D3 Preview: Veterans Dominate Bracket
March 2, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Three contenders at this weekend’s Division 3 Individual Wrestling Finals are competing for their third MHSAA titles, while eight past champions total will take to the mat starting with Thursday’s first round.
Those eight are among 10 favorites we’ve highlighted from a group of brackets featuring accomplished Finals veterans at just about every weight.
Follow all matches this weekend on a subscription basis live on MHSAA.tv, and click here for results at MHSAA.com. And come back to Second Half late Saturday and Sunday as we’ll interview all 14 title winners.
The MHSAA Wrestling Finals are presented by the Michigan Army National Guard.
112: Anthony Gallagher, Perry senior (45-2) – After earning Perry’s first championship ever last season with a 2-0 Finals win at 103, Gallagher is the top seed at 112 – with that championship opponent, Lake Fenton now-senior A.J. Geyer, again on the other side of the bracket.
119: Dakota Greer, Howard City Tri-County junior (48-0) – The 2015 champion at 103 will look to climb to the top of the podium again as the top seed at this weight; an injury prevented Greer from finishing at his District in 2016.
130: Jarrett Trombley, Lake Fenton junior (53-0) – The two-time champion is in the midst of a second undefeated season after losing only once as a freshman, and returning off one of the biggest bouts of 2016 after stopping in overtime Grand Rapids Catholic Central star Devin Schroder’s pursuit of a fourth MHSAA title.
135: Nolan Saxton, Remus Chippewa Hills senior (54-0) – The top seed at 135 finished fifth at 130 last year while wrestling at Lakeview after earning another fifth place as a sophomore and a seventh as a freshman.
160: Sean Sterling, Dundee senior (24-0) – Sterling won one of the most hard-fought matches of the entire 2016 Finals, downing Croswell-Lexington’s Collin Lieber in overtime to win 152; he’s the only undefeated wrestler in his bracket this time.
171: Collin Lieber, Croswell-Lexington senior (40-0) – Last season’s heart-breaking loss to Sterling in the Final was the only defeat for Lieber in 2015-16; he’s finished top-three at his weight his first three seasons and will try to end with his first title.
171: Daniel Thompson, Lake Odessa Lakewood senior (41-1) – Thompson is the reigning champion at this weight, also winning in overtime last season by a point to claim his title; like Sterling last year, he could see Lieber in this year’s Final.
189: Brandon Whitman, Dundee junior (41-0) – Last season’s champion at this weight is going for his third title after also winning 171 as a freshman; he’s 89-1 over the last two seasons.
215: Jared Roehl, Millington senior (34-0) – After falling in last season’s 189 Final to Whitman by a mere 2-1 decision, Roehl will try to finish his career with a second MHSAA title; he won 189 as a sophomore and is wrestling for his second undefeated season over the last three as well.
285: Trent Hillger, Lake Fenton senior (55-0) – Last season’s 285 champ is now 172-0 over the last three seasons with two MHSAA titles, and had one of the most impressive runs in 2016 pinning his way to that second title and downing a reigning champion in the Final. He will continue at University of Wisconsin.
Other 2016 runners-up: Lake Fenton senior A.J. Geyer (112, 42-10, 103 in 2016), Caro junior Blain Wood (125, 52-3, 112 in 2016), Shepherd sophomore Trevor Robinson (130, 41-3, 125 in 2016), Remus Chippewa Hills junior Jaycob Sharp (152, 46-9, 145 in 2016), Delton Kellogg junior Tyden Ferris (215, 45-4).
Also undefeated: Farwell senior Glenn Beardsley (145, 29-0), Paw Paw junior Anthony Reo (189, 47-0), Iron Mountain senior Aaron Bolo (189, 39-0), Scottville Mason County Central senior Matt Quinn (215, 47-0).
No. 1 seeds: Richmond freshman Austin Kilburn (103, 33-7), Perry’s Gallagher (112), Howard City Tri-County’s Greer (119), Lake Fenton senior Hunter Corcoran (125, 53-2), Lake Fenton’s Trombley (130), Remus Chippewa Hills’ Saxton (135), Caro sophomore D.J. Daniels (140, 54-3), Farwell’s Beardsley (145), Lake Fenton junior Jackson Nevadomski (152, 54-1), Dundee’s Sterling (160), Lakewood’s Thompson (171), Dundee’s Whitman (189), Millington’s Roehl (215), Lake Fenton’s Hillger (285).
PHOTO: Lake Fenton’s Trent Hillger has his arm raised in victory after his match during Saturday’s Team Semifinal against Richmond. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Lowell Unstoppable Again as Title Streak Grows to 8
By
Dan Stickradt
Special for Second Half
March 30, 2021
KALAMAZOO — Not even a pandemic and a shortened season can slow down Lowell.
Nothing.
At least in recent years.
The top-ranked and top-seeded Red Arrows extended their MHSAA record of consecutive Team Finals titles to eight with a resounding 59-7 victory over third-seeded Goodrich on Tuesday in the Division 2 championship match at Wings Arena.
“I can’t say enough about these kids,” said Lowell coach R.J. Boudro, who in his seven seasons as head coach has amassed an impressive 137-21 record. “Even in November, December and January when we weren’t wrestling and just waiting, they stuck together. We didn’t have any positive (COVID) tests. We worked hard and stuck together, and we’re able to win it again. It’s not easy. Winning one is not easy, let alone eight in a row.”
Lowell wasted no time in setting the tone, earning a pair of first-period pins for a 12-0 lead. Cole Huisman (140) earned a pin in only 29 seconds and William Link (145) followed suit by sticking his opponent to the mat in a mere 35 seconds.
Leading 35-0 through seven matches, Lowell 285-pounder
Keegan Nugent earned another pin in just 16 seconds to clinch the title for the Red Arrows (20-3).
“Effort,” beamed Nugent, who will also be shooting for an individual crown this weekend with a 27-0 record. “We have great effort as a team.
“It’s all about tradition and doing what you need to do to keep it going,” continued Nugent. “Not looking at what other people are doing, just working your butt off to contribute to the tradition.”
Overall, Lowell’s dominating effort resulted in wins in 12 of the 14 weight classes. The Red Arrows collected six pins, three decisions, two victories by technical fall and one major decision.
The title is not only the eighth straight for the powerful Red Arrows, it gives Lowell its 11th Finals title over the past 20 seasons. Tuesday also marked Lowell’s 17th appearance in the Division 2 Final over 23 years. The Red Arrows are 11-6 in title bouts dating back to 1999.
“It’s hard to put it all into words, especially this year,” said Boudro. “We have so much support from the parents, administration. So many people help out. It’s a special community.
“You know I kept having anxiety every day because I kept hearing about teams withdrawing from the tournament because of positive tests,” continued Boudro. “My heart sank every time. But it goes back to us staying healthy and being able to come out here and accomplish this. These kids did everything right, everything that was asked of them.”
Goodrich (18-1) slipped to 2-4 all-time in Finals matches, including losing to Lowell in 2019 (29-23) in the title bout. The Martians came in unbeaten on the season but couldn’t muster much against the state’s premier Division 2 program.
“They’ve knocked us out three times now since 2016,” said Goodrich coach Ken Sirignano, whose team was also defeated by Lowell in the Semifinals five years ago. “Lowell is a fantastic program; they are really tough. There’s not much to say other than they have a great team. They just beat us up today. We just have to get better.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Lowell and Goodrich locked up in Tuesday’s Division 2 Final. (Middle) A Red Arrows winner celebrates a match victory against the Martians. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)