Trahan wins WPIAL title
Ella Trahan admittedly lacks patience, particularly when wrestling is considered.
After sitting through one of her younger brother’s tournaments, Trahan was finished being a spectator.
“I was like I’m tired waiting around,” she said.
Nine years later, Trahan waits for no one.
In fact, she took little time in claiming her second straight district title during the WPIAL tournament held Feb. 21 at Mt. Lebanon High School.
After using 6 minutes and 24 seconds to pin her first three opponents, Trahan decisioned Blythe Letters, 6-3, for the 106-pound title.
Because she had beaten the Shaler grappler earlier in the season Trahan said, “I knew she was coming out for blood. So, I knew it was all or nothing. I had to wrestle my butt off. I needed to just leave it all on the mat.”
While Trahan gained a hard-fought victory, she recognized that there’s room for improvement as she prepared for the regional tournament and a possible berth in the PIAA championships. The top four finishers at the regional advanced to the state tournament to be held March 5-7 at the GIANT Center in Hershey.
“I started this tournament off really slow in neutral, but my neutral picked up. I knew I needed to be strong on my feet and stay off bottom, not get stuck under. Especially with my shots, I need to get my good attacks and just set things up and not get myself stuck.”
When Fort Cherry started a girls team, Trahan no longer was regulated to wrestling on the South Fayette boys squad. She posted a 30-9 record last winter and moved to 21-7 this season after winning the WPIAL title. She owns a 61-22 career record.
“I wrestled on the boys team for the longest time and now we have our co-op with Fort Cherry and I love it. I love being a Ranger,” she said referencing the team’s nickname.
While Trahan acknowledged that South Fayette has “some good athletics” especially since the Lady Lions captured state titles in basketball and soccer in 2025, and that she is the first female WPIAL wrestling champion from that school district, she pledged allegiance to the name on her singlet.
“I go to South Fayette, but I am proud to represent Fort Cherry,” she said. “I am a Ranger through and through.”
All 13 WPIAL champions, including Trahan, as well as the top six finishers in the district advanced to the regionals with hopes of landing one of the four spots in each weight class for the state tournament.
Other area wrestlers to advance to the regional included: Anna Duncan from South Park, third at 124; Sydney Laboon and Grace Nasman from Upper St. Clair, third at 130 and 142 respectively; and Liliana Giulianelli from Peters Township, third at 190.