D4 Preview: Return of the Champs
February 25, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This weekend’s Division 4 Individual Finals field is loaded with wrestlers who've had their shares of success at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Eight champions are back from last season, as are 10 who finished runners-up at their respective weights. Hudson senior Cole Weaver is going for his third MHSAA individual championship after also helping the Tigers to three team titles.
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.
285: Ryan Prescott, Whittemore-Prescott junior (30-0) – Continues to build an impressive career at the heaviest weight; he’s wrestling for his third straight championship match appearance and second straight title, and is 78-1 combined over the past two seasons.
112: Roddy Hamdan, Hudson junior (41-12) – Moved up to 112 this season after winning the 103-pound title in 2013 and finishing fifth at that weight as a freshman.
119: Logan Griffin, Erie-Mason junior (31-4) – One of the best stories of last season’s Finals, Grffin overcame a separated shoulder to win the 112-pound title in overtime over two-time champion Kenneth Dittenber from Carson City-Crystal. Griffin was an MHSAA runner-up as a freshman.
125: Zack Yates, Hesperia senior (43-0) – Last season’s champion at 119 pounds is a combined 94-1 over his last two and is wrestling for his third championship match berth; he finished runner-up at 119 as a sophomore.
140: Cole Weaver, Hudson senior (53-0) – Reigning champion at 130 hasn’t lost since his freshman season and has never finished lower than second place at an MHSAA Finals. Weaver has won two titles after finishing runner-up at 112 as a freshman, and brings a career 216-7 record into the weekend.
145: J.D. Waters, Hudson senior (45-10) – Reigning champion at 135 has had a bit of a tougher go after jumping two weights, but is still seeking his third championship match berth and never has placed lower than third at a Finals.
152: Austin Hughes, Saginaw Nouvel senior (44-2) – Just missed winning Nouvel’s first wrestling championship ever last season, falling 4-2 to New Lothrop's Josh Wendling (see below) at 145 pounds. He’s also earned third and fifth places during his outstanding career.
160: Josh Wendling, New Lothrop senior (52-4) – Attempting to add a second straight title after winning at 145 in 2013; Wendling has made at least the Semifinals his first three seasons and brings a 198-24 record into the weekend.
171: Taylor Krupp, New Lothrop senior (52-0) – Hasn’t lost since falling in overtime in last season’s 160-pound championship match and finished third at his weight in the Finals the year before that. Krupp joined Wendling in helping the Hornets to last weekend’s team title.
189: Jacob Cooper, Springport junior (41-2) – Beat Krupp 7-5 in overtime in the 160-pound championship match last season and has continued to shine after moving up two weights. He also was a runner-up, at 145 pounds, as a freshman.
Other 2013 runners-up: Montrose junior Arthur Payne (112, 45-2, 103 in 2013), Hudson senior Isaac Dusseau (119, 34-11), Fife Lake Forest Area senior Matthew Elliott (130, 35-1, 47-6 in 2013), Hesperia senior Chase Siersema (140, 41-3, 135 in 2013), Grass Lake senior Chad Decker (145, 31-2, 140 in 2013), Hart senior Spencer Reterstoff (160, 43-2, 152 in 2013), Sandusky senior Pat Brown (171, 38-4), Laingsburg sophomore Kevin Koenig (215, 44-3).
Also undefeated: Watervliet senior Brock Thumm (135, 36-0), New Lothrop sophomore Steven Garza II (140, 25-0), Constantine senior Andres Montoya (140, 44-0), Manton senior Tristin Rosted (171, 44-0), Detroit Loyola junior Patrick Harbin Jr. (215, 17-0).
Others of note: Hesperia sophomore Davian Gowens (103, 20-3), Dansville sophomore Clay Ragon (112, 51-1), Jonesville senior Carter Ballinger (130, 43-1).
PHOTO: Hudson’s Cole Weaver hoists his opponent during a Team Semifinals match against Hesperia last weekend in Battle Creek. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
D4 Preview: Small Schools, Big Talents
March 2, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The best wrestlers in Michigan don’t have to attend the biggest high schools.
Meet Dansville’s Dresden Simon, a reigning champion in Division 4 who has beaten reigning Division 1 and 2 champs this season.
He’s one of 10 contenders we’ve broken out among many to watch this weekend at the Division 4 Individual Finals. 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 come back to Second Half this weekend as we’ll interview all 14 title winners.
112: Seth Harvey, Addison junior (41-10) – Last season’s champion at 103 entered that tournament with seven losses, so he can’t be discounted this weekend amid a group dominated by freshmen competing at the Finals for the first time.
119: Robert LeFevre, Erie-Mason junior (35-0) – LeFevre finished runner-up at 112 last season, losing late by pin, but is the top seed this time as the only contender with fewer than five losses.
125: Davian Gowens, Hesperia senior (40-3) – The champion at 103 as a sophomore didn’t compete at the Finals last season but returns as a favorite this weekend having wrestled a tough schedule again.
130: Dallas O’Green, Carson City Crystal senior (51-0) – The reigning champion at 125 has only one loss combined over the last two seasons and after winning last year’s title 2-0.
140: Dresden Simon, Dansville senior (48-1) – The champion last season at 130 owns impressive wins over Grand Ledge reigning champion Dylan Steward and St. Johns reigning champion Ian Parker, the latter later handing Simon his only loss. Simon will wrestle next season at Central Michigan University.
145: Gerrit Yates, Hesperia sophomore (50-4) – He debuted last season with an impressive runner-up finish at 135, and led that championship match 8-4 before getting pinned with less than a minute left in regulation.
152: Steven Garza, New Lothrop senior (53-1) – After winning 145 last season with a perfect record, Garza has been nearly as flawless with just the one loss to go with another team championship earned last weekend.
160: Kyle Johnson, Hudson senior (45-8) – The 2014 champion at 152 fell back to fifth at that weight last season, but is the top seed at this weight class this time despite his losses against a loaded schedule.
215: Caleb Symons, New Lothrop senior (51-1) – Another member of the team champion Hornets, Symons was individual runner-up last season at 189, just missing a title with a 4-2 defeat.
285: Kevin Koenig, Laingsburg senior (51-1) – The reigning runner-up at 215 won that weight as a sophomore and also finished second as a freshman. His only loss this season came to reigning Division 1 215 champion Luke Ready of Brighton.
Other 2015 runners-up: Dansville sophomore Anthony Mack (112, 48-4, 103 in 2015), Manchester junior Ethan Woods (130, 45-2, 119 in 2015), Dansville senior Clay Ragon (135, 48-4, 125 in 2015), Hudson senior Mason Lopinski (145, 47-6, 145 in 2015), Springport junior Nick Cooper (189, 37-1, 171 in 2015).
Also undefeated: Burton Bentley sophomore Robert Rogers (125, 39-0), Hesperia senior Mark Workman (171, 31-0), Bangor junior Devon Kozel (215, 45-0).
Also of note: Hudson freshman Tucker Sholl (103, 44-3), Hudson freshman Jordan Hamdan (112, 47-6), Springport junior Sean O’Hearon (135, 45-1), New Lothrop junior Erik Birchmeier (171, 30-2).
The MHSAA Wrestling Finals are presented by the Michigan Army National Guard.
PHOTO: Dansville’s Dresden Simon, right, wrestles Highland Park Academy’s Lamont Cannon during last season’s Division 4 Finals. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)