HERSHEY – Katalyna Borreli was told she couldn’t wrestle because she was a girl.
That was six years ago when she was entering middle school at Tulpehocken. After earning a bronze medal Saturday at the PIAA Wrestling Championships in the Giant Center, Borreli proved she can wrestle, with the best of them.
Borreli finished her career in style with a fall in her final bout to place third at 148 pounds. After losing a 2-1 decision to Sun Valley’s Jameson Strickland in the semifinals Friday night, Borreli said she had only one regret.
“I wish I had one more year, I feel like I could have been on top,” Borreli said. “One more year. But I’m really happy.”
Reading High junior Esmeralda Tellez does have one more year to try to reach the top of the wrestling podium. She closed out a fifth-place finish at 190 with a fall over Trinity’s Katelynn Krepps.
It was the second state medal for Tellez, who placed third last year in the first state tournament sanctioned by the PIAA.
“It’s not the outcome I was looking for, but sometimes it has to happen,” Tellez said. “Top five is still pretty good in the state, but I’m not settling.”
Settling was never in the vocabulary for Borreli. She began wrestling in elementary school only to be told that Tulpehocken School District policy prohibited her from continuing in the sport when she reached seventh grade.
With help from her family, Borreli got that policy reversed and later led the move to help Tulpehocken start a PIAA-sanctioned wrestling program.
“It’s been a long journey for her,” said Naida Borreli, Katalyna’s mother and coach. “But it’s all worth it. Wrestling has really molded her into the person she is today.”
Katalyna Borreli bounced back from Friday night’s one-point loss to earn a 2-0 decision over Pine Grove’s Eve Kurtz before dominating Trinity’s Elaina Ashby in the bout for third place. Borreli led 10-0 before rolling Ashby to her back and scoring a fall in 4:49.
“Overall I’m glad with how I did,” said Borreli, who finished the season 29-6. “I tried my hardest every match and I feel like that’s all I could do.”
Tellez capped a 32-4 season with a fall in 2:36, battling back after losing Friday in the quarterfinals.
Tellez admits she didn’t always share Borreli’s passion for wrestling. In fact, she began wrestling as a secondary sport. Now she’s a three-time regional champion and two-time state medalist.
“It’s a funny story,” Tellez said. “I started wrestling to stay in shape for softball and I fell in love with it. It’s a really good sport and I enjoy doing it.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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