The South Brunswick girls wrestling team beat its two foes in the Lady Cougars’ first-ever competition in a dual tournament.
South beat Swansboro 42-24 and beat host Lejeune 48-12 on Dec. 12.
This is the third year South has girls on the wrestling team, but this is the first time a South team of girls wrestlers had competed in a dual.
“Against Swansboro, we bumped up junior J.J. Herold 10 pounds to compete at 126 against a pretty good wrestler in Sara Horan,” South coach David Prendergast said. “J.J. weighed in at 115 pounds but she wrestles at 120 to help us fill all the weight classes. So, to bump her to 126 is to actually bump her two weight classes.
“She got after it from the whistle and was able to secure a first-period fall in 23 seconds. That was all that was needed to mathematically win the dual.
“Sophomore Maddie Lower was also bumped up a weight. We do not have a true 132-pounder. Maddie followed up Herold’s pin with another against Alexis Steffan in 1:02. This was Maddie’s first win of the season. Given the fact that Swansboro is so tough in the middle weights, both J.J. and Maddie were told that one of them would have to pin or both would have to do no less than a decision loss. If the Swansboro middle weights got maximum points, as they usually do, it would have been a 30-30 tie if the two girls lost by fewer than seven points, giving the victory to South Brunswick by criterion A (less forfeits awarded). Well, they got us more than what we needed.
For such a young and inexperienced wrestler like Maddie, that was a pretty big ask!”
Prendergast noted another wrestler who had a significant role in the victory.
“Junior Laura Sparks worked hard to get her weight down to 107 so we could bump Lily up to 114,” Prendergast said. “In no universe am I allowing Lily to receive forfeits. Laura sacrificed for the team at the dinner table, and wore the hoodie and sweatpants to get down to the lower weight, so we could have the option to have Lily at 114 and not double forfeit.”
Against Lejeune, South got pin victories from junior Lily Prendergast (19-3 wrestling a coed schedule), sophomore Sarah Sparks and senior Natalia Sanchez.
In the duals, every South wrestler in the lineup scored points either by forfeit or by pin.
“All the new girls wrestled so much better than their first experience at the Dixon tournament, and better than they did at the Swiss Bear,” Prendergast said about the bracketed tournaments. “They went on the mat with some anxiety, as is the case with any wrestler, but not fear. Tonight was just a little different. They got a chance to wrestle for each other, and it was great to see them all come together for a common cause.
“I compliment all the girls for continuing to take their lumps and come back for more. They are a strong team because they are a complete team. We have all weight classes except 100 pounds. It was a total team effort and something to build on.”
South will be competing in the Girls Holiday Classic Invitational Jan. 2 and the Jolly Roger Women’s Invitational Jan. 14.
The N.C. High School Athletic Association East Regional is Jan. 26 and the NCHSAA Women’s Invitational state championships are Feb. 3-4.
South 42, Swansboro 24
100 — Double forfeit
107 — Laura Sparks (SB) by forfeit.
114 — Lily Prendergast (SB) by fall against Alexis Underwood in 0:10.
120 — Natalia Perez (SB) by forfeit.
126 — Julianna Herold (SB) by fall against Sara Hogan in 0:23.
132 — Madison Lower (SB) by fall against Alexis Steffan in 1:02.
138 — Bridgette Westbrook (S) by fall against Natalia Sanchez in 0:30.
145 — Sophia Sutton (S) by fall against Carleigh Bowling in 1:22.
152 — Maggie Milbery (S) by forfeit.
165 — Reilynn Swift (S) by forfeit.
185 — Victoria Ellixson (SB) by forfeit.
235 — McKenzie Shadle (SB) by forfeit.
South 48, Lejeune 12
100 — Double forfeit.
107 — Laura Sparks (SB) by forfeit.
114 — Lily Prendergast (SB) by fall against Kadence Gordon in 1:37.
120 — Kaitlynn Frank (L) by fall against Julianna Herold in 1:28.
126 — Sarah Sparks (SB) by fall against Isabelle Waybright in 2:35.
132 — Colette Oldham (L) by fall against Madison Lower in 3:48.
138 — Natalia Sanchez (SB) by fall against Mia Alonso in 0:25.
145 — Carleigh Bowling (SB) by forfeit.
152 — Double forfeit.
165 — Emma Yopp (SB) by forfeit
185 — Victoria Ellixson (SB) by forfeit.
235 — McKenzie Shadle (SB) by forfeit.
