Brooklyn is our final WOTY winner!

Top-ranked 157-pound sophomore Brooklyn Pickett characterized this season as one of "ups and downs" as he has continued to challenge himself by rising in weight to face the best competition possible.

Pickett is a two-time Maryland Independent Schools State champion and a one-time Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association runner-up who has alternated between 144 and 157 pounds over the past two years.

"The goal isn't the accolades. The goal is to get better at wrestling and to become a better person during that process," said Pickett, who has been named a Wrestler Of The Year by Legacy Wrestling. "In wrestling, there is no bag of money for most of us, so what's really important is loving the journey and not focusing on the accolades as much as just putting my best foot forward."

Pickett's month of December included winning the second-ranked host Gaels' Demolition Duals tournament for the second straight year, being a runner-up at The Penn Manor Tournament, and a sixth-place finish at The Beast Of The East event.

January's highlights included winning the War On The Shore Tournament by a first-period pin against a Virginia State runner-up as well as the crown in the John Kelly Ocean Lakes Tournament by major decision over a three-time Virginia State champion.

In February, Pickett rose into the 157-pound class and split bouts with Archbishop Spalding's then-top-ranked Zane Leitzel. Pickett lost their MIAA title match a week before winning a clash of defending state champions in the finals of the Maryland Independent Schools' State Tournament as a precursor to his runner-up finish at National Preps.

"This season was filled with ups and downs, having battles mentally and going through a multitude of disappointments, large and small. But I never doubted myself,” said Pickett, who is ranked 29th nationally at 157 pounds.

“I would have a bad week and bounce back in a big way. The only way that I was able to do that was because of having my parental support the entire way and having my friends and teammates never losing hope or doubting me."

As a freshman in the January 2025 Demolition Duals, Pickett rose up from 144 to 150 pounds to earn Outstanding Wrestler for his for a 6-1 decision over then-top-ranked senior Evan Boblits of St. Mary’s Ryken, a four-time Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title-winner who earned two private schools state crowns in three championship appearances and placed fourth, fifth and third in the National Preps Tournament.

Also as a freshman, Pickett also earned a pin in 3:08 over then-fourth-ranked senior Griffin Stewart of Calvert Hall, a former National Prep Tournament placer, and another fall in 34 seconds against then-25th-ranked senior Peyton Miller of Broadneck.

Stewart placed second at MIAAs and third at private school states, Miller had thrice finished as an Anne Arundel County Tournament runner-up, and placed second, third and fourth (twice) at regions.

Pickett also won last year's private schools state title by 11-4 decision over Severn senior Nicky Melfi a week after Melfi had placed second at MIAAs.

Pickett has 81 career victories against 12 losses with 42 pins and 21 technical falls over two seasons, including this year's mark of 42-6 with 24 pins and seven technical falls

“Brooklyn is one of the most transitional wrestlers that I have seen in a long time.” Gaels' Coach Harry Barnabae said. “His perception of his opponents’ reactions and his lightning speed make him very dangerous."

Pickett was a runner-up at December's Penn Manor Tournament, being pinned in 2:40 at 150 pounds by Perkiomen Valley's 35th-ranked junior Luke Knox, who has placed third and fourth in Pennsylvania's AAA state tournament.

At The Beast Of The East, Pickett used a cradle in the quarterfinals to deck then eighth-ranked Sonny Amato of Rumson-Fair Haven Regional, a two-time New Jersey State champion who has also placed third and ended this season ranked 10th nationally at 150 pounds.

“At Beast Of The East, the big win over Amato meant a lot, not just to me personally, but to the entire school. It meant a lot for me to get our Mount St. Joseph’s name into national contention talks again,” said Pickett at the time.

“I can only look to improve and to learn from the experience, because at the end of the day, the quarterfinals win is only one win. What I do from here on out will...show the true type of wrestler I am."

Pickett then went 7-0 as a 157-pounder at the Demolition Duals, including an 8-3 decision over top-ranked senior Beau Schmidt of Northeast-Anne Arundel County. Pickett not only rose in weight to face Schmidt, but he also earned a 68-second fall, a 12-1 major decision and out-gunned four other opponents over the course of as many technical falls by the combined score of 68-6.

“I bumped up for the team and also to face Beau Schmidt and to challenge myself against bigger opponents. In all my matches, the goal is not just to win, but to score bonus points,” said Pickett at the time.

“The weight, for now, will depend on what the team needs and my health and my growth. My goal in every match is to go out there and get the bonus and to score the most amount of points possible, and a guy like Beau Schmidt is a good, tough competitor.”

At January's War On The Shore, Pickett won his title match by 88-second fall over Virginia State runner-up Owen Borden of Staunton River's after using consecutive pins of 1:54, 3:07, 2:33 and 35 seconds to reach the finals.

Pickett’s 35-second fall was against freshman Quin Regnier of South Carroll, who wrestled back for third place and later finished second and fifth in the Carroll County and Class 2A-1A West Regional tournaments.

Next up was the Ocean Lakes' tournament, where Pickett won his crown by 17-5 major decision over Poquoson senior Reed Booth. A three-time Virginia state champion, Booth had won the previous year's 150-pound Ocean Lakes title.

But Pickett lost a clash of defending state champions in this year's MIAA finals to Leitzel, having risen from 150 pounds to challenge the top-ranked Cavaliers’ grappler.

Leitzel trailed, 1-0, entering the third period before tying the bout in regulation and escaping for an overtime, 2-1 decision victory, earning his second straight crown by countering and deflecting Pickett to the point where the Gaels' wrestler couldn't finish a takedown.

"Even then, my support system made my belief in myself so much stronger," Pickett said. "I always knew – and still believe – that nobody I wrestled this year is better than me."

Pickett reversed his results against Leitzel a week later in their MIS title match, leading by as much as 3-0 before yielding a stalling point with 41 seconds left in his ultimate, 4-1, decision triumph.

“Last week, [Leitzel] got me. It was a shock to me, honestly. Their whole team has been talking trash about Mount St. Joe and about me, so that meant a lot to me, and especially, to the team. I feel as if I’m a lot better than I performed. This match took a lot of grit and a lot of self-discipline,” said Pickett after their second meeting.

“I was in the right head space for this match as you saw. This time, I got the takedown right off of the whistle, and, honestly, I should have gotten more takedowns in the match. I feel as if I get the takedown, I’m gonna win. I could have been even more aggressive. I was picking my shots, and he didn’t really get in on my legs and score."

Pickett overcame his sixth seed by reaching the finals at National Preps, where he was pinned in the first period by Lake Highland Prep’s 5th-ranked Zeno Moore. The result was an improvement from his freshman year, when he failed to place.

At National Preps, Pickett won his round of 32 bout by fall in 1:47 over Pennsylvania’s Ian Thomas of The Haverford School. Pickett then earned a major decision over New Hampshire’s Charlie Lussier of The St. Paul's School in the round of 16.

Picket faced third-seeded Shea Morris of New York Military Academy in the National Prep quarterfinals, earning a come-from-behind, a 9-7 decision.

In the semifinals, Pickett was more dominant, earning a 14-6 major decision over then-32nd ranked and second-seeded Jeremy McGrath of Greens Farms Academy in Connecticut.

“My semifinal win was expected but I definitely had to grit it out and get back to my offense,” Pickett said. “I was down 7-2 at one point and I knew I wanted that prep title too bad to let this match slip, so I came out of a challenge break to get on my offense and just think about scoring points."

Pickett has no regrets.

"I just knew that consistently this season I would always have to find another way. Ultimately, at the end of the year, everything came together," Pickett said. "I won my second of what will be four state titles and I became a National Prep finalist. I have two state titles. I have two more to go."