The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association Girls Wrestling State Championships were a dream come true for Rileigh Romberger.
Smithsburg’s star wrestler, facing the best the state of Maryland had to offer at 120 pounds, absolutely crushed her competition. Romberger went 4-0 at the tournament and won every match by bonus, including a 14-2 major decision over Tuscarora’s Ella McDonald in the state title bout.
Now that Romberger has reached the top of the mountain, the junior faces an even more difficult challenge: Staying on top.
Romberger is the headliner for a Smithsburg squad that returns a wealth of state and regional qualifiers, and should make plenty of noise this season.
Chambersburg’s girls wrestling program had a big year in its first season of wrestling last winter, and with a strong returning group — including a state qualifier in Jessica Li — the Trojans have big goals for 2025.
In our girls high school wrestling previews, we’ll take a closer look at Smithsburg and Chambersburg while also shining the spotlight on the five other teams in the Local.News1 coverage area.
Stay with Local.News1 in the days to come as we continue to preview the winter sports season.
Below are team-by-team previews for the seven teams in the Local.News1 coverage area:
Chambersburg Trojans
Coach: Joshua Sherman
Division: Mid-Penn Conference
Last season: 12-5, 6-4 division
Top projected returners: Reagan Evans (So., 29-5, 20 falls), Jessica Li (Jr., 28-9, 13 falls), Aulana Stanton (Jr., 27-3, 12 falls), Hadyn Fritz (Sr., 20-12, 15 falls), Lilybeth Alcantaras (Jr., 15-12, 11 falls), Mackenzie Miller (Sr., 14-4, 6 falls), Daryn Glasgow (Jr., 10-8), Alba Rojas (So. 8-13, 4 falls), Brookelyn Morrow (Jr., 3-9), Piper Jones (2-2, 2 falls), Makayla Corwell (So., 1-5)
Meet the Trojans: Chambersburg’s girls wrestling program had quite the debut season in 2024, with the Trojans posting a winning dual record and churning out four regional qualifiers, including a state qualifier in Jessica Li … All of those wrestlers are back, as are the rest of the girls that guided Chambersburg to a fourth-place team finish at the Section 2 Tournament … Li just missed a 30-win campaign last winner, with the 106-pounder marching to the state tournament with fourth-place finishes at sections and regionals … Reagan Evans led Chambersburg with 20 falls last season and was a section champion at 132 pounds, before she closed out her season with a sixth-place finish at regionals … Aulana Stanton conquered the 170-pound section bracket last season, before going 1-2 at regionals … Lilybeth Alcantaras, a regional qualifier, and Hadyn Fritz, a fifth-place finisher at sections, also bring back valuable postseason experience.
Opener: Thursday, Dec. 4, at Waynesboro
Waynesboro Maidens
Division: Mid-Penn Conference
Last season: 6-3, 6-2 division
Top projected returners: Lexus Mower (Sr., 7-6, 6 falls), Keeley Pryor (Sr., 7-13, 4 falls), Marianna Raleigh (Jr., 4-8, 1 fall), Allison Shockey (Jr., 5-13, 4 falls), Miley Smetzer (Sr., 11-10, 7 falls), Annabelle Tracey (Sr., 17-8, 15 falls), Rylei Young (So., 14-8, 6 falls)
Meet the Maidens: Waynesboro graduated its top wrestler in Kenadee Shockey, but otherwise brings back a solid stable of grapplers … Shockey was a Section 2 champion at 190 pounds and a fifth-place finisher at regionals … Annabelle Tracey, a fourth-place section finisher at 142 pounds, is the lone returning regional qualifier for the Maidens … Keeley Pryor (112 pounds) and Rylei Young (148) both placed sixth at sections last winter … Waynesboro is hoping that senior Miley Smetzer, who possesses a career record of 30-27, can rediscover the magic from her freshman campaign, when she qualified for states.
Opener: Thursday, Dec. 4, at home vs. Chambersburg.
Greencastle-Antrim Blue Devils
Coach: Andrew Allshouse
Division: Mid-Penn Conference
Last season: 1-6, 1-4 division
Top projected returners: Kathryn Bream (So., 2-7), Jazmin Corbin (Jr., 4-4, 3 falls), Rachael Graham (So., 4-5), Aniuta Pavlii (Sr., 5-7, 2 falls), Rowan Shubert (Jr., 4-4), Brandy Trail (Sr., 2-4, 1 fall)
Meet the Blue Devils: Greencastle-Antrim is expected to return a small group of wrestlers, but the Blue Devils will need some fresh recruits to stay competitive in dual matches … The team’s top returner is senior Aniuta Pavlii, who led Greencastle with five wins last winter and was a fifth-place finisher at sections … Junior Jazmin Corbin led the Blue Devils with three falls last season and is projected to return … Greencastle is expected to return two other four-match winners in Rachael Graham and Rowan Shubert … The Blue Devils will be without the services of graduated middleweight Aliyah Masser.
Opener: Thursday, Dec. 11, at Shippensburg
Fairfield Knights
Coach: Jeff Hickok
Division: YAIAA
Top projected returners: Riley Stoner (Sr., 7-6, 7 falls)
Meet the Knights: Stoner was a one-woman wrecking crew for Fairfield’s girls program last season, pinning seven opponents on her way to a sixth-place finish at the Section 2 Tournament … She doubled as a contributing member of the boys team, posting a 5-14 record with two falls … With Stoner in her final season for the Knights, the future of Fairfield’s girl team is uncertain if the program does not get some fresh talent.
Opener: No dual team
N. Hagerstown Hubs
Coach: Greg Slick
Region: MPSSAA 4A-3A West
Top projected returners: Reggan Chapin (Jr., 14-6), Saniah Keye (So., 3-13), Anna Alesson-Fernandez (Sr., 4-4)
Meet the Hubs: North Hagerstown will be rallying behind junior Reggan Chapin, who was a state qualifier last season … Chapin took second at 135 pounds at the Washington County Tournament and landed third at the 4A-3A West Regional before going 1-2 at states … Saniah Keye will be looking to build off a freshman season that saw her qualify for regionals and take sixth place … Anna Alesson-Fernandez, the Washington County runner-up at 120 pounds, is projected to return for her senior season … The Hubs will be aiming for improvement at the Washington County tourney after placing fifth as a team last season.
S. Hagerstown Rebels
Coach: Brandon Ashby
Region: MPSSAA 4A-3A West
Top projected returners: Ariyanah Freeman (So., 5-7), Amelia Martinez (So., 3-13)
Meet the Rebels: South Hagerstown will be looking to move on from the graduation of state qualifier Grace Reynolds … Competing at 110 pounds, Reynolds won the Washington County Tournament and took third at regionals, before going 3-2 at states … The Rebels return a pair of regional qualifiers in Ariyanah Freeman and Amelia Martinez Durante … As a freshman last winter, Freeman captured the Washington County championship at 145 pounds before posting a 2-2 record at regionals for fourth place … Durante, a 155-pounder, went 0-2 at regionals … South Hagerstown will be looking to improve upon last season’s fourth-place finish at the Washington County tourney.
Smithsburg Leopards
Coach: N/A
Region: MPSSAA 2A-1A West
Top projected returners: Rileigh Romberger (Jr., 23-1), Emmaleigh Mentzer (Jr., 18-7), Samantha Nieman (Sr., 13-10), Isabella Cox (Sr., 18-4), Kayleigh Wetzel (Sr., 10-10), Macy Orr (Jr., 11-7), Jamie Cuevas (Jr., 8-4), Laila Ricketts (Sr.)
Meet the Leopards: All eyes will be on defending 2A-1A 120-pound state champion Rileigh Romberger … After taking second in the state as a freshman, Romberger went on a tear last winter, winning all but one match on her way to championships at the county, regional, and state levels … Romberger was at her best during the MPSSAA Championships, rolling up a 4-0 record and dominating Tuscarora’s Ella McDonald 14-2 in the state title match … Smithsburg, which won the Washington County team title last season, brings back two other state qualifiers in Emmaleigh Mentzer and Samantha Nieman … Mentzer won the 115-pound championship at the Washington County Tournament and took third at 2A-1A West Regionals before going 0-2 at states … At 155 pounds, Nieman took second in the county and third on the region, before posting a 1-2 record at states … Isabella Cox is expected to return after she won a county championship at 130 pounds and a runner-up finish at regionals … Kayleigh Wetzel (135 pounds) and Macy Orr (170) are two regional qualifiers projected to return for the Leopards, and the same can be said for Laila Ricketts, Washington County’s defending champion at 140 pounds.
