinch her spot at states before shaking off a lofty deficit to earn a win in her PIAA debut. With two more seasons to grow, crossing those barriers could be huge in terms of displayed potential and growing confidence.

“I had a talk with Austynn yesterday, just letting her know she needs to be extremely proud of what she’s done this season, second in the district, second in the region and coming in here and knocking a girl out of the tournament when she’s down 11-1,” said Caprio on Falls.

“Never gave up on herself, got after that headlock. If she keeps that attitude, stays focused and stays positive like I know she’s going to, we’ll get her back here next year and walk out of here with a medal.”

While Wagner’s focus heading into the offseason is all-encompassing, mostly looking to build on technique through another round of freestyle, Falls hope to up her confidence as she continues developing as a wrestler. Big wins like the ones mentioned earlier have helped, and continuing to build her trust in her abilities should pay dividends in the near future.

“I definitely want to work on staying composed, keeping my posture. Just going out there and having confidence,” said Falls on points of focus heading into next season. “I haven’t had any confidence this season and I just think I need to have more confidence. Stay in the wrestling room all summer, lift and get myself in shape for next season.”

Though she saw a tough end to her season, falling short of a regional placement amidst a similarly stacked bracket at 235 compared to Wagner’s at 170, junior Ashlyn Miller still built on her sophomore campaign in multiple regards as well.

Miller upped her number of wins by four (22) despite wrestling one less match, shattering her previous win rate with a career best at .733 while also posting career bests in bonus point victories (20) and pins (15). Coachable, passionate and a great teammate, she heads in her senior season presenting plenty of potential.

Overall, this group came into the season sporting a lot of promise and left it by proving it valid. Having all three back heading into December is a huge plus, and Caprio looks forward to helping them reach new heights by the time it’s all said and done.

“These three days and the past few months, all of them, including Ashlyn, have just been making extreme improvements, moving through districts, regionals and getting a few down here (to states),” said Caprio. “I’m just excited for these girls next year, to keep working with them, helping them get better and helping them accomplish their goals.”

Henry Huber is the sports editor at The Express. Email comments to hhuber@lockhaven.com. Follow him on Twitter at @HenryHuber_.