Severn School Wrestling Program Gets a Fresh Start

After 18-Year Break, Admirals Back On The Mat Again

By Amy Russell
After an 18-year hiatus, the Severn School wrestling program has been brought back to life this year and it has proven worthy in every effort since its rebirth.
Before the first tryout in 2010, head coach Art Saumenig and his staff, two-time state champion Greg Saumenig and state title holder Doug West, along with athletic director Julian Domenech had no idea what to expect as far as the number of athletes that would come out.
When more than 20 students stepped onto the mat, all four were more than impressed. “First year programs usually don’t draw very much,” said assistant coach Doug West. “We got 22 kids to come out and thought that was pretty phenomenal.”

Still, Severn braced for a winless season, and prepared to lay a foundation that would likely not bear fruit for the next year or two. Instead, Severn athletes surprised.
“As a first year program with a bunch of first year athletes we didn’t expect to win one match, and now we’ve won three, so we’re doing great as far as we’re concerned,” said West. “This team has vastly exceeded our expectations.”
So far this season, the Admirals are 5-5 overall and 3-3 in the MIAA B Conference, having racked up league wins against St. Vincent Pallotti, Mount Carmel and Friends School. Most recently, the Admirals put up an impressive fight against Annapolis Area Christian School where they lost by just five points.
“This whole season has exceeded my expectations,” said Domenech. “We’ve far exceeded where I thought we’d be at this point. These guys have competed hard every single match. They are mostly freshman and sophomores, technically a JV team, and they are already competing. To have a few Conference wins at this point is nothing short of outstanding.”
Domenech, who has been the athletic director at Severn School for three years now, says that plans to resurrect the wrestling team have been in the works since his arrival.
“I started thinking about this my first year,” said Domenech, adding, “I felt like something was missing in the winter time and giving our kids an opportunity to do another winter sport was important, especially with the long history of wrestling here at Severn. So, I started to do some groundwork, talked to the Green Hornets and tried to get an idea of where we were in the county with wrestling. The more I saw the more I was convinced this was something that could make a comeback. So, last year I started working with the numbers with our headmaster and got board approval to move forward.”
Severn immediately began seeking coaching candidates who were experienced in wrestling, and connected to the community. Saumenig, who spent years working with Old Mill’s program, stood out.
“We wanted someone who not only knew wrestling and was a qualified coach, but was well rounded,” said Domenech. “When we put all that together, we thought Art would be the perfect fit. He’s been great. The kids can’t say enough good things about him.”
With a new coach and the team reinstated, the fans were quick to follow. “I think it’s one of those things… it’s new,” Domenech speculated. “Wrestling hasn’t been that big around here, so it’s a new thing to them and they’re really coming out and supporting our team.”
As for supporting the inexperienced squad, the students appear to be having fun while learning a new sport. “For never having a team before (the students) really picked it up right away,” added West.
And so far, they’ve had a lot to cheer about. With all the tools needed to succeed and nothing but time, the Severn Admiral wrestling program looks like it will once again achieve greatness – despite the 18-year hiatus.
“If everyone sticks with it,” Domenech added, “the future will be bright. It’s exciting.”

Photo Provided
Severn School’s Chris May has things well under control as he twists his opponent up like a pretzel in the Admirals’ first wrestling tournament in 18 years.