STAC GIRLS WRESTLING: OWEGO’S CRAFT THREE-PEATS; CRAWFORD-BAUER EARNS FIRST TITLE (December 20, 2025)
By TIM TAYLOR
Tioga County Sports Report
BINGHAMTON — Owego senior RaeAnn Craft became a three-time champion at the STAC Girls Wrestling Championships at Chenango Forks High School Saturday, and was joined atop the podium by classmate Ashlee Crawford-Bauer.
Craft captured the gold at 152 pounds, adding it to the titles she won in 2022 and 2023. Her first two championships came when girls were still wrestling schoolboy style. Girls wrestling converted to freestyle last season, but Craft was sidelined by a shoulder injury before the STAC championships were held.
She hasn’t lost a step, it appears, as she continues to dominate opponents. She pinned Ithaca’s Kailynn Holmes in 35 seconds, then decked Windsor’s Ana Cartagena in 2:53. In the finals, she tamed Chenango Forks’ Jillian Howell, scoring a 10-0 tech fall in 2:17.
“It feels amazing,” Craft said of the three-peat. “I'm up a couple weight classes, but it doesn't matter to me. I'm still going to go out there and do the same thing I always do.”
The third title is the best one yet.
“I think this one has to be my most special because it's my senior year, it's my last chance at everything, so I'm just happy to be back after my injury and be back on the mat,” Craft said.
Craft plans on making the most of her final high school season.
“My goals are definitely to keep winning, keep having fun, and enjoying my senior season,” she said.
Crawford-Bauer racked up a trio of first-period falls en route to the 114-pound title. She decked Oneonta’s Mara Kamerbeek in 35 seconds, then dispatched Union-Endicott’s Kelsi Flynn in 2:38. She topped it off with a 48-second fall over Elmira’s Ava Noonan in the finals.
“It means a lot to me because I didn't think I'd get here … this is my second year. To be my senior year, I wanted to make it something special because I know I'm going to graduate and it's going to be my last season in high school. To win in my senior year was really great for me to be able to make something out of my senior year, my final year here with an amazing team.”
A second-year wrestler, Crawford-Bauer’s performance should be a nice confidence booster.
“I think I was a little shocked. I was seeded first, but I knew some of my opponents and I wrestled them before. I knew how good they were, but I think I just believed in myself and I knew I could do it.”
Carissa Chandler garnered a bronze medal for the River Hawks at 132 pounds. She was 3-1 on the day, racking up falls in 17, 23 and 36 seconds. Her lone setback came via pin against eventual champion Lily Vesek of Horseheads.
Lauren Kotski placed fifth at 138, going 4-2. All her victories were first-period falls and the losses came to eventual champion Chloe Owen of Horseheads, ranked eighth in the state by New York Wrestling News.
Lucy Purtell took sixth at 107, going 0-3.
Also competing for the River Hawks were Hannah Hildebrandt, Tatum Kowalski, Madison Partridge and Izzy Taylor. Kowalski went 2-2 with a pair of first-period pins and was eliminated in the “blood” round.
Five of Owego’s nine competitors are first-year wrestlers.
The River Hawks placed eighth out of 13 teams with 102.5 points. Waverly claimed the championship with 160.5 while Chenango Forks and Union-Endicott tied for second with 156.5
Owego returns to action Jan. 7 at the Oneonta Duals.
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PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.
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