Maryland's Best Wrestlers from Wrestling USA Magazine
Selecting the best pre-season has always been a challenge. Some organizations, such as the Maryland State Wrestling Association, rely mostly on season records, and rarely consider who the wrestler has faced, how they have performed off-season, and how strong the weight class is. In states where there are multiple state championships and great records can be compiled by those who stay within their own school divisions, rankings in this way are often simply a guess. The individuals selected below are considered national contenders who have been, and will, in my opinion, continue to be dominant against whoever they wrestle regardless of the location or level of competition.
#1 Wes Cummings
This senior 189lb DeMatha HS State Champion and National Prep Champion is Maryland's best wrestler this season. He
has won the big national events, dominated the local events, and hasn't been pushed this season by anyone. He is also one
of those hard core wrestlers who can fight through pain and has the determination it takes to succeed. Wes, who signed
early with Cal-State Bakersfield, will continue to win the big events this season.
#2 Drew Robinson
This senior 145lb DeMatha 2 x HS State Champion with a 139-18 record has won two
National Prep titles and finished 2nd
at the prestigious Mid-Atlantic Classic last season. While seldom wrestling outside the local area in pre and post season
events, he continues to dominate a number of talented regional wrestlers with strong credentials.
#3 Chris Knox
This senior 112lb Calvert Hall HS State Champion had an incredible season last year which included 3rd at the National
Prep Championships, 4th at the USAW Junior Nationals, and 2nd at the National Junior Olympic Games.
#4 Michael Faust
One of the best heavyweight wrestlers ever to emerge from Maryland, this junior enters every event he can find. Wrestling
in the HS age group for the past two years, he has incredibly never lost to another Maryland wrestler. In addition to his
state HS title, he is a Cadet All-American, has won Tulsa Nationals, won the Potomac Valley Challenge Cup twice, and
won the East Coast Junior FS Duals, and finished 4th at the National Prep Championships. Mike has all the tools to win
the big events regardless of style, and if he fully recovers from his summer injury,
should dominate Maryland's heavyweight landscape for the next two years.
#5 This is a difficult pick as there are several wrestlers with national caliber greatness in them waiting to emerge. These include Damien Davis, Zane Harshman, Vamon Dennis, and Luke Palumbo among others. For a guess, I would say the best based on what he has done against all comers in the past and pre-season this year is 130lb Seneca Valley HS State Champion junior Tony Rodriquez.
Note: The above were selected by Bruce Gabrielson in December 1998.