Stephen Decatur junior Elijah Collick wrestled in the higher than normal, 134-pound weight class during last weekend’s New Year’s Brawl at Easton High.
Collick knew little, if anything, about his championship foe, Annapolis sophomore Mike Groszkowski, until a few hours prior to their match.
“As a team, we don’t cut weight for the entire season or all year long, and Elijah wasn’t super familiar with Groszkowski,” said Josh August, in his third year coaching the Seahawks. “We made a decision earlier in the week for some of our guys to stay up in weight, so we knew Elijah would meet Groszkowski. But Elijah just always goes out for his matches with the intention of scoring a lot of points.”
Collick did just that against Groskowski, whom he hammered by an 18-5 major decision in their championship bout. In victory, Collick improved his record on the year to 25-1 with 11 pins and seven technical falls, while Groszkowsk slipped to 28-1.
Groszkowski is second-ranked at 132 pounds by Legacy Wrestling, whereas Collick is ranked second at 126. The two-pound weight allowance adjustment is reflected in how the divisions are listed in this report.
“Dominating opponents is what I look for,” said Collick, a returning two-time title winner in the Bayside Conference as well as in the Class 2A-1A East Region and Class 2A-1A state tournaments. “I work hard, win or lose. Producing results is all that matters. For every match, I go out there looking for the pin or the technical fall, no matter who I wrestle.”
Collick was joined on the victory podium by fourth-ranked senior Juan Hinojosa (122), fifth-ranked senior Nate McDaniel (217), 15th-ranked senior Jake Saullo (146) and senior Aaron August (140), Josh’s son, as the 22nd-ranked Seahawks (589 points) placed 10 wrestlers in the top four of their weight classes to outpace 37th-ranked runner-up Annapolis (492) for the team title.
Finishing third were juniors Paulo Mena-Weber (115) and Brayden Bell (159), sophomore Price Hill (167) and senior Amarian Manuel (167), with a fourth-place effort from 23rd-ranked junior Alex Riehl (152).
Groszkowski owns an 11-4 decision over third-ranked Gilman senior Zach Glory as well as a 20-11 major decision over Delaware state champion Tye Bellarin, a junior from Red Lion Christian Academy.
Glory placed third last year in both the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association’s A Conference and the Maryland Private Schools State tournaments, of which top-ranked Gilman is a returning team champion.
Having transferred from second-ranked Archbishop Spalding where he alternated between their junior varsity and varsity squads, Groszkowski went 8-0 with seven pins and became a private schools’ state champion as a junior varsity wrestler.
Groszkowski’s varsity record for the Cavaliers was 12-3 with four pins and a technical fall, including second and fourth-place finishes at the John Kelly and McDonogh invitational tournaments.
Collick’s lone setback of this season is a 12-9 to Quinn McBride of Penn Ridge High, Pa., in the quarterfinals of the War on The Shore, where he finished third. McBride lost his 126-pound title bout, 11-0, to Archbishop Spalding’s top-ranked Sean Garretson, a two-time MIAA champion who has placed second at private school states.
Collick won his third-place bout, 14-7, at War on The Shore over Cape Henlopen senior Andrij Szczesniuk, who had blanked Huntingtown’s fifth-ranked sophomore Landen Vercoe, 7-0, before losing his semifinal, 23-15, to Garretson. Vercoe was third last year at Class 2A-1A states and finished fifth at War On The Shore.
Ranked second-ranked at 126 pounds behind Garrison, Collick joined two-time champion Noah Reho as only the second Seahawks' freshman by earning the 106-pound title, and can surpass three-time champion Danny Miller by becoming the program's first four-time state champion.
With 113 career wins, 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.
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 last year’s crown after having been a two-time runner-up.
Hinojosa won a wild match, 20-16, over North Caroline junior Conner Frank for his title at Easton, improving his record on the year to 22-3 with 14 pins and two technical falls. A fourth-place finisher in both the Bayside Conference and the regions, Frank’s record slipped to 24-4.
Hinojosa is ranked fourth at 113 pounds behind Gilman’s top-ranked sophomore Liam McGettigan, Archbishop Spalding’s second-ranked junior Eli Chesla, and South Carroll’s third-ranked junior Grayson Barnhill.
A two-time title-winner in the Bayside conference who has also won a regional crown, Hinojosa, has 120 career victories and was a state runner-up, ending last year with a record of 39-3.
Hinojosa finished third at the War on The Shore following an 8-5 overtime semifinal loss to Chesla, who won his title bout, 6-2, over Barnhill. Chesla’s freshman season included placing third in the MIAAs and fourth at private school states. Chesla missed his sophomore season with an injury.
Barnhill went 34-0 last season with 33 pins and one forfeit, earning his second straight
Carroll County and Class 2A-1A North regional titles before pinning Hinojosa in 59 seconds of their state title match. Barnhill had been a state runner-up as a freshman following a 5-3 title bout loss to Collick.
McDaniel won his title match by 15-0 technical fall over 14th-ranked North Caroline senior Arif Mohammidi, improving his season mark to 23-1 with 17 pins and two technical falls and his career victories total to 83.
Mohammidi’s record slipped to 15-3 after losing to McDaniel, a returning fourth-place finisher in the conference and regions who was also a runner-up at The War On Shore.
Saullo scored a 71-second championship bout fall against senior Gavin Taylor of Kent Island. Saullo rises to 21-5 with 11 pins and seven technical falls for the season and has 67 career wins.
A two-time runner-up in the Bay Conference, Aaron August improved his record on the year to 17-3 with his eighth pin of the season to go with two technical falls.
The triumph represented Aaron’s 110th career victory, coming in the form of a second-period fall over 23rd-ranked Annapolis freshman Leo Sfakiyanudis.
Annapolis and 32nd-ranked Winters Mill crowned two champions each, the former in seniors Davis Ruhf (177) and Grayden Stramanak (287), and the latter in fourth-ranked senior Chris Gaeng (167) and 20th-ranked junior Landon Buchman (152).
Ruhf’s record is 28-1 following his first-period pin against North Caroline sophomore Quinton Doyle. Stramanak is 5-0 thanks to his third-period fall over Oakdale senior TJ Bon.
Gaeng won a clash of seniors with his 15-0 technical fall against Theodore Sfakiyanudis of Annapolis. Gaeng is a returning Carroll County champion with a record of 28-0 who was also a regional runner-up and third place finisher at states.
Buchman improved his record on the year to 24-2 with his 6-2 title bout decision over Kent County’s 22nd-ranked junior Scottie Ford, whose record slips to 12-1. Buchman was third at counties and fourth at regions last season.
Other champions were third-ranked sophomore Ethan Valdisera (115) of Calvert, freshman Paul Fitzpatrick (108) of Oakdale, junior Landon Shanks (128) of Queen Anne’s, senior Ethan Clark (159) of Kent County and senior Corey Bunce (192) of North Caroline.
A transfer from 15th-ranked St. Mary’s Ryken, Valdisera rose to 25-0 with his fall in 2:12 against junior Esteban Velasquez of Easton, whose record slipped to 28-3.
Valdisera was a champion in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and the private schools state tournaments, winning last year’s state title bout, 1-0, Loyola’s Jayden Jackson. A junior, Jackson, is a returning MIAA champion who is currently ranked third-ranked at 120 pounds.
A third-place finisher in the Bayside Conference last season, Shanks remained undefeated at 28-0 with his 20-3 technical fall over North Caroline junior Jacob Carpenter, who was fourth in the Bayside Conference and fourth at regions.
Bunce improved to 27-0 with his 7-2 decision over Annapolis senior Andi Rivera, having placed fourth in the Bayside Conference and third at regions last season.
Fitzpatrick won a clash of freshman with his 65-second pin against Calvert’s Jacob Jones, improving his record on the year to 19-1 and dropping Jones’ to 22-4.
A third-place finisher in the Bay Conference last season, Clark is 19-2 following his 86-second pin against Oakdale senior Marty Sandy. Sandy is a returning third place finisher in Frederick County who placed third at regions and whose record slips to 24-3.
Easton New Year's Brawl
1 Stephen Decatur (589.0)
2 Annapolis (492.0)
3 Winters Mill (444.0)
4 Oakdale (413.0)
5 North Caroline (395.0)
6 Kent Island (318.0)
7 Colonel Richardson (267.0)
8 Kent County (228.0)
9 Wicomico (204.0)
10 Queen Anne (194.0)
11 Calvert (157.0)
12 JM Bennett (106.0)
13 Thomas Stone (91.0)
14 St. Michaels (86.0)
15 Easton (81.0)
16 St. Mary's Annapolis (31.0)
108
1st Place Match
Paul Fitzpatrick (Oakdale) 19-1, Fr. over Jacob Jones (Calvert) 22-4, Fr. (Fall 1:05)
3rd Place Match
Steven Umana (Annapolis) 22-5, Jr. over Caden Codd (St. Mary's Annapolis) 20-13, Fr. (Dec 10-3)
5th Place Match
Darley Ortega (North Caroline) 17-9, Jr. over Andrew Sanchez (St. Michaels) 11-9, So. (MD 10-2)
115
1st Place Match
Ethan Valdisera (Calvert) 25-0, So. over Esteban Velasquez (Easton) 28-3, Jr. (Fall 2:12)
3rd Place Match
Paulo Mena-Weber (Stephen Decatur) 8-7, Jr. over Jeremiah Hinefelt (Kent County) 10-6, Fr. (Dec 16-10)
5th Place Match
Levi Green (Oakdale) 20-7, Fr. over Lazarus Munson (Winters Mill) 19-6, So. (Fall 0:46)
7th Place Match
Justin Buckner (Thomas Stone) 21-2, Fr. over Chris Gaskins (Kent Island) 5-5, So. (DFF)
122
1st Place Match
Juan Hinojosa (Stephen Decatur) 23-3, Sr. over Conner Frank (North Caroline) 24-4, Jr. (Dec 20-16)
3rd Place Match
Skyler Crowl (Winters Mill) 6-3, Fr. over Willie Coale (St. Michaels) 18-5, So. (Fall 0:26)
5th Place Match
Alan McDonald (Queen Anne School) 21-3, So. over Peter Adler (Calvert) 6-3, Jr. (Fall 1:18)
128
1st Place Match
Landon Shanks (Queen Anne School) 25-0, Jr. over Jacob Carpenter (North Caroline) 20-7, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:20 (20-3))
3rd Place Match
Conrad Femrite (Annapolis) 15-7, Sr. over Jayquan Wilkins (Colonel Richardson) 16-11, Jr. (Fall 3:22)
5th Place Match
Brody Lockwood (Winters Mill) 13-14, Jr. over Jaxon Archer (Stephen Decatur) 6-6, So. (Fall 0:45)
7th Place Match
William Tingle (JM Bennett) 6-12, So. over Davidson Fortunel (Wicomico) 9-13, Sr. (DFF)
134
1st Place Match
Elijah Collick (Stephen Decatur) 25-1, Jr. over Mike Groszkowski (Annapolis) 28-1, So. (MD 18-5)
3rd Place Match
Jake Green (Oakdale) 20-8, Sr. over Colton Wasmer (Winters Mill) 23-7, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:59 (18-2))
5th Place Match
Deion Finney (Wicomico) 20-5, Sr. over Caleb Melvin (North Caroline) 20-5, So. (MD 16-6)
140
1st Place Match
Aaron August (Stephen Decatur) 17-3, Sr. over Leonidas Sfakiyanudis (Annapolis) 27-3, Fr. (Fall 2:00)
3rd Place Match
Evan Alexander (Colonel Richardson) 20-5, So. over JJ Hathaway (Oakdale) 19-11, Jr. (Dec 3-2)
5th Place Match
Silas Brobst (Kent Island) 14-11, Jr. over Willis Kiler (Winters Mill) 19-9, Jr. (Dec 6-2)
146
1st Place Match
Jake Saullo (Stephen Decatur) 21-5, Sr. over Gavin Taylor (Kent Island) 10-4, Sr. (Fall 1:11)
3rd Place Match
Christian Snavely (Annapolis) 14-7, So. over Anthony Sheppard (North Caroline) 13-5, Jr. (M. For.)
5th Place Match
Corey Richardson (Wicomico) 20-7, Jr. over Gary Koeneman (Colonel Richardson) 10-16, Jr. (Dec 8-7)
7th Place Match
Adonis Schmitt (Easton) 14-14, Sr. over Manny Henry (St. Michaels) 7-12, Fr. (DFF)
152
1st Place Match
Landon Buchman (Winters Mill) 24-2, Jr. over Scottie Ford (Kent County) 12-1, Jr. (Dec 6-2)
3rd Place Match
Myles Rankin (Annapolis) 20-3, Sr. over Alex Riehl (Stephen Decatur) 19-6, Jr. (Fall 2:44)
5th Place Match
Anthony Alexander (Colonel Richardson) 21-6, So. over Mason Guy (Kent Island) 14-10, So. (Dec 10-9)
159
1st Place Match
Ethan Clark (Kent County) 19-2, Sr. over Marty Sandy (Oakdale) 24-3, Jr. (Fall 1:26)
3rd Place Match
Braydon Bell (Stephen Decatur) 17-8, Jr. over Rowen Okerblom (Wicomico) 3-8, Jr. (TF-1.5 5:00 (20-5))
5th Place Match
Jason Acevedo (Winters Mill) 18-10, Jr. over Eli Kurtz (Queen Anne School) 7-8, Sr. (Fall 0:57)
7th Place Match
Roy Scott (Kent Island) 18-7, Jr. over Glother Gabriel (North Caroline) 17-8, Jr. (DFF)
167
1st Place Match
Chris Gaeng (Winters Mill) 28-0, Sr. over Theodore Sfakiyanudis (Annapolis) 26-3, Sr. (TF-1.5 1:32 (15-0))
3rd Place Match
Amarian Manuel (Stephen Decatur) 5-1, Sr. over Rafel Williams (Thomas Stone) 18-4, Sr. (Fall 2:45)
5th Place Match
Marcus Tate (Kent Island) 11-9, Sr. over Adelson Theajune (Wicomico) 9-9, Jr. (Dec 7-0)
177
1st Place Match
Davis Ruhf (Annapolis) 28-1, Sr. over Quinton Doyle (North Caroline) 15-10, So. (Fall 1:59)
3rd Place Match
Nathaniel McLeod (Winters Mill) 23-6, Jr. over Ryan Crabb (Oakdale) 17-10, Jr. (Dec 10-9)
5th Place Match
Malex Nichols (Stephen Decatur) 9-6, Jr. over Gavin Martin (Wicomico) 7-19, Sr. (Dec 5-4)
7th Place Match
Cooper Niesz (Queen Anne School) 4-20, Sr. over Esdras Verneus (JM Bennett) 1-6, Fr. (DFF)
192
1st Place Match
Corey Bunce (North Caroline) 27-0, Sr. over Andi Rivera (Annapolis) 10-8, Sr. (Dec 7-2)
3rd Place Match
Frantz Augustin (JM Bennett) 12-8, Sr. over Richard Taylor (Colonel Richardson) 12-14, So. (Fall 3:28)
5th Place Match
Mason Gladhill (Oakdale) 18-9, Jr. over Cole Muir (Stephen Decatur) 10-7, So. (Fall 1:00)
217
1st Place Match
Nate McDaniel (Stephen Decatur) 23-1, Sr. over Arif Mohammidi (North Caroline) 15-3, Sr. (TF-1.5 2:00 (15-0))
3rd Place Match
Victor Tejada (Winters Mill) 19-9, Jr. over Kauser Kaiser (Oakdale) 10-10, Sr. (Dec 4-1)
5th Place Match
Wilson Clough (Colonel Richardson) 14-6, Sr. over John Henry (JM Bennett) 8-9, Jr. (Fall 3:37)
287
1st Place Match
Grayden Stramanak (Annapolis) 5-0, Sr. over TJ Bon (Oakdale) 16-6, Sr. (Fall 5:47)
3rd Place Match
Price Hill (Stephen Decatur) 7-4, So. over Greg Coffey (Kent Island) 16-8, Jr. (For.)
5th Place Match
Chatydrick Pickrom (Colonel Richardson) 18-9, Jr. over Keven Mondestin (Wicomico) 21-4, Jr. (Dec 8-4)
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