Midlakes High School will once again be the center of girls wrestling in the region as it hosts the second annual Frosty Freestyle Tournament on December 27. The event is expected to draw more than 250 competitors from across New York, building on the success of last year's inaugural tournament.
Weigh-ins begin at 7:30 a.m., with matches kicking off at 9:30 a.m. Bouts will take place across up to five mats in the high school and middle school gymnasiums. Finals will be held on the main mat in the high school gym .
Last year's event welcomed more than 200 athletes from 20 schools across Sections III, IV, V, and VI. This year, powerhouse programs such as Fulton, Cicero-North Syracuse, Chautauqua Lake, and Clarence are already confirmed. With no other tournaments scheduled that weekend, organizers expect even more teams to join.
New this year, team scoring has been added to the format. Midlakes head coach Jake Taylor noted that only one wrestler per weight class per team will count toward the team total. "Interest and roster sizes are up, so adding team scoring made sense," he said.
The Midlakes girls wrestling program has quickly made a name for itself. Leading the way is Abbigail Hargarther (Class of 2027), who was named Most Outstanding Wrestler in last year's Frosty Freestyle. She went on to win the Revolution Tournament in Canandaigua, the Wayne-Finger Lakes League title at 114 pounds, and was ranked No. 1 in her weight class by Armdrag.
She shared the podium at Leagues with fellow Midlakes wrestler Vermya Walker after defeating her in the finals -- a moment that captured the spirit of the growing program. Both wrestlers earned postseason honors, along with teammates Elizabeth Boughton and Clara Bond, who also qualified for the first-ever NYSPHSAA Girls State Championship last season.
Registration is still open for programs interested in participating. Coaches and athletic directors can contact Coach Jake Taylor at [email protected] for more information.