Whitman Wrestlers Master Hardships On Road To Three-Peat

BETHESDA-CHEVY CHASE, MD — The boys wrestling team at Walt Whitman High School recently clinched its third state duals title, showcasing the teachings of resilience and discipline imprinted on the decorated program.

The win for the wrestling program, which is led by coach Derek Manon and assistant coach Will Sharbaugh, came Feb. 14 during a tournament at North Point High School in Charles County.

Pitted against Richard Montgomery High School in the semifinals and then Crofton High School in the state duals finals, it was the Whitman Vikings who landed the Class 4A state duals title in a 62-12 win.

Manon, who’s in his 19th year of coaching, described the post-match celebrations as being “a very, very happy moment” for the team.

“We were just happy for the kids that were there, and even for the guys that didn’t wrestle,” Manon told Patch. “It’s a selfless group.”

But looming over the win were two hardships that hit the wrestling program back-to-back.

‘Roller Coaster Of Emotions’

On Feb. 8, around 11 p.m., Manon’s home in the Crawford Farm neighborhood in Germantown caught fire, displacing the family of four and amounting to an estimated $250,000 in damages.

“In that span of just a minute or two, the fire was already busting out of the garage doors,” Manon recalled. “It was pretty bad. It got bad fast.”

A statement issued at the time by the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service indicated the fire originated in the home’s attached garage. More than 60 firefighters had responded to the scene.

It wasn’t until later that night that Manon was allowed to reenter the home to retrieve clothing and some personal belongings. Also saved from the fire and smoke were three lizards the family kept inside a terrarium.

Related: Fireplace Ashes Left In Germantown Garage Cause $250K Damage

That night, the family stayed with a longtime family friend in Urbana. But what they didn’t know was that the tight-knit wrestling community was already taking action to assist in any way that it could.

As parent Ainsley MacLean launched a GoFundMe campaign for the Manons, another parent — Shannon Lindstrom — spearheaded organizing efforts to ensure the family wasn’t missing anything.

“It was just a roller coaster of emotion,” Manon told Patch. “Every time we saw, you know, people donate — friends we knew, and former wrestlers of mine … It was just overwhelming because of the number of people who donated.”

Since the fire, the family temporarily stayed at a hotel before recently landing in a townhouse as repairs are carried out at their Germantown home.

But even though the Manon family is on a better footing in the aftermath of the fire, the help from the wrestling community hasn't disappeared.

In fact, after moving into their new place, several parents showed up to help the family settle in. Things that would have taken days ended up getting done in a matter of a few hours, Manon told Patch.

“My wrestling team and the parents have been just out of this world amazing,” he underscored.

Wrestling For Sophia

In the few days after the house fire, however, the wrestling community closed in even more for one another after the sudden death of Sophia Krause, a junior on the Whitman girls wrestling team.

Members of the girls wrestling team described Krause to Patch as “confident,” “driven,” “inspiring,” "unapologetically herself," and “one of the biggest hearts” of the Whitman wrestling program.

"She was amazing, she was really unique," said Sydney Kantor, a captain on the girls team. "We were always challenging each other and pushing each other and we made each other a lot better."

Adriana, a senior on the Whitman girls wrestling team, said Krause was someone who "would not take 'no' for an answer."

"She was amazing at wrestling. She was amazing at everything she did," Adriana said.

On the day of their state duals title, the boys wrestled with pink tape strapped around their shoes and on their laces. Manon said it was the team's way of honoring Krause.

Isabelle Delgado, a junior on the girls team, told Patch "it was emotional seeing all the boys" come together to commemorate their teammate.

"Everyone was thinking about her the whole time," she said.

On the girls team, the wrestlers organized and had pink hoodies with the words "Wrestle 4 Sophia" printed on them.

"We're 100% wrestling for Sophia, and every single match, every single prayer, we always pray for her," Delgado told Patch. "We always know that she's with us and know that she would want us to wrestle strong and not give up because she would never give up and she would always wrestle strong."

Seeing the girls band together at such a difficult time, Manon said he was proud of their strength. "They've gone through a lot, so we're proud of what they're doing and what they're continuing to do on the wrestling mat as they wrestle with heavy hearts," he said.

Kantor, who wrestled in recent county matches with Krause's headgear, said she's competing in the same class as Krause did.

"I just really want to make her proud, and next year I'm going to win a state championship for her," she said.