By ALTHEA HELMS
CANONSBURG — Bellefonte Area High School’s varsity wrestlers competed at the PIAA Boys AAA West Regional held at Canon-McMillan High School in Canonsburg on Feb. 27 and 28, and the 2026 PIAA Girls Central Regional wrestling tournament at Milton High School in Milton on Feb. 27.
The team was able to walk away with three state qualifiers and are now looking forward to the PIAA State Championship tournament starting on March 5 and ending on March 7 in Hershey.
The boys’ team competed on both Friday and Saturday, working to place fifth or higher, as only the top five from each bracket advanced to the state tournament. Seniors Ezra Swisher (152) and Jackson Long (189) will be advancing to the state tournament. Long placed fourth after wrestling against Bryce Collins from Canon-McMillan for third place, where he ultimately lost 2-3, but still secured his spot at states.
“While I’d like to finish first at states I’m going into the tournament and am going to wrestle to my best ability, and whatever happens, happens,” Long said.
Swisher fought hard for third place with Owen Campbell, finishing the match 1-0, a fight worthy of the state meet.
Of two varsity girls who competed, sophomore Bailee Scott (155) will move to the state tournament, making Bellefonte wrestling history as the first Girls PIAA State qualifier. The top four girls per weight class advanced to the state tournament.
Scott faced Hayden Manning from Abington Heights, where she lost by fall at 2:32. This match still left her in fourth place, advancing Scott to the state tournament.
“A winner is someone who was a loser that didn’t give up,” Scott said. After she realized she qualified, she recalled her first thought being “I just made history for Bellefonte.”
Varsity Head Coach Mike Maney personally witnessed these qualifiers’ growth throughout pre-season and in-season.
“Jackson and Ezra are both hard workers,” Maney said. After competing at Fargo Nationals over the summer, Maney saw Long’s confidence on the mat grow exponentially. For Swisher, his personal commitment to the sport has shown through his year-round training.
“Bailee has been very committed and focused this year,” Maney said. Last year, Scott’s season did not end as she had hoped, and Maney saw it to be an “eye-opening” experience for her. Suddenly, he saw her asking endless questions at practice, to help her improve in any small way she could.
“Even the wrestlers who didn’t qualify competed really well, I am proud of them,” Maney said. He is impressed by the effort everybody put in at regionals. The region his athletes compete in could be considered the toughest in the entire country, considering the amount of success the area has produced over the years, such as multiple NCAA All-American Champions and iconic PIAA Championships.
