High school girls wrestling is on the rise, and the Palmerton Girls Varsity Wrestling Team is clearly part of that ascension.

Team members were presented at Thursday’s borough council meeting with a proclamation from Mayor Bo Rodrigues recognizing the team’s outstanding achievements.

Rodrigues said that the PIAA officially sanctioned girls’ wrestling in May 2023 after years of grassroots efforts that made Pennsylvania the 39th state with an official PIAA championship for girls’ wrestling.

Though just in its third official season, the Palmerton Girls’ Varsity Wrestling Team was honored for capturing the inaugural 2025-2026 Colonial League Girls Wrestling Dual Meet Championship by posting an undefeated 7-0 league record.

Rodrigues recognized the team for “the outstanding achievements of the entire Palmerton Girls Wrestling Program, both current and past, for your personal sacrifice and commitment to a team goal that will serve as an example for the future of the program.”

Senior captains Cassidy Merkel and Lea Schaible spoke briefly on the season.

Palmerton Girls Varsity Wrestling Coach Joshua Rake praised the entire team, and noted that both Merkel and Schaible were “a big part of where we are today.”