“That’s been on my mind every day,” the Red Raider said. “I just try to do my best every day. I really want that gold.”

The top-ranked wrestler in Pennsylvania at 136 pounds has been working hard and motivated to get back to states and wants to cap her career as District 4’s first-ever state gold medalist.

For Furman, her approach on the mat is simple. Yes, she dominates her opponents. Anyone at Liberty Arena on Saturday saw that in full display as Furman wrestled five opponents and pinned four of them in 40 seconds or better. In fact, of those five, the only wrestler who managed to last with Furman outside of a minute was Godie Hart of North Penn, who Furman eventually pinned in 1:35.

Furman simply aims to get better every day, even if it’s only 1% better than yesterday.

DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Zoe Furman of Montgomery controls the action against Aubre Krazer of Easton during the PIAA Wrestling Championships in Hershey. Furman took second last year and is eyeing a return to states this year and wants to end with gold.

“Every day I go out and wrestle I say I’m going to get 1% better every day. If I don’t put my 100% best, say I’m at 88%, I still give it 100% that day every day,” Furman said.

You can’t argue with the results either of her constantly giving it her best. Even if Furman admittedly doesn’t feel 100% on any given day, she wrestles as if she is.

Furman is 17-0 this year after Saturday’s domination at the MATNESS at the MACC Tournament and the future Edinboro wrestler has won 16 of 17 matches by pinfall.

Furman came back from a knee injury last year to reach the state tournament and take second while going an impressive 34-1 and Furman thinks she’s improved even more so from last year to this year.

“I think I made a tremendous jump from last year to this year. Last year I had a knee injury, haven’t had any problems with that since,” Furman noted. “I wrestled freestyle throughout the entire summer and I think that gave me a little bit of a chip to keep going into now folkstyle season. I’ve been training every single day trying to get back into it.”

CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery’s Zoe Furman reacts after advancing to last year’s first-place finals in Hershey. Furman took second place last year and is more than motivated to get back and earn a gold medal.

When Furman is on the mat, she has the mindset that she wants to end things as quickly as possible. She isn’t there to make a match go six minutes. Instead, she wants to take her opponent out fast.

“I kind of believe in if I’m going to get someone on the mat, I’m not going to disrespect them and I’m not going to play around with them. I don’t want to play with my food,” Furman said. “I’m going to go out there and get job done and get off the mat. It leaves less time for injury for me and less time for injury for them.”

Of the 16 opponents that Furman has faced this season, only one has made it out of the first period and that was Northeast Bradford’s Anaiah Kolesar, who lost to Furman by fall in 4:54 on December 20. Kolesar is a returning District 4 silver medalist, Central Regional gold medalist and state fourth-place finisher.

And the Red Raider has faced solid competition as well. All but Nevaeh Mojica of Upper Perkiomen, Elizabeth Reese of Wallenpaupack, Aria Myers of Hughesville, Madoka Charles of Hughesville and Julie Hanna of Penn Manor have postseason experience.

Furman and teammate Jenna Houseknecht (112 pounds) are Montgomery’s lone two state medalists from last year back on the team as Emily Murphy graduated. And both Furman and Houseknecht are role models to the younger wrestlers on the team. It’s a role both Furman and Houseknecht enjoy as well.

“Absolutely (I see us as leaders). I think making a good impression on these young girls is what’s going to keep them in this sport and what’s going to keep growing this sport as a whole,” Furman said. “You go out there and you try to do your best every day and if it’s not your best, you get back in the room, get better and go back out there.”

And that constant improvement, even if it’s a little, is something the duo try to instill in their teammates.

“I think that’s something me and Jenna really harp on, especially in the weight room. If you don’t feel 100%, just give 100% of whatever you have and you’ll make small gains throughout the entire season. With me and her, I think we’re making that culture.”

That culture of giving it all and winning is definitely rubbing off on teammates. On Saturday, the Red Raiders saw four girls take home first-place titles at the MATNESS at the MACC Tournament with Furman (136), Houseknecht (112), Brooke Knoebel (100) and Adelyn Rine (235) winning while Addison Greger (155) took third and Briella Walk (130) was a fourth-place finisher as Montgomery took second as a team.

“It is all her mindset. She has the confidence that she knows she’s put in the work every time and she’s just ready to go to the next competitor,” Montgomery coach Jodi Furman said of Zoe.