ATHENS, N.Y. — When the inaugural Duals on Desmond event kicked off in 2024, Panther Valley’s Brenda Banks was contacted by event organizers and asked if she was interested in participating.

She jumped at the opportunity to get on the mat and has returned for all three years, including the third edition of the event on Saturday.

“I was contacted over Facebook, asking if I was interested in participating,” Banks said. “I love to get on the mat, so if someone does approach me with an opportunity and I’m free, I will definitely take it.”

Despite having a long two-and-a-half-hour trip, Banks still commits each year. Three weeks before the event, co-event organizer Kyle Williams didn’t have an opponent for Banks. She told him, “I don’t care. I’m coming.”

“I really try to get out on the mat as much as possible, especially once the high school season is over and now that this is my senior year,” Banks said. “I like to come out and meet new girls because they usually have a good rotation going every year that I’ve been here, so it’s a lot of fun, and I like the competition.”

Williams said having someone like Banks travel to compete says a lot about the event.

“I think that really showcases what we’re trying to put on here,” he said. “Weeks ago, I didn’t have a match for Brenda Banks because I couldn’t find anyone to wrestle her, and she was planning on coming anyway. I think that says a lot for us in The Valley and the people of the area because they’ve had nothing but good experiences.”

This year, girls wrestled freestyle as opposed to folkstyle, as they had in the past two years. Pennsylvania won the girls dual 66-36.

Banks matched up against Katelynn Vanetten of Spencer-Van Etten, where she won by fall in 1:05.

Banks also participated in an exhibition match with Dundee’s Peyton Mullin, a two-time New York state champion. Banks got two takedowns early and pinned Mullin in 49 seconds.

The two also faced off at last year’s dual, with Banks winning by fall in 19 seconds. That win gave Pennsylvania a 48-45 victory.

“I don’t see the most competition within my own state,” Banks said. “National wrestling is where I get most of my work and my real gritty matches, so going against another multi-state champion from a different state in a setting like this is a lot of fun.”

Co-event organizer Pat McDonald came up with Duals on Desmond after seeing the Maine-Nebraska wrestling exchange. He proposed the idea to Williams and Duston Bishop, who helped put on the inaugural event in 2024. Years later, they’re still going strong.

Originally slated to take place on Desmond Street in Sayre, the event was moved on Friday to the grounds of Athens Area High School due to the threat of inclement weather, allowing it to be moved inside the Athens gymnasium if needed.

“It feels awesome to see that it continues to grow,” Williams said. “We were a little worried, with the venue change and the unpredictable weather that we were going to have today. I still think we had a bigger crowd out there than either of the first two years. So people still want to come, be part of this and support these athletes.”

The event attracts wrestlers from District IV and a few from District XI in Pennsylvania, while a majority of New York wrestlers come from Section IV.

New York won the boys dual 46-31, while Pennsylvania won the youth dual 44-36.

YOUTH RESULTS

Pennsylvania 44, New York 36

80: Judd Garner (NY) pinned Bryce Stanton (PA), 1:07.

50: David Cushner (PA) pinned Jacob Duerr (NY), 1:10.

60: Carter Gage (NY) tech fall Jameson Sheets (PA), 15-0 2:30.

105: Cole Waltemyer (PA) pinned Nikkoh Traynham (NY), 1:25.

75: Axten Mezzatesta (NY) pinned Gunner Lake (PA), 2:14.

50: Anders Baker (NY) dec Jaxxer Coleman (PA), 7-0.

80: Quaid Martin (PA) pinned Jakobi Smith (NY), :50.

HWT: Maximus Colburn (NY) pinned Jaxon Camp (PA), :55.

90: Tucker Anello (PA) pinned Logan Riley (NY), 2:14.

105: Jaxson Waltemyer (PA) pinned Baron Daley (NY), :55.

90: Jack Kahley (PA) tech fall Broderick Whitman (NY), 21-1 2:54.

125: Sawyer Hatch (NY) pinned Kruze Payne (PA), 1:51.

165: Beau Hall (PA) pinned Tommy Vesek (NY), 1:06.

105: Jacob Cobb (PA) dec Ethyn Brown (NY), 9-2.

100: Enzo Diloreto (NY) major dec Landon Isbell (PA) 13-5.

GIRLS RESULTS

Pennsylvania 66, New York 36

124: Anaiah Kolesar (PA) pinned Rayna Coller (NY), 1:45.

190: Kyah Nelson (NY) pinned Mia Davis, :37.

Future Star (95): Parker Hoover (PA) tech fall Kendall Brahney (NY), 10-0 1:37.

130: Adelyn Busch (PA) pinned Lillian Vesek (NY), 2:05.

160: Isabella Gotschall (PA) pinned Abi Reedy (NY), 1:09.

112: Liliynn Wallner (NY) pinned Bella Young (PA), 1:38.

Future Star (136): Amelia Wright (NY) pinned Lydia Lentz (PA), 1:15.

155: Lily Karn (NY) pinned Skylynn Payne (PA), 1:40.

124: Joyce Clink (PA) tech fall Emma Vanderhoof (NY), 19-9 3:10.

148: Avery Earnst (PA) pinned Gianna Zieniuk (NY), 1:21.

170: Abigail Wagner (PA) dec Elona Homes (NY), 3-2.

112: Phoebe Bishop (NY) pinned Dariela Reyes-Ramirez (PA), 1:33.

100: Mackenzie Boozer (PA) tech fall Madison Farberman (NY), :55.

235: Peyton Mullin (NY) pinned Evelyn Sheer (PA), :53.

124: Mykia Petruskevich (PA) pinned Mya Locke (NY), 1:34.

100: Sophia Barrett (PA) pinned Hadley Merrill (NY), 1:04.

130: Hanna Rathbun (PA) pinned Rayna Coller (NY), :39.

235: Brenda Banks (PA) pinned Katelynn Vanetten (NY), 1:05.

118: Lillian Rumsey (PA) pinned Sonia Munetz (NY), 1:20.

100: Malaina Comfort (PA) wins by injury default Cadence Guy (NY).

106: Krysten Yadlosky (NY) tech fall Julia Ritter (PA), 10-0 1:01.

Exhibition: Brenda Banks (PA) pinned Peyton Mullin (NY), :49

BOYS RESULTS

New York 46, Pennsylvania 31

95: Brayton Murtaugh (NY) pinned Garrett Gowin (PA), 3:59.

133: Rhylee Stotler (NY) pinned Bostyn McMicken (PA), 1:26.

107: Gavin Lovell (NY) pinned Garrett Bacorn (PA), 3:51.

172: Jordan Brown (PA) major dec Greg Golden (NY), 11-3.

220: Daniel Fox (PA) dec Connor Warwick (NY) 8-2.

113: Connor McAllister (NY) major dec Levi Vermilya (PA), 10-1.

190: Asher Kolesar (PA) dec Owen Burhans (NY), 7-2.

113: Freddy Smith (NY) dec Chace VanDyke (PA), 8-3.

152: Treyton Barrett (PA) tech fall Lavonte Gibbons (NY), 21-6 5:57.

139: Clayton Ritter (NY) dec Andrew Kapec (PA), 2-1 TB2.

152: Hagen Jones (PA) dec Kole Zufall (NY), 8-2.

172: Connor Davidson (PA) pinned Josh Johnson (NY), :30.

160: William Ackley (NY) tech fall Kale Howland (PA), 18-1

285: Jack Brown (NY) pinned Hayden Stevens (PA), 2:56.

160: Zachart Schrage (NY) dec Kile Hartman (PA), 11-6.

152: Gage Evans (PA) major dec Asaac Head (NY), 17-8.

285: Luke Sottalano (PA) dec Trey Parker (NY), 5-1.

145: Landyn Shaffer (NY) major dec Chase Boozer (PA), 12-2.