Zillmer

Wrestlers of the YearJeremy Lignelli, Glenelg, Sr., 160 pounds (36-1): Glenelg's first state champ a year ago, Lignelli became the sixth county wrestler to win at least two state titles and the fifth to win four county titles. Lignelli also won three regional titles, four Chopticon tournament titles and two Francis Scott Key tournament titles. His only loss in two years came in the final of the Hammond tournament to Curley's Sal Aquia. Lignelli's career record is 127-9, and he set the county record for most career wins, breaking the old mark of 123 held by Adam Seidman of Oakland Mills.

For Oakland Mills wrestler Colin Meeks, the anticipation for this year's match against Hammond started with a newspaper clipping late last season."One of their wrestlers was quoted in the paper as saying that Oakland Mills may have been the team of the '80s but that Hammond was the team of the '90s," said Meeks.Yesterday, with a 42-26 win over the host Bears, Meeks and his teammates proved that they're anything but has-beens.The win clinched the 10th-ranked Scorpions' first county dual-meet title since 1992 -- when they shared it with Hammond -- while breaking the Bears' string of three straight.

As Hammond senior and defending 130-pound county champion John Motley climbed atop the victory stand last night, his Golden Bears teammates began exchanging high-fives with one another in early celebration of a record night.By repeating as Howard County's tournament winner at Atholton High, fifth-ranked Hammond joined Oakland Mills as the county's only school to win back-to-back wrestling titles in the past 18 years.In a duel for second place, Oakland Mills edged Howard, 159-154.Although the Golden Bears (14-2, 6-0)

Wilde Lake's baseball team, 6-11 last season, is 4-1 and off to its best start in school history.Yesterday, the Wildecats upset No. 19 Glenelg in the Atholton Tournament, 11-4.They will play Atholton, 13-4 winners over Hammond, for the championship today at 2: 30 p.m.Wilde Lake's David Tiemeyer (1-1) threw a complete-game five-hitter against the Gladiators, and also had two hits and an RBI."I'm real surprised at how well we've done so far," said Tiemeyer, whose curve and slider were effective.

Both Hammond coach Jeff Starnes and Oakland Mills coach Brian Chadwick came away from last night's wrestling match with mixed feelings.Starnes was pleased his team defeated the defending dual meet and county tournament champions, 40-24. But he had hoped his Bears would win by a larger margin."This was redemption for last year and a good win against a strong program," Starnes said. "But Oakland Mills is rebuilding like we were last year. We didn't wrestle up to our potential."Chadwick was pleased that the final score wasn't worse, but was disappointed at what he thought were many fundamental mistakes and at his team's inability to avoid being pinned.

Hansel Henry's beaming smile said it all yesterday at Hammond.Henry, a 171-pounder, won the headline bout in overtime against Howard's previously unbeaten Frank Tortella, and Hammond roared past Howard, 36-18.No. 8 Hammond (2-0 overall, 1-0 league) won six of the first seven bouts, three by pins.The match in no way resembled last season's white-knuckle tie, a result that Bears coach Jeff Starnes used to motivate the Bears yesterday."We posted last year's score in our wrestling room, and we've been focusing on it for weeks," said Henry, a co-captain.

Anne Arundel County continued its shaky quest to retain both state tournament wrestling titles last night at Western Maryland College.Five-time defending 3A-4A champ Old Mill (33 points) trailed Northern of Calvert (39.5), despite having five semifinalists to Northern's four.In Class 1A-2A, Northeast (32 points) -- also with five semifinalists -- trailed Damascus (37.5) of Montgomery County, which has four wrestlers in the semifinals, followed by North Carroll (22.5) with three semifinalists.

Atholton Raiders1994-95 record: 5-8 overall, 3-4 league.Coach: Bruce Lindblad.Top wrestlers: Tim McGrail, 152, Jr.; Wade Zancan, 140, Soph.; Paul McElheny, HW, Jr.; Shawn O'Haragan, 119, Soph.; Elliott Lipple, 135, Jr.Outlook: The Raiders will be the youngest team in the county, and the second smallest in numbers next to Mount Hebron. They have 22 participants (no seniors) and will start five wrestlers who are freshmen or sophomores. Two-time county champ Ricky Trott decided to run indoor track, and two other experienced wrestlers have not returned.