Top-ranked Class 4A-3A third-place finishing sophomore Victor Marks-Jenkins (165) went 7-0 with six first-period pins at last weekend's Tomahawk Duals at Havre de Grace, where his Gators vanquished Baltimore County rival and runner-up Eastern Tech, 42-35, for the title.
Marks-Jenkins had falls in 14, 25, 39, 41, 62 and 73 seconds, improving his record on the year to 21-0 with 16 pins and one technical fall and earning Outstanding Wrestler honors.
Marks-Jenkins ended last season with a record of 50-1 with 39 pins, three technical falls and two major decisions as a 145-pound freshman, earning the Baltimore County and Class 4A-3A North Region titles before placing third at the state tournament.
Also going undefeated were Perry Hall seniors Connor Chattin (144/150) and Joseph Cook (285).
Chattin went 6-0 with three pins and a pair of decisions by 10-0, and 6-0, having placed sixth at states a year ago at the end of a 43-victory season.
Cook went 7-0 with a fall a pair of narrow decisions, 2-1, in overtime against Patterson Mill sophomore Gavin Voelker, and 5-4, over North East sophomore Jeremiah Allen.
"This was a good event and a great team effort for us, improving our record to 15-2," said third-year Gators' coach Doug Yoakum, a 1990 Perry Hall graduate and former Baltimore County champion and regional runner-up. "We've been a little banged up, so it's been a struggle. Connor Chattin has been dealing with some injury issues, but now he has a 9-1 record on the year."
Gators' sophomores Hegan Channtyal (106) and Justin Kavanagh (132) both went 6-1, and former girls state champion junior Alaina Kopalchick (113) went 4-1 with her three falls coming in 33, 35 and 49 seconds.
Kopalchick is 14-5 on the year, Channtyal had five pins to improve his overall record to 15-5, and Kavanagh improved his record on the season to 17-5. Kavanagh nailed down five falls, including one in 17 seconds to go with a 15-0 technical fall.
Going undefeated for runner-up Eastern Tech were seniors Ian Evans (150) and Anthony Gregory (175), sophomore Chase Ullmann (126) and junior Brayden Polly (113). Polly went 8-0 with seven pins and a 6-0 decision, with three of his first-period falls coming in 34 and 48 seconds. Ullmann went 8-0 with a 31-second fall being among his four pins to go with a 14-5 major decision.
Evans won all of his eight bouts with seven pins, among his falls being those in 10, 20, 28, 31 and 65 seconds. Gregory went the distance four times with no pins and a major decision, including a 2-1 victory over Perry Hall senior John Peregoy.
Going undefeated at 106 were North East junior Hunter Pettorossi and Havre de Grace freshman Madison Birth. Pettorossi went 7-0 with four pins and a major decision, and Birth, 8-0 with four pins and a decision.
At 113, North Harford sophomore Ben Grabia went 5-0 with three falls comprising those in 20, 54 and 78 seconds, and, at 120, Magruder sophomore Sava Makarov (120) went 7-0 with six first-period pins and a 16-1 technical fall.
Makarov may have spent the least amount of time on the mats than perhaps any other tournament member given that his falls comprised those in 37, 41, 52, 60, 74 and 79 seconds.
North Harford's fifth-place, Class 2A-1A state finishing junior Tommy Blankenship (126) earned Outstanding Lowerweight honors for going 6-0 with two pins, a 15-0 technical fall and an overtime, 8-6 victory over Class 4A-3A state champion Neil Sharma of Magruder.
Splitting time at 132 and 138 were seniors Jeff Gessner of Patterson Mill and Max Pasquier of Magruder.
Guessner went 8-0 with six pins, among them those in 23, 70 and 72 seconds. Pasquier was 7-0 with a 42-second fall among his three pins, a pair of 16-0 technical falls and a 9-0 major decision.
Loch Raven senior Devaraun Waters (138) went 8-0 with falls in 21, 27, 37, 44 and 55 seconds being among his six pins to go with a 15-4 major decision.
Going 7-0 at 138 was Joppatowne's Joel Oyekanmi, who went 7-0 with pins in 47 and 71 seconds being among his four falls.
North Caroline junior Corey Bunce went 6-0 at 165 pounds with two each in pins and major decisions along with a 4-2 overtime victory over Edgewood junior Shane Tressler.
Towson senior Henry Kline (175) went unbeaten at 7-0 with four falls, including those in 35, 42 and 72 seconds, as did North Harford junior Holden Young (190) at 6-0 with two of his four pins coming in 24 and 28 seconds.
Eastern Tech senior Anthony Oge (215) pinned six of eight opponents without a loss, including three in the first period. Oge nailed down falls in 20, 59 and 89 seconds and won an overtime bout, 6-4, against Patterson Mill junior Nick Gomez-Acero.
Edgewood junior Miles Putney (285) had four pins and a major decision among his eight victories without a loss.
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