WEXFORD — Ana Malovich landed on the right side of history Saturday during the inaugural WPIAL Girls Wrestling Championships at North Allegheny High School.

Butler’s senior 118-pounder pinned her way through the tournament in becoming the Golden Tornado’s first female WPIAL mat champion. She improved her record to 12-0 by pinning Connellsville’s Trinity Moore (21-3) in 3:44 of their championship match.

Nine Butler County wrestlers advanced to the PIAA West Regional, slated for March 3 at Canon-McMillan. The top six placers in each weight class advanced. Malovich was the lone county wrestler to win her weight class on Saturday.

She had considered staying with the boys team — where she was a member freshman through junior year — but opted to join Butler’s first girls wrestling team.

“That was the best decision I ever made for myself,” Malovich said. “This has been so much fun. I’ve been able to be a bit of a mentor to the younger girls on the team. I respect them and they respect me.

“We’ve built a lot of good friendships along the way.”

Malovich pinned her other two opponents in the first period on Saturday. She missed six weeks of this season due to a concussion. She was medically cleared to come back on Jan. 23.

“I couldn’t work out, run, do anything,” Malovich said of being sidelined. “It was tough, but I think it helped me in the long run. It forced me to step back, be patient, study the sport more.”

“I think it made her hungrier,” Butler coach Nathan Bottiger said. “Ana’s been a different wrestler since she’s come back. She’s focused on every match and wants to make the most of her senior year.”

A pair of Tornado freshmen — Brin Zehmisch (14-6) at 112 pounds and Anastasia Manchester (22-4) at 142 — placed third in their respective weight classes. Kaitlyn Plopi (11-9), a junior, took sixth at 136.

“I’m proud of all of our girls and the effort they put in today,” Bottiger said. “The future of this program looks very, very bright. We’re encouraging more and more girls to come out this summer and give it a try.”

Seneca Valley had four wrestlers place in the tourney as well. Hannah Hornick (17-10), a sophomore, took second at 148 pounds. She was pinned in the championship match. Kenley Alexander (17-11), a freshman, took third at 170 while senior Natalie Tofanelli (13-9) was fifth at 124 and sophomore Haley Hunter (11-10) was sixth at 190.

Hornick, the No. 7 seed, upset No. 2 seed Paige Ward of Canon-McMillan en route to her appearance in the finals, pinning her in 3:59.

“She teched me earlier in the year, then I pinned her in our dual match with them,” Hornick said. “I was confident going into that match. I’m very happy with the way I wrestled today.

“I only came out and tried wrestling when (SV) formed a girls team. I would not have wrestled on the boys team. Now I love the sport. Every match is different. It never gets boring.”

The Raiders are in their second year of having a girls wrestling team.

“We’ve been waiting for this to happen,” SV coach Jessica Leighty said of the WPIAL having a girls tournament. “There are so many good, competitive wrestlers out here. We’ve done well and I fully expect our program to continue to grow.”

Knoch 100-pound junior Miranda Lajevic, 18-9 with the boys team this year, placed third in her weight class. She was 5-1 on the day, losing only by a 4-0 decision to Montour’s Kristen Walzer.

“I wasn’t aggressive enough in that match,” Lajevic said. “After I lost, I calmed down and wrestled the way I know I can the rest of the way.

“Girls are more flexible and harder to pin than boys, but the boys have more muscle. I’m rather short, so I can have more muscle and still wrestle at 100 pounds. I’m physically stronger than most of my opponents here.”

There were 185 wrestlers representing 35 schools at Saturday’s tournament.

WPIAL GIRLS WRESTLING

(local placers)

Championship Finals

118-Ana Malovich (Butler) pinned Trinity Moore (Connellsville), 3:44

148-Contessa Cotelesse (Laurel) pinned Hannah Hornick (Seneca Valley), 1:35

Consolation Finals

100-Miranda Lajevic (Knoch) pinned Baylee Oreski (Bentworth), :41

112-Brin Zehmisch (Butler) dec. Ella Campbell (Burrell), 9-5

142-Anastasia Manchester (Butler) pinned Eva Gray (Canon-McMillan), 2:53

170-Kenley Alexander (Seneca Valley) pinned Rowen Lewis (Greater Latrobe), 2:41

Fifth-Sixth Place

124-Natalie Tofanelli (Seneca Valley) pinned Alexia Fisher (New Castle), 4:17

136-Milly Williams (Canon-McMillan) pinned Kaitlynn Plopi (Butler), 4:11

190-Elizabeth Kantoris (Greater Latrobe) pinned Haley Hunter (Seneca Valley), :57