Here are The Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro wrestling teams for the 2023-24 season.
Wrestler of the Year
Emmitt Sherlock, Gilman, junior, 165 pounds
Every wrestler looks for the formula to be successful. For Emmitt Sherlock, the perfect mix came when he stopped worrying about everything and just had fun.
“He was just wrestling loose this year,” Gilman coach Bryn Holmes said. “He went from 138 pounds last year to 165 pounds this year, and he worried about being the best wrestler and not the best weight cutter. When he lets it fly, that’s when the magic happens for him on the mat.
“When he took the stance last offseason that he wanted to get bigger and did it, it speaks volumes for his ability and his mindset.”
The formula worked, as Sherlock went 44-5 this season and was named The Sun’s All-Metro Wrestler of the Year. His most impressive feat was to advance to the 165-pound final at the National Preps tournament at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, where he lost to highly regarded Joe Sealey of Wyoming Seminary.
National Preps is one of the things that drives Sherlock.
“Next year, my goal is to win a National Preps title,” said Sherlock, who has a 3.5 GPA. “The only thing we have on the walls is the wrestling room at Gilman is National Prep champs. No state champs or MIAA champs. We haven’t had anybody since 2000. My goal is to win it next year. I have one more try to get on the top of the podium.”
Holmes said Sherlock’s character is a big reason for the youngster’s success.
“He’s a great kid, a great person,” he said. “He really cares about the sport. He does a great job of being positive and supporting the others. That speaks to him as a teammate. … That’s why he was a captain as a junior.”
On the local level, no one was better than Sherlock. He was named the outstanding wrestler at the MIAA Tournament, where he posted a 4-0 record with three pins in less than one minute en route to the title. His results were nearly identical in the Maryland Independent Schools state tournament, where he went 4-0 with three pins to capture that crown.
Sherlock has already committed to the University of Virginia, but he still feels as if he has more work to do at Gilman. He will enter his senior year as the 10th-ranked wrestler in his weight class by Scorebook Live, but many of the students in front of him will graduate.
More importantly, he still has one more chance to get his name on the wall.
Coach of the Year
Bryn Holmes, Gilman
Holmes could see it coming last year.
“I could see what we had coming back,” he said. “Having 14 legitimate wrestlers step on the mat, that’s the first time we’ve had that at Gilman since I’ve been here.”
After leading the Greyhounds to the MIAA A Conference and MIS tournament titles, Holmes has been named The Sun’s All-Metro wrestling Coach of the Year.
The honor brings Holmes full circle. The former McDonogh two-sport star was named The Sun’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2006 and was also an All-Metro wrestler. He won National Preps titles in his junior and senior seasons before a standout lacrosse career at Maryland.
This year, he led Gilman to both the MIAA dual meet and tournament titles, a first for the school. The tournament championship was Gilman’s first since 1990, when the Greyhounds competed in the Maryland Scholastic Association. Winning the MIS tournament was also a first.
Holmes, who arrived at Gilman in 2011 as a 24-year-old, has compiled a 120-74 record in his 13 years as the varsity coach.
The transition was strange for him, considering he graduated from a rival school.
“Depending on who you talk to, I either went to the dark side or I saw the light,” he joked. “I have seen the program grow here, and this year was the end result of that.”
The Greyhounds secured MIAA championships from Liam McGettigan (106 pounds), Tyson Sherlock (144) and Emmitt Sherlock (165), while McGettigan and Emmitt Sherlock also won MIS titles. Gilman finished the season as the top team in The Sun’s wrestling poll at 12-1, with its lone loss coming to Connecticut’s Green Farms Academy.
“I just love working with the kids,” Holmes said. “The Gilman wrestling program has gone from the bottom of the [MIAA] A [Conference] to this year being the top in the state. That was a lot of fun to watch.”
First team
Liam McGettigan, Gilman, freshman, 106 pounds
McGettigan burst onto the local prep scene, going 44-5 and winning both the MIAA and MIS titles. He was third in his weight class at National Preps. He’s ranked 17th nationally by Scorebook Live.
Jayden Jackson, Loyola Blakefield, sophomore, 113 pounds
Jackson built on his success from last year to win his second straight MIAA title, compiling a 33-8 record along the way. He finished second at the MIS tournament and eighth at National Preps and is a repeat first-team selection.
Evan Owen, South Carroll, junior, 120 pounds
One of the leaders of the area’s best public school team, Owen went 48-4 for the state champion Cavaliers. A first-team selection a year ago, he finished second in the Class 2A/1A state tournament for the second straight year and was also a regional and Carroll County champion.
Sean Garretson, Archbishop Spalding, junior, 126 pounds
Garretson was dominant again, compiling 51 wins — one of the most in the state — with just six losses. He won the MIAA title, finished second at the MIS tournament and was fifth at National Preps.
JoJo Gigliotti, South Carroll, sophomore, 132 pounds
Gigliotti had another stellar year for the Cavaliers, compiling a 51-1 record and winning his second straight Class 2A/1A state title to be a first-team selection for the second time in as many years. He also won a regional title and a Carroll County championship and is ranked No. 1 in the state in his weight class by BillyB’s Wrestling World.
Carter Nogle, Mount Saint Joseph, senior, 138 pounds
Nogle had another great year for the Gaels, finishing with a 43-7 record while winning his second MIAA title and third MIS crown. The Air Force commit also placed fourth at National Preps.
Tyson Sherlock, Gilman, senior, 144 pounds
Sherlock posted a 40-10 record to help the Greyhounds win their first MIAA team and dual meet titles. The Davidson College commit won his second MIAA tournament, placed second at the MIS tournament and finished sixth at National Preps.
Calvin Kraisser, Centennial, junior, 144 pounds
Kraisser won his third straight state championship while compiling a 36-1 record with 33 pins. He was also a regional and Howard County champion. The state title was the family’s 15th, adding to the totals for father and coach Cliff (1) and brothers Nathan (4), Austin (3) and Jason (4).
Judah Aybar, Loyola Blakefield, senior, 150 pounds
Aybar had another great season, winning his third MIAA title and an MIS championship with a 27-1 record. He finished ranked as the top wrestler in the state at 150 pounds by BillyB’s Wrestling World.
Russell Fary, Sparrows Point, junior, 150 pounds
A leader for the Pointers, Fary had another dominant year. He finished the season 41-0 and won the Class 2A/1A state championship.
Victor Marks-Jenkins, Perry Hall, sophomore, 157 pounds
Marks-Jenkins won the Class 4A/3A state title and was also a regional and Baltimore County champion in finishing 47-0. He placed third at the U-16 USA Wrestling Nationals.
Austin Combs, Broadneck, senior, 165 pounds
Maybe the most improved wrestler in the area, Combs compiled a nearly perfect season for the Bruins, going 50-1 and winning the Class 4A/3A state title. He also won the Anne Arundel County championship.
Sisto Averno III, Calvert Hall, senior, 175 pounds
A two-time MIAA champion, Averno won two regular-season tournaments and finished second at the MIS tournament on his way to a 35-6 season record. He finished the year ranked third in the state at 175 pounds by BillyB’s Wrestling World and went 78-17 in his varsity career.
Anthony Rodrigues, South Carroll, sophomore, 175 pounds
As part of Carroll County’s most prominent wrestling family, Rodrigues followed his brother’s footsteps and won the Class 2A/1A state championship. He finished with a 43-7 record and was also a regional and Carroll County champion.
Gabriel Smith, Gilman, junior, 190 pounds
After finishing second in the MIAA tournament, Smith rallied to lead the top-ranked Greyhounds at the MIS tournament crown when he won his individual title. He finished sixth at National Preps.
Noah Onkst, McDonogh, senior, 215 pounds
With a 38-8 record, Onkst became a two-time champion in both the MIAA and MIS tournaments. He will play football at Amherst next season.
Delmar White, Archbishop Spalding, junior, 285 pounds
White put together a dominant season for the Cavaliers, going 46-4 and winning both the MIAA and MIS titles. He also finished third at National Preps.
Second team
Grayson Barnhill, South Carroll, sophomore, 106 pounds
Jackson Peeples, South River, freshman, 106 pounds
Joseph Cooper, Mount Saint Joseph, 113 pounds
Isisah Womack, St. Frances, sophomore, 120 pounds
Bryan Santangelo, Mount Saint Joseph, senior, 126 pounds
Vincent Paolucci, Archbishop Spalding, senior, 132 pounds
Shane Leitzel, Archbishop Spalding, sophomore, 138 pounds
Chris Nice, Bel Air, senior, 144 pounds
John Jurkovic, Gilman, junior, 150 pounds
Nicolas Barnabae, Mount Saint Joseph, junior, 157 pounds
Joe Clark, Oakland Mills, senior, 165 pounds
Landon Hamper, South Carroll, sophomore, 165 pounds
Aaron Moccia, John Carroll, sophomore, 175 pounds
Austin Lewis, Mount Saint Joseph, senior, 190 pounds
Xander Dodd, Chesapeake-AA, junior, 215 pounds
RJ Duncan, Old Mill, senior, 285 pounds
Luke Randazzo, Loyola Blakefield, junior, 285 pounds