D1 Preview: Champs Close Careers
February 26, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Winners of a combined nine MHSAA Division 1 individual wrestling championships will graduate this spring.
But that group can add six more to their collective total at this weekend’s Finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
See below for 10 contenders to watch this weekend, plus others who enter the tournament undefeated or coming off runner-up finishes in 2013. Follow all the matches beginning with Thursday's first round on a subscription basis live on MHSAA.TV, and click here for results at MHSAA.com. And check back with Second Half later Saturday night for full coverage from the Finals, including comments from all 14 champions.
112: Benny Gomez, Holt junior (47-1) – Cruised through his sophomore season undefeated at 47-0 and won the 103-pound title, and is back as the favorite one class heavier and with only one loss.
125: Lincoln Olson, Davison junior (41-1) – Going for a third MHSAA title after winning 103 as a freshman and 112 as a sophomore; brings a 133-3 career record into the weekend.
135: Austin Eicher, Hartland senior (35-1) – Defeated teammate Jacob Gorial to win last season’s championship at 130 and looking good to make it two straight titles with a combined record of 87-2 over the last two seasons.
140: Justin Oliver, Davison senior (43-1) – Finished only third at 135 last season after winning titles at 112 and 119 his first two of high school, respectively; he has lost only five times during his career.
145: Malik Amine, Detroit Catholic Central senior (30-3) – Finished fifth, second, and then first, at 140, his first three seasons, respectively, and also has been a key contributor to three straight DCC team champions.
171: Jordan Cooks, Davison senior (38-3) – Claimed the championship at 160 the last two seasons after finishing third at 145 as a freshman; can go over 40 wins for the third season of his varsity career.
171: Drew Garcia, Detroit Catholic Central senior – Looking to finish his career with four championship match berths and three straight individual titles after winning this weight in 2013; beat Cooks 3-1 in overtime in Saturday’s Team Final.
189: Shwan Shadaia, Rochester senior (40-3) – Took a couple more losses than during last season’s championship run, but can finish in a similarly dominating way after making the jump from seventh place to first as a junior.
215: Jordon Brandon, Westland John Glenn senior (50-2) – Returns seeking to finish his career with a championship after falling just shy in the 2013 Final at 215, a 5-4 overtime loss.
285: Parker Tillman, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central senior (42-0) – Three-time MHSAA qualifier lost a tough championship match 3-0 last season but hasn't fallen since; he’s 83-4 over his final two seasons so far.
Other 2013 runners-up: Farmington Hills Harrison junior Michael Volyanyuk (112, 37-6, 103 in 2013), Martin Rodriguez, Holt senior (119, 42-1, 125 in 2013), Davison senior Matthew Miller (135, 33-7), Hartland junior Jacob Gorial (145, 54-1, 130 in 2013), Livonia Franklin senior Jordan Atienza (160, 60-1, 152 in 2013).
Also undefeated: Birmingham Brother Rice senior Shon Powell (171, 13-0), Grand Haven senior Dakota Juarez (160, 38-0), Detroit Catholic Central senior Nick Bennett (152, 39-0), Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central senior Parker Tillman (42-0, 285), West Bloomfield senior Ross Bahro (130, 48-0), Canton senior Alec Pantaleo (145, 49-0), Ypsilanti Lincoln senior Jordan Markey (135, 54-0).
More of note: Walled Lake Central freshman Ben Freeman (103, 39-1), Detroit Catholic Central junior Trevor Zdebski (119, 23-2), Ypsilanti senior Kyle Abdellatif (130, 52-2), Brownstown Woodhaven senior Derek Hillman (189, 46-2).
PHOTO: Davison’s Justin Oliver celebrates his win during Saturday’s Division 1 Team Final. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Dundee Continues Winning Ways with 7th-Consecutive D3 Final Victory
By
Jeff Chaney
Special for MHSAA.com
February 24, 2024
KALAMAZOO -- One thing Dundee’s wrestling community knows about is winning.
The Vikings continued to make history in Division 3 on Saturday at the Wings Event Center, as they won their seventh-straight team title with a 49-20 clincher over Whitehall in the championship match.
In total, Dundee has won nine of the past 11 Division 3 team titles, and 16 Finals championships overall.
"This is a special group of kids, and a special community," Dundee co-coach Garrett Stevens said. "Every time we do something like this, it's just a special chapter, and I am thankful to be a part of it."
One of those special – and talented – athletes, Kade Kluce, got things started for Dundee in the Final with a hard-fought 8-2 opening win over Whitehall's Nolan Taranko in their 126-pound match.
Kluce, a senior, has played a major part of four team titles, and will look to join an exclusive group next week at Ford Field when he tries to win his fourth individual championship. If he accomplishes that feat, he will join former Vikings Braeden Davis, Casey Swiderski and Stoney Buell as well as Lowell's Austin Boone and Davison's Brent Metcalf as the only wrestlers in the state of Michigan to win four individual and four team titles.
"That's my biggest goal I have right now, aside from being in college," Kluce said. "That's what I have worked so hard for ever since I got to high school."
Kluce said it's easy to have goals and work hard at Dundee.
"This is a family," Kluce added. "We do everything together, and we have great leadership that helps us be a part of everyone's matches."
That strong camaraderie was on display all weekend for the Vikings, as they defeated Lake Odessa Lakewood in the Quarterfinal on Friday 58-18, followed by a 49-22 win over Constantine in the Saturday morning Semifinal.
Then in the championship match, Dundee won 10 of 14 bouts – none bigger than what senior Aiden Massingill achieved at 215 pounds, defeating an Individual Finals qualifier to give the Vikings a 32-18 lead.
That seemed to ease a little tension, as Whitehall had put up a nice fight by winning three of the previous four matches.
"I just told my kids to go out there and wrestle hard, and they did that," said Whitehall coach Justin Zeerip, whose team finished with a 29-4 record. "To be in the Finals three of the last four years has been awesome."
To make it three in the past four, Whitehall met an old foe in its Semifinal match.
"I was proud of our team for beating Clinton in the Semifinals," Zeerip said. "We beat them by one point earlier in the year and then beat them by 20 in the Semifinals. I was proud of how our kids wrestled this weekend."
But the weekend belonged to Dundee -- again.
"Winning like this starts at home," said Stevens, whose team ended with an 18-5 record. "You need to get your sleep, discipline in your diet, and do well in the classroom. Then you have to stay healthy and put in the work. And if you do all the things right and at the end of the day you get your hand raised -- that's winning."
PHOTOS (Top) Dundee’s Aiden Massingill has his arm raised in victory after a key win at 215 pounds Saturday. (Middle) Whitehall’s Gavin Craner, left, controls his match at 175. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)