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.”
