The long and winding road that is the high school wrestling season has reached its destination: the Giant Center in Hershey.

At 9 a.m. Thursday, 12 area athletes — 10 boys and two girls — will take to the Resilite mats for the three-day PIAA Wrestling Championships. Class AA boys’, combined girls’ and Class 3A boys’ brackets are set, as 728 wrestlers will gather for a competition that will stage 1,378 matches — 494 in Class AA boys, 390 in girls and 494 in Class 3A boys — on six mats laid atop dozens of plywood squares that cover the ice below that the Hershey Bears call home.

Thirty-nine wrestlers will leave with gold medals.

Through the regular season — dual meets and tournaments alike — wrestlers point to February and March to be at their best. Starting with sectionals, continuing with districts and then regionals, only the best of the best continue on to states.

Here’s a look at each of the local wrestlers and their road to the state tournament:

 

 

Brenda Banks

Panther Valley

Sr., 235 pounds

Season record: 33-0

Career record: 106-2

Road to Hershey: District 11 1st, Southeast Regional 1st

 

 

Rory Dixon

Mahanoy Area/Marian

Jr., 152 pounds

Season record: 48-5

Career record: 108-27

Road to Hershey: District 11 1st, Southeast Regional 3rd

 

Zach Kurtz

Pine Grove

Jr., 215 pounds

Season record: 38-9

Career record: 83-35

Road to Hershey: District 11 3rd, Southeast Regional 4th

 

Terrell McFarland

Pottsville

Sr., 189 pounds

Season record: 44-2

Career record: 140-17

Road to Hershey: District 11 3rd, Northeast Regional 3rd

 

Cadyn McGraw

North Schuylkill

Sr., 215 pounds

Season record: 35-11

Career record: 105-66

Road to Hershey: District 11 2nd, Southeast Regional 2nd

 

Gaige Mentusky

North Schuylkill

Sr., 107 pounds

Season record: 36-10

Career record: 105-54

Road to Hershey: District 11 2nd, Southeast Regional 5th

 

Kyler Quick

Mahanoy Area

Sr., 215 pounds

Season record: 46-5

Career record: 140-49

Road to Hershey: District 11 1st, Southeast Regional 5th

 

Rylan Reitz

Tamaqua

Fr., 114 pounds

Season record: 39-8

Career record: 39-8

Road to Hershey: District 11 1st, Southeast Regional 5th

 

Arturo Reyes

Mahanoy Area

Fr., 121 pounds

Season record: 37-6

Career record: 37-6

Road to Hershey: District 11 1st, Southeast Regional 4th

 

Hunter Updegrave

Tri-Valley

Jr., 172 pounds

Season record: 33-16

Career record: 82-52

Road to Hershey: District 11 3rd, Southeast Regional 5th

 

Alisa Williams

Panther Valley

Sr., 170 pounds

Season record: 31-7

Career record: 78-30

Road to Hershey: District 11 2nd, Southeast Regional 4th

 

Owen Wolfgang

Tri-Valley

Sr., 107 pounds

Season record: 38-9

Career record: 117-49

Road to Hershey: District 11 1st, Southeast Regional 4th