Mt. Lebanon girls dominates the mats
Blue Devils win three titles
Paige Jox of Mt. Lebanon experienced exhilaration and relief after she defeated Alaya Henderson from Canon-McMillan, 8-0, to win the 148-pound weight class in the WPIAL championship tournament.
This triumph had been three years in the making as Jox finished as runner-up in the district in 2024 at 124 and in 2025 at 118.
“Oh man,” she said. “This feels so amazing especially after getting stuck with second (place) the past two years.
“Being runner-up really stuck with me,” she continued. “It’s been a huge motivator to go out this year in my final one and win.”
“I’m so happy for Paige,” enthused Mt. Lebanon coach Amanda Lebec. “She’s been working on this goal since the first tournament.
“She’s always been in striking distance and to get this title in her last year is huge.”
Tremendous was Lebo’s team showing. In addition to Jox, the Blue Devils tacked on two more titles. Freshmen sensations Isla Silva and Camilla Hathaway joined Jox atop the podium.
Unabashed in their championship bouts, as both were Pan-Am winners and veterans of worldwide competition, Silva and Camilla recorded falls in their finals to win respective titles in the 112- and 155-pound weight classes.
“First of all, I have to say they are the funnest group of kids to have in the room. They are lighthearted and a delight to coach,” Lebec said.
“To medal at WPIALs as freshmen and move on to regionals, it’s just a testament to all the work that they’ve done. Over the many years that they wrestled, and then just having a great showing and coming into high school,” Lebec continued. “So, I’m really excited for this, but also the next three years of what they have to offer.”
Silva afforded the competition little room for error as she pinned her way to a title. She dropped Plum’s Amora Sorzano-Lee in 45 seconds and Burrell’s Ella Campbell in 41 seconds. In between, she defeated Ava Dials from Pine-Richland in 99 seconds.
In the finals, it took a full minute for Silva to register the fall against Burgettstown’s Raya Sentipal.
Silva said that winning was “really fun” and “felt good” and she didn’t feel “that nervous” because she had confidence in her abilities.
“My top game has been really good, so getting that cradle was good,” she said. “I realize how much time I’ve put into this sport so I just wanted to give it my all.”
Intense calm is Silva’s signature on the mat.
“Isla always wrestles with intensity, working the score,” Lebec said. “She just went for it.
“I don’t think she put a lot of pressure on the match or on the tournament. She knew that she was coming in top-seeded and was gonna be hard to beat. She went in with some confidence but she doesn’t underestimate anybody.”
Unlike Silva, who never wrestled Sentipal before, Hathaway was facing her opponent for the third time this year.
“I was definitely nervous. A little bit,” Hathaway said. “Though I wrestled her twice before, I needed to be confident and not get in my head.”
“You’re always looking because you know that they’re coming for you,” Lebec agreed. “So you do have to prepare for that. Even though she had beaten her twice before you never know what’s gonna come out. You never know what position you can get into. So you have to be ready.”
In the finals, Hathaway dropped Karsyn Champion from Norwin in 61 seconds. It was Hathaway’s third pin of the tournament, having felled Contessa Cotelesse from Laurel in 1:11 and Avella’s Gabriella Dolanch in 1:08.
“Camilla came out with heavy hands, which is something that I was happy to see,” Lebec said. “She had a great double leg takedown and then used her signature bar. Everybody knows it’s coming and she locked it up really well.”
Hathaway agreed that her hand fighting helped her most. “That was the key. My opponent is a great wrestler and it was really cool to wrestle her again. I’m really happy I won but I’m super proud of Paige. She did amazing.”
Because of their proximity in weight, Jox and Hathaway are practice partners in the wrestling room, Jox was well prepared for the competition.
She kicked off tournament action with a first-period tech fall, 15-0, against Upper St Clair’s Lanie Neal before pinning Pine-Richland’s Giada Campanella (3:18) to reach the semifinals. Jox scored a major decision, 10-2, against Seneca Valley’s Kaeleigh Tuell before dispatching Henderson in the finals for the 148-pound crown.
“The first period was tight. There was no score,” noted Jox. “She had my hands tied up really well and I couldn’t really break out of it. I wasn’t worried because I knew that if I kept working, that something would show up eventually.
“Second period, she took bottom, and I knew I had to get something on top, because I wasn’t getting there on my feet, so I knew that I had to turn her eventually. So, I turned her, I got the arm bar, and then, third period, I went down, because, obviously, I needed to score more points
“I didn’t really want to end with just back points and an escape. So, I got to my low single and got the takedown, and I rode her out for the win.”
As WPIAL champions, Jox, Silva and Hathaway advanced to the regionals. They were joined by three teammates who were among the top six finishers in the district.
The other regional Lebo qualifiers were: Carly Jox, third at 100; Lily Perri, fifth at 106; and Juliana VanSlyke, fifth at 136.
The top four regional finishers in each weight class advanced to the PIAA state championship tournament set for March 5-7 at the GIANT Center in Hershey.