Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer's Noli Paddock controls her semifinal match against 2-seed Makenzie Harbour of Shenendehowa-II on Thursday at MVP Arena in Albany. OBSERVER Photo by Christian Storms

ALBANY — There was just not enough time for Noli Paddock a year ago at the first New York State Public High School Athletic Association girls wrestling championships.

In her freshman season for the Eagles, Paddock ran out of time as she battled relentlessly in the state semifinals, but the deficit was far too great. Paddock was in a rush again in the 138-pound semifinal on Thursday at the MVP Arena in Albany, but this time she was in a rush to end the match.

Continuing her warpath, Paddock dominated her semifinal against 2-seed Makenzie Harbour of Shenendehowa-II, racing to a perfect technical fall 10-0 in 2:19.

“It’s kind of amazing to represent Section VI and my school,” Paddock said about advancing to the 138-pound state final. “I’m really glad I’m here and I have an appreciation for all my coaches this year.”

Paddock advances to the state championship later today against 8-seed Amelia Toomey of Tioga-IV who got past No. 1 Isabella Satalino of Columbia-II because of a medical forfeit and then posted a second-round pin against No. 3 Melania Turano of Bayshore-XI in 3:57.

“I think the main difference from last year to this year is confidence,” Paddock stated. “I’m way more confident this year than I was at all last year.”

The nerves may have gotten to Paddock a year ago, but the sophomore has returned a seasoned vet with a perfect 40-0 record on the season heading into the final.

“Noli last year lost in the semis, so it was a heartbreaker for her,” Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer wrestling coach Chris Fairbank said about Paddock’s performance. “Her goal has been to get to the finals. As long as Noli wrestles the way she normally does and stays within herself, I think she will be happy at the end of the night.”

In her first three matches, Paddock is yet to surrender a point to her opponents, first pinning Aubrey Dignean of Phoenix-III in 1:09 after scoring 5-0 to start, then she outscored Taylor Brock of MacArthur-VIII 6-0 before pinning her in 58 seconds and in the semifinal she was just as dominant getting the 10-0 technical fall.

“The problem last year in the semis she was too defensive,” Fairbank added. “She let the action come to her and it took too long for her to start being offensive and scoring. That’s been a focus this year, let’s not wait, be offensive right off the bat and not get in those situations.”

While Paddock has her sights set on the top of the podium, she will not be the only Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer wrestler on the podium today.

Fellow sophomore Lilly Hyde who suffered heartbreak as the 2-seed a year ago will finally get her spot on the podium at states after a pair of thrilling finishes in the wrestlebacks today.

Coming into the 152-pound bracket as the 5-seed, Hyde once again lost in the quarterfinals, but this time it wasn’t the end for her.

While dealing with an injury, Hyde was pinned in her quarterfinal match against Phoenix’s Gabriella Gonzales at 5:49.

She could have easily called it a day, but instead she got right into the wrestlebacks and fought for her spot on the podium.

Hyde first dominated Chloe Gooshaw of Massena-X to a 11-0 technical fall victory in 1:53 before the road got very difficult. The following match she wrestled Isabella Dipaola of Kingston-IX and in the final minute of the bout she scored six points to come from behind for a 10-8 decision which guaranteed a spot on the podium. Then in her next match she had to come from behind again, trailing 6-1 to 2-seed Keishara Tulloch of Uniondale-VIII, Hyde scored the last four points of the first period and then started the second strong with another two before she secured a pin at 4:30.

“Lilly was the 2-seed last year,” Fairbank said about Hyde’s performance. “I think being here and getting that little bit of experience has helped her. In that last match (against Dipaola) she really had to battle through and get those points at the end for a spot on the podium. That’s really been her goal all year to get on that podium, so now it’s just trying to get one more step up.”

When action resumes, Hyde will take on 3-seed Arica Pearson-Leary of Valley Central-IX for third place.

Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer freshman Chloe Hosier made her way into the semifinals as the 2-seed at 165 pounds, but was ousted by No. 3 Ava Guilmette of Shenendehowa-II with a 11-1 technical fall in 1:40.

“Chloe had a tough match in the semis,” Fairbank added. “Being her first time at states she has performed well her first couple of matches.”

Hosier’s pins against Makenna Eastman of Corinth-II at 2:41 and Melody Medina of Bayshore-XI at 2:07 remain her only victories as she then fell in her first wrestleback to Jansen Derzanovich of Chenango Forks-IV by 12-2 technical fall at 4:46.

However, she still has the chance to finish the year with a win as she goes against Medina again in the fifth-place match.

“It’s the state tournament, the quality of wrestling is always going to be tough,” Fairbank stated. “It’s why we try to schedule our schedule the way we do so we’ve seen it before. All the girls have done well, everyone has won a match and we’ve got three guaranteed placements.”

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It will be Paddock, Hyde and Hosier ascending the podium later today, but they were not the only local girls to find success in Albany on Thursday morning.

Fredonia/Forestville/Silver Creek and Falconer/Cassadaga Valley each had a pair of wrestlers pick up a victory at the state tournament, making it 8 for 8 on local girls earning a victory at states.

Fredonia/Forestville/Silver Creek’s McKella Hodkin picked up a first-round win at 152 pounds, defeating Katie Huang of Bethlehem-II with a pin at 2:38. Then in her quarterfinal matchup she was tasked with wrestling top-seed Aaliyah Morrow of Bellport-XI and she lived up to the seeding with an 11-0 technical fall in exactly a minute.

Hodkin’s day ended the following match as she dropped a narrow 7-5 decision against Kingston’s Dipaola in wrestlebacks.

Fredonia/Forestville/Silver Creek teammate Braelynn Wicks also was pitted against a top-seed, but in her opening match and was pinned by No. 1 Satalino of Columbia-II in 1:31.

Wicks managed to pick up her victory in the first wrestlebacks against 9-seeded Payton Little of Oneonta-IV with a pin at 2:09. She was then pinned the following match by Jada Lee of Monroe-Woodbury-IX at 1:39, keeping her off the podium.

Anastazia Hale returned to states for the Golden Cougars in the 94-pound bracket and dropped her first match against No. 4 Lorilye Beardsley of Avon-Geneseo-V in a 10-0 technical fall after 46 seconds.

Hale also managed to bounce back with a victory in wrestlebacks, defeating Angeline Bonilla of Uniondale-VIII with a pin at 2:28. Her path to the podium was ended the following match after a 14-4 technical fall loss at 4:41 to Zoey Hernandez of Rocky Point-XI.

Maliyah Stone made her first trip to states and she will come back home with a win at 100 pounds, pinning No. 10 Nicole Shneyder of Arlington-I in 1:08.

Stone then dropped the following two matches, getting pinned by 2-seed Zoey Jewett of General Brown-III in 37 seconds of quarterfinal action and then in wrestlebacks was sent home when Natalia Quinteros Tejada of FDR-Hyde Park-IX pinned her at 2:21.

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The trio of girls from Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer will determine their spots on the podium when action resumes at 5:15 p.m. today.

“My teammates are the most loving and caring,” Paddock added about her teammates. “They really bring you up at any point and it’s nice to see for a new program.”

Section VI will also have several other girls in the same boat, most notably Clarence’s Michaela Thomas looking to defend her 165-pound state title against the 3-seeded Guilmette. Ken-Ton’s Mackenzie Vetter-Higgins is in the 185-pound fifth place match, Niagara Wheatfield’s Alexa Doxey is in the third place match at 132 pounds and her teammate Gabriella Barone is in the fifth place match at 114 pounds.

“Honestly, it’s whoever wants it more,” Paddock said about the championship match. “You know that you’ve put in all the work so you deserve it as much as anyone.”