HERSHEY — A dominant performance, a dramatic escape, and a determined comeback highlighted the opening day for the area’s girls wrestlers Thursday.

Panther Valley’s Brenda Banks and Alisa Williams both advanced to the quarterfinals, while Northern Lehigh’s Anna Trelease battled back through the consolation bracket during the first day of the PIAA Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Banks, a three-time state champion, opened her tournament with a 10-0 major decision over Layla Barrios of Central Dauphin at 235 pounds.

The Panther Valley senior controlled the bout from the start, scoring a takedown in the first period before adding a reversal in the second to build a 5-0 lead. Banks added an escape and another takedown in the third period, and picked up an additional point when Barrios was called for stalling.

It was a rare three-period match for Banks, who has pinned the majority of her opponents this season.

“It’s kind of a gag with my coach because he’s always like, ‘You haven’t gone a full six minutes in how long?’” Banks said. “At least now I showed I have the conditioning for that.”

Despite not finishing the match early, Banks said the longer bout allowed her to work through more of her offense.

“Sometimes I get pins so quickly that I don’t always get to work through everything I know,” she said.

Banks will face Hazleton Area’s Evelyn Sheer in the quarterfinals. Banks pinned Sheer earlier this season in the Coal Cracker Tournament final.

Williams also advanced to the quarterfinals after surviving one of the most dramatic matches of the opening round.

Wrestling at 170 pounds, Williams edged Central Dauphin regional champion Madison Rife 10-9.

Williams led 3-1 after the opening period before Rife briefly took a 4-3 lead early in the second. Williams responded with a reversal and four near-fall points to build a 9-4 advantage.

Rife rallied in the third period with four back points to cut the deficit to 9-8 before tying the match on a stalling call with 22 seconds remaining.

After injury time stopped the action with 17 seconds left, Williams escaped with six seconds remaining to secure the victory.

“Seventeen seconds at the end to escape scared the hell out of me, but I did it,” Williams said.

The Panther Valley senior said the experience helped her stay composed in the closing moments.

“I wasn’t trying to think too much,” she said. “If I think too much, I start making mistakes. I was just going out there and having fun.”

Williams will face Kate Prior of Delaware Valley in the quarterfinals.

At 142 pounds, Trelease bounced back from an opening-round loss to Dallastown’s Avery Baldwin with a dominant performance in the consolation bracket.

Trelease earned a 17-1 technical fall over Martyna Bonning of Wyoming Area, building a 7-0 lead in the first period with a takedown and four back points. She added a reversal and multiple near-fall points before finishing the match with another takedown.

“You get really down on yourself after a loss, but you have to remind yourself it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” Trelease said. “Just trust in God and give your best effort.

Trelease said the key was resetting mentally after the defeat.

“I just focused on getting my mindset right and being grateful for the opportunity to be here,” she said. “It’s a privilege to be here.”

Trelease will face the loser of the quarterfinal bout between Jenny Gautreau of Owen J. Roberts and Grace Nasman of Upper St. Clair in the next round of consolations.