A preview of the 2023 Carroll County Wrestling Championships
Top seeds, who to watch, and what we'll be doing this weekend from Westminster High School.
The annual Carroll County Wrestling Championships are set for Feb. 17-18 at Westminster High School, with the junior varsity tournament taking place Friday and the varsity tourney Saturday.
The county wrestling tournament first started in 1967. There was no tourney in 1969, and no team scoring in 2021. But it's a tradition in Carroll, with the county's top wrestlers competing for championships in 14 weight classes for co-ed and girls.
Let's take a look at the top seeds in both tournaments.
GIRLS
100 pounds: Faith Day, Man Valley
105 pounds: Layla Lagunas, Man Valley
110 pounds: Brynn Ryan, Man Valley
115 pounds: Christina Padilla, Winters Mill
120 pounds: Summer Shackelford, Man Valley
125 pounds: Bella Canby, Man Valley
130 pounds: Hannah Cunningham, Westminster
135 pounds: Keira Cooper, Francis Scott Key
140 pounds: Taylor Mead, Westminster
145 pounds: Kimora Harrid, Winters Mill
155 pounds: Katie Martin, Man Valley
170 pounds: Joyce Mbeboh, Winters Mill
190 pounds: Deb Flores, Winters Mill
235 pounds: Roan McCauley, Winters Mill
Girls who won county titles last year are Lagunas (105), Day (110), Shackelford (120), Canby (140), Martin (155), Flores (170), and McCauley (235).
Lagunas placed second at the girls state tournament last March.
BOYS
106 pounds: Grayson Barnhill, South Carroll
113 pounds: Evan Owen, South Carroll
120 pounds: JoJo Gigliotti, South Carroll
126 pounds: Chris Gaeng, Winters Mill
132 pounds: Dylan Ohler, Liberty
138 pounds: Gage Owen, South Carroll
145 pounds: Michael Pizzuto, South Carroll
152 pounds: Travis Green, Man Valley
160 pounds: AJ Rodrigues, South Carroll
170 pounds: Jake Boog, Man Valley
182 pounds: Rylan Moose, South Carroll
195 pounds: Manny Rodrigues, South Carroll
220 pounds: Cru Boog, Man Valley
285 pounds: Randy Green, Westminster
TOURNAMENT NOTES
The Cavaliers are going for their second straight team title and 11th in program history. North Carroll has the most with 15, and Westminster has won 12. Francis Scott Key is next with nine, and Winters Mill has seven.
Manchester Valley has one -- the Mavericks won their lone title in 2020.
Nine co-ed wrestlers are going for a second straight county title, and four of them are gunning for rarified air -- four career championships.
The quartet comes from South Carroll. It's Gage Owen (138), Michael Pizzuto (145), AJ Rodrigues (160), and Rylan Moose (182).
The other county grapplers who won last season are Liberty's Dylan Ohler (132), and Manchester Valley's Travis Green (152), Jake Boog (170), and Cru Boog (220).
WHAT TO WATCH
CMSportsNet is set to bring you full coverage of this year's event. The junior varsity tournament begins at 4 p.m. on Feb. 17, and the varsity tourney gets underway at 10 a.m. on Feb. 18.
I'll be joined by Michael Duffy, supervisor of athletics for Carroll County Public Schools, for a special broadcast of the varsity championship finals. Check our social media platforms for more details.
Looking forward to another exciting tournament!