The Emmaus High School girls wrestling team heads into the second season of PIAA sanctioned competition under head coach Thad Smith, a veteran wrestling coach who spent several years with the EHS boys program.

Last season, the Hornets finished the year 3-7 overall and 3-5 in Eastern Pennsylvania Conference dual matches. They placed 10th overall in both the conference and District 11 tournaments.

Emmaus lost a couple of talented seniors to graduation in Nadia Mohammed (8-10/5th District 11), Allyson Schwalm (6-13/4th EPC) and Alexis Ogutu (2-3).

The top returning student-athletes include seniors Sarah Luisi (9-10) and Trinity Todd-Rafferty (0-1), juniors Olivya Kroope (13-11, 4th EPC/4th D11, SE Regional qualifier) and Tiernan Frantz, along with sophomores Brynn Koberlein (12-9/3rd EPC/6th D11), Destiny Tejada (7-12), Kadence Yannotti (6-10), Petra Perez (6th D11) and Danielle Rivera.

A couple of key newcomers that will be competing for positions in the lineup include seniors Shadeilyz Castro-Ruiz and Katherine Soto-Acuna, juniors Flor Chouloupe and Jocelyn Vargas, sophomores Ariana Koberlein and Jazelle Rivera and freshmen Erin Bechtel, Haily Liable and Peyton Schneck.

Emmaus opened the season with a 63-12 win over Bethlehem Catholic and a 78-0 rout of Stroudsburg last week.

In the win over the Golden Hawks, the Hornets were victorious in 11 of the 13 bouts, including six forfeits.

Castro-Ruiz got things going with a 6-5 decision at 100 pounds. Schneck followed that with a pin in 2:38 at 106.

After Becahi earned a pin at 112 to cut its deficit to 9-6, the Hornets rattled off seven straight wins, including pins by Bechtel, Ariana Koberlein and Kroope, along with forfeit wins by Chouloupe, Sarah Luisi, Brynn Koberlein and Yannotti. Perez and Katherine Soto-Acuna rounded out the match with back-to-back forfeit wins at 190 and 235 pounds, respectively.

Against the Mountaineers, Emmaus won all 13 bouts, 10 of which were via pins, two were by forfeits and the other was an injury default. Schneck, Rivera, Chouloupe, Bechtel, Luisi, Ariana Koberlein, Liable, Kroope, Jocelyn Vargas and Perez all earned pins. Castro-Ruiz and Soto-Acuna won via forfeits and Brynn Koberlein won by an injury default.

Emmaus has just one dual this week as the Green Hornets travel to take on Liberty on the road Wednesday night.