North Allegheny notebook: NA’s Leyna Rumpler captures WPIAL wrestling title

By: Triblive
Saturday, February 24, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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It was a day of firsts at the WPIAL girls wrestling championships Feb. 17, at North Allegheny.

Not only was this the inaugural season for girls wrestling across the state, the 13 winners are part of history.

Canon-McMillan senior Valarie Solorio always will be known as the first girls WPIAL champion after she defeated Montour’s Kristen Walzer, 16-1, at 100 pounds.

The Big Macs, the top team in the WPIAL, dominated with three champions and two runners-up. They advanced 11 wrestlers to the West Regional March 2 at Canon-McMillan.

Solorio and North Allegheny senior Leyna Rumpler (155 pounds), who won MyHouse Pennsylvania State titles in 2023, are looking forward to competing with the boys at Giant Center.

“It means that we belong,” said Rumpler, who pinned Connellsville’s Imani Cameron-Botti in 1:25 in the finals. “Everyone across the country was excited to learn that the PIAA was finally going to sponsor the sport. Now we get to show what we’re made of.”

Rumpler posted three pins in the WPIAL tournament.

In addition to Rumpler, four other Tigers earned medals at the WPIAL event and advanced to the PIAA West Regional.

Hannah Williams was fourth at 118 pounds, Kaylee Dean finished fourth at 190, Audrey Morrison placed fifth at 142, and Heidi Radford took seventh at 235.

The top six in most weight classes advanced to the West Regional. The top seven moved on at 190 and 235, and the top five at 118 advanced.

NA girls claim indoor title

North Allegheny’s girls indoor track and field team claimed the team title at the Tri-State Track Coaches Association indoor championships Feb. 17, at Edinboro. The NA girls had 92 points to finish ahead of Hempfield (60).

North Allegheny’s boys team finished second with 46 points, just behind Butler (54.5).

Wren Kucler won gold medals in the 3,000 meters and mile run. Mackenzie Winning won the 400, and the NA girls 1,600 relay finished first. Eva Kynaston was second in the mile, Lindsey Breneman was second in pole vault. Sophie Aglietti took third in pole vault, and Isabella Costa took thrid in the 400 and long jump.

For the NA boys, James Behrend finished first in the 3,000 meters, Nicholas Humpries was runner-up in long jump, and Michael Gauntner was third in the mile.

Tigers hockey tops Seneca Valley

Luke Walkauskas scored twice, and Evan Kerber and Ed Scherer added goals as North Allegheny’s ice hockey team beat first-place Seneca Valley, 4-3, on Feb. 19.

Camden Junker made 19 saves for the Tigers, who improved to 12-4-2 and moved into third place in Class 3A.

All-section basketball players honored

Four members of North Allegheny’s girls basketball team earned all-section honors from the Big 56 Conference on Feb. 16.

Senior forward Lydia Betz and senior guard Kellie McConnell were picked to the first team, and senior guards Grace Heliger and Caroline Henderson were second-team picks.

On the boys’ side, senior forward Joey Dopirak was a first-team honoree, while senior guard/forward Ty Iwanonkiw and senior guard Anthony Sciote were second-team selections. Senior guard Joe Marquis was an honorable mention.

Tags: North Allegheny