It was a huge contrast from the year prior wrestling in a high school gym for unsanctioned state titles.

But while wrestlers got to experience that first year of it being a PIAA-sanctioned sport, Montgomery’s Zoe Furman had to sit back and watch her teammates and friends she knew competing. The Red Raider suffered an injury early in the year and had her sophomore year taken away from her.

That offseason consisted of Furman continuing to work and get back to the mat. The Montgomery standout wanted to wrestle again and prove that she’s one of the state’s best and boy, oh boy, did Furman do exactly that.

Furman put together an unbelievably outstanding season and became the district’s highest-finishing girls wrestler in state competition so far. That comeback season gave Furman the Sun-Gazette Girls Wrestler of the Year honor. Williamsport’s Lillian Rumsey and Montgomery’s Emily Murphy were runners-up for the honor.

Zoe Furman of Montgomery walks out onto the floor of the Giant Center before her championship match during the PIAA Wrestling Championships in Hershey. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“I’m just thankful to be able to compete on this level and see the ways that this sport has transformed since it was sanctioned,” Furman said at the state tournament. “The level of competition here is massive.”

The Red Raider ended her season with a silver medal at 130 pounds as she became the first girls wrestler from District 4 to advance to the championship finals. Furman was the No. 2-ranked wrestler in the state at 130 pounds and was behind only Easton’s Aubre Krazer.

Coming back from an injury is never easy, but Furman never let it hinder her or prevent her from doing what she loves. The Red Raider was on a tear the entire season as well.

Furman went 34-1, suffering her only loss in the state final to end up with a silver medal. Furman took District 4 gold at 130 and was a gold medalist at the Central Regional tournament.

Furman outworked just about every opponent she faced as she had 29 wins by fall and two by tech fall.

CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery’s Emily Murphy (right) was a first-team all-star selection at 124 pounds this year.

Only one wrestler took Furman through a six-minute bout and that was Greenville’s Kelley Enterline, who Furman won by major decision, 14-2, on the first day of the state tournament.

Furman’s season came to an end against No. 1-ranked Kratzer of Easton for gold, pitting the top two state-ranked wrestlers against one another. While Furman was hoping for a gold medal, she still earned silver after falling by tech fall, 20-5, with one second until the third period ended.

“This means so much to me. I’m just thankful I had my faith and my way. God led me on this path,” Furman said after winning her championship semifinal match.

You couldn’t have asked for a better year than what Furman had.

SUN-GAZETTE FIRST-TEAM ALL-STAR SELECTIONS

CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville’s Alexis Kurzawa (left) was named to the first-team at 148 pounds.

100 POUNDS — Julia Ritter, Hughesville

Ritter ended her sophomore season with a 23-12 record, a four-win improvement from her freshman season, and reached the state tournament for a second consecutive year. The Spartan took silver at the District 4 championships — falling to rival Danica Bacorn of Williamsport — and then placed fourth at the Central Regional tournament to reach states. While she didn’t medal, Ritter has shown she continues to get better each year and won 16 matches by fall this year, doubling her total from 2024.

106 POUNDS — Jenna Houseknecht, Montgomery

Montgomery had three wrestlers place third or better at the PIAA girls wrestling championships and Houseknecht was among them. Houseknecht helped the team claim the state tournament as well as Houseknecht took bronze at 106 pounds and ended the season ranked No. 7 in the state at her weight. Houseknecht was only a freshman and dominated most of her opponents. She went 36-5, won 22 matches by fall, and took gold at districts and regionals. She beat Big Spring’s Jordyn Suhina for bronze at states.

112 POUNDS — Ariahna Moore, Hughesville

As a sophomore, Moore went 27-10 and had a .730 win percentage and was constantly improving her technique on the mat as the year went on. Moore finished with 17 falls this year as she was ranked No. 26 in Pennsylvania. Moore took silver at the District 4 championships before ending the year with a fifth-place medal at regionals, coming just shy of reaching the state tournament.

118 POUNDS — Lillian Rumsey, Williamsport

Rumsey has been a wrestler that few know how to defeat, and she proved it again this year. Rumsey went 40-1 with the sole loss coming at the state tournament as she fell into the consolations and finished with a bronze medal at 118 pounds. Over her two years of competition of girls wrestling being a PIAA-sanctioned sport, Rumsey is 77-2 and both losses have been in the state tournament. Rumsey took gold at districts and regionals and won 30 matches by fall and seven by tech. Only one opponent went all six minutes against Rumsey this year: Southern Lehigh’s Mai Graham in the third-place match which Rumsey won 3-2 UTB. Rumsey was ranked No. 2 in the state behind only Savannah Witt of Palisades.

124 POUNDS — Emily Murphy, Montgomery

What a senior year Murphy had this past winter season. The Lock Haven commit took bronze at the state meet and capped her career as the fourth-ranked wrestler in the state at 124 pounds. Murphy was on a tear from the beginning of the year and was outstanding all season. She went 43-2 — the most wins in a single-season in her career — as she finished with 103, becoming Montgomery’s first 100-win girls wrestler and first two-time state medalist as she secured bronze in back-to-back seasons. Murphy won an impressive 38 bouts by fall this year and only three opponents were able to go all six minutes against Murphy.

130 POUNDS — Olivia Spotts, Jersey Shore

Technically Spotts wrestled at 124 this year, but the Bulldog senior was too talented to leave off the first team. Spotts had a great senior season for Jersey Shore as she went 28-11, doubling her win total from last year, and having a .718 win percentage. Spotts secured 22 wins this year by fall and reached the postseason for a second consecutive year. Spotts took fourth at the District 4 championships and reached the Central Regional tournament, but she didn’t medal.

136 POUNDS — Briella Walk, Montgomery

Walk greatly improved on the mat from her freshman to sophomore season, and there’s little doubt she’ll only continue getting better as she goes into her junior season next year. Walk went 27-10 this year with a .730 win percentage and was ranked No. 18 in the state. Walk had 19 wins by fall this year, a career high, and took silver at both districts and regionals. Walk qualified for the state tournament for the first time and while she didn’t reach the podium, she gained valuable experience knowing what it takes to wrestle against the best in Pennsylvania.

142 POUNDS — Austynn Falls, Central Mountain

Central Mountain had a number of outstanding girls wrestlers and Falls was among them. The Wildcat sophomore was a state qualifier this year and was ranked No. 7 in the state at 142 pounds. Falls went 30-6 this year, the most wins she had in a single season and the least amount of losses as well. She had 20 wins by fall. In the postseason, Falls wrestled great. She took silver at the District 6 championships and at the Central Regional tournament, took second as well to qualify for the state tournament for the first time in her career. Expect Falls to only get better next year.

148 POUNDS — Alexis Kurzawa, Hughesville

Kurzawa capped her career in a Hughesville singlet with a great senior campaign. Kurzawa went 29-7 this past winter (.806 win percentage) and dominated most of her opponents as she pinned 23 of them. The Spartan was ranked No. 4 in Pennsylvania and took home her first career gold medal in district competition. At regionals, she took silver, her highest finish since it became a PIAA-sanctioned sport, and reached states for a second consecutive year. While Kurzawa didn’t medal this year after she took eighth as a junior, she still left a mark on the program for younger wrestlers to look up to and strive to be.

155 POUNDS — Addison Dangle, Jersey Shore

Dangle put together a great senior campaign as well for the Bulldogs. Dangle finished this past year 22-5, doubling her win total from her first year competing in wrestling as a junior. In the postseason, Dangle took a gold medal home, ending her career with her first postseason gold, and reached regionals for a second consecutive year. Dangle wrestled well, but wasn’t able to advance out of regionals. She ended with 16 wins by fall.

170 POUNDS — Kendall Wagner, Central Mountain

Wagner is a versatile wrestler who can win any number of ways. She can overpower her opponents — as she had 20 falls — or, if it’s a tight matchup, she can secure key points to secure a decision win (six). No matter how she got it done, Wagner kept winning. She went 29-8 as a junior (most wins in her career in a single season) and took home silver at both districts and regionals. The No. 2-ranked wrestler in Pennsylvania ended her year with a third-place medal at states, her highest finish after taking eighth a year prior. Wagner was behind only Punxsutawney’s Jael Miller in the state rankings. Wagner beat Central Bucks’ Isabella Priano in the bronze-medal match by decision, 7-1. It was her third decision victory at states.

190 POUNDS — Mia Davis, Williamsport

Davis was a junior, but she was competing in girls wrestling for the first time in her career and she had a solid first year on the mat. Davis went 18-11 and won 13 bouts by fall. She reached the postseason and had a ton of success, winning a silver medal in her first postseason at the District 4 championships. While she didn’t advance out of regionals, she got a taste of the postseason and a silver medal in your first year competing isn’t bad at all.

235 POUNDS — Ashlyn Miller, Central Mountain

Miller was another standout Wildcat wrestler. The Central Mountain junior was ranked No. 15 in the state by season’s end and went 22-8. Miller won 15 bouts by fall and had success at 235 pounds in the postseason for a second straight year. She finished with a silver medal at the District 6 championships — her second consecutive silver medal at districts — and reached regionals for another year. Miller wasn’t able to advance to states, but that finish likely will provide motivation as she enters her senior year.

SECOND-TEAM ALL-STARS

100: Danica Bacorn, Williamsport

106: Isabella Olshefskie, Hughesville

112: Eva Nagle, Muncy

118: Cage Farr, Milton

124: Mykia Petruskevich, Williamsport

130: Avery Puderbach, Hughesville

136: Abbigale Bowman, Hughesville

142: Avery Earnest, Hughesville

148: McKylee Vollman, Williamsport

155: Georgina Leet, Montgomery

170: Isabella Gottschall, Jersey Shore

190: Kayla Fowler, Sullivan County

235: Jatiah Peterkin, Hughesville

HONORABLE MENTION

(IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

Lea Borchardt, Williamsport (136); Adelyn Bush, Milton (136); Louise Cromley, Milton (112); Mckenna Hakes, Montgomery (118); Zoey Kunkle, Muncy (118); Adelyn Rine, Montgomery (215); Deja Roark, Hughesville (124); Megan Robbins, Wellsboro (130); Jordan Rumsey, Wellsboro (112); Emmalyn White, Sullivan County (170); Bella Young, Hughesville (118).