Bridgewater-Raritan Girls’ Wrestling Team Pins Down a Historic Victory

At first glance, a 21-point victory over Bernards High School on January 31, 2025, might not immediately stand out among New Jersey high school wrestling scores from the past year.

That win was one of a program-record 21 victories during Bridgewater-Raritan High School’s 2024-25 season—a campaign that culminated in the Panthers reaching the state finals for the first time in program history and sending four wrestlers to compete at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

But that Friday night carried far greater significance than the final score.

It was Senior Night for eight accomplished Panthers from the Class of 2025—and the moment when history was made by senior Paige Karp.

According to head coach Kyle Murphy, Karp’s bout against then-sophomore Gabrielle Reudy marked the first time a girl competed at the varsity level for Bridgewater-Raritan. Reudy was also making history as Bernards High School’s first female varsity wrestler.

Although Bridgewater-Raritan had already clinched the team victory and Karp ultimately fell by pin at 3:23, the crowd at Vaughn Stapleton Gymnasium was at its loudest during the landmark bout.

“I got back into wrestling my junior year,” Karp said. “I went to Princeton’s camp and Rutgers, and I tried my hardest to improve as much as I could over the summer. Last year was my first year back, so I didn’t do that great.”

“But coming back my senior year, now I have to stand up for my girls.”

That commitment has paid off.

After being the lone girl on the roster last season, Bridgewater-Raritan now fields five female wrestlers in 2025-26. Karp, now a team captain, continues to set the standard.

During a quad match Saturday morning featuring Bridgewater-Raritan, Emerson/Park Ridge, New Providence, and Northern Valley Old Tappan, Karp delivered two dramatic comeback victories in the day’s lone girls’ match.

Trailing early in both bouts against Emerson/Park Ridge, Karp rallied first with a pin in 5:06, then erased a six-point deficit in her second match by scoring seven unanswered points in the final minute to win by a 7-6 decision. Those wins propelled the Panthers to a 15-6 victory on Saturday, January 31, at Vaughn Stapleton Gymnasium.

“The first match, I had a ton of energy, but I only had about 10 minutes to get ready for the second one,” Karp said. “I remembered I was in a wrestling match and I had to do something. I was on bottom doing nothing, but then I got in position for a miracle.”

“I did it—and I hit that seven-point move.”

Joining Karp this season are Journie Ford, Madison Kelly, Bramayha Linares Rivera, and Brianna Soriano. Kelly closed out the scoring against Emerson/Park Ridge by turning a takedown into a pin at 2:30 after trailing by five points at the end of the first period.

Those performances improved Bridgewater-Raritan to 5-0 in dual meets and came just six days after the Panthers competed at the Queen of the Mat girls’ wrestling tournament in Elizabeth. Despite sending only four wrestlers, Bridgewater-Raritan finished seventh overall.

Karp (120) and Linares Rivera (152) each placed third, Soriano (145) finished fourth, and Kelly (107) took sixth.

The progress marks a major leap for a program that consisted of just one wrestler last year. It also reflects the continued growth of girls’ wrestling statewide.

New Jersey became the first Mid-Atlantic state to sanction girls’ wrestling during the 2018-19 season, which also saw the inaugural NJSIAA State Individual Girls’ Wrestling Tournament. The event now returns annually to Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, alongside the boys’ championships.

Former Panther Grace Kaczanowski, a 2022 graduate, helped pave the way by earning fifth-place finishes at the state tournament in both 2021 and 2022 while competing during the tournament’s stint at Phillipsburg High School.

“Being a big supporter of women’s sports, this is awesome to see,” Murphy said. “We’ve already gone from one girl to five girls, and there are more coming through our middle school and rec programs. The program is going to continue to grow here.”

With leadership from Karp, Bridgewater-Raritan now looks to send its first girls’ wrestlers to Boardwalk Hall.

“Paige is a great leader and is setting our standard so high,” Murphy added. “She’s the only upperclassman we have, and she pushes everyone—girls and boys alike—to work harder.”

That includes her younger brother Hunter, a freshman on the boys’ team.

“It helps me know what I can look up to,” Hunter said. “Practice can be hard, but I’ve learned that if I put in the work, I can be really good.”

As February approaches and postseason competition looms, Karp is focused on closing her career by continuing to build a foundation for the future.

“I’m super excited,” she said. “It was just me last year, but now we have five girls. Hopefully in the next few years, we’ll have a full team.”

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