Collick and Snyder Lead Stephen Decatur

Top-ranked Stephen Decatur seniors Elijah Collick (138) and Peter Snyder (190) were uniformly reunited during Monday's 65-17 rout of visiting Colonel Richardson.

Their presence together on the same team happened for the first time since their pre-high school days as competitors in the Junior Seahawks' feeder wrestling program from the time they were kindergarteners through eighth grade.

On Monday, Elijah Collick dominated his 20-4 technical fall victory over Griffins' junior Evan Alexander, a returning Bayside Conference runner-up and Class 2A-1A East Region champion, and Snyder scored a 14-second fall for the Seahawks.

Alexander has returned to the 138-pound class he competed in last season, when he defeated the Seahawks' then-senior Aaron August, 6-3, in overtime of their regional title match after having lost to August, 6-5, in the previous weekend's Bayside Conference title match.

Aaron August is the son of coach Josh August, whose 16th-ranked Seahawks will play host to their prestigious War On The Shore Tournament on Jan. 9-11.

"I try not to think about [Aaron’s] loss like that,” said Josh August, who is in fourth season. “I just wanted to see Eli wrestle a tough, strong kid and to have a good match. Eli was business as usual.”

Ranked ninth nationally at 126 pounds, Collick is attempting to become the Seahawks' first-ever four-time title winner in the Bayside Conference as well as in the Class 2A-1A East Region and Class 2A-1A state tournaments.

Committed to The University of Nebraska, Collick joined two-time champion Noah Reho as only the second Seahawks' freshman to earn a state title by earning the 106-pound title as a ninth-grader and can surpass three-time champion Danny Miller by becoming the program's first four-time state champion.

"I’m proud of my son, Elijah,” said Latra Collick, Elijah's father who was a senior Class 2A-1A state runner-up in 2006 following a 3-2 loss to Hammond's three-time state champion junior Vince Taweel. “From being one championship away from making history by becoming a four-time state champion, to walking around University of Nebraska, the future home for Elijah college academic and wrestling journey.”

Most recently, Collick placed second at the National High School Coaches' Association Tournament last spring, and fourth at the prestigious Super 32 in October.

"This season for me is about establishing a legacy," Elijah Collick said. "Becoming Stephen Decatur's first four-time state champ means more than just winning."

Collick was officially the first state champion for coach August, who also guided Logan Intrieri to a crown at 132 pounds in 2023, and Gavin Solito (157) to another title in 2024 after having been a two-time runner-up.

With a career record of 136-5, Collick is on pace to surpass three-time state finalist Jagger Clapsadle (158 wins), state champion Nico D'Amico (153), four-time place-winner Andy McKahan (147), Reho (140) and Miller (139) on the Seahawks' list of all-time victories leaders.

"My goals this year are to dominate every single opponent, not just with takedowns but with turns and pins," Elijah Collick said. "This season is about displaying the hard work that I've put in and being able to inspire others to do so."

Snyder has returned to the Seahawks following three seasons at Blair Academy, where he earned a National Preps crown as a 165-pound freshman.

Ranked 24th nationally and committed to Northwestern University, Snyder placed fifth at Preps as a sophomore and missed his junior season due to an injury.

"Peter Snyder Sr. kept Elijah active with wrestling,” Latra Collick said. “Peter would take his son (Peter Jr.) and Elijah and enter them in every dual meet and tournament that he could.”

Snyder has also placed sixth and second at Beast Of The East as a sophomore and junior, eighth as a junior at The Ironman, eighth and third as a freshman and sophomore at The Journeyman World Classic, second and seventh as a sophomore at the Journeyman Fall Classic and the Fargo's Freestyle Nationals, and sixth and seventh as a freshman at Escape The Rock and the U.S. Open Under-17 Freestyle.

“Seeing Peter in a Decatur singlet was kind of surreal,” said August, who, in 2024, guided the Seahawks to their fifth consecutive state crown and second in a row during his tenure.

“It was also very cool to see him wrestling with Eli and his other friends on the team. Both of them have a way of elevating their teammates around them. I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do this season.”

The Seahawks also return seniors Alex Riehl (165) and Braydon Bell (175), each of whom was a runner-up who placed third at regions last season.

Freshman Tanner Intrieri (132) aims to continue a winning family legacy for the Seahawks, being the younger brother of Logan and Parker Intrieri, who were first and third at states in 2023.

Snyder has on his wish-list a shot at Perry Hall’s top-ranked 215-pound senior Victor Marks-Jenkins, who is a three-time champion in the Baltimore County and regional tournaments who has won two straight Class 4A-3A state titles after being third as a freshman. Marks-Jenkins is currently an honorable mention nationally at 215 pounds.

“Peter is looking forward to [the possibility] of wrestling Victor,” August said. “He is hoping they are in the same weight class at the states.”