D4 Preview: Hamdan Headlines Pursuit
February 28, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Division 4 features some of the most intriguing storylines heading into this weekend’s Individual Wrestling Finals at Ford Field – including some that could continue past this weekend.
Hudson senior Jordan Hamdan is hoping to become either the 25th or 26th four-time Finals champion – Detroit Catholic Central’s Kevon Davenport is attempting the same in Division 1 – while Mendon’s Skyler Crespo is competing for his third straight title and three others are wrestling to win their second. Crespo is a junior, and with another championship this weekend would be among a possible few looking to join that four-time club in 2020.
Below, we look at 10 contenders to watch in Division 4, plus list everyone who finished at least as a runner-up in 2018 and all of the top seeds heading into this weekend. Surely we still missed a few who will end up rising to the top of the podium Saturday – but come back to Second Half early Sunday as we’ll interview and report on all 56 champions.
The “Grand March” on Friday begins at 11 a.m., with five rounds wrestled throughout the day including the semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Wrestling picks back up with consolation rounds at 9 a.m. Saturday, and concludes with the championship matches that afternoon at 3 p.m.
Follow all matches on a subscription basis live on MHSAA.tv, and click here for results at MHSAA.com.
112 Ben Modert, Bronson junior (48-2) – Last season’s champion at 103 is seeded first at 112 with losses this season to only Clinton 119 top seed AJ Baxter and Division 3 qualifier Kanon Atwell of Lake Odessa Lakewood. Modert also took fifth at 103 as a freshman.
119 Robbie Altland, Hart senior (45-1) – Altland was the Division 3 runner-up at 103 last season and earned the top seed in this bracket as he makes a run at his first title. He took third at 103 as a sophomore and seventh as a freshman, both in Division 4 before his team moved for last winter.
125 Noah Comar, Clinton senior (50-1) – Comar is 213-8 over his career and has made the championship match all of his first three seasons, winning 112 as a sophomore and falling at 112 as a freshman and 125 last winter. He’s seeded first this weekend with his only defeat to unbeaten Hartland Division 1 favorite Kyle Kantola.
130 Jamison Ward, Carson City-Crystal junior (46-1) – The top seed at this weight is seeking his first title after taking fourth at 119 last season and finishing runner-up at 103 as a freshman. Ward’s only loss this winter came to Division 3 qualifier Mark Langewicz of Algonac.
135 Jordan Hamdan, Hudson senior (44-0) – The top seed at 135 enters the weekend a combined 203-8 over his career with his previous championships at 130 last season, 119 as a sophomore and 112 as a freshman. He is one of only two wrestlers to defeat Mendon reigning champ Skyler Crespo this season, and he hasn’t lost a high school match in more than two years.
145 Austin Wolford, New Lothrop senior (34-3) – The top seed at 145 will look to add to last season’s title at 140, fourth place at 135 as a sophomore and fifth at 130 as a freshman. His only losses were to top seeds Avry Mutschler of Lowell (Division 2), Christian Killion of Dundee (D3) and Richmond D3 qualifier Hayden Bastian. Wolford owns the other win over Crespo this winter.
140 Skyler Crespo, Mendon junior (47-2) – As noted, the top seed at 140 has lost only to reigning champions Hamdan and Wolford this winter, and both by close decisions. Crespo is the reigning champ at 135 and also claimed the 125 title as a freshman, and brings a 154-4 career record into this weekend.
189 Kyle Cassiday, Beaverton senior (48-1) – Last season’s champion at this weight does not enter as the top seed – he lost 1-0 to Napoleon’s Ethan Weatherspoon (see below) earlier this winter – but is lined up to meet Weatherspoon for a rematch. Cassiday is a combined 104-2 over the last two seasons.
189 Ethan Weatherspoon, Napoleon senior (49-0) – Last season’s Division 3 champion at this weight already owns a win over the reigning Division 4 champion Cassiday (above). Weatherspoon also finished eighth at 171 as a sophomore and seventh at 160 as a freshman.
215 Tim Rizor, Leroy Pine River junior (43-2) – Rizor went from seventh at 171 as a freshman to runner-up at 189 last season, and he’s the top seed at 215 with a 110-22 career record entering the weekend.
Other 2018 runners-up: 119 AJ Baxter, Clinton sophomore (46-7, 103 in 2018); 119 Jesse Brumm, Vermontville Maple Valley sophomore (43-3, 112 in 2018); 135 Matthew Grant, Onaway junior (31-5, 135 in 2018); 171 Justin Carnahan, New Lothrop junior (32-5, 171 in 2018).
Additional No. 1 seeds: 103 Brayton Mears, Union City freshman (32-4); 152 Jorge Sereno, Hudson senior (35-11); 160 Braydon Randolph, Clinton sophomore (43-1); 171 Brock Nelson, Leroy Pine River junior (45-2); 285 River Fox, Schoolcraft senior (50-2).
PHOTO: Jordan Hamdan (right) wrestles Clinton's George Ames during the Division 4 Team Final on Saturday at Wings Event Center. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Led by 1st-Year Coaches, Dundee Adds to Longtime Tradition with Another D3 Win
By
Jeff Chaney
Special for MHSAA.com
February 25, 2023
KALAMAZOO – Nate Hall and Garrett Stevens knew what they were taking over when they were announced as co-coaches of the Dundee wrestling team before this season.
Longtime coach Tim Roberts did not leave the cupboard bare when he decided to retire.
His Vikings program had won five straight MHSAA Division 3 team titles and was littered with talented and powerful wrestlers.
Hall and Stevens proved to be the right picks to take over the legendary program, as they helped coach the Vikings to their sixth-straight title, and 14th overall.
And Dundee did it in its usual impressive fashion, with a 60-18 win over Whitehall in the Final on Saturday at the Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo.
"The well was not dry, and don't wreck it," said Hall, whose team finished duals at 19-2. "We didn't change much. We have all been around the program long enough, we had a great idea of what was taking place and how we are successful."
Which is?
"The commitment of the families, that is 100 percent why this program is so successful," Hall said. "I am not chasing kids down to have them wrestle in the summer. I'm chasing them trying to keep up with them."
And that is exactly what the Vikings' three opponents were doing all weekend in Kalamazoo – chasing down Dundee's talent.
In the Final, the Vikings were down 12-0 after two pins by Whitehall. But after that, Dundee went on to win 11 matches in a row, seven straight by pin.
Freshman Haydn Nutt began with a pin in 3 minutes, 9 seconds. Nutt was one of six freshmen who took to the mat this weekend for the Vikings. And all six are ranked among the top 10 in their respective weight classes by Michigan Grappler, including Nutt, who is the state's top-ranked 106-pounder in Division 3.
"We started the year and we had 13 freshmen, and I can't say enough the way our program has developed those kids," Hall said. "They were ready from day one this year, and they stepped up and progressed properly. They were ready to go."
It helps when you have a senior class of state champions leading the way like Braeden Davis at 132 pounds, Kaden Chinavare at 138 and Aiden Davis at 157.
"Dundee is the best place to be when you want to pursue wrestling," said Braeden Davis, who will look to win a fourth-straight individual title next weekend at Ford Field and couple that with his now four team titles. "We have a great staff, a great community. It's all about wrestling at Dundee."
Braeden Davis went 3-0 for the weekend and helped Dundee defeat Hart in the Quarterfinals 64-15 and Constantine in the Semifinals 59-16.
Braeden Davis was most impressive in the Final, when he won by fall in 15 seconds.
Whitehall co-coach Justin Zeerip knows good wrestling when he sees it. A four-time Individual Finals champion himself, Zeerip was impressed with the Vikings.
"Dundee is so tough, " said Zeerip, whose team ended with a 32-4 record. "From 106 to 175, they have seven top-ranked guys. And a couple other guys are ranked really high, so hats off to them, they are a great program. Our kids wrestled hard, they are just a super team."
Whitehall did wrestle hard during the two-day event as well, downing Gladstone in the Quarterfinals 48-24 on Friday, and then Algonac in the Semifinals 40-27 earlier Saturday. Whitehall wrestled over its seed in that match, as the No. 3-seeded Vikings got past the second seed.
"I was proud how my guys wrestled this weekend," Zeerip said.
PHOTOS (Top) Dundee’s Kaden Chinavare, right, goes for a takedown during his 126-pound match with Whitehall’s Caden Varela. (Middle) Whitehall’s Jackson Cook wrestles to a 7-3 decision win at 190 in the Semifinal against Algonac. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)