Dan Youngblood-Matthew Eveleth Scholarship Athletes

Boonsboro’s Tanner Halling was honored as one of the five scholarship recipients at The Dan Youngblood-Matthew Eveleth Memorial Charitable Foundation’s annual scholarship fund golf tournament, which was held on May 5 in honor of both wrestlers at Compass Pointe in Pasadena, Maryland.

But although Halling was physically present, the wrestler’s head was elsewhere while attending the event with a grieving and heavy heart.

“Two days before the tournament, my club coach Tyler Sigler died on a golf course during a storm. He made me the wrestler I am,” said Halling, a two-time state champion and four-time finalist. “I was super honored to win that scholarship. That money really helps my family. I was definitely struggling during the golf tournament though. Tyler has had the biggest impact on me out of any coach I’ve ever worked with.”

Halling was among each of this year’s state title-winning recipients who earned $5,000 scholarships, including Centennial’s four-time title-winner Calvin Kraisser, Northern’s three-time titlist Drew Montgomery, South Carroll’s one-time champ Evan Owen, and Crofton’s three-time female state champion Lexy Pabon.

“After carefully reviewing high school transcripts, essays, videos, and coach nominations, narrowing the field to five recipients was incredibly difficult,” said board member Brian Eveleth, a state champion in 1991 and the eldest of three wrestling siblings who graduated from Chesapeake-Anne Arundel. “I truly wish we could have awarded more because there were many more deserving candidates. We also had our first female recipient this year, which is really exciting in light of how fast women’s wrestling is growing.”

Kraisser and Halling are headed for Frostburg State University, Montgomery and Owen are bound for Roanoke and Washington & Lee respectively, and Pabon, for Life University.

“It seemed that each year we received more and more applications, which made the selection process much harder,” said Tom King, the organization’s vice president. “There were so many good candidates that we all easily agreed to expand the number of scholarship recipients. We felt it also made a bigger statement in expanding the foundation's support of these excellent student athletes.”

Halling was Legacy Wrestling’s Class 2A-1A Lower Weight Wrestler Of The Year as a 132-pounder, with his record of 49-0 being both his second consecutive state championship and undefeated season as well as comprising 27 pins, 18 technical falls, four forfeits and just one bout which lasted into the third period.

Having also placed third and second at states, Halling is a four-time Washington County champion and also the Warriors’ first-ever four-time Class 2A-1A West Regional champion and their program’s first-ever two-time state title winner.

“It was super hard being there, hearing about the impact that wrestling coaches have had on their athletes,” said Halling, a 126-pound runner-up in the National High School Coaches’ Association (NHSCA) Tournament in April. “I had to dig deep and really push through. That’s what Tyler would want me to do, so I went there with my head high to make him proud. With the scholarship money, I will be able to keep his legacy alive on the college scene.”

Named Legacy Wrestling’s Class 2A-1A Upper Weight Wrestler Of The Year at 150 pounds, Kraisser became the third of five siblings to win four consecutive state titles, raising to what is believed to be a state record of 16 the number of individual state championships earned by the six wrestlers in a family legacy of brotherhood and fatherhood that has spanned more than four decades at Centennial.

Also, a winner of four each in Howard County and regional titles, Kraisser’s four state crowns comprised two each at the Class 4A-3A and 2A-1A levels to go with his fourth championships in the Howard County and regional tournaments. Kraisser ran his winning streak to 25 consecutive matches, his record on the season to 43-1 with 37 pins, a major decision and five forfeits, and his career mark to 140-4 with 114 pins, four technical falls and five major decisions.

Legacy Wrestling’s Lower Weight Wrestler Of The Year as a 144-pounder, Montgomery ran his single-season record to 39-0 with his third straight Class 4A-3A state tournament title in four title-match berths in March, earned his 53rd consecutive victory and the school-record 175th triumph of his career.

Already a four-time champion in the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference and regional tournaments, Montgomery’s accomplishment made him the Patriots’ first-ever three-time state title-winner and also their initial four-time finalist.

Owen’s record on the year was 34-2 as he earned his first Class 2A-1A state title at 138 pounds after having placed fourth once and second twice. Owen also won four each in Carroll County and regional crowns.

“I’m attending Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. My great grandfather went there in the 1930s and my great grandmother grew up in Lexington. I’m extremely grateful for the scholarship to help with college expenses,” Owen said. “It means a lot to have earned something which represents two very important people in Maryland wrestling. I’ve worked very hard during high school on the mat and in the classroom to have these opportunities.”

Pabon has earned three each in regional and state titles, having been a runner-up once in each of those events. Named Legacy Wrestling’s Middleweight Wrestler Of The Year, Pabon compiled a record of 31-10 this season at 125 pounds.

“I am very grateful to be receiving $5,000 in scholarship money. It will help me with school and of course athletics,” Pabon said. “I am honored to be given so many opportunities from everyone. I’m also very happy that I am the first girl to ever win this scholarship.”

Founded in 2018 after the passing of Dan Youngblood, a former state champion at Old Mill in 1985, the scholarship fund started with a golf tournament, offering a higher education scholarship to deserving wrestlers.

In 2021, the event added the Eveleth name to honor Matt, a three-time state champion at Chesapeake-Anne Arundel who was also Dan's friend and coaching partner at Old Mill and St. Paul’s.

In 2023, the organization merged the two names, creating the Youngblood-Eveleth Charitable Foundation, solidifying the enduring bond between the two friends.

“The Youngblood-Eveleth Charitable Foundation was created to continue Dan and Matt’s legacy. They weren’t just coaching partners; they were close friends who left a lasting impact on the athletes they mentored. They instilled in their wrestlers the values of perseverance, dedication, sportsmanship, academics and community—always striving to shape not just champions on the mat, but individuals who would make a positive difference in the world,” Brian Eveleth said.

“After Dan’s passing, the foundation was created in 2018 to offer college scholarships to deserving wrestlers in Dan’s memory. Matt was a board member of the foundation, which used proceeds from the Dan Youngblood Memorial Golf Tournament to fund the scholarships. After Matt’s passing in 2021, the Eveleth name was added to the memorial golf tournament. In 2023, we merged the two names, creating the Youngblood-Eveleth Charitable Foundation and ensuring their combined impact on the wrestling community will continue.”

A former coach at Glen Burnie, Mount St. Joseph, Old Mill and St. Paul’s, Dan Youngblood was 51 when he died in a boating accident. Dan’s brother-in-law, Tom King, was among two others who survived.

“Dan, Jay Braunstein and myself went on a boating excursion to eat at Lewnes Restaurant from Dan's house in Several Park. On our way home we hit an unlit day marker, which led to Dan's death,” King said. “A few weeks following this horrible situation, a number of us got together and began talking about how to extend the legacy of Dan through wrestling. Dan always gave freely to help any cause related to wrestling and we wanted to continue that tradition. Dan was an avid golfer, and we had the potential to bring hundreds of wrestlers to a single event to support our cause.”

King said approximately 240 golfers attended the first event in 2019. King won a bidding war for a portrait of Youngblood, which was painted by former state champion, Brian Propst, of Mount St. Joseph.

“The bidding stopped at $500, which allowed me to win the artwork,” King said. “In the end, I did not keep the beautiful picture but chose to give it to [Youngblood’s sister] Terri for her to have as a precious memory.”

The youngest of three siblings, all of whom were state title winners for the Cougars, Matt Eveleth was 37 when he died of pancreatic cancer in July 2021 as the most accomplished wrestler in the history of Chesapeake High.

“Matt and I became very good friends, and we did rides in his boat and hung out on a regular basis,” King said. “Following his death, Matt's entire family helped us make a very easy decision in changing the foundation to include Matt as well. The work that the Eveleth family has put into this foundation has been unbelievable and the backbone to the success of it all.”

In January 2022, Chesapeake coach Randy Curtin oversaw the Cougars’ wrestling room being renamed in honor of Matthew Tobey Eveleth, a four-time Class 4A-3A state finalist and three-time champion.

Brian was a one-time champion, and Jeff, a two-time title winner, the latter being a senior teammate with Matt on the Cougars’ 2000 championship squad. Matt earned three state titles in four championship berths, leading the Cougars to state tournament crowns as a sophomore and again as a senior in 2002.

This year’s tournament winning team of four was led by Corey Bowers, a 2004 graduate of Chesapeake High who also placed second at states once, and third at states twice. The Youngblood-Eveleth Charitable Foundation board members include Terri Youngblood-Savage, Chris and Matt Fanzo, Jeff Eveleth, and his wife, Asahi.

“The golf tournament includes a silent auction, which is what funds the scholarships and has continued to grow each year. Each year, we award college scholarships to student-athletes who have been positively impacted by the sport of wrestling and reflect the same values that Dan and Matt taught,” Brian Eveleth said. “They are individuals that show promise not only as wrestlers, but as leaders and contributors to society. To date, we have given out over $75,000 in scholarships. This year, we received our largest and most competitive pool of highly qualified applicants to date, which led us to award more scholarships this year than we ever have.”