When snow and ice put Anne Arundel County in a headlock last week, Thomas Mulligan scored an escape. He ran through the frozen mess that most wouldn?t drive in, strictly to keep up his exercise regimen.
“I love running in the snow,” he said.
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His persistence pays off. Mulligan, a senior captain of the wrestling and football teams at Broadneck High, is one of Anne Arundel County?s top heavyweights. On Saturday, he lost a close 5-2 decision to Old Mill?s Justin Faithful (29-0) in the county tournament final at Arundel. Mulligan?s record now stands at 26-3.
Mulligan is not your typical “been-wrestling-from-birth” athlete. It wasn?t even the first thing on his mind ashe pondered high school sports.
“I started wrestling my sophomore year after my friend encouraged me to try out,” he said.
His progress was rapid. In his first two seasons, he finished fourth in the Class 4A-3A East Region. Last year, he was second in the county, and this season, he won a title at the Anne Arundel Holiday Wrestling Tournament.
Wrestling at 230 pounds in the heavyweight class, where rivals can reach 285, Mulligan isn?t exactly the biggest guy on the mat. But he makes up for a lack of size with dedicated training. He bench-presses 315 pounds and runs a mile in less than six minutes.
“I would say with practice, weight-lifting and going to the gym, I train about 20 hours a week,” he said.
Mulligan is also a talented football player. Over the past four years, he has excelled as a defensive end for the Bruins. During his career, he earned all-state honorable mention status as a defensive lineman and was named to the Anne Arundel County coaches? team.
Mulligan?s devotion goes beyond athletics. He is also an Eagle Scout and a member of the National Honor Society. By taking a heavy course load of advanced-placement classes and upholding a 3.68 weighted grade-point average, he gained recognition as a Distinguished AP Scholar.
His combined academic and athletic achievements have resulted in acceptance letters from West Point and North Carolina State. Mulligan would like to play football in college and get a degree in history. With an interest in the Marine Corps, he has already applied for its ROTC program.
“I had a great time in high school,” Mulligan said, “but I am ready to move on to the next step.”
