Down the hallway from Archbishop Spalding’s “old gym” is a small, sweat-filled room where 38 wrestlers train and grapple every day. The wrestlers are exposed to sauna-like conditions so they can maintain their desired weight. Off in the corner is the ubiquitous scale so they can weigh themselves before and after practice.
For 23 years, Severna Park High School graduate Mike Laidley has scripted and supervised these practices, and that dedication has led to numerous wrestlers achieving outstanding individual wrestling titles and college scholarships.
But for all of the accolades that Spalding’s wrestling program has achieved over those 23 years, if it wasn’t for Laidley being in the right place and right time, the program could have ceased because there would have been no coach to direct it.
“I was coaching in a local youth wrestling league and we were using Spalding for our practices,” Laidley said. “Lee Dove, who was the athletic director at the time, asked me if I would like to coach at Spalding because if they didn’t find a coach, they were going to pull the program.”
Laidley accepted and quickly began assembling other youth league wrestling coaches, as well as Eric DeCosmo, who wrestled at Old Mill High School under coach Mike Hampe.
“I feel that part of the program’s success is that I surrounded myself with outstanding assistant coaches,” Laidley said. “They are the backbone of the program.”
Former athletic director Jeff Parsons said the name Mike Laidley has been synonymous with Archbishop Spalding wrestling for 23 years.
“Mike stepped in when the program was on the brink of collapse and transformed it into a mainstay in the top tier of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA),” Parsons said. “Through his unwavering dedication, he’s not only produced countless all-state and collegiate athletes but has shaped young men and women into leaders who succeed both on and off the mat.”
The MIAA conference has garnered much respect as several of its high schools in the Baltimore area have achieved national recognition, including Mount Saint Joseph, McDonogh and Gilman, along with Spalding.
Laidley is proud to recount that during his 23 years at Spalding, the program has had 22 Maryland independent high school state champions, 53 National Prep All-Americans, and two National Prep champions in Charlie Lynch in the 145-pound division 2011, and Taina Fernandez, who last year won the national title in the girls’ 126-pound division.
After he graduated from high school, Laidley wanted a new challenge, so he joined the Navy to see the world and serve the country.
“I enjoyed my time in the Navy and I visited nearly 40 countries in my four years of service,” Laidley said. “When I got back to Maryland, I went to college and played football at Anne Arundel Community College. I eventually went back to UPS since I worked there during high school. After a few years at UPS, I had the opportunity to purchase McDonogh Companies in Millersville. One of the divisions in my company is landscaping and that allows some flexibility during the winter to devote to wrestling.”
Laidley looks forward to when the calendar turns to fall so he can begin scheduling meets and planning his annual Cavalier dual meet at Spalding in January.
“I just love coaching wrestling,” Laidley said. “It’s the camaraderie of the wrestlers, seeing them succeed on the mat, and many of my wrestlers have gone on to wrestle in college.”
Laidley’s first state champion was his son, Christopher, who went on to wrestle briefly at Maryland. Other wrestlers who have had noteworthy college careers include Charlie Lynch at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), Logan Breitenbach at Iowa State, Will Switzer at Lehigh, and Brady Pruett, who also went to UPenn.
Last year, Spalding had a dual meet record of 22-5. The Cavaliers had two state champions in Vincent Paolucci at 132 pounds and heavyweight Delmar White, who is going to the University of Maryland on a football scholarship.
This year’s Spalding wrestling team has numerous outstanding wrestlers in the lower weight divisions and will be in the hunt for the MIAA championship title once again.
There is a great sense of pride for the Spalding wrestling program, which exhibits a large panel of names of all the wrestlers who have been all-MIAA, all-state and wrestled in the national prep championships. This year’s wrestlers glance at those plaques every day and tirelessly train in hopes that they will be added to that wall.
“Mike has dedicated his entire coaching career to the Spalding wrestling program, eventually building it from the ground up,” said current athletic director Jon Mellinger.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here