The Northampton wrestled their first home dual meet of 2026 last Thursday in Pete Schneider Gymnasium. The visiting Liberty Hurricanes took the contest 51-24, but there were some highlights produced by the K-Kids’ grapplers.

Marissa Fogel continued her stellar freshman campaign by grinding for an escape just before the third period horn to send her match against Eva Trujillo into sudden victory tied at 3. With new life, Fogel scored a pin in the extra period to give Northampton their first team points of the match. Fogel is 12-2 on the year with 9 falls.

Gabi Chevere followed that up with a comeback pin of her own. The Hurricanes’ Kendra Cressman took a 4-3 lead into the final period and chose to take defense to start the third. Big mistake. Chevere was relentless on top scored the fall midway through the frame. She is 12-3 this season with 11 pins.

Jess Lucas-Collis made it three pins in a row with a fall at 136. After a scoreless first period, Liberty’s Kaylee McGowan put Lucas-Collis down 7 points with an escape, a takedown and three nearfall points in the second. The wrestlers started the third period on their feet and Northampton sophomore earned the fall 45 seconds later.

That result got the K-Kids to within 24-18 for the match, but unfortunately the next five bouts went to Liberty.

Kiera Rickard, who recently won the starting spot at 235, earned the first pin in her varsity wrestling career by taking down Sydney Johnson in 2:37

Head coach Joe Tocci provided his assessment, “Liberty just seemed a little mentally tougher. We did wrestle a little better tonight than we did last night (against Stroudsburg), but we came up on the short end. We haven’t wrestled that well this week, so it will be good to get out of state and have a little fun and get after it on Saturday.”

Over the weekend, the squad traveled to Cypress Creek HS in Florida for the Lady Bear Classic. The K-Kids finished in third place out of 23 competing schools. Fogel was runner-up at 125, dropping the championship match 6-3 in sudden victory. Chevere and Lucas-Collis both placed third.

Liberty 51, Northampton 24

100 - Emma Frisch (L) won by forfeit (6-0); 106 - Leila Matejcek (L) pinned Emilee Gaughran (N), 2:44 (12-0); 112 - Sadie Sedlock (L) pinned Taylor Sipel (N), 1:29 (18-0); 118 - Angelique Carvalho (L) pinned Madison Bara (N), 4:43 (24-0); 124 - Marissa Fogel (N) pinned Eva Trujillo (L), 6:53 (24-6); 130 - Gabriela Chevere (N) pinned Kendra Cressman (L), 5:00 (24-12); 136 - Jessenia Lucas-Collis (N) pinned Kaylee McGowan (L), 4:45 (24-18); 142 - Lidia Whistleon (L) pinned Jameelah Zohir (N), 0:59 (30-18); 148 - Leena Cruz (L) pinned Lucy Gadsby (N), 3:42 (36-18); 155 - Amilex Bernardini (L) dec. Ava Jagielski (N), 7-3 (39-18); 170 - Aniahlee Rotger (L) pinned Anika Hengst (N), 2:30 (45-18); 190 - Ellie Rumbalski (L) won by forfeit (51-18); 235 - Kiera Rickard (N) pinned Sydney Johnson (L), 2:47 (51-24)