Tom Wheeler Named Wrestling Coach of the Year by The Capital Gazette

4/18/2024

Tom Wheeler, Severn Varsity Wrestling Head Coach, has been named Capital Gazette Wrestling Coach of the Year for 2023-24.

Wheeler – who has been at the helm of Severn’s Varsity program for the past four years – led his squad to the regular season B-Conference title and a first-place finish at the MIAA B-Conference post-season tournament. The Admirals, with Wheeler as Head Coach, were also the B-Conference Dual Meet Champions in 2019-2020 and 2021-2022.

Considered underdogs throughout much of the season, the young team consistently outperformed those expectations. Then, a late-season upset of St. Paul's solidified the squad's standing as the top team in the conference – a position the team sealed with a final regular season over St. Mary's.

Individually, Nick Melfi ’25 had a stellar season for the Admirals. Melfi was named MIAA B-Conference Wrestler of the Year and became just the ninth Severn wrestler named All-American at the Nation Prep Wrestling Championships.

Wheeler credits much of the team’s success to contributions from the freshmen on the roster. “Chase Morgan, Dom Montgomery, Rowan Ward, Trevor McNemar, and Greg Mahoney all stepped into roles that seasoned veterans formerly filled,” he said. “Without them stepping up to the challenge, we would not have seen nearly as much success.”

According to Wheeler, who witnessed continued improvement from the wrestlers all season long, team chemistry was another intangible part of the squad's success. “As any team does, we faced adversity throughout the season,” he said. “But the response was always positive, which kept us on a positive trajectory. They improved on the mat and built on the team's chemistry throughout the season.”

Given the Wrestling program’s successful season, it’s no surprise that multiple individual Severn wrestlers had high-profile wins and earned additional recognition for their performances. These standout athletes include:

Dom Montgomery ’27 – 1^st Place finish at Warpath Invitational, MIAA place-winner, State place-winner, National Prep qualifier, and MIAA All-Conference selection.
Rowan Ward ’27 – NHSCA Scholar All-American
Nick Melfi ’25 – 1^st Place finish at Warpath Invitational, MIAA place-winner, State place-winner, National Prep All-American, MIAA All-Conference selection, MIAA B-Conference Wrestler of the Year, NHSCA All-American.
Talin Krashoc ’26 – MIAA place-winner, State place-winner, MIAA All-Conference selection
Aidan Shenck ‘24 – 1^st Place finish at Patriot Classic, MIAA place-winner, MIAA All-Conference selection
Jack Hayman ’24 – MIAA All-Conference selection

“It's a privilege to coach this group of young men,” said Wheeler. “Their commitment to the team makes my job easy, and I see this award as another achievement for the team and school as a whole.

“Without the contributions made by our school leadership and all of our wrestlers, we would not have the sustained success we have seen over the last few years. Hopefully, the accolades that we have earned will continue to bring attention to the team and help us continue to build for the future,” he added.

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