Girls wrestling continues growing as a high-school sport in Northern Virginia, and the Langley Saxons recently won the initial Liberty District tournament.
With four individual champions, Langley won with 121.5 points. The Marshall Statesmen were second (102 points), the McLean Highlanders third (58) and the host Herndon Hornets (52) fourth.
There were 41 wrestlers entered in the event, in which there were 12 weight classes from 100 to 235 pounds.
Langley had the most wrestlers entered with 10 and Marshall and McLean had seven each. Some schools sent individual athletes, but did not field a full team.
The Saxons’ four champions and all had 2-0 records.
Sophia Song led off the tourney for Langley by winning the 100-pound championship with a pin and a technical fall. Andy Woosley was first at 120 with two pins. At 126, Nicole Bobek earned gold with two pins, as did Mia Cardenas at 152.
Langley’s two second-place finishers were Riley Wallace (138) and Bianca Cerezo Mendez (145).
Third were Anya Tong (114) and Advithi Mogi (185). Fourth were Navi Ddidam (107) and Lauren Toussaint (132).
Marshall also had four champions, also with 2-0 records. Jennah ElBardicy won (107) as did Ava Wise (138), Lelena Yitbarek (165) and Kade McKeever (185).
Second for Marshall were Eleanor Webster (120) and Ashley Juarez-Lopez (165).
McLean’s lone champion was Lillian Kilgore at 118 with two pins. Second were Sarah Romero (107), Kaelyn Mackay (118) and Olivia Bauer (126).
Herndon had two champions, Luz Avila Lopez (145) and Eja Gatewood (235).
There will be a girls region wrestling tournament at Hayfield Secondary School starting on Friday, Jan. 31.
The Virginia High School League will hold a girls state open tournament at the end of February.
