Boys wrestling: Glenbard West senior Collin Carrigan is the Suburban Life Boys Wrestler of the Year

Glenbard West senior Collin Carrigan experienced something new in his wrestling career this season.

The obvious answer is winning his first state title after he defeated Lyons senior Gunnar Garelli in the Class 3A 165-pound state championship match Feb. 17 in Champaign.

But Carrigan, who also wrestled at powerhouses Montini and Marmion before transferring to his hometown school for his senior season, said he was shocked at the adulation and attention he received after his state title. For a school with numerous titles across several sports in recent years, Carrigan’s rise to the top of the podium at state galvanized his school. It marked the first boys individual state championship since Fred Beilfuss accomplished the feat in the 1965-66 season.

Carrigan, the 2023-24 Suburban Life Newspaper Boys Wrestler of the Year, defeated Garelli 6-5 in a two-overtime thriller in the 165-pound final at state. Carrigan (46-1) beat Garelli three times in four meetings this season.

“The first three days after I was on a high,” Carrigan said. “After that, it slowed down. Glenbard West did a great job celebrating it. It’s been 58 years since anyone has won a state title at the school, so they had a whole assembly and announced me and did announcements in class. It was really cool stuff. I didn’t expect that. At Marmion, it was not a big deal. Here, it was a big deal.”

Carrigan, who grew up in Naperville and committed to wrestle at North Carolina, said attending three schools in four years, plus dealing with the pandemic non-IHSA freshman season, led to an interesting wrestling career. He learned to adapt to different environments, cultures and wrestling rooms. He attended Montini his freshman season and spent his next two years at Marmion, capped by a Class 3A fifth-place state medal at 152 pounds last season.

“It was not bad,” Carrigan said. “It was sometimes a hard adjustment. At Marmion, you are expected to be good at wrestling and place or win at state, but here at [Glenbard West], they didn’t have much of a tradition. But it was awesome here. They supported me and brought me in. Glen Ellyn is such an easy community to be a part of because they love their athletes and support them. They embraced me. I was their horse all year and also got tremendous support from all of the parents.”

Glenbard West coach Patrick McCluskey said he celebrated Carrigan’s historic achievement by eating at a popular local establishment with the only two state champions in program history.

“I got to take Collin and Fred out to dinner for a burger the week after Collin won at historic Alfie’s Inn in Glen Ellyn,” McCluskey said. “It was such a treat having them meet, especially being state champions 58 years apart. Collin’s win has completely energized our program and inspired many of our younger wrestlers to set their goals high.”

Carrigan said he wanted to make a statement during his first trip to Glenbard West’s wrestling room. His vast experience in wrestling, combined with attending two wrestling state powerhouses, provided him a unique insight into what it takes to become a champion.

“I’ve always trained hard, from doing what I had to Izzy Style all my life,” he said. “I had to show them how it goes, for them to see how much you have to train like I do in my workouts.”

McCluskey said Carrigan’s presence inspired and pushed his wrestlers to become more dedicated and better at their craft. He said Carrigan didn’t waste any time setting the tone in the program. The Hilltoppers steadily improved throughout the season, finishing in second place in the Glenbard West Regional.

“The first time our varsity team met Collin was at a team breakfast at Glen Oak restaurant in downtown Glen Ellyn,” McCluskey said. “Collin didn’t know anybody personally that attended Glenbard West, so I wanted to introduce him to some of the guys. He was incredibly nice, respectful, funny and really seemed comfortable in his own skin. We knew he was a good wrestler, but we had no idea we were getting a hammer until the first day of practice.

“We had a solid team returning, especially a senior around his weight. When we saw him practice and the way he moved and hit takedowns, our jaws dropped. Everyone in the room had the same thought, ‘Wow, he’s pretty darn good.’ Then when we witnessed him dismantle high-quality wrestlers early in the season, we knew he was going to be in the hunt for a state championship at the end of the season.”

Suburban Life All-Area Boys Wrestling Team

Foley Calcagno, IC Catholic, so., 190; Michael Calcagno, IC Catholic, sr., 215; Collin Carrigan, Glenbard West, sr., 165; Devin Casey, IC Catholic, jr., 120; Nicholas Garcia, Marmion Academy, so., 113; Gunnar Garelli, Lyons, senior, 165; Joe Gliatta, IC Catholic, sr., 165; Marko Ivanisevic, Hinsdale Central, sr., 285; Brody Kelly, IC Catholic, so., 150; Harrison Konder, Montini, sr., 157; Matt Lapacek, Downers Grove South, sr., 190; Kam Luif, Montini, so., 132; Mikey Malizzio, Montini, fr., 113; David Mayora, Montini, sr., 150; Edgar Mosquera, Riverside-Brookfield, jr., 113; Pat Mullen, IC Catholic, sr., 144; Noah O’Connor, Lemont, sr., 150; Zack Parisi, York, sr., 132; Alex Pasquale, Lemont, sr., 285; Omar Samayoa, IC Catholic, sr., 132; Bryson Spaulding, IC Catholic, sr., 138; Jaylen Torres, St. Francis, so., 285; Josh Vasquez, Montini, jr., 126; Allen Woo, Montini, freshman, 106.