By John Cameron

Gilman Wrestling Scores the Trifecta in Historic Season

The 2023-24 Gilman wrestling team is officially MIAA regular-season champion, MIAA championship meet champion, and Maryland Independent Schools (MIS) state champion. They are the first Gilman team to win the dual meet championship since 1990, the first to win both the dual meet championship and championship meet since 1977, when the league was called the MSA, and the first Gilman team ever to win all three. The squad not only went undefeated in league play with dominant victories over Mount Saint Joseph, Loyola Blakefield, and Archbishop Spalding, but capped off their outstanding season by dominating in the MIAA championship meet and states. Gilman wrestling is back on top. 

The team is packed with talent at all levels, promising a bright future. The squad boasts three freshman wrestlers, Liam McGettigan, JD Vassar, and Arthur Konschak, all of whom are significant contributors. The freshmen hold 32-4, 18-10, and 25-10 records respectively. McGettigan also pinned most opponents he has wrestled, besides his major decision victory against St. Joe, in which he wrestled a weight class up. The Hounds are also full of senior talent, namely Tyson Sherlock, Nick Haughey, Buck Franklin, and Jameson Maumenee. According to the National Prep Rankings, the pre-season rankings for the biggest tournament in the country, Gilman has numerous wrestlers ranked in the top fifteen; McGettigan is ranked 3rd at 106, Tyson Sherlock is ranked 3rd at 144, John Jurkovic 25’ is ranked 14th at 150, Emmitt Sherlock 25’ is ranked 3rd at 165, and at 190 Gabe Smith ‘25 is ranked 9th. Needless to say, the roster is stacked with talent this year. 

In their biggest dual meet match of the season against MSJ, the Hounds enjoyed a dominant 43-22 victory, with crucial pins from Vassar and both Sherlock brothers. This was their third time beating St. Joe in forty-eight years. Perhaps the greatest contest in the match was a crucial last-second win by Franklin, who, despite lacking energy in the third period, was able to, in his words, “catch him [his opponent] in a mistake and make him pay.” Michael Weinfeld ‘91, a wrestler on the 1990 wrestling team (the last team to win the regular season championship), also cited beating Mount Saint Joseph as a pivotal moment in the team’s season. Once again, this crucial victory over MSJ paved a clear path to winning the regular season MIAA championship. 

The Hounds capped off their excellent season by winning the MIAA championship meet. This is an accomplishment that not even the 1990 squad was able to obtain, with Mr. Weinfeld clarifying that they finished in either second or third at the MIAA tournament. At the MIAA championship meet, the Hounds proved why they are the best team in Maryland. They had seven wrestlers go to the finals, with McGettigan and the Sherlock brothers. Jurkovic, Konschak, Haughey, and Smith placed second. Additionally, Buck Franklin, Zach Glory, J.D. Vassar, and Sebastian Chaney all had formidable efforts, finishing in 3rd and 4th place. As a team, the Hounds scored a dominating 249 total points. The biggest contributions were from McGettigan and Emmitt Sherlock, scoring 30 and 29.5 points respectively. When Nick Haughey, a senior captain, was asked to summarize the incredible season, he responded, “It’s fantastic to be a part of history, and I’m happy that we’re able to leave our mark. In the wrestling room, we have pictures along the walls of the teams from 1919 to 2024, so knowing that we’ve left a permanent mark in that lineup means a lot.” 

The team’s morale was at an all-time high as they looked to close out their season at states. McGettigan said, “I’m just going to keep working towards my goals and try to not just be one of the best in the state, but one of the best in the country.” The team also has great upper-class leadership. McGettigan stated that his role model on the team was Smith, while Vassar chose Haughey, and Konschak chose Jurkovic, who is also his partner in practice. When asked who would play a crucial role in finishing out the season, Emmitt Sherlock responded, “There’s not a specific person who, I would say it’s the whole team. Hopefully, we can bring a state title home for the Hounds.” John Jurkovic was excited with how the season went and credited some of his own success to his practice partner, freshman Arthur Konschak. Citing the underclassmen as a “big part of the squad,” Jurkovic acknowledged that, “part of the reason for our success is bringing in a bunch of new kids to the team.” Jurkovic also believed that the team peaked at the right time. He hoped they would keep the momentum rolling at states as they looked to finish off their season with success. 

Not surprisingly, the team did just that. The Hounds came in first place at the Maryland Independent School state championships, the final piece to crowning the 2024 season as one of the best wrestling seasons in school history. Emmitt Sherlock, McGettigan, and Smith all placed first in their respective weight classes, and Jurkovic and Tyson Sherlock placed second. The team truly could not be stopped, scoring 257.5 points, thirty more than the second-place St. Mary’s Ryken. The win, just as Sherlock predicted, was a team effort, with the Gilman Wrestling Twitter claiming, “Wrestlers, coaches, and families alike have put in the work for this. Every wrestler in the room contributed to the championship!” 

It goes without question that the wrestling team was not only exceptional this year, but will be excellent for years to come. Mr. Weinfeld is confident that the outstanding 2024 season will “attract new wrestlers and motivate the ones currently on the team.” Additionally, Mr. Weinfeld ended his interview by requesting that if you are on the fence about wrestling, or are currently not playing a winter sport, you should do wrestling: “You will form lifelong connections with the guys on the team, I am still close with many of my teammates today,” he said. 

Winning the MIAA dual meet championship, the MIAA championship, and the MIS state championship crowns this year’s wrestling team as one of, if not the best, wrestling teams in school history. Gilman students, faculty, and alumni alike witnessed history this year. Mr. Weinfeld said the team was “making the whole community proud,” and he “looks forward to seeing Gilman wrestling achieve more success in the future.” Every time it seemed that the team could not go any higher, they did. If you see a wrestler in the hallway, congratulate them on their outstanding season, it truly was one for the ages.