By TIM TAYLORTioga County Sports Report
BINGHAMTON — Friday the 13th didn’t jinx Spencer-Van Etten / Candor standout Tayah Beach although it may have frightened her a little.
Seeking her third individual title at the Section IV Girls Wrestling Championships, the senior found herself just two points away from being the victim of a tech. fall in the 120-pound semifinals at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena.
Groton’s Remington Marshall took Beach down to her back twice in the first period, building an 8-0 advantage. One more takedown would do it, but this time Beach was ready. She took Marshall down and scored the pin at 2:04.
“I was down, 8-0,” Beach said. “Last time I looked at the scoreboard, I was like, I really have to do this. This is what I've been working hard for and this is my last chance.”
From there, she went on to pin Chenango Forks’ Emily Phelps in 1:57, capping a day in which she also joined the 100 win club.
“Feels awesome,” she said of the three-peat. “I was the first one from Spencer-Van Etten to get three sectional titles and it's what I've worked hard for all year. Now just on to states and see what we can do there.”
Aside from Marshall, Beach went unscored upon in her other three bouts. She opened with a 10-0 tech. fall in 51 seconds over Newark Vallley’s Kailynn Harvey, then pinned Horseheads’ Alexis Miles in 41 seconds.
The Eagles’ Elizabeth Kunte placed fifth at 100. Afteropening with a loss by fall, she pinned Owego’s Lucy Purtell in 4:17 and Walton/Delaware Academy's Scarlet Beardslee in 2:50. Kunte suffered a 10-0 tech. fall against Binghamton/Seton Catholic’s Layla Orinik, then closed out the day with a 12-1 tech. fall over Corning’s Onalee Short.
Taylor Zufall (114) Abigail Russell (132) and Katelynn VanEtten (235) also competed for SVEC, each going 2-1.
Zufall opened with a 4-2 decision over Kelsey Flynn from Union-Endicott / Maine-Endwell / Vestal, but suffered losses by fall and tech. fall.
Russell pinned Grace Holt of U-E/M-E/Vestal in 3:27, then lost by fall and tech. fall.
VanEtten recorded a 7-3 decision over Groton’s Lacy Batzer and lost her other two bouts by fall.
Beach (35-4) advances to the state championships Feb. 26 at MVP Arena in Albany.
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PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.
