A native Marylander, Stephen Carnahan has been involved in the sport of wrestling for over 40 years. His passion for wrestling has been noteworthy as a participant, official and coach. On the mat, Carnahan discovered his enthusiasm for the sport at Springbrook High School in 1963 where he captured the 133 lb Tricounty championship and co-captained the team his senior year. He continued to compete collegiately, compiling an enviable record under

Coach Dick Shelly at Montgomery Junior College. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a teaching degree in Special Education, he began coaching the Maryland Jr. Wrestling League team, the Columbia Optimist, in Howard County. The following year Carnahan joined first the Washington and then the Baltimore Wrestling Officials' Associations where he actively served for the next decade.

He joined the high school ranks in 1974, when the started the varsity wrestling at Oakland Mills High School in Columbia, MD. During his tenure at Oakland Mils the program became one of the most respected, with over 60 individual county champions, and 10 team titles along with 12 individual state champions and 3 state tournament titles.

As head wrestling coach Carnahan was instrumental in establishing a JV tournament and an outstanding wrestler award in Howard County. His quest for instituting a state championship based on small and large classifications was inaugurated in 1980 with Oakland Mills winning the title. He promoted the sport with clinics, open gyms, tournaments and even sponsored a wrestling cheerleading squad for to OM program. In 1984, Carnahan broadened participating in Maryland wrestling by braking down the gender barrier when Oakland Mills competed with the first female wrestler in the state, Nicole Scott.

Outside wrestling season, Carnahan also coached the high school tennis team and cross country squad, winning an impressive 8 state championships. Personally, he has competed in 3 marathons and one 50 mile ultra marathon. When he retired in 2003 he bicycled 4082 miles solo across the United States. Now living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, future planswill involve more traveling.

Trips to visit Stillwater, Oklahoma and College Park, Maryland in March to witness his 37 consecutive Maryland State High School Wrestling tournament are among the planned excursions in the coming months.

Stephen and his wife Cheryl have been happily married for over 45 years. They have two beautiful daughters, Jessica and Katelin.