South River’s Alex Szkotniki is still alive in her quest to make history. The South River 113-pound senior is trying to become the first girl to win a Maryland state wrestling championship against the boys.
She is one of 74 area wrestlers who advanced to Saturday’s semifinals.
Semifinals in the coed Class 4A/3A and 2A/1A and girls divisions are Saturday at 11 a.m. Finals are scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Szkotniki draws Northern-Calvert’s unbeaten Drew Montgomery (38-0) in her semifinal.
In 4A/3A, there are three semifinals between Baltimore-area wrestlers. Centennial sophomore Calvin Kraisser (32-2) goes after his second state title against Chesapeake-AA’s Dawson Hoover (35-9) in a 138-pound semifinal.
At 170, River Hill’s Dylan McCullough (44-1) faces Crofton’s Nick Eremita (38-7), and at 220, Crofton’s Sean House (17-7) faces Mt. Hebron’s Samuel Jordan (38-1).
Broadneck has the most semifinalists in the divisions with Liam DeBaugh (160, 39-1), Jake Chambers (182, 38-6), Dax Avila (195, 39-1) all advancing.
Marriotts Ridge and Old Mill each have two semifinalists with the Mustangs’ Atley Turner (132, 43-3) and Tyler Bury (152, 43-4) and the Patriots’ Bryan Arevalo (152, 44-3) and RJ Duncan (18-2) advancing.
Also in the semifinals are Reservoir’s Andrew Dolezel (120, 42-1), Woodlawn’s Ky-El Ali (126, 32-2), South River’s Sam Ditmars (145, 47-1), Perry Hall’s Victor Marks-Jenkins (145, 48-0), Atholton’s Omar Palmer (182, 26-2) and Westminster’s Randy Green (285, 44-3).
Class 2A/1A has four wrestlers still in the hunt for perfect seasons: Hereford’s Owen Bell (126, 40-0), Northeast-AA’s Beau Schmidt (132, 27-0), South Carroll’s Gage Owen (138, 46-0) and Manchester Valley’s Travis Green (152, 50-0).
South Carroll has eight wrestlers in semifinals: Owen, Grayson Barnhill (106, 37-8), Evan Owen (113, 43-4), JoJo Gigliotti (120, 46-2), Michael Pizzuto (145, 44-3), AJ Rodrigues (160, 45-2), Rylan Moose (182, 46-2) and Manny Rodrigues (195, 41-3).
Manchester Valley has four semifinalists. Still alive along with Green are Bradyn Vandervoort (126, 45-6), Jake Boog (170, 48-2) and Derek Martin (285, 38-3).
Local semifinals include Barnhill matching up with C. Milton Wright’s Kane Desch (36-8) at 106; Bell and Vandervoort meeting in a 126 semifinal; Schmidt facing North Harford’s Cruz Cespedes (36-5) at 132; Gage Owen battling county rival Caleb Crouch of Winters Mill (36-5) at 138; Green matching up with Amondre Wooden (39-1) at 152; and Martin facing Sparrows Point’s Hunter Petrovia (49-3) at 285.
Varsity Highlights
Other semifinalists are Northeast’s Scott Anderson (170, 30-6), Sparrows Point’s Russell Fary (145, 46-4), Oakland Mills’ Joe Clark (160, 28-3) and Eastern Tech’s Anthony Oge (182, 35-4).
In the girls bracket, one of the highlight semifinals comes at 105 pounds, where Arundel’s Jada Chaves (33-6) faces Manchester Valley’s Layla Lagunas (18-3) in a rematch of last year’s state final. Chaves won that match by pin, but Lagunas was winning 9-4 before Chaves hit the winning move.
Three other area wrestlers return as defending state champions. Perry Hall’s Alaina Kopalchick (27-16) faces Southern’s Domenica Gladwell (20-8) in a 115-pound semifinal. Meade’s Brienna Blackwood (9-20), looking to defend her 130-pound title, will face Kaia Condon of Albert Einstein in a semifinal. Randallstown’s Ugochi Anunobi (28-0), who won last year’s 155-pound title, bumps up to 175 and wrestles Patterson Mill’s Marloe Stump (13-6).
Three semifinals match area wrestlers against county rivals. At 120, Oakland Mills’ Jada Fowler (25-6) faces Atholton’s Liliana Giraud (20-10). There are two all-Carroll County matchups. At 140, Francis Scott Key’s MacKenzie Koon (8-6) faces Westminster’s Taylor Mead (14-2). At 145, Francis Scott Key’s Adeline Kraics (10-5) faces Winters Mill’s Gabrielle McLeod (13-0).
Manchester Valley leads the area with four girls in semifinals. Joining Lagunas are Faith Day (100, 19-0), Summer Shackelford (125, 16-3) and Katie Martin (155, 21-1). Winters Mill and Francis Scott each have three semifinalists. Ellie Kinlock (100, 11-3) also advanced for the Eagles, while Joyce Mbeboh (175, 12-5) and Deborah Flores (190, 13-5) each advanced for the Falcons.
Also qualifying from the area is Arundel’s Josie Langtry (100, 5-12), Northeast’s Sophia Hodges (110, 18-12), Reservoir’s Kadence Chau (115, 11-0), Parkville’s Za’Kiyyah Monroe (130, 11-7), Oakland Mills’ Trinity Butler (135, 11-3), Eastern Tech’s Ariana Carnahan (120, 14-2), Perry Hall’s Rachael Wheatley (125, 24-14), Westminster’s Caroline McCann (125, 20-8), Crofton’s Lexy Pabon (125, 13-4), Overlea’s Manyia Moore (155 12-6), Western Tech’s Mame Thiam (190, 18-0) and Digital Harbor’s Sukanya Stoute (235, 11-13).