Rising Sun senior Tyler Garvin is on pace to become only the Tigers' second wrestler to win three state titles and first to complete his career without ever experiencing a loss.
Ranked No. 1 by Legacy Wrestling, the 120-pound two-time Class 2A-1A state champion won his third straight Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference title with falls in 3:07, 1:48 and 1:50.
Garvin, who led the Tigers to the overall team title ahead of runner-up C. Milton Wright, will be after his third straight regional crown this weekend, has a record on the year of 37-0 that includes 24 pins and five technical falls, and a career mark of 129-0 to go with 77 pins and 16 technical falls.
As a repeat state champion, Tyler Garvin is tied with 1994 graduate Jason Townsend and Anthony Cimorosi (2013) but can surpass those two at the Class 2A-1A state tournament on March 1-2 at Show Place Arena.
Garvin is not only on pace to join 2008 graduate Matt Jackson – who placed third at states as a freshman – as the Tigers only other three-time state champion, but he can be the first Rising Sun wrestler to complete his entire high school career without suffering defeat.
Tyler's father, Luke, 44, was a 103-pound Class 2A-1A state champ in 1996 and a runner-up at 112 pounds in 1997. Tyler’s uncle, Seth, 45, was a third-place finisher at 112 pounds in 1995. Former head coach Dean Cox, who guided Townsend, Luke and Seth, has joined this year's coaching staff.
"I feel pressure, but I think pressure is a privilege, especially when you’re “The Guy.” There’s pressure for everyone who is top-ranked and who has everyone gunning for you," said Garvin, an A student who is committed to the University of Maryland where he plans to major in Kinesiology. "That just comes with the territory. I just think about putting a target on everybody else’s back and taking everybody else out."
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