Boonsboro’s Tanner Halling will enter his home gym in pursuit of his fourth straight title at this weekend’s Battle at The Boro, and the senior will do so as the Warriors’ most accomplished and decorated wrestler.
Ranked No. 1 by Legacy Wrestling at 132 pounds, Halling has placed third, second and first in the past three Class 2A-1A state tournaments. A three-time Washington County champion, Halling is also the Warriors’ first-ever three-time Class 2A-1A West Regional champion and can become their program’s first-ever two-time state title winner.
Armed with a career record of 130-2 (83 pins, 24 technical falls), Halling is within striking distance of Washington County’s All-Time Career victories mark of 163-2 held by North Hagerstown’s four-time Class 4A-3A state champion Aaron Brooks.
Brooks went 45-1 as a freshman, 43-1 as a sophomore, 46-0 as a junior, and 22-0 as a senior in 2018. Brooks also won his fourth straight NCAA title at Penn State in March, and defeated Javrail Shapiev of Uzbekistan, 5-0, to earn an Olympic Freestyle bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Games in August.
“Tanner's goals this year include becoming Boonsboro’s first two-time state champ and to break the All-Time Washington County career wins record set by Aaron Brooks,” said 13th-year Warriors’ coach Brett Nalley of Halling, who has an impressive record of 20-2 with eight pins and nine technical falls over the course of his 22 regional and state tournament bouts.
“Tenacity is the best single word to describe Tanner Halling. He’s relentless when it comes to putting in the work to achieve his goals. Tanner’s competitive spirit is another reason for his success. Tanner wants to wrestle the best and isn’t satisfied with two or three-point wins. Tanner’s goal is winning every match by bonus points. He expects to dominate.”
Halling joined then-junior Tristen Cook (220 pounds), who became the Warriors' first state champion in 2018. Cook used falls in 28 seconds, 2:59, 1:09 and 1:48 in his title bout over Glenelg's Robbie Baxter to finish the year with a record of 35-3. Cook was injured as a senior and did not compete.
Halling finished last year with a mark of 48-0 (25 Pins, 16 technical falls) at 126 pounds, where he used three technical fall victories to reach the state finals before winning his championship bout, 8-4, over sophomore Devon Opel of Northern Garrett.
As a sophomore, Halling was 45-0 (32 pins, two technical falls) before losing his Class 2A-1A state title bout, 3-2, to then-freshman Jo Jo Gigliotti of South Carroll. Gigliotti, who is ranked 30th in the nation at 144lbs by SB Live, will be after his third straight Class 2A-1A state crown this season as a junior.
As a freshman, Halling finished with a record of 37-1 (24 pins, four technical falls) at 106 pounds, losing, 3-1, in his state quarterfinal to eventual three-time Class 2A-1A state champion Tyler Garvin of Rising Sun before pinning two-time state runner-up Evan Owen of South Carroll for third place.
Halling’s freshman year triumphs included a pair of major decisions over Class 4A-3A state champion Arya Habibi of Marriotts Ridge, a fall in 2:04 against two-time Class 2A-1A runner-up, Evan Owen of South Carroll, and a 15-0 fall over Class 2A-1A runner-up Nate Wilhelm of Northern-Garrett.
As a sophomore, Halling scored a 13-2 major decision over eventual two-time Class 4A-3A state champion Cooper Van Scoyoc of Oakdale, an 8-5 decision over Class 4A-3A state champion Alex Bellarin of Laurel, and a 14-6 major decision over two-time Class 2A-1A runner-up Alex DeVriendt of Middletown.
Bellarin went 27-0 as a junior to win states and was 20-0 as a senior before falling to Halling. Bellarin placed third at states as a senior after being pinned in the quarterfinals by Van Scoyoc, who went on to win his first state title as a junior.
Halling’s offseason workouts have included those with Archbishop Spalding sophomore Taina Fernandez, who is ranked No. 2 behind him by Legacy Wrestling and is among the state’s all-time pound for pound best athletes, regardless of era or weight class.
Ranked No. 1 nationally at 135 pounds, Fernanandez won an Under-17 World Championship in Amman, Jordan in August, and is already considered to be one of Maryland’s greatest female wrestlers of all time.
Named Legacy Wrestling's Girls Lower Weight Wrestler Of The Year, Fernandez will compete on the Cavalier’s boys’ team this season as a sophomore at 132 pounds.
Armed with a 3.78 grade point average and headed for Frostburg State University, Halling spoke to Legacy Wrestling in this Q&A.
Legacy Wrestling: Which do you consider to be your most significant wins as a freshman and why?
Tanner Halling: I remember that I wrestled Arya Habibi twice and got the major decision both times. He was a senior at 113 pounds and he eventually went on to win states.
I was just proud that I went out there with no fear and I was trying to just do what I always do. That year, I also remember winning by 15-0 tech fall over Nate Wilhelm in the second period to win the regional title.
I also remember pinning Evan Owen in my final match that year for third place at states. Those wins meant a lot to me because the eventual three-time state champion, Tyler Garvin, wrestled those same people.
Tyler Garvin went undefeated for his entire career, yet he wasn’t able to execute against Nate Wilhelm and Evan Owen like I was able to. It just showed me after the state tournament that if I believed in myself, I could have beaten Tyler Garvin.
LW: What were your most significant wins of your sophomore year and why?
TH: This year was the year I wrestled almost all new wrestlers because I had gotten a lot bigger. The first tournament of the year I wrestled 132, which was four weight classes up from the year before.
I was definitely a little fluffy for the weight. I wrestled the eventual two-time state champion, Cooper VanScoyoc, and I beat him, 13-2, in the semifinals of the tournament we wrestled in. I also wrestled state runner-up, Alex DeVriendt.
I took DeVriendt down seven times and beat him by a major decision. This year, I look back on and think about how much better I've gotten. My attack arsenal has grown so much. I scored so much back then, now I’m going to be unstoppable.
LW: Which were your most significant wins of junior year and why?
TH: They were the wins where people doubted me. People said that Devon Opel and I were going to have a close match at the regional tournament. But I remembered that, and after I teched him, 18-3, I went up to those people.
I told them, “I told you I would.” If the kid’s good, like Devon, I’ll say “I’m going to beat the crap out of you.” It's who I am. If I don’t believe in myself, I won’t ever become as good as I want to be. Proving those people wrong meant a lot to me.
LW: Which wins, overall, do you consider to be your most meaningful?
TH: Beating Evan Owen was a good win because he’s one of my friends. But I think my biggest wins are Alex Bellarin, 8-5, Cooper VanScoyoc, 13-2, and Alex DeVriendt, 14-6.
All of those guys have great achievements and accomplishments, so I believe that, looking back, I did a heck of a job wrestling those guys. I wrestled tough and I was in their faces the entire match.
LW: Where are you going to college and why?
TH: I will be going to Frostburg State because the coaches made it feel like home and the atmosphere just spoke to me in a different way. My college major will be communications.
LW: Did you have any other significant offseason wins?
TH: I placed sixth and eighth at the NHSCA’s during my sophomore and junior year. I beat some New Jersey state placers. I beat a Missouri state champ.
I beat a three-time South Carolina state champ. It starts to get tougher when you get deeper into that tournament, but anyone who wrestles me is in for a war.
LW: Do you have a joke-swapping relationship with Tristen Cook?
TH: It's funny between Tristen and I because I’m dating his little sister. He was there when I lost in the state finals. He told me that I was “a better wrestler than he ever was.” That meant a lot coming from him.
I definitely used to annoy him and I was arrogant, but as I got older, I think he respected me more. I’m around his family all the time. I’ve seen his state tournament medals and his brackets, I’ve even been to his house in Florida where he lives now.
It's definitely really cool being able to see all this stuff from someone whose career legacy you are chasing. I want to be remembered as someone who is a badass, who never quit and gave everything they had.
I want to be remembered as a dominant force on the mat. Even if someone comes along and has a better career than me, I want to make sure they always have my dominant nature to chase.
LW: Do you embrace the pressure?
TH: I don’t have anything to lose. I’ve already lost in front of everyone. Everyone knows I’ve lost before. Why be scared of losing. In reality when I look back, losing one more time isn’t going to change my entire life.
LW: Do you mentally replay your state tournament matches against Tyler Garvin and Jo Jo Gigliotti – a difference of five total points which have separated you from potentially being a four-time state champion?
TH: Until now, I always just thought it sucked not being able to win those matches, but I very rarely think about those things. People always tell me, “Those kids are super tough,” and, “you wrestled great.” But in my mind, those are some of my worst matches of all time.
Those five points don’t separate me from the best. I know what my abilities are, and those five points can’t take that away from me. At first, those matches were in my head, constantly, and it gave me self-doubt. But at some point, I just let it all go. All the losses, all the goals that I couldn’t accomplish, all the people I let down.
At some point, I had to realize that wrestling is supposed to be fun, and reliving those moments wasn't fun. I let go of those matches because there's no point in hanging on to a loss. I can’t let six minutes change my entire life because I’ve learned that there is really more to life than just wrestling.
LW: What separated you from victory against Tyler Garvin?
TH: It was just a confidence thing. I look back knowing that I could’ve beaten him looking at our common opponents and the scores. I just couldn't execute my attacks from neutral. Tyler was quick and fast and had great technique and misdirections. I was tough as nails and had great positioning.
But I was just in my own head. I look back knowing that I could’ve beaten him looking at our common opponents and the scores. But it is what it is. It makes me more mad because he ended up winning Fargo that year. I was two points away from taking out a Fargo champ.
LW: What separated you from victory against Jo Jo Gigliotti?
TH: Honestly, I remember most of my matches, but this one is a blur. I didn’t go out there to take his head off. I went out there to just win. I felt a lot of pressure, everyone coming up to me before the match telling me “Good luck.” I didn’t go out there to win, I went out there not to lose.
I’ve briefly talked to Jo Jo about the match afterward, and we both would probably agree that we didn’t wrestle how we usually would. Honestly, I played right into his game. He pushed me around and tried to “little kid” me. It threw me off and put me off my game.
That match definitely hurt the most to lose, but, weirdly, I wouldn’t go back and change it. That loss changed who I was, and without it, I wouldn't have made the progress and become who I am today.
LW: You mentioned you have been working out with Taina Fernandez during the offseason?
TH: It's always a blast working with Taina. We have a fun relationship when we drill, and it's fun to workout with someone like her. I work a lot with my personal coaches. I will hit a few college rooms here and there.
HeadHunters is another place I’ll go to. Really, I’m all over the place. I’ve made so many connections with people and coaches that I sometimes forget them all. Those workouts are all different styles.
Headhunters has great combinations of great technique, hard drilling, and every now and then, John Nogle, will give us some random circuit to do. I am so dynamic and am ready for any situation and will 100 percent outwork whoever is in front of me.
LW: How excited are you to be the focus as you wrestle in your first high school event of your senior season at home when your school hosts this weekend’s Battle At Boro?
TH: It's going to be a blast wrestling in my home gym. It will be my last tournament there, so I’m going to soak it all in. I’m going there to get the best matches, so when we get the rosters in, I’ll decide what weight I’ll go.
I’ll go out and try to dominate the best wrestlers at the tournament. The hometown support is really nice, and seeing people show up just to watch me is really surreal. I’m going to have some fun and light up the scoreboard.
Tanner Halling's Career At A Glance
Career Record: 130-2 (83 pins, 24 technical falls, 10 major decisions, seven forfeits, eight decisions, 708 team points).
Freshman Year Record: 37-1 (24 pins, four technical falls, five major decisions, two forfeits, two decisions, 196 team points).
Sophomore Year Record: 45-1 (32 pins, two technical falls, four major decisions, three forfeits, four decisions, 258 team points)
Junior Year Record: 48-0 (25 Pins, 16 technical falls, one major decision, two forfeits, two decisions, 254 Team Points)
Biggest career victories:
Two-time Class 4A-3A state champion: Cooper Van Scoyoc, Oakdale (Major Decision, 13-2); Class 4A-3A state champ: Arya Habibi, Marriotts Ridge (Twice By Major Decision, 10-2, 9-1); Class 4A-3A state champ: Alex Bellarin, Laurel (Decision, 8-5); Two-time Class 2A-1A state runner-up: Evan Owen, South Carroll (Fall, 2:04); Class 2A-1A state runner-up: Devon Opel, Northern-Garrett (Fall, 2:54, Technical Fall, 18-3, Decision, 8-4); Class 2A-1A state runner-up: Nate Wilhelm, Northern-Garrett (Technical Fall,15-0); Class 2A-1A state runner-up: Alex DeVriendt, Middletown (Major Decision, 14-6).
Tanner Halling's Post-Season Tournaments AT A Glance
Freshman year: 106 pounds
Class 1A West Regionals
Kade Savage, Southern-Garrett (Fall 0:08)
Nate Wilhelm, Northern-Garrett (Technical fall 15-0)
Class 2A-1A State Tournament
Clayton Dicus, Eastern Tech (Technical fall, 15-0)
Tyler Garvin, Rising Sun (Decision, 1-3)
Christian Manley, Sparrows Point (Fall, 1:34)
Michael Walker, Frederick Douglas (Technical fall, 17-2)
Dylan Hart, Middletown (Decision, 2-1)
Evan Owen, South Carroll (Fall, 2:04)
Sophomore year: 120 pounds
Class 2A-1A West Regionals
Zachary Terry, Hammond (Fall, 1:20)
Ryan Hydorn, Manchester Valley (Fall, 1:00)
Dylan Opel, Northern-Garrett (Fall, 2:54)
Class 2A-1A State Tournament
Isaiah Gompers, Huntingtown (Fall, 1:30)
Jack Hooks, Kent Island (Fall, 2:57)
Xzavier Brown, Rising Sun (Decision, 7-0)
Jo Jo Gigliotti, South Carroll (Decision, 2-3)
Junior year: 126 pounds
Class 2A-1A West Regionals
Atreyo Lewis, Mountain Ridge (Technical fall, 16-1)
Jonathan Sexton, Glenelg (Technical fall, 18-3)
Dylan Opel, Northern Garrett (Technical fall, 18-3)
Class 2A-1A State Tournament
Carson Webber, Calvert (Technical fall, 15-0)
Xzavier Brown, Rising Sun (Technical fall, 15-0)
Chase Ullman, Eastern Tech (Technical fall, 17-2)
Dylan Opel, Northern-Garrett (Decision, 8-4)
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