Mt. Lebanon grappler shines in Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic
Jox scores technical fall in final match
Paige Jox of Mt. Lebanon was a little dubious about participating in the 52nd Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic (PWC) but she was blown away once she competed in the event, which is dubbed The Rose Bowl of High School Wrestling.
“At first, I was skeptical but the whole event was so awesome,” Jox said. “When I went into it, I didn’t think it would be so fun but I had a great time.”
Jox and all the girls and boys competing in the event, which was held on March 28 at the AHN Arena on the Peters Township High School campus, were treated like royalty.
“The event was set up so nicely,” Jox said. “We got all this great gear, stayed in a nice hotel (Hilton Garden Inn) and they even had an amazing banquet. Plus,” she added, “all the wrestlers did so well.”
Jox and the Pennsylvania Girls All-Stars certainly performed well. In fact, they wrestled to near perfection, defeating a team of the best grapplers in the state of Oklahoma, 51-3.
“I definitely expect us to win,” Jox said. “I did not expect the score to be that significant. All the wrestlers were talented.”
Jox certainly fell into that category. During her scholastic career at Mt. Lebanon, she compiled a 106-28 record with 49 falls to go along with three medals in both district and regional competition.
This winter, Jox captured WPIAL and Southwest Regional titles. She took the bronze medal during the PIAA state championships. Jox posted a 36-7 record.
“It makes me proud how well I did this year because there are so many great girls wrestling in the state,” Jox said. “In the end I figured out my place.”
Jox jumped up to 148 after wrestling at 118 and 124 in previous years. She said the transition was not easy.
“At first I had a lot of doubt, not that I thought I couldn’t do it but with how strong I would be against the other girls. I had to overcome my personal struggles because obviously moving up five weight classes is a challenge.”
Jox had little difficulty dispatching her opponent in the PWC. She scored technical fall, 20-4, against Makenna Howell, who was the state runner-up in Oklahoma this winter.
“While I actually had no clue as to who she was, I figured if I did what I normally do, then I would be okay,” Jox said.
“I did all that I planned to do and did a good job of that. I thought my match went well.”
All the matches for Pennsylvania went well. There were four wins by fall, two by tech fall and one by major decision. The lone loss came by decision, 11-4, at 112.
“I am so proud of my team,” Jox said. “I think we showed how good girls wrestling is in this state. The weight classes are so much deeper and there are more talented girls than any other states.”
Jox added that competing in the PWC was “a great way” to end her scholastic career. She noted the many fans, friends and family that showed up to support her. “I appreciated everything,” she said.
Jox will wrestle at Washington & Jefferson College. She prepares for that transition by competing nationally. On April 9, she will participate in the women’s nationals being held in Spokane. She is also looking forward to the 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals to be held July 10-19 in the FargoDome in Fargo, N.D.
“I’m going to keep wrestling,” she said. “I am thrilled with how my high school career turned out but I am looking forward to taking that next step at W&J.”
Cole Gibbons has already moved on from wrestling. The Mt. Lebanon senior is now playing lacrosse and looking to help the Blue Devils win their fourth straight WPIAL title this spring.
Gibbons, like Jox, competed in the PWC. Despite a tough 4-0 loss to Garon Kaiser, a state champion with a 126-41 record, at 160, Gibbons said the experience was a positive one as the WPIAL all-stars defeated Oklahoma, 56-3.
“I had a great time at the Classic,” he said. “I was honored to be a part of something so historic. Truly blessed to be able to say I competed in the event.”
Gibbons enjoyed a scholastic career that few at Mt. Lebanon have experienced. A member of the Century Club, he posted a 133-44 record, complete with 52 pins. This winter, he captured WPIAL and Southwest Regional titles before securing a sixth-place medal at the PIAA state championships. Gibbons will wrestle at New York University.
In the main event at the PWC, the United States All-Stars defeated Pennsylvania, 23-19. The U.S. is 22-3 against the state since 2000. The last time Pennsylvania won the competition was in 2021 with a 27-23 victory.
“The boys competition was really impressive,” said Jox.