On February 17th, 2024, Collin Carrigan celebrated a historic win over Lyon’s Gunnar Garelli in the 165-pound Class 3A state championship match. He is Glenbard West’s second state champion, joining Fred Beilfuss (1966).
This was not the first time Carrigan had faced up against Garelli. They competed in the regular season, regionals, and sectionals, leading up to their third postseason match at the state tournament. Garelli defeated Carrigan in regionals, while Carrigan beat Garelli at sectionals. Their final match was a nail-biter, extending into overtime. But, Carrigan emerged triumphant in a 6-5 victory. This sudden death win improved his record to an incredible 46-1. Collin reflects on the match: “It lived up to the hype, with me winning in epic fashion in double OT.”
Collin transferred from Marmion Academy, a school well known for its wrestling program. When asked about his experience coming to West, he responded: “Wrestling at West was a different experience than I have ever had. While attending and wrestling at Marmion, there was added pressure. I felt as if I had to more than just be more, live up to an expectation. But, here at Glenbard West, I was fully myself.” He credits Coach McClusky for this by being “one of the best humans I have ever been around and brings out the best in me.”
Overall, Collin felt that “This year has been one of the best experiences of my life and I can’t thank everyone at Glenbard West for making it feel like home.” He gives credit to his teammates: “We have a great group of guys that care for each other and want to see each other succeed.” In particular, Collin’s favorite moment of the season was “seeing my parents after my win in the State Finals.[…] We have been through some much these past couple years with injuries, transferring and everything in between. So it was an amazing feeling to see them after something we dreamed of since I was young.”
Collin became interested in wrestling at an early age, primarily due to his dad, who wrestled in college at Cornell University. He reflects: “I loved it from the jump and haven’t slowed down since.” As a North Carolina recruit and future Atlantic Coast Conference wrestler, the sky’s the limit.
