This past weekend, Blair wrestling ninth grader Sarah Henckel ’26 placed second at the U17 Women’s National Championships. In an effort to make the world team, Sarah was able to dominate all of the competition leading up to the championship match. She was defeated by Jasmine Robinson in the finals at 69 kilograms.
“Sarah is a key member of the wrestling team and is a standout in her relentless pursuit of improving, with the goal to be the best—plain and simple,” said Ross Gitomer ’05, Blair’s head wrestling coach. “But, more importantly, she is helping pave the wave for women’s wrestling at Blair Academy. Next year, we will have five female members of the team, and that will only continue to grow. Sarah is an essential part of that progress.”
Sarah had a great season this past winter, ending her year as a national prep champion at 152 lbs. Her and her teammate, Morgan Edwards ’24, are the first women in program history to win the individual title. She was also an individual champion in the first annual Beast of the East tournament, winning two of her matches by pins in the first period.