{"id":12781,"date":"2026-03-10T14:40:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T14:40:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/12781\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T14:40:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T14:40:08","slug":"mt-lebanon-wrestlers-make-mark-at-piaa-championships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/12781\/","title":{"rendered":"Mt. Lebanon wrestlers make mark at PIAA championships"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n Bring home four medals & one team trophy <\/p>\n

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The Mt. Lebanon girls wrestling team finished runner-up in the state. The Blue Devils tallied 68 points to finish second behind Quakertown (76 points) during the PIAA tournament held March 5-7 at the GIANT Center in Hershey. Pictured from left are: Carly Jox, head coach Amanda Lebec, Isla Silva, Paige Jox, Camilla Hathaway, Lily Perri, and assistant coach Bob Jox. <\/p>\n

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Mt. Lebanon wrestlers picked up medals during the PIAA championships held March 5-7 at the GIANT Center in Hershey. From left are: Paige Jox (third at 1480: Cole Gibbons (sixth at 160); Camilla Hathaway (third at 155) and Isla Silva (first at 112).<\/p>\n

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Paige Jox, Isla Silva and Camilla Hathaway brought home bronze, gold and bronze medals respectively and helped Mt. Lebanon secured the runner-up team trophy during the PIAA wrestling championships.<\/p>\n

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Isla Silva has her hand raised as the victor by the referee in the 112-pound championship match.<\/p>\n

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Isla Silva receives congratulations from her coaches after winning a PIAA wrestling title. The Mt. Lebanon freshman beat Daylee Watson of Conneaut Area, 6-1, in finals.<\/p>\n

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Paige Jox ties up with an opponent during 148-pound action at the PIAA wrestling championships. Jox took third in the competition.<\/p>\n

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Paige Jox gives the thumbs up after recording a win during 148-pound wrestling action at the PIAA championships.<\/p>\n

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Cole Gibbons squares off against an opponent during PIAA wrestling championship action. The Mt. Lebanon senior secured sixth place in the 160-pound weight class.<\/p>\n

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After putting four athletes on the podium, Mt. Lebanon affixed an exclamation point to its wrestling season when the girls took home the runner-up team trophy during the awards ceremony at the PIAA championships.<\/p>\n

During the state finals held from March 5-7 at the GIANT Center in Hershey, Mt. Lebanon claimed one state title, produced two third-place finishers and added a sixth-place medalist, but the Lady Blue Devils brought home the biggest prize. They finished runner-up to Quakertown in the team standings. Quakertown totaled 76 points while Mt. Lebanon tallied a 68 score.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we started the season, we knew we had a really great group of athletes but I told them at the first practice we also had a team that could be first in the state. So we focused on performing as a team,\u201d said Lebo head coach Amanda Lebec.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a happy, joyful experience to know we showed well at states, and focusing on wrestling our best contributed to a good team score. We were already celebrating so much. The team trophy was just the icing on the cake for what we can do together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paige Jox, who finished third in the 148-pound weight class, noted the small contingent the Blue Devils sent to the PIAA championships. In addition to Cole Gibbons on the male side, Jox competed in the female division alongside freshmen Isla Silva and Camilla Hathaway under the Mt. Lebanon moniker<\/p>\n

\u201cTo take second, especially only having three girls, makes it difficult to finish high in the team rankings,\u201d she said. \u201cI am so happy with how I did but I am so proud of Isla and Camilla. They have been so amazing this season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Silva capped off a 32-3 freshmen year with a PIAA title at 112.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could not have been more proud of Isla,\u201d Lebec said. \u201cShe relied on her athleticism, fitness and conditioning. She utilized everything in her toolbox and wrestled her match.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the second time this season, Silva beat Daylee Watson of Conneaut Area, 6-1, in the 112-pound title bout. Silva had also beaten Watson a week earlier to win the regional crown. <\/p>\n

Silva, who was also the WPIAL champion, defeated Morgan Hyland from Easton, 7-4, in a critical semifinal match.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was the match we were preparing for because Morgan is such an accomplished wrestler and she had scored on Isla a bit,\u201d Lebec said. \u201cOnce we got in the finals, we knew Isla would be facing Daly, whom she had wrestled before. <\/p>\n

\u201cIsla never underestimates an opponent,\u201d Lebec continued. \u201cSo she focused on her wrestling. She did what she needed to do. She performed so well when she knew what was coming for her. She wrestled her match and focused on herself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noting Silva is just 14 years old, Lebec said her future is \u201cabsolutely\u201d bright. She and Hathaway are currently training for the freestyle season and a return to the World Team Trials in Spokane.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsla is a phenomenal competitor with big dreams and big goals,\u201d Lebec said. \u201cWrestling is a process sport and she sticks to it. With her focus and work on her skills, then big things are sure to come for her.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a PIAA title under her belt, Silva has a thirst for more championships. She has set her sights on being a four-time state champion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you win, you never want to finish lower than first at states,\u201d Lebec said. \u201cThe mentality is \u2018Let\u2019s get the next one\u2019 but Isla is the type of kid that\u2019s focused on what\u2019s in front of her. She\u2019s still 14 and we want her to focus on that. Her opportunities will come.\u201d<\/p>\n

As colleges continue to add women\u2019s wrestling to their athletics lineup, Lebec envisions Silva as a building block. She said that she would love to see Pitt and Penn State start programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsla wants to represent the United States but she could have a huge impact on any school, particularly one just getting started. To be part of an inaugural program would certainly be impactful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jox has had that kind of effect on Mt. Lebanon\u2019s program. She started wrestling four years ago when the school started its female program.<\/p>\n

In fact, Jox is the only female from Mt. Lebanon to qualify for the PIAA championships for three years. <\/p>\n

Last week, Jox finished third overall in the 148-pound weight class. <\/p>\n

After scoring two first-period falls in the opening rounds of the competition, Jox dropped a 4-1 decision to Juliet Alt in the semifinals. She roared back with a 9-0 major decision against General McLane\u2019s Whisper Abercrombie and a pin in 3:42 against Pine-Richland\u2019s Giada Campanella to claim the bronze medal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could not be happier for Paige. She has worked so hard for so long,\u201d Lebec said. \u201cAfter struggling the last two state tournaments, she really came in here and had an amazing tournament.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year was so different. There was a lightness about her. She loves what she does and that has made a difference. She\u2019s also had the technique, the strength and skill but this year, her mindset got her there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jox confirmed that a relaxed outlook helped her throughout the competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy whole thing was don\u2019t be nervous,\u201d she said. \u201cI knew that there would be great wrestlers and tough opponents but I knew that if I stayed calm and worked my offense, it would eventually work out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jox finished the year with a 36-7 record. She is a member of the Century Club with a 106-28 overall record.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am really happy with how I did this year, but I am sad because it\u2019s my last year. Even though I am wrestling in college, I really don\u2019t want it to end.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before Jox matriculates to Washington and Jefferson College in the fall, she will participate in the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic. She received her invitation while celebrating her bronze-medal match. <\/p>\n

Dubbed the Rose Bowl of amateur wrestling, the scholastic all-star event will be held March 28 at AHN Arena on the Peters Township High School campus. It features the best wrestlers in the WPIAL, state of Pennsylvania and from around the United States. The women\u2019s match will pit Pennsylvania against Oklahoma at 3 p.m. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m super honored to be part of it,\u201d Jox said of the Classic. \u201cIt\u2019s a pretty cool event.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lebec concurred with Jox\u2019s perspective and added that she has brought prestige to the Blue Devil program.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are super proud and happy for Paige,\u201d Lebec said. \u201cIt\u2019s a historic moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI reminded Paige that she was one of the first girls to sign up when we started Mt. Lebanon\u2019s first girls team. She\u2019s been a part of and responsible for many firsts and we are grateful to her for being that person.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hathaway is another Lebo grappler responsible for bringing home the team\u2019s first trophy. <\/p>\n

After pinning her first two opponents in the state tournament, Hathaway fell to Violette Lasure in 3:40 in the semifinals of the 155-pound weight class. The Chestnut Ridge junior went on to capture her third state gold medal and raise her career record to 104-0 overall.<\/p>\n

\u201cCamilla is so driven to be the best and get on top of the podium,\u201d Lebec said. \u201cShe had an incredible tournament. She just lost to a tough opponent who doesn\u2019t lose very often.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dropped into the consolation brackets after the defeat to Lasure, Hathaway rebounded with two falls. She dropped Dallastown\u2019s Amelia Smith in 49 seconds then dispatched Olivia Kroope from Emmaus in 2:42, to claim the bronze medal.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs disappointed as Camilla was, she put herself in position to wrestle well again by getting into the right mind set,\u201d Lebec said. \u201cThat\u2019s part of her great story.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hathaway\u2019s narrative, like Silva\u2019s, includes international competition, having already represented the United States during the Pan-American Games. As a freshman, she finished 38-4 this winter and earned WPIAL as well as regional championships in the run-up to the state tournament.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlacing third is part of the journey, too,\u201d Lebec said. \u201cIt\u2019s a great motivator for her for next year. Camilla is such a hard worker and she is so driven to win at all costs. We\u2019re looking forward to preparing her to get to the top of the podium.\u201d<\/p>\n

Overall, Lebec couldn\u2019t say enough about the girls and the season they just completed. In addition to winning the Blue Devil Winter Classic, they placed second as a team during the West Regional Tournament before finishing runner-up in the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so proud of the girls this season,\u201d Lebec said. \u201cWe tried to put the best competition in front of them. They wrestled a tough schedule. Probably the hardest,\u201d she added. \u201cThey trained and competed so well. It\u2019s a special group of kids and a special year for Lebo wrestling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole Gibbons put the finishing touches on the season for Mt. Lebanon. A senior, he grabbed a sixth-place medal at 160. <\/p>\n

After opening tournament action with a major decision over Elco\u2019s Klint Miller, 10-2, Gibbons lost to Tommy Schechterly of West Scranton, 2-1, in the quarterfinals. Schechterly went on to finish as the runner-up in the weight class.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter my first round win I had a lot of confidence in myself,\u201d Gibbons said. \u201cLosing such a close match in the quarters was devastating, but I was able to bounce back.\u201d<\/p>\n

After dropping into the consolation brackets, Gibbons rebounded with wins against Quakertown\u2019s Logan Pfistner, 4-1, and Jack White of Norwin in an ultimate tiebreaker, 3-2. <\/p>\n

Gibbons, however, lost back-to-back matches to North Penn\u2019s Jonny O\u2019Brien, 11-2, and Central York\u2019s Nathaniel Replogle, 8-2, to finish sixth overall in the 160-pound weight class.<\/p>\n

\u201cI definitely have some mixed emotions about my state tournament,\u201d Gibbons said. \u201cI am proud of myself for medaling, but sad that my high school career is over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole finished the season with a 41-8 record. In addition to securing sixth in the state at 160, he was a WPIAL winner and a regional runner-up. He compiled a 133-44 overall record in his career.<\/p>\n

Cole, like Jox, has been selected to compete in the 52nd annual Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic. The WPIAL All-Stars will take on a team of all-stars from Oklahoma at 4:15 p.m. March 28 at AHN Arena. The Pennsylvania will battle a team of all-stars from across the country at 6 p.m.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am very honored to be a part of something so historic,\u201d he said of his selection.<\/p>\n

With the graduation of Jox and Gibbons, the future belongs to Silva and Hathaway and they are thrilled to move the program forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur team\u2019s finish says a lot,\u201d Silva said. \u201cMore girls are going to be coming up and it\u2019s going to make us better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hathaway added, \u201cWe have a bunch of little girls that are all really good and I can\u2019t wait for them to come up because we are going to dominate.\u201d<\/p>\n


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\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \/south hills Bring home four medals & one team trophy…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12782,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[7052,93,7053,4182,549],"class_list":{"0":"post-12781","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-lebanon","8":"tag-almanac","9":"tag-lebanon","10":"tag-main-menu","11":"tag-mt-lebanon","12":"tag-sports"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@iran\/116205406273497637","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12781"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12781\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}