Mount Saint Joseph senior Sam Rowell is battle-tested.
He had surgery on a torn labrum, broke his ankle and transferred from Reservoir to the Gaels, but persevered.
Now, as he enters this winter healthy with a summer of training behind him, Rowell looks and feels better than ever.
"He's really working hard," Gaels coach Harry Barnabae said. "He's coming in in better shape and conditioning than I've ever seen him."
Rowell is coming off a junior season in which he finished second in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference and Maryland Independent Schools tournaments, and seventh at National Preps. He's hoping for even more this season, including earning an opportunity to wrestle in college.
Just a couple of months after winning the Howard County tournament and a Class 3A-4A East region title and placing fifth in the state as a 138-pound freshman at Reservoir, Rowell found his promising career in jeopardy.
He tore the labrum in his shoulder while wrestling in May 2012 and had surgery in September that year. He missed the majority of his sophomore season.
"Watching was terrible," Rowell said. "It made me really hungry to come back."
He came back just in time for the postseason. Out of shape, he battled through to place fifth in the state again — this time at 152 pounds.
Just when he was getting back onto the mat, he hit another setback in May 2013.
"I was just getting back in shape and getting full swing, and my ankle got caught and it just snapped. It was terrible," Rowell said.
Like his older brother Seth, Rowell decided to transfer from Reservoir after his sophomore year to Mount Saint Joseph.
"Both those injuries made me realize that I needed a change," Rowell said.
Rowell returned to the mat last November. He won his first tournament of the season — the War on the Shore at Stephen Decatur High School — at 160 pounds.
"That gave me confidence for the rest of the year," Rowell said.
What happened over the ensuing months put Rowell on the map and has him entering this winter with even bigger goals.
"I've been working throughout my high school career to win states," he said, "and this is my year to do it."
Eagles' Martin one of best
McDonogh senior Myles Martin doesn't have much to worry about on the mat.
He has not only dominated the Maryland wrestling scene, but more than handled his own on a national scale. He is ranked second in the country at 182 pounds by Flowrestling and was one of the most coveted recruits in the country.
The only real problem for Martin has been finding some daily competition. Even though he has several other nationally ranked teammates — heavyweight senior Wyatt Cook and 152-pound senior Cameron Harrell — Martin almost always finds himself with the upper hand.
"He's so slick and so athletic, he just has a great feel for the sport," said Eagles coach Pete Welch. "He's motivated by the few losses he's had. He just really, really likes to wrestle."
It's that love that drove Martin to spend his summer traveling and wrestling against some of the best in the nation.
He attended the junior world team camp at Ohio State, where he has committed to wrestle. It was there that he got to practice with current Buckeye freshman Kyle Snyder, a Carroll County native, along with some of the country's best college wrestlers.
Martin also spent the early part of summer at the Olympic Training Center with potential future Olympians.
He even considered staying in Colorado and leaving McDonogh a year early, as Snyder left Good Counsel.
Martin decided that getting a diploma at McDonogh and trying to build on his career record of 94-4 was the best choice.
"Trying to go undefeated and win everything I can possibly win," Martin said of his goals. "If I don't get taken down this year that would be awesome."
Martin is also seeking a little revenge.
He faced Zahid Valencia of California, who is ranked ahead of him, at Flowrestling's Who's #1 meet in October and lost in overtime. They will face off again at the Walsh Ironman Tournament in Ohio on Dec. 12 and 13.
"I'm looking forward to that match," Martin said. "I just need to be more patient" to beat him.