CONGRATULATIONS to all 65 Maryland wrestlers who proudly represented the state of Maryland with great sportsmanship and excellent results. Wrestling in memory of Ed Peery, a great Md wrestling supporter was an honor for all. Having Coach Peery's most accomplished international wrestler, Butch Keaser, head up the coaching staff was also an honor for the wrestlers.

One last time, here are our 65 dedicated guys who represented Md so well:

Cadets
Abretski David Mt Airy MD Urbana
Bienstock Eli N Potomac MD Quince Orch
Breitenbach Logan Severna Pk MD Spalding
Brigman Brett Baltimore MD Curley
Brigman Jordan Baltimore MD Curley
Burndley Brandon Westminster MD Winters Mill
Cross Nicholas Centreville MD Q Annes
Cullison Gunner Westminster MD Winters Mill
Culver Benjamin Trappe MD Easton
Devine Dylan Severn MD DeMatha
Farace Anthony Columbia MD Oakland Mills
Graves Cole Owings MD Spalding
Harrell Collin Arnold MD Broadneck
Hawkins Daniel Annapolis MD Severn River
Hensley Zachary Columbia MD Oakland Mills
Hoffman Eric Chesapeake Beach MD Northern HS
Hutton Patrick Rockville MD G Prep
Johnson Kevin Linthicum MD MSJ
Logue Taylor Finksburg MD Winters Mill
Maltsev Daniel Reisterstown MD McDonogh
Marvel Kevin Stevensville MD McDonogh
Minoglio Joseph Keedysville MD Boonsboro
Patterson Robert La Plata MD LaPlata
Perez Vincent Arnold MD Spalding
Polonsky Alex Columbia MD Wild Lake
Rimel Joseph Frederick MD Tuscarora
Rowell Seth Laurel MD Reservoir
Salmon Daniel Baltimore MD MSJ
Sanchez Daniel Silver Spring MD G Prep
Smith Max Bethesda MD C Smith
Tucker Tyrrell Frederick MD Walkersville
Wagh Connor Ellicott City MD Clarksville Mid
Wenzlaff Austin Frederick MD Tuscarora

JUNIORS
Byrd Jeremy Annapolis MD Annapolis
Bush Cody Berlin MD Decatur
Clayton Connor Lutherville MD St Pauls
Colabucci Mark Laurel MD Reservoir
DoQuang Alex Columbia MD Oakland Mills
Friedman Eric Baltimore MD St Pauls
Fumba Jerrry Columbia MD Oakland Mills
Gallagher Daniel Davidsonville MD Spalding
Galli Peter Lutherville MD St Pauls
Gardner Anthony Reisterstown MD Calvert Hall
Gaynor Brady Glen Burnie MD Spalding
Green Michael Baltimore MD St Pauls
Harder Eric Bethesda MD Whitman
Harder Michael Bethesda MD Whitman
Harris Alvin Columbia MD Wilde Lake
Harris Rashaad Trappe MD Easton
Harwood Bobby Keedysville MD Boonsboro
Hollern Andrew Baltimore MD Parkville
Kraisser Nathan Ellicott City MD Centennial
Laux Matthew Bethesda MD G Prep
Massaro Brady Severna Park MD MSJ
Mutchnik Bradley Owings Mills MD St Paul's
Ndiang Zathy Columbia MD Wilde Lake
Overmiller Parke Rockville MD Magruder
Ozias Lex Kitzmiller MD S Garrett
Rice Alexander Pasadena MD Chesapeake
Rill Tyler Hampstead MD MSJ
Silver Evan Chevy Chase MD Blair
Skudrna Nicholas Cockeysville MD St Pauls
Smith Stephen Union Bridge MD FS Key
Switzer William Severna Park MD Spalding
Wolley Bernard Germantown MD Seneca Valley


As has become the norm in the last couple years one or two people love to publish and highlight the negative. We can't do anything about those individuals except ignore them. Our guys fought their hearts out in the toughest HS event in the country. Over 60 college coaches watched as Maryland wrestlers made waves again this year and they commented on quite a few of our top guys. Our AA total was the fourth best in Md history dating back to 1973 (see chart below). Our Jr Freestyle state finish was 14th out of 46 states, out-pointing Pennsylvania, Delaware and Virginia!! (see below). Our training was 2nd to none in the country and the results were obvious on the mats. Each and every individual from Maryland benefited greatly from the experience and will take a step up in their future performance on the mat. We had a young group of cadets and each one knows the value of the trip. In addition to the 9 AA's, quite a few guys missed by just a match or even just a point in a match. We easily would have topped last years record # of AA's if the more of the top potential guys chose to wrestle. Our Quest for the Best program brought the average cost of the trip down to $730 this year. Our top guys who participated and went paid as little as $350. Contributions from individuals who recognize the tremendous positive impact the program is having brought the subsidy to the wrestlers up from the MSWA and brought the net cost down significantly for the organization.

The effort was led by Nathan Kraisser of Columbia, Md and Evan Silver of Chevy Chase, Md. Nathan took 2nd in the Greco Jr Nationals and Evan took 2nd in the Freestyle Jr Nationals. We had TWO double all-Americans, Kevin Marvel, a cadet, looked the best in his life as he AA'd in both styles and Lex Ozias wrestled the best he's ever wrestled taking 2 AA's in the Jr division. Eric Hoffman of Calvert County and Dylan Devine in his 1st ever major FS event both took home AA honors. Eric Friedman did an outstanding job taking an AA in the JR FS division.
The measure of success is not only found in the number of AA's. We had no major injuries, the kids traveled to 5 major venues over the last month without any major negative incident as they trained hard, learned about college life, and competed with intensity and great dignity and the 65 guys achieved more than 185 wins. Most importantly the team created friendships with other wrestlers which will last a lifetime.

Past Fargo All American Totals dating back to 1973:
1973-1
1974-1
1975-0
1976-2
1977-3 with 1 champ Harry Barnabee GR
1978-2
1979-1 with champ Rico Chip FS
1980-1 with champ Rico Chip FS
1981-2 with champ Rico Chip FS
1982-1
1983-1
1984-0
1985-1
1986-2
1987-1
1988-2
1989-0
1990-0
1991-3 with champ Dave Vernier FS
1992-3
1993-2 with champ Todd Beckerman FS
1994-7 with dual champ JR Plienis
1995-6 with champ JR Plienis GR
1996-6
1997-3
1998-1
1999-3 with champ Ryan Herwig FS
2000-6 with dual champ Mike Faust
2001-6 with champ Ryan Davis
2002-7 with champ Vince Cina GR
2003-8 with dual champ Justin Neal and Mike Rowe FS
2004-10 with champs Luke Rebertus GR and Nicole Woody FS
2005-12 with dual champ Eren Civan and Luke Rebertus FS, Nicole Woody FS
2006-4
2007-3
2008-5
2009-15
2010-9

Jr Freestyle Team Points
State/ # of wrestlers/ Team pts
1. Illinois - 52 IL 72.00
2. Iowa - 44 IA 64.00
3. Minnesota - 57 MN 40.00
4. Missouri - 35 MO 37.00
5. Wisconsin - 44 WI 30.00
6. California - 51 CA 24.00
7. New Jersey, NJ - 28 NJ 24.00
8. Florida - 34 FL 22.00
9. Michigan, MI - 30 MI 21.00
10. New York - 46 NY 19.00
11. Oklahoma - 29 OK 17.00
12. Ohio - 51 OH 16.00
13. South Dakota - 12 SD 16.00
14. Maryland - 33 MD 14.00
15. Idaho - 27 ID 12.00
16. Pennsylvania - 42 PA 12.00
17. Washington - 32 WA 12.00
18. Kansas - 39 KS 10.00
19. Connecticut - 8 CT 8.00
20. Utah, UT - 23 UT 8.00
21. North Dakota - 13 ND 7.00
22. Indiana - 31 IN 6.00
23. Massachusetts - 20 MA 6.00
24. North Carolina - 20 NC 6.00
25. South Carolina, SC - 2 SC 6.00
26. Texas - 15 TX 6.00
27. Montana, MT - 9 MT 5.00
28. Louisiana - 9 LA 4.00
29. Nebraska - 7 NE 4.00
30. Alabama - 9 AL 3.00
31. Colorado - 22 CO 2.00
32. Oregon - 36 OR 2.00
33. Virginia, VA - 30 VA 2.00
34. Wyoming - 17 WY 2.00
35. West Virginia - 5 WV 1.00
36. Alaska - 4 AK 0.00
37. Arizona - 32 AZ 0.00
38. Arkansas - 12 AR 0.00
39. Delaware, DE - 8 DE 0.00
40. Georgia - 10 GA 0.00
41. Hawaii - 11 HI 0.00
42. Kentucky - 5 KY 0.00
43. Maine - 1 ME 0.00
44. Nevada, NV - 11 NV 0.00
45. New Mexico - 2 NM 0.00
46. Tennessee - 2 TN 0.00

The record 65 Md competitors represented every part of the state. For the first time, we had 5 wrestlers from the eastern shore. We had a nice contingent from the DC area. The west, south, north and central were all represented. The task of generating interest in the Olympic styles has been successful. We now have to work on making sure each area of the state has the resources necessary to help bring up the skill level for all of their wrestlers.

Thanks for that excellent recap of the Fargo experience, Neil. I know the young wrestlers benefitted from it, and I really enjoyed watching the results here at home on Trackwrestling. It was great fun, and I got such a kick out of the fact that little tiny Maryland outscored big Pennsylvania!!!

Way to go MARYLAND. Ahead of PA!

and PA had 9 more wrestlers then MD

imagine if the goodwins, scheffel's, downey etc were out there

Nice Job!

Power House States of New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania were way off.

Do you know if there better guys stayed home like some of Maryland's?

Great experience for the kids.

Great Job by the Coaches and Administrators for all their HARD WORK.

Awesome performance by team MD. Like stated earlier imagine if Pat Downey, Matt Miller, Bubba Scheffel, and Tyler Goodwin wrestled. That is 4 kids who all probably would have been AAs. Great performance by team MD!!!!!

To answer your question there were some notable absences from the PA team including the following:
Nick Roberts*
Jimmy Gulibon
Nico Megaludis
Steve Spearman
Dylan Alton*
Josh Dziewa*
Andrew Alton*
Josh Kindig
Kenny Courts
Josh Dweiva*
Mike Evans

All except Courts were returning Fargo AAs and those with an * were champs last year.

That being said, let's not let that take away from the hard work done by the Maryland kids and remember there were kids from MD who also did not attend this year. It is a great step moving forward.

EIWA MAN,

Thanks. One of the problems with Fargo is that Seniors either choose not to go because they have made their mark and landed a college or the college coaches ask them not to go.

Then others are all tapped out with all the wrestling over the four years of high school and prefer to take a break before the grind of college.

No doubt that PA would have probably won with the guns that stayed home.

But it is PA and they need not have an excuse from me for they are deep deep and deeper than any state in the country or maybe.

Neil:

congratulations to everyone that participated and that helped all of the wrestlers from MD. It is indeed a nice accomplishment.

First and foremost, The path events were huge and about as well organized as anything could be that ties in that many events with a single goal in mind. I enjoyed them, my kids did as well and it was our first intro to these styles and to wrestling after March.

Regardless of who posted from PA or anywhere else--the result is the MD wrestling might have made a little notice for itself and so did our kids..and that was the point. to elevate our wrestlers to an elite level and compete...and by all accounts--that happened.

I look forward to particpaiting again in the events next year. Congratulations again to all that participated..not just at Fargo--but at the path events...

The subject, of whether to compete at Fargo or not, involves several factors w/ cost not the least important factor. The MSWA has made it an affordable option for most, but not necessarily all. Hopefully we can continue to minimize/reduce the cost factor for the trip. The cost for the training has been reduced about as much as possible where it was possible for Fargo team members to attend 14 days of training for less than $250 and that price included some of the meals. In addition to our Fargo staff, this was only possible because the many great coaches who organized the camps and taught and trained our wrestlers did it w/o receiving a single penny for compensation. We continue to be in awe of the cooperation provided by these men:

American University - Mark Cody, Mike Rogers and Jarrod Elwell.
University of Maryland - Kerry McCoy, Todd Beckerman, and Brandon Sinnott
US Naval Academy - Bruce Burnett, Jay Antonelli, and Brian Antonelli
U. of North Carolina - Cary Kolat
Lehigh University - Pat Santoro
U. of Pennsylvania - Kyle Cerminara
Jay Levalley
Ryan Davis
Mack Lewnes

Good Job all around! -Stove Pipe

Best two years ever.

If you are a pudding man then you have the proof.