D1 Preview: History on the Brink
March 4, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
When 135-pound matches are wrestled at The Palace of Auburn Hills this weekend, many eyes will be watching Davison’s Lincoln Olson.
Olson – along with Richmond’s Devin Skatzka in Division 3 – will compete for his fourth MHSAA championship, hoping to join only 19 other Michigan wrestlers who have ended all four years of high school with a title.
See below for 10 contenders to watch this weekend at the Division 1 Individual Finals, plus others who enter the tournament undefeated or coming off runner-up finishes in 2014. 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.
Those listed below are only a handful of numerous contenders for this weekend’s 14 Division 1 championships – in this division alone, seven athletes not listed below have lost only once this season. Come back to Second Half at the end of this weekend, when we’ll have post-match thoughts from all 14 title winners.
112: Max Johnson, Davison junior (42-7) – Last season’s champion at this weight may not have as sparkling a record as some contenders, but he entered last season’s Finals with an identical W-L on his way to winning the title.
112: Carl Antrassian, Monroe junior (54-2) – He’s a favorite at his new weight after falling to Ben Freeman (see below) in last season’s championship match at 103 and after leading his team to the MHSAA Quarterfinals last weekend.
125: Camden Bertucci, Grand Haven senior (40-0) – After just missing the Finals last season, Bertucci can add a title to his runner-up finish at 103 as a freshman and third place at 112 as a sophomore.
125: Ben Freeman, Walled Lake Central sophomore (40-0) – Last season’s champion at 103 has only one loss during his high school career and won all of his 2014 Finals matches by technical falls.
130: Trevor Zdebski, Detroit Catholic Central senior (42-5) – His high school career so far has included a championship last season at 119 pounds, a third place at 103 as a freshman and two team titles.
135: Lincoln Olson, Davison senior (48-0) – As noted above, Olson is poised to enter an elite group; in addition, he carries a 185-3 record into his final weekend before moving on to Oklahoma State University.
145: Logan Parks, Southgate Anderson senior (53-0) – After finishing third in what arguably was the toughest bracket at last season’s Finals – 140 – Parks can cap this season with a title and the last two with a combined 111-2 record.
152: Jacob Gorial, Hartland senior (54-0) – Recall the 2013 Finals, when Gorial had the difficulty of facing and falling to teammate Austin Eicher in the 130-pound championship match; he can add a first title to a seventh place as a freshman, the second as a sophomore and a fourth place last winter.
160: Myles Amine, Detroit Catholic Central senior (43-0) – Another of the latest Shamrocks stars can graduate as a back-to-back champion after winning at 140 pounds last season and finishing third at 130 as a sophomore.
285: Brian Darios, East Lansing senior (5-2) – Yes, that record is correct; Darios has battled through multiple injuries this season, but remains a favorite to finish on top after falling in an ultimate tie-breaker in last season’s championship match.
Other 2014 runners-up: Oxford junior Alex Hrisopoulos (125, 48-3, 112 in 2014), Lapeer senior Dillon Ellsworth (145, 49-2, 152 in Division 2 in 2014 for Lapeer East), Lapeer junior Devon Pingel (171, 43-3, 171 in Division 2 in 2014 for North Branch).
Also undefeated: West Bloomfield senior Matt Gudenau (140, 45-0), Dearborn Heights Crestwood junior Ali Wahab (285, 56-0), Lapeer junior Dan Perry (285, 57-0).
More of note: Saline freshman Daniel Poupore (103, 36-2), Grand Blanc senior Noah Gonser (119, 52-3), Holt senior Benny Gomez (119, 30-2), Hartland sophomore Reese Hughes (130, 49-5), Utica Eisenhower senior Connor McDill (140, 38-2), Detroit Catholic Central senior Nick Giese (189, 42-4), Brighton junior Lucas Ready (215, 48-2).
PHOTO: Davison's Lincoln Olson competes during his team's MHSAA Semifinal last weekend against eventual champion Brighton. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Girls Preview: Contenders Compete for 1st MHSAA Finals Titles
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 3, 2022
The first MHSAA champions in any sport are always recalled with special recognition. This weekend, the first champions of the Individual Wrestling Finals girls division will become part of that history.
This season’s event at Ford Field will be following up state tournaments conducted by the Michigan Wrestling Association the last three years, and those championship meets are referenced frequently below as we preview some of the first MHSAA Finals’ title contenders.
The Grand March on Friday begins at 10 a.m., with wrestling through semifinals that evening. Wrestling begins again at 9 a.m. Saturday with championship matches at 3:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at Ford Field. All matches will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv, and we’ll talk to all 14 champions in each division for our Second Half coverage published later that evening and overnight. See the MHSAA Wrestling Finals page for more information and to follow results this weekend.
100 Emme Hicks, Saline junior (24-10) – She’s become one of the early stars in this division entering this weekend after winning MWA championships at 97 pounds both of her first two high school seasons.
120 Angelina Pena, Milan sophomore (10-2) – She won the MWA title at 122 pounds in 2021 and claimed this season’s Regional with two pins and two major decisions.
125 Ryen Allen, Goodrich sophomore (3-0) – She was the 132-pound MWA champ in 2021 and won by pin all three of her Regional matches two weekends ago.
155 Amarisa Manuel, Romeo sophomore (6-0) – Last year’s 145-pound MWA champion also won all three of her Regional matches by pin this season.
170 Khloe Williams, Clio junior (5-1) – She has plenty of high school championship match experience after winning the MWA title at 168 as a freshman and finishing runner-up last season.
170 Sabrina Nauss, Brighton sophomore (14-5) – She claimed last year’s MWA title at 168 and advanced to this weekend with two pins at Regionals.
170 Bo Geibe, Constantine senior (22-3) – She was Regional runner-up to Williams and has championship match experience as well with an MWA title at 189 as a freshman and runner-up finish at 168 as a sophomore.
190 Kailyn Garrett, South Lyon senior (12-17) – She won the 184-pound MWA title as a sophomore and was the 189 runner-up as a freshman. She also won her Regional two weekends ago with a pair of falls.
190 Gabriella Allen, Marcellus sophomore (20-12) – The MWA runner-up at 184 as a freshman, she won her Regional this season with three pins in a combined 4:28.
255 Eliana Bommarito, Hartland senior (17-6) – She’s aiming for her fourth high school championship after winning MWA titles at 235 as a freshman and 270 the last two seasons.
Other Regional champions: 100 Tricia Pyrzewski, Gladwin sophomore (31-12); 105 Sky Langewicz, Algonac freshman (29-3); 105 Sunni LaFond, Gaylord freshman (29-8); 110 Savannah Winkleblack, Montague sophomore (20-14); 110 Elena Gassner, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley junior (20-14); 115 Margaret Buurma, Fowlerville freshman (28-15); 115 Faith Burgess, Grand Blanc freshman (22-6); 120 Arden Eschtruth, Midland junior (19-4); 125 Kennedy Tiitola, Saginaw Swan Valley sophomore (21-4); 130 Tyler Swanigan, South Lyon East sophomore (24-17); 130 Faith Blackburn, Clinton sophomore (20-1); 135 Morgan Bailey, Gladwin senior (20-18); 135 Kennedy Edson, Lawrence junior (13-4); 140 Erin McArdle, Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker senior (3-0); 140 Emma Pendell, Montague sophomore (18-8); 145 Libia Hernandez, Wyoming Lee senior (15-9); 145 Mishell Rebisch, Romeo sophomore (7-0); 155 Lydia Krauss, Boyne City senior (36-8); 255 Madasyn Frisbee, Belding freshman (14-9).
PHOTO Gaylord’s Sunni LaFond wrestles during Friday’s Division 2 Team Quarterfinals at Wings Event Center. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)