Heading into the New York State Public High School Athletic Association girls wrestling 138-pound final Thursday night at MVP Arena, Paddock boasted an impressive 40-0 record and did not surrender a single point en route to the championship match against No. 8 Amelia Toomey of Section IV Tioga.

The third-seeded Paddock was favored in the match, but right from the start Toomey gave her trouble by scoring the first point, showing she meant business.

However, Paddock meant business too, and she brought it to Toomey for the nearly the next full minute racing to an 8-1 lead. It looked like Paddock was going to earn another technical fall and then the match changed.

A little over halfway through the first period, Toomey injured Paddock’s shoulder while attempting to get her toward a pin. Paddock used her injury time, but the tone of the match was different from then on.

Photo courtesy of Michelle Gilbert Below, the Eagles’ Chloe Hosier wrestles a 165-pound match Thursday.

Paddock attempted to battle through and she escaped the first period leading 8-5, clearly being held back by her shoulder. Then, in the second period, Paddock looked to be back to normal, jumping to a 14-9 lead, but then Toomey did the same move that hurt Paddock earlier and this time there was no escaping as she secured the pin and claimed the state title at 4:58.

“No, definitely,” Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer/Sherman head coach Chris Fairbank confirmed about Paddock’s shoulder being injured for the remainder of the final. “She tweaked the shoulder a little bit. I think it’s nothing major, but I think that soreness probably factored in a little bit. But at the end of the day, Toomey is a phenomenal wrestler who we knew coming into the tournament that there was a very good chance she would be the one to make it through. It’s just a tough way to end the season.”

The result of the match was devastating for Paddock, having the title ripped away from her with an inopportune injury in the way of a perfect season.

“In that situation she had the shoulder pulled across her body,” Fairbank said how the shoulder injury could make her vulnerable to the pin. “Definitely, to try and fight that was a tough spot for her.”

Last season, Paddock was able to finish the year with a win in the third-place match, but even though the sting hurts worse in the title match she still moved up a spot from her freshman season.

Photo courtesy of Michelle Gilbert Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer/Sherman’s Lilly Hyde seeks advice during a break in her 152-pound match Thursday.

Paddock used the motivation from last year’s finish to get even better this year and Fairbank suspects she will do the same when she returns as a junior.

“All season for her the dominance,” Fairbank said about Paddock’s impressive sophomore year. “She’s one of those girls that she is going to be back on the mat here in a couple of days working for next year already. She’s very driven, she seeks out multiple people, she has had a lot of different coaches that helped her. She will be right back at it, will take a couple of days and it hurts, but she’ll get back at it. At the end of the day she had a phenomenal season, her only loss on the year unfortunately just came at an inopportune time.”

At the end of the night when the tears faded away, Paddock still got up on the podium with a smile and wrapped up a terrific season with a 40-1 record with a second-place finish at the state championships.

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Just like Paddock, Lilly Hyde and Chloe Hosier were unable to finish their seasons with a victory, but both came home with state medals and plenty of motivation for next season.

Photo courtesy of Michelle Gilbert Falconer/Cassadaga Valley’s Maliyah Stone wrestles at 100 pounds Thursday in Albany.

“At the beginning of the year, if you would have told me we ended up with three on the podium, I would take that every day of the week,” Fairbank said. “The girls that came here all performed well. Obviously, Noli in the finals is a little heartbreaker, but motivation for next year.”

See ALBANY, Page B2

Hosier’s fifth-place match came first and despite losing in a technical fall, she nearly was able to steal a pin from Melody Medina of Section XI Bay Shore at 165 pounds. After giving up the first six points of the match it looked like Medina would cruise to the victory, but then Hosier gave her a scare 50 seconds into the first period.

While Medina was fighting to score points, Hosier was able to reverse her and fought hard to secure a pin and steal the victory. Hosier was unable to get Medina on her shoulders for the pin and that strong push was short lived as nearly a minute later the match ended with a 12-2 technical fall.

Hosier finished her season with a 29-12 record and sixth place at 165 pounds as a freshman.

Hyde’s match stayed out of reach the whole way as Arica Pearson-Leary of Section IX Valley Central scored four points in the first two minutes of the opening period and never let Hyde get in good position to score.

Pearson-Leary stayed strong into the second period, holding true even when Hyde had her in a standing headlock and was fighting hard to take her down.

In a last-ditch effort at the end Hyde shot for a takedown, but Pearson-Leary just added another two points and secured a 9-1 decision.

The Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer/Sherman sophomore had quite the turnaround after falling short of the podium a year ago and finished this season at fourth place at 152 pounds and a 32-9 record on the year.

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While Paddock, Hyde and Hosier were the only local girls to make the podium they were not the only ones to find success in Albany on Thursday.

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

“All of those girls,” Fairbank said about how this season will motivate the girls for next year. “The ones that did make the podium this year, come next year the goal is to be a little bit better. For the other girls like Tayler that made it here, the goal for next year will be to win a couple of matches and get on the podium. Always looking to improve.”

Pinzok began her day in the 107-pound bracket with an impressive 18-5 technical fall over Amelia Armstrong of Section V Wayne, but that part was short-lived as her next match was against top-seed and nationally ranked Charlie Wylie of Section IX Port Jervis. Wylie showed why Sports Illustrated ranks her No. 4 in the nation at 110 pounds by pulling off an unbelievable 10-0 technical fall in just 22 seconds.

Pinzok’s bid for a spot on the podium ended in the wrestlebacks as she was pinned by Harley Eidens of Section VIII Long Beach at 4:17.

Fredonia/Forestville/Silver Creek’s McKella Hodkin picked up a first-round win at 152 pounds, defeating Katie Huang of Section II Bethlehem with a pin at 2:38. In her quarterfinal matchup, she was tasked with wrestling top-seed Aaliyah Morrow of Section XI Bellport 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 in her opening match and was pinned by No. 1 Isabella Satalino of Section II Columbia in 1:31.

Wicks managed to pick up her victory in the first wrestlebacks against ninth-seeded Payton Little of Section IV Oneonta with a pin at 2:09. She was then pinned the following match by Jada Lee of Section IX Monroe-Woodbury 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 Section V Avon-Geneseo in a 10-0 technical fall after 46 seconds.

Hale also managed to bounce back with a victory in wrestlebacks, defeating Angeline Bonilla of Section VIII Uniondale 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 Section XI Rocky Point.

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

Stone then dropped the following two matches, getting pinned by No. 2 seed Zoey Jewett of Section III General Brown in 37 seconds of quarterfinal action and then in wrestlebacks was sent home when Natalia Quinteros Tejada of Section IX FDR-Hyde Park pinned her at 2:21.

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Representing Section VI, Clarence’s Michaela Thomas was upset defending her 165-pound state title after being pinned by No. 3 seed Ava Guilmette of Section II Shenendehowa in 55 seconds. Ken-Ton’s Mackenzie Vetter-Higgins took sixth place at 185 pounds, while Niagara Wheatfield made the podium with both Alexa Doxey taking fourth at 132 pounds and Gabriella Barone placing fifth at 114 pounds.

CHAMPIONSHIP

94: Tatiana Alexander (Eastchester-I) d. Pearl Jewett (General Brown-III), 2-0

100: Jasmine Brucato (Alexander/Pembroke/Byron-Bergen-V) tf. Zoey Jewett (General Brown-III), 10-0

107: Charlie Wylie (Port Jervis-IX) tf. Katie Porcelli (Rocky Point-XI), 10-0

114: Isabella Phelps (Sidney-IV) tf. Laila Builes (Port Chester-I), 11-1

120: Gabrielle Severin (Bethpage-VIII) d. Gail Sullivan (Monroe/Woodbury-IX), 5-4

126: Sara Pauls (Minisink Valley-IX) p. Reese Adams (Calhoun-VIII), 5:44

132: Haley Gonzales (Hicksville-VIII) Carmen Bishop (Groton-IV)

138: Amelia Toomey (Tioga-IV) p. Noli Paddock (Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer/Sherman-VI), 4:58

145: Delaney Dixon (Windsor-IV) p. Victoria Alvarado (Warwick Valley-IX), 2:55

152: Aaliyah Morrow (Bellport-XI) d. Ja’Niyah Simmons (Canandaigua-V), 8-0

165: Ava Guilmette (Shenendehowa-II) p. Michaela Thomas (Clarence-VI), :55

185: Teagan McGuinness (Union Endicott-IV) p. Kyah Nelson (Tioga-IV), 3:49

235: Naomi Gonzalez (Valley Stream-VIII) p. Peyton Mullin (Dundee/Bradford/Penn Yan-V), 1:22

THIRD PLACE

94: Lorilye Beardsley (Avon/Geneseo-V) tf. Avery Mancini (Burnt Hills/Scotia/Ballston Lake-II), 14-4

100: Olivia Anello (Bellport-XI) p. Cadence Guy (Walton/Delaware Academy-IV), 5:59

107: Krysten Yadlosky (Windsor-IV) d. Olivia Schmidt (Valley Central-IX), 13-4

114: Mia Severino (Copiague-XI) d. Gionna Allen (Fulton-III), 4-0

120: Madalyn Hill (Shenendehowa-II) d. Breyana Montalvo (Amsterdam-II), 7-0

126: Alivia Cartwright (Keshequa/Fillmore-V) p. Amy Kate Erikson (Niskayuna-Schenectady-II), 1:09

132: Caitlin Maragioglio (Bellport-XI) tf. Alexa Doxey (Niagara Wheatfield-VI), 10-0

138: Makenzie Harbour (Shenendehowa-II) tf. Jada Lee (Monroe/Woodbury-IX), 16-4

145: Ella Gregg (Niskayuna-Schenectady-II) d. Kaitlyn Young (Shenendehowa-II), 9-4

152: Arica Pearson-Leary (Valley Central-IX) d. Lilly Hyde (Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer/Sherman-VI), 9-1

165: Molly Sorenson (Homer-III) d. Jansen Derzanovich (Chenango Forks-IV), 5-3

185: Jaida Macaluso (Minisink Valley-IX) tf. Delina Gritz (Putnam Valley-I), 14-4

235: Ava Gregg (Shaker-II) p. Ellisa Bly (Horseheads-IV), 1:55

FIFTH PLACE

94: Zoey Hernandez (Rocky Point-XI) d. Fern Jewett (General Brown-III), 6-0

100: Alianna Lyon (Mechanicville/Stillwater-II) p. Natalia Quinteros Tejada (FDR/Hyde Park-IX), 2:43

107: Alicia Cardona (East Islip-XI) d. Sydney West (Shenendehowa-II), 6-2

114: Gabriella Barone (Niagara Wheatfield-VI) p. Keira Filip (Minisink Valley-IX), :41

120: Tayah Beach (SVEC-IV) p. Rylie Meagher (Camden-III), 2:57

126: Riley Butler (West Genesee-III) d. Gabriella Frankian (Glens Falls-II), 11-6

132: Haley Proulx (Burnt Hills/Scotia/Ballston Lake-II) mf. Rebecca Brennan (New Paltz-IX), medical forfeit

138: Josie Lamb (Canandaigua-V) p. Melania Turano (Bay Shore-XI), 4:55

145: Riley Kinsley (Valley Central-IX) p. Nadia Rose (Fulton-III), 1:27

152: Keishara Tulloch (Uniondale-VIII) d. Gabriella Gonzales (Phoenix-III), 8-3

165: Melody Medina (Bay Shore-XI) tf. Chloe Hosier (Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer/Sherman-VI), 12-2

185: Graciela Vasquez (Fulton-III) tf. Mackenzie Vetter-Higgins (Ken-Ton-VI), 13-3

235: Sydney Fisher (Bay Shore-XI) p. Madeira Monchery (Middletown-IX), :35