“This feels huge because people have kind of knocked it in the past couple of years saying it wasn’t real,” Chautauqua Lake head coach Pete Dorman said Friday night of the state’s invitational tournament prior to this year. “But it’s definitely real now.”

No performance was more impressive than that of Chautauqua Lake freshman Noli Paddock.

Paddock rolled through the 132-pound bracket on her way to Most Outstanding Wrestler honors. She opened with a 10-0 technical fall over Health Sciences’ Gisela Ramos, pinned Sweet Home’s Kendra Carter in 59 seconds, pinned Fredonia sophomore Suzie Nebrich in 37 seconds and took first place with a one-minute pin of Sweet Home’s Sofia Guadagna.

“Our goal for Noli is not to make it to states,” Dorman said. “Our goal for Noli is to win states.”

Falconer’s Anastazia Hale holds on to Chautauqua Lake’s Kassidy Benedetto during the 94-pound final. Photo courtesy of Michelle Gilbert

Paddock will be joined by Falconer’s Anastazia Hale, Chautauqua Lake’s Kassidy Benedetto, Dunkirk’s Damarielys Cruz, Fredonia’s Braelynn Wicks, Fredonia’s McKella Hodkin, Chautauqua Lake’s Lilly Hyde, Gowanda’s Kiernan Quinn, Fredonia’s Kimberly Bauer and Dunkirk’s Jaslieen Salgado at the state championships Thursday, Feb. 27 at MVP Arena in Albany.

Hale, a freshman, earned three technical falls on her way to the 94-pound title. Hale opened with a 12-1 defeat of Chautauqua Lake seventh-grader Mimi Abuhmeidan, then had a 12-2 defeat of Dunkirk freshman Audiyanna Cheverez before a 10-0 win over Benedetto, a seventh-grader.

Hyde, also a freshman, led an all-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association top three at 152 pounds. Hyde earned an 11-0 technical fall over freshman teammate Olivia Aman, then pinned Quinn, a sophomore, in 2:34 before pinning Dunkirk sophomore Anahi DeJesus in 5:55 to claim the title.

“She was down and showed a lot of guts at the end to get a pin right before time ran out,” Dorman said of Hyde. “She was down 4 points with about 20 seconds to go and got a headlock for a pin.”

Quinn pinned Lockport’s Jyla Johnson in 2:23 in the third-place match, then pinned DeJesus 16 seconds into their true second-place match.

Dunkirk's Damarielys Cruz battles Lockport's Gabriella Gelnett during the 100-pound final at the Section VI girls wrestling state qualifier Friday at Sweet Home High School. Photo courtesy of Michelle Gilbert

Bauer, a junior pinned Chautauqua Lake junior Meghan Pauley 45 seconds into the 185-pound final. Bauer reached the final by pinning Frontier’s Michel Pineda Bello in 1:03, pinning Sweet Home’s Tali Perry in 1:45 and pinning Ken-Ton’s Mackenzie Vetter-Higgins in 1:50. Pauley reached the final by pinning Salamanca freshman Madison Mohr in one minute, pinning Wilson’s Briella Dirig in 57 seconds and pinning Clarence’s Ryann Berner in 2:04.

Cruz, a junior, was pinned by Lockport’s Gabriella Gelnett in the 100-pound final to take second place. Cruz pinned Fredonia seventh-grader Lindsey Bailey in 38 seconds and took down Chautauqua Lake eighth-grader Kortlyn Fairbank with a 10-0 technical fall to reach the final.

Wicks, an eighth-grader, fell in the 126-pound final to Niagara Wheatfield’s Nevaeh Senik to take second place. Wicks opened with a bye, then pinned Lockport’s Ava Holloway in 47 seconds and Clarence’s Heather Blatto in 4:07 to reach the final.

Hodkin, also an eighth-grader, took second place at 145 pounds, losing in the final to Frontier’s Avery White. Hodkin opened her day with a pin of Salamanca junior Kendra Bova-Redeye in 1:01, then pinned Dunkirk sophomore Jianna Cave in 4:04 before pinning Lockport’s Bella Andes 5:11 into their semifinal match.

Salgado, a junior, took second at 235 pounds after falling to Lockport’s Khamya’J Maxwell in the final. Salgado pinned Niagara Wheatfield’s Selene Torres in the semifinals in 2:21 to reach the final.

Dunkirk's Anna DeJesus controls Chautauqua Lake's Lilly Hyde during the 152-pound final at the Section VI girls wrestling state qualifier Friday at Sweet Home High School. Photo courtesy of Michelle Gilbert

Chautauqua Lake eighth-grader Alice Scarpine was the top local finisher at 114 pounds with a third-place showing. Scarpine earned an 11-0 technical fall over Frontier’s Lila Schuyler before falling to Lockport’s Giavonna Slocombe in the semifinals. In the third-place match, Scarpine pinned Wilson’s Reese Kepner in 2:38.

Cheverez took third place at 94 pounds, pinning Clarence’s Roqya Munther 37 seconds into the third-place match. After falling to Hale in the semifinals, Cheverez pinned Lockport’s Trinity McGovern in 2:10 to reach the third-place match.

Kortlyn Fairbank took third at 100 pounds, pinning Orchard Park’s Lillian Sikora 24 seconds into the third-place match. Fairbank opened with a 42-second pin of Franklinville’s Selena Hernandez before falling to Cruz. In the wrestlebacks, Fairbank pinned seventh-grade teammate Tori Lombardo in 47 seconds to reach the third-place match.

Dunkirk junior Eva Colon-DeJesus was third at 132 pounds. She pinned Lockport’s Nevaeh Erickson in her first match and earned a 16-6 technical fall over Clarence’s Anika Matoon in her second match before falling to Guadagna. In the third-place match, Colon-DeJesus pinned Ken-Ton’s Hailie Vetter-Higgins in 2:25.

Frewsburg freshman Bailey Fuller took fourth at 165 pounds. She pinned Springville’s Lauren Winfield in 3:44 before falling to Health Sciences’ Knionna Leeper. Fuller wrestled back to beat Royalton-Hartland/Barker’s Kassidi Kirsch 16-6, but fell to Winfield in the third-place match.

Fredonia's Kimberly Bauer works on top of Chautauqua Lake's Meghan Pauley during the 185-pound final at the Section VI girls wrestling state qualifier Friday at Sweet Home High School. Photo courtesy of Michelle Gilbert

Salamanca sophomore Maelonnee Bacelli was fourth at 235 pounds. After losing to Lockport’s Maxwell, Bacelli pinned Ken-Ton’s Hadassah Bush in 12 seconds before falling to Niagara Wheatfield’s Torres in the third-place match.

There were no local top-four finishers at 107 pounds, 120 pounds or 138 pounds.

Fredonia's McKella Hodkin, right, battles Frontier's Avery White during the 145-pound final at the Section VI girls wrestling state qualifier Friday at Sweet Home High School. Photo courtesy of Michelle Gilbert