Wrestler

Few 9-year-olds ever set a world record. Fewer still are unhappy after setting one. Needless to say, Hagerstown's Aaron Brooks is far from your typical 9-year-old -- or was, since he just turned 10 a few days ago. Brooks, an accomplished youth wrestler and powerlifter, set the RAW Powerlifting Federation world record for the 9-year-old 88-pound weight class with a 99.21-pound bench press in mid-June at the RAW Powerlifting American Challenge,...

Smithsburg freshman Monica Hovermale has changed her style, but only somewhat. "I used to be a tomboy," she said. "But in the middle of eighth grade, I started wearing girls clothes - tighter jeans and stuff. " On the high school wrestling mats, where the men typically are separated from the boys, Hovermale has separated herself from the girls again. While she's not Washington County's first female varsity wrestler, she's the only one this season and seemingly the county's best yet. "A lot of people think, 'She's a girl, she can't be that good,'" said Hovermale, who competes in the 103-pound weight class.

Pro wrestler ready for first acting role By TARA REILLY tarar@herald-mail.com Body slamming guys wasn't enough for The Mighty Biggs. The local pro wrestler has taken his size and strength to the silver screen. continued The Mighty Biggs, who is keeping his real name a secret, left Sunday for Europe to begin filming "Cremaster 3," an independent movie directed by Matthew Barney and produced by Glacier Field of New York. The movie has about a $2 million budget, he said.

HAGERSTOWN - A dirty sock was his hero's signature career move, but on Sunday, a professional wrestling fan at Borders walked away with his hero's John Hancock on a toothbrush. "I was too ecstatic. I didn't have any sleep last night, seriously. I was actually dreaming about talking to him, and it came true," said Eric Hutchison, who arrived at Borders at about 5 a.m. to meet professional wrestler Mick Foley. Pro wrestling met literature as hundreds of fans lined the aisles of Borders to see Foley - aka Dude Love, Jack Cactus and Mankind - sign books.

karenh@herald-mail.com WILLIAMSPORT - With just seconds standing between himself and state championship glory, Mike McGill heard something snap. It was his knee. McGill, who this year became a two-time state wrestling champion, is not one to hang his head. Since dislocating his knee in the Maryland state championship semifinal round two years ago, McGill, 18, has gone on to pin down so many scholastic and academic honors that his coach wonders if he is one of a kind.

WILLIAMSPORT - By just being herself, Smithsburg freshman Monica Hovermale made history Saturday at the 17th annual Washington County Public Schools Wrestling Tournament. "I just wrestle hard and give it my all," Hovermale said. "I'm just like any other wrestler out there. " The difference is that she's the only female varsity wrestler in the county this season. And Saturday, she became the county's first female champion. In the championship finals, Hovermale pinned South Hagerstown's Dane Devin in the second period to win the 103-pound weight class.

Jim Duggan said he's a regular guy. The 59-year-old lives in Lugford, S.C., with his wife of 28 years, Debra. They have two teenage daughters. “We have our home. I'm active in my community. I live pretty much a normal life,” Duggan said during a telephone interview from his home. But that all changes when professional wrestler Duggan hits the ring as “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, waving an American flag and brandishing a two-by-four, shouting, “HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.” Duggan will appear Friday, March 29, at The Maryland Theatre, 21 S. Potomac St., in downtown Hagerstown as part of Big Time Wrestling.

If you know anyone eating eagle eggs, be forewarned: They may soon be flying through the air as a masked, half-naked wrestler. Nacho (Jack Black) cooks meals for orphans at a small-town Mexican monastery. But his food budget is squat. Then he sees a Lucha Libre wrestler - a Mexican professional wrestler - in the streets, which inspires him and his buddy Esqueleto (Hctor Jimnez) to don masks and capes as a way to earn money for grocery shopping. Nacho also hopes improving the children's diet will win the heart of a nun, Sister Encarnacin (Ana de la Reguera)

Massey qualifies for NCAA Jimi Massey, a Williamsport High School graduate and member of the University of Virginia's wrestling team, defeated Jake Stewart, from the University of Maryland, 9-6 for the Atlantic Coast Conference 184-pound title, Williamsport wrestling coach Chuck Martin reported. The win qualified Massey for the NCAA Tournament in two weeks at Iowa. He will be the second former Williamsport wrestler to compete in the NCAA. Mark Janus, who wrestled at Penn State, is the first.

Indians surprise selves, field at home By BILL STERNER / Staff Correspondent BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. - A major appeal of high school wrestling is the element of surprise. The surprise that comes when team titles are won or lost when an individual championship is won by the least expected wrestler. For Berkeley Springs wrestling coach Daryl Bennett, the surprises came in a pair Saturday. Five Indians won individual championships en route to Berkeley Springs' third-place finish in the Region II, Class AA-A Wrestling Championships, but two matches in particular had Bennett smiling.

Wrestler “Nature Boy” Ric Flair has canceled his appearance Friday, March 29, as part of the Big Time Wrestling event at The Maryland Theatre due to a death in his family, according to Jessica Green, the theater's operations director. The Associated Press reported today that Flair's son, Reid Fliehr, who was also a wrestler, was found dead in a North Carolina hotel. Get the information you need fast. Sign up for our Breaking News alerts today. A statement from police said there are no signs of foul play, and that the cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner's office.

Jim Duggan said he's a regular guy. The 59-year-old lives in Lugford, S.C., with his wife of 28 years, Debra. They have two teenage daughters. “We have our home. I'm active in my community. I live pretty much a normal life,” Duggan said during a telephone interview from his home. But that all changes when professional wrestler Duggan hits the ring as “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, waving an American flag and brandishing a two-by-four, shouting, “HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.” Duggan will appear Friday, March 29, at The Maryland Theatre, 21 S. Potomac St., in downtown Hagerstown as part of Big Time Wrestling.

Of the 11 Washington County wrestlers who qualified for the Maryland state tournament, only two have been there before. Williamsport junior Bryan Davis, a three-time state qualifier who placed sixth at 120 last year, will be at 126 pounds in Class 2A-1A, while North Hagerstown junior Gene Balcita, who went 1-2 last year at states at 126, will be at 138 in Class 4A-3A. The experience should count for something when the championships begin Friday at the University of Maryland's Cole Field House.

The action on the mats certainly won't be taken lightly as 32 Washington County wrestlers compete in the Maryland West region tournaments, which begin Friday night and conclude Saturday. The wrestlers will either place in the top four in their weight classes to advance to next weekend's state championships or they'll be done for the season. Boonsboro, Smithsburg and Williamsport will compete in the Class 2A-1A West tournament at Oakdale High School, while North Hagerstown and South Hagerstown are in the Class 4A-3A West tourney at Sherwood High School.

Williamsport senior Nick Miller hasn't needed much time to take over his new territory. The first-year Wildcat, who previously wrestled for Hedgesville, dominated this weekend at North Hagerstown's 26th annual Hub Cup in his first appearance at Washington County's largest and most prestigious tournament. In Saturday night's championship finals, Miller built an 11-0 lead on Catoctin's Garrett Buckley in the first period and then pinned him 36 seconds into the second period to win the title at 106 pounds.

Aaron Brooks, Brian Stuart and Danny Bertoni are members of and train at the Hagerstown Police Athletic Wrestling club. They went undefeated at the Virginia Challenge Holiday Duals in Richmond, Va. All three boys had perfect 10-0 records for the weekend, and Danny was awarded the team's outstanding wrestler award for scoring the most team points. The Virginia Challenge Holiday dual featuring 32 middle school teams and 24 elementary teams and wrestlers from more than 20 states. New Year's Eve dance at Hagestown VFW Looking for fun plans to ring in the New Year?

The North Hagerstown wrestling team put on a show in its home opener Wednesday night, annihilating Frederick 78-6. “We don't want to speak too soon, but we have a lot of good wrestlers,” North senior co-captain Connor McHose said. The Hubs' actions spoke louder than any words against the Cadets (0-2) as they prevailed in 13 of the 14 weight classes and racked up 11 pins. “I was impressed,” North coach Greg Slick said. “I'm cautiously optimistic.” The match started at 126 pounds, and sophomore Brendon Colbert - The Herald-Mail's Washington County Wrestler of the Year last season - immediately put the Hubs in front for good.

No one likes to end a season with a loss. But if it’s going to happen, it might as well be in the championship finals. “Finishing second isn’t bad,” North Hagerstown freshman Brendon Colbert said. “But I wanted to win it.” Colbert was Washington County’s top placewinner Saturday at the Maryland State Wrestling Tournament at the University of Maryland’s Cole Field House. He was the runner-up in the 112-pound weight class in Class 2A-1A.

If it wasn’t official before, it is now: North Hagerstown’s Brendon Colbert is a freshman phenom. Colbert went 2-0 Friday in the Class 2A-1A 112-pound weight class at the Maryland State Wrestling Tournament to advance to Saturday’s championship semifinals at the University of Maryland’s Cole Field House. He also secured a coveted top-six place on the podium and will become Washington County’s first freshman placewinner since Williamsport’s Mike McGill finished third at 103 in 2002.

Friday, February 25, 2011 PREP WRESTLING BALTIMORE — South Hagerstown’s Chris Collins and Aaron Rowland both won their quarterfinal bouts Friday in the first day of the Maryland Class 4A-3A North region tournament at Patapsco High School. Collins won by decision at 189 pounds, while Rowland pinned his opponent at 285. The Rebels’ Jimmy Wilson (130) and Marquil Holt (215) both fell in the quarterfinals. All four South wrestlers will be back in action today.