MILTON — In the next chapter in a season of firsts, the Curwensville girls wresting team advanced a pair of freshmen to the PIAA Championships at Hershey’s Giant Center with podium finishes at the Central Regional Tournament Saturday at Milton High School.
Lady Tide 100-pounder McKenzie Astorinio placed second, while Brylee London took third at 142 to become the first girls in program history to reach the state tournament. That comes on the heels of Astorino earning the first district title for the program, which also hosted a dual meet as the standalone attraction for the first time this season.
“The team goal at the beginning of the season was to qualify Curwensville’s first girls wrestler to the state tournament after having five girls fall in the blood round over the past two seasons,” Curwensville head coach Michael Astorino said. “This year, the team accomplished that goal — and more — with two state qualifiers.”
McKenzie Astorino made it to the finals with a big comeback in her semifinal bout, which she trailed 7-1 before coming back to defeat Selinsgrove’s Aislynn Weller 10-8. Astorino fell in the finals to Lackawanna Trail freshman Cidney Schaffer, who won by fall in 27 seconds. It was the first loss of the season for Astorino (35-1).
“McKenzie had an impressive weekend,” coach Astorino said. “In the semifinals, she was thrown to her back early and trailed 7–1 but maintained her composure and worked her way back into the match, eventually securing the win with a cradle. In the finals, she faced a familiar opponent in Cidney Schaffer, a 2025 Fargo fourth-place finisher, with whom she has traded wins in the past. This time, the match went the other way.”
London slipped past Selinsgrove’s Elizabeth Varner 5-4 in the quarterfinals before suffering a semifinal loss to Milton’s Shu Hyra Ali by technical fall. But London rebounded with a pair of second-period pins to battle her way back to third place. London is now 35-8 this season.
“Brylee battled through several very physical matches on her way to a third-place finish,” coach Astorino said. “She took a hard elbow to the face during her quarterfinal match but showed great toughness in holding on for the win. In the semifinals, she ran into a strong wrestler from Milton. Despite some questionable situations, Brylee put the loss behind her and wrestled back with two pins to secure third place.”
Two other Lady Tide wrestlers had their seasons come to a close at regionals.
Freshman 155-pounder Allison Neeper went 0-2 to finish her season at 18-21.
“Allison faced a very tough regional bracket, going against high-level competition that included multiple top-10 ranked wrestlers,” coach Astorino said said. “As only a freshman, this experience will be valuable, and she’ll be back stronger next season.”
Senior Emily Neeper (235) went 2-2 with two pins, dropping her third-round consolation bout to familiar foe Daisy Glessner (Philipsburg-Osceola) to get eliminated from the tourney. Glessner also defeated Neeper at last week’s district tournament. Neeper finished her senior season with a record of 33-11 and ends her high school wrestling career as the all-time program leader in wins (62).
Astorino and London will be back in action Thursday at Hershey’s Giant Center. The girls session begins at 2 p.m.
Championship Round 1
155 – Georgina Leet (Montgomery) pinned Allison Neeper, 1:06
235 – Emily Neeper pinned Dana Martin (Honesdale), 1:50
Championship Quarterfinals
100 – McKenzie Astorino dec. Isabella Olshefskie (Hughesville), 8-2
142 – Brylee London dec. Elizabeth Varner (Selinsgrove), 5-4
235 – Leah Nason (Athens) pinned Emily Neeper, 2:19
Consolation Round 1
155 – Leonora Orellana Anton (Honesdale) pinned Allison Neeper, 4:09
Consolation Round 2
235 – Emily Neeper pinned Heaven Dozier (Wallenpaupack), 3:57
Championship Semifinals
100 – McKenzie Astorino dec. Aislynn Weller (Selinsgrove), 10-8
142 – Shu Hyra Ali (Milton) won by tech. fall over Brylee London, 17-2 4:03
Consolation Round 3
235 – Daisy Glessner (Philipsburg-Osceola) pinned Emily Neeper, 1:20
Consolation Semifinals
142 – Brylee London pinned Emma Cravener (Redbank Valley), 2:33
Third Place
142 – Brylee London pinned Martyna Bonning (Wyoming Area), 2:56
Championship Finals
100 – Cidney Schaffer (Lackawanna Trail) pinned McKenzie Astorino, 0:27
