Fresh on the heels of an undefeated regular season and their 2023-2024 MIAA A Conference Dual Meet Championship win in early February, Gilman Wrestling ended its historic season on top as the champions of the 2024 MIAA Wrestling Tournament, held Saturday, February 10, in the Redmond C. S. Finney Athletic Center.

This is the Hounds' first MIAA tournament win since the conference was established in 1994; the last time the Hounds won a league tournament was in 1990 — the School's 16th championship win, at the time — when the School was still a part of the MSA. Heading into the 2024 tournament, the team was 9-0 in the MIAA A Conference and 12-1 overall, with several top seeds: Emmitt Sherlock '25 (36-4 at 165 lbs), Tyson Sherlock '24 (33-7 at 144 lbs); and Liam McGettigan '27 (35-4 at 106 lbs).

For Head Varsity Wrestling Coach Bryn Holmes, this record-breaking season was the culmination of 13 years of program-building since he took over the program in 2011.

"I am really proud of the way the guys have competed this year. The wrestling season is full of challenges, and the whole team has met those challenges head-on. The last time Gilman won the dual meet and championship tournament was in 1973. I think it speaks for itself, but this is a special team," said Holmes. "I'm excited that our team is pretty balanced among the four grades. It shows that our program is in good shape for hopefully years to come. The ultimate goal is to keep what we have going for years. I think it is important to build from within, and having a strong program — starting in the Middle School — will pay dividends for years to come. "

As a 1996 graduate of Gilman, Athletic Director Russell Wrenn was in Middle School the last time the wrestling program won the league and has been proud to see how the program has grown and thrived under Holmes' leadership. "Coach Holmes has put in the work and grown this program organically and sustainably. It has taken years of dedicated hard work first to grow the numbers in the wrestling room, to build enthusiasm and work ethic, and, finally, to build the level of skill and competitive fire to allow the boys to reach their collective potential for greatness," said Wrenn. "The spirit and culture of the program is truly special, and that is a tribute to Coach Holmes and his staff."

In addition to the team win, Gilman had three first-place wins within weight classes and 11 total top-six placements:

• 106 lbs: Liam McGettigan '27, 1st Place
• 113 lbs: JD Vassar '27, 4th Place
• 132 lbs: Zach Glory '25, 3rd Place
• 138 lbs: Buck Franklin '24, 4th Place
• 144 lbs: Tyson Sherlock '24, 1st Place
• 150 lbs: John Jurkovic '25, 2nd Place
• 157 lbs: Arthur Konschak '27, 2nd Place
• 165 lbs: Emmitt Sherlock '25, 1st Place
• 175 lbs: Nick Haughey '24, 2nd Place
• 190 lbs: Gabriel Smith '25, 2nd Place
• 215 lbs: Sebastian Chaney '24, 3rd Place

Although Holmes plans to take some time to savor the win, he's eager to keep the program's momentum going and is excited about the young talent coming up. "Obviously, our seniors and juniors have done some great things and created the culture, but our freshman and sophomore classes are also ready to carry the torch. In particular, our freshman class has three guys that we will continue to hear for years to come. Liam McGettigan, JD Vassar, and Arthur Konschak are already in the varsity lineup, but we also have a few other freshmen who will likely emerge as varsity wrestlers in the near future." said Holmes. "Wrestling is a sport that has no excuses. That is the best and worst part of the sport. Success is no surprise in this sport. Our guys have earned the top spot by putting in the work on and off the mat."

See Photos from the 2024 MIAA Wrestling Tournament on SmugMug

See Tournament Coverage from the Baltimore Sun