SOUTH WHITLEY, IN – The West Noble girls wrestling team turned in a solid performance on Saturday, November 7, competing at the 3rd Annual Lady Wildcat Wrestling Invitational. The Chargers finished ninth overall in a competitive 23-team field, scoring 75 points and receiving several impressive individual performances. Garrett captured the team championship with 180.5 points, followed by Wawasee (144.5) and Penn (136). West Noble finished just two points behind eighth-place Frontier and ahead of several area programs, including Manchester, Churubusco, DeKalb, and Fort Wayne Snider. Leading the way for the Chargers was Brynn Weigold, who captured the individual championship at 235 pounds. Weigold put together a dominant performance, finishing undefeated at 2-0. She recorded a lightning-quick seven-second pin in the semifinals before defeating Mishawaka's Beyonce Marmolejo by fall in just 31 seconds in the championship match. The Chargers also received an outstanding performance from freshman Mia Macias at 100 pounds. Macias advanced to the championship match with two victories, including a 34-second pin and a 10-7 sudden-victory decision. She eventually fell to Triton's Kailyn Schuh in the finals, finishing as the tournament runner-up with a 2-1 record. At 105 pounds, junior Kara Arnold battled her way to three victories, finishing the tournament with a 3-2 record. Arnold demonstrated determination in the consolation bracket, picking up three wins and providing valuable team points for West Noble. Junior Victoria Mendoza also had a productive afternoon in the 125A-pound division. Mendoza finished 2-2, recording two victories in the consolation rounds, including a pin over Penn's Khloe Gann. Sophomore Elly Lundy contributed two victories at 145 pounds. Lundy opened her tournament with an impressive 21-5 technical fall over Mishawaka's Aurelia Gerstbauer and continued to compete well throughout the day, finishing 2-2. West Noble also received victories from Malia Weaver-Shaff at 125A, Zoey Warren at 125B, Aliyea Stauffer at 130, Laina Johns at 135A, Sophia Luevano at 170, and Violet Walter at 190 pounds. The Chargers had additional competitors gaining valuable varsity experience, including Lilyanna Pettit, Kaytlynn Strieby, and Chloe Sparks. Their participation helped provide West Noble with representation across numerous weight classes. One of the encouraging aspects of West Noble's performance was the number of younger wrestlers contributing to the team's success. With several freshmen and sophomores throughout the lineup, the Chargers have an opportunity to continue developing a competitive program as girls wrestling continues to grow. West Noble's ninth-place finish was especially noteworthy considering how tightly packed the team standings were. The Chargers finished only two points behind Frontier and 2.5 points ahead of Triton, demonstrating how important every individual victory can be in a large tournament. The Lady Wildcat Invitational provided West Noble with an opportunity to compete against quality programs from throughout northern Indiana. The Chargers showed flashes of individual excellence, highlighted by Weigold's championship and Macias' runner-up finish, while gaining experience that should prove valuable as the season progresses. With a tournament champion, multiple wrestlers earning victories, and a young roster continuing to develop, the Chargers have plenty of positives to build upon moving forward. West is Best! Go Chargers!