Koulikov Wins State Title, Martinek Retires

Koulikov Wins State Title, Martinek Retires
Decatur senior Alex Koulikov won the state 2A-1A championship at the 195-weight class last weekend. Pictured above, Koulikov shows off his medal and the bracket on the podium. Submitted photo

BERLIN- Decatur’s varsity wrestlers turned in some great performances in the state individual championship meet last weekend, including a state championship for senior Alex Koulikov.

Several Seahawks competed in the state meet last weekend and a handful collected hardware. Koulikov won the championship at 195, beating Kelvin Mendez of Harford Tech in the finals. Gavin Solito finished second at 145, falling to Ryan Ohler of Liberty in the first-place match. Noah Reho finished second, falling to South Carroll’s A.J Rodriguez in the final. Reid Caimi finished sixth at 126.

The state individual championships closed out another amazing season for the Seahawks, who claimed their third straight state team championship and also won the Bayside Conference championship. It also marked the end of an era for longtime coach Todd Martinek, who announced his retirement after a remarkable run at Decatur and a lifetime of dedication to the sport.

“In coaching, you must have the ability to lead, learn and demonstrate wrestling as well as be a philosopher, psychologist, motivator, communicator, tech guy, doctor, lawyer, driver, fundraiser, etc.,” he said in a statement. “By the time you get pretty good at those things, in about 30 years, it’s time to retire. So, I’m doing just that.”

About The Author: Shawn Soper

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Shawn Soper has been with The Dispatch since 2000. He began as a staff writer covering various local government beats and general stories. His current positions include managing editor and sports editor. Growing up in Baltimore before moving to Ocean City full time three decades ago, Soper graduated from Loch Raven High School in 1981 and from Towson University in 1985 with degrees in mass communications with a journalism concentration and history.