UPPER MARLBORO, Md. – For the second straight year, Rileigh Romberger ended her wrestling season standing on the state tournament podium.
This year, it was just one step lower than in 2025.
Smithsburg’s Romberger, the defending state champion – along with South Hagerstown Logan Ardinger – won silver medals on Saturday at the MPSSAA Wrestling State Championships at The Show Place Arena.
Romberger was the top finisher of eight Washington County girls competitors in the Class 2A-1A meet. Boonsboro’s Sarah Mohler was the county’s only other medalist, earning a bronze for third place at 145.
Ardinger also earned a silver after dropping a 3-2 decision at 106 to Clarksburg’s Amanuel Fisahave. He was one of two county wrestlers and the only one to finish in the Class 4A-3A championships.
Williamsport’s Ben Kaetzel placed third at 190 in the 2A-1A tournament by scoring a 5-2 decision over Hammonds Jaden Asaah-Timothy. He was the only one of the three county participants from the county to finish in the top three.
Romberger scored three pins to move into the championship match at 120 pounds but came up short in a 12-8 loss to Brunswick’s Katherine Virgilio. They were familiar with each other as Romberger won the West Region title by defeating Virgilio.
Ardinger won his three matches on Friday by tech fall, major decision and a decision to reach the finals.
Mohler won two matches at 145 before losing 8-0 to Harford Tech’s Emily Wockenfuss in the semifinals. She bounced back with two wins, defeating Sparrow’s Point’s Grace Paech 8-3 in the consolation semifinals before winning by default at 4:05 over Manchester Valley’s Addie Grubb to earn the medal.
Kaetzel also won his first two matches but lost in the semifinals. He bounced back to win by default over Liberty’s Kevin Kerns to earn the shot at the bronze medal.
Two Boonsboro wrestlers finished in the top six of their weight classes.
JT Griffith took fourth at 215 by winning three matches to reach consolation final, but lost 5-0 to Hereford’s Adam Keever. Luke Bucheimer finished sixth at 113 after losing his final three matches, including the fifth-place final.
The only other county boy to reach the state tournament was South Hagerstown’s Paul Ngolle at 157. He won his first-round match by pin over Perry Hall’s Justin Kavanagh before losing in the quarterfinals and his second consolation bracket match.
On the girls’ side, Smithsburg had four other representatives at the state meet, while Williamsport had three.
The Leopards’ Samantha Nieman competed in six matches after losing in the second round before losing her fourth consolation match on a 1-0 decision to Walkersville’s Saleema Kang.
Emmaleigh Mentzer had three matches at 115, but was eliminated by losing in the second round and in the consolations. Sister Lilliannah Mentzer dropped both of her matches at 190.
Bella Cox also lost her first two matches at 130.
Laicey Durham, Emma Paul and Ella Rectorovic all competed for Williamsport in the 2A-1A meet.
Durham lost her first-round match at 100 but won three in the consolation bracket before losing 6-3 to Laurel’s Olivia Crosby to be eliminated.
Paul competed in four matches at 125, losing her opener but posted two wins in the consolation bouts before getting knocked out.
Rectorovic won her opening match at 190, but lost her next two to end her appearance.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Charleston 7, Shepherd 5
Shepherd 11, Charleston 5
SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – Infielder Ryan Fluharty went 4-for-7 and scored four runs on Sunday to lead Shepherd University to a doubleheader split against the University of Charleston. The Golden Eagles won the opener before the Rams bounced back in the nightcap to move their record to 12-4.
Shepherd scored three runs in the first in the opener but couldn’t hold on to the lead.
Fluharty lofted a sacrifice fly and outfielder Ethan Jones added an RBI-single to key the scoring to highlight the rally.
Charleston used a pair of solo home – one in the third and one in the fourth – to move within 3-2, before tying the game with a run in the fifth.
Colin Ahart had an RBI double and infielder Braylon Conner added a run-scoring single in the fifth to take a 5-3 lead.
UC rallied with four runs in the seventh, highlighted by Ryan Comella’s three-run single, to seal the win.
Logan Bower (1-1) took the loss in relief, pitching 1 ½ innings, allowing four runs on one hit and three walks while striking out two.
Shepherd took a 1-0 lead in the nightcap on Fluharty’s RBI double. An error and a hit batter helped the Rams take a 3-0 lead in the fourth.
Charleston got on the scoreboard with a run in the fifth, before the Rams tacked on seven runs in the bottom half of the inning. Pullen had a two-run single and Fluharty smacked a three-run double to key the rally.
Shepherd pitcher Riley Morgan earned the win with five innings work, allowing a run on three hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Shepherd 9, Pace 1
Pace 3, Shepherd 2
SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – Outfielder Lexi McAllister went 3-for-4, and infielder Cate Russian added a pair of hits to lead a 10-hit attack as Shepherd University won to first game in a doubleheader split with Pace.
The Rams took a 3-0 lead in the first inning on three hits and a pair of errors. Sam Colaw hit a grounder to score one of the runs.
Pace rallied with a pair of runs in the second and took a 4-3 lead in the fourth.
Shepherd tied the game in the bottom of the fourth an RBI single by McAllister.
The Rams added five runs in the sixth to earn the win. Colaw belted a two-run homer, McAllister hit an RBI double and outfielder Haylee Hartman, a Boonsboro graduate, added an RBI single.
Colaw picked up the win in relief by working 3 1/3 innings, allowing one hit while striking out on.
Pace scored three-runs in the sixth in the nightcap.
Shepherd got two of them back in the seventh on a two-run single by Russian.
Infielder Jordan Gugliuzza went 3-for-3 to lead the Rams. Hartman added a pair of hits.
