Dominance Sets Up John Glenn's Dawson to Make Major Decision on Repeat Pursuit

By Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com

January 11, 2024

WESTLAND — Westland John Glenn wrestling coach Bill Polk has been at the helm for more than two decades and amassed over 500 wins, but he probably hasn’t dealt with a dilemma like this during his terrific tenure. 

Greater DetroitGranted, it’s a good dilemma to mull over, but a dilemma nonetheless.

Last year as a freshman, Nakayla Dawson was dominant at 105 pounds in the girls division, rolling to the Individual Finals championship and barely being tested throughout her MHSAA Tournament run. She finished the season 41-2. “I don’t think she wrestled more than a couple of minutes last year,” said Polk in reference to her postseason matches. 

The ease of her title came as a surprise even to Dawson.

“I went in there thinking I was going to win, but I didn’t expect it to be that easy,” she said. “I was nervous for just about all my matches.”

During the regular season last winter, Dawson also happened to defeat four boys who placed in their division in the same weight class.

She’s 17-4 this winter and last Saturday won the 106 bracket at the New Lothrop Hall of Fame Tournament with three pins.

Given all that, it’s begging the obvious question as wrestling season gets into full swing with the holiday break over: Should Dawson just wrestle in the boys division?

“That’s what we are leaning toward,” Polk said. “That definitely is what she wants to do.”

If she does switch to the boys division when the tournament begins next month, don’t think Dawson can’t hold her own. 

The Westland John Glenn standout goes for a takedown in her championship match against Remus Chippewa Hills’ Natalie Gibson.There was debate about whether she would wrestle in the boys division last year, but Polk said since she was only a freshman, the thought was to have her wrestle in the girls division her first season and then go from there.

Wrestling at 106 pounds this year, Dawson has had several close losses to ranked boys wrestlers. While hard to suffer those losses now, they likely will make her even tougher to beat come February and March.

“I’m hoping it will refocus her a little bit,” Polk said. 

Being competitive and defeating boys is nothing that new for Dawson, given she grew up having battles with older brother Robert and younger brother Kyron, as well as numerous cousins. 

Robert is a senior and one of the best wrestlers for John Glenn this year, while Kyron will be a freshman next season. 

“Wrestling with them already set me up with wrestling other boys,” Dawson said. “(Robert) was bigger than me and stronger. I was already kind of used to wrestling boys.”

Polk said the sibling rivalry isn’t limited to just the house since he sees the battles between Robert and Nakayla in the wrestling room every day.

“They still do, are you kidding me?” Polk said. “You definitely see some brother-sister battling going on in the room from time to time. He’s helped make her a lot tougher.”

Dawson said the big difference she experiences wrestling boys compared to girls is the greater strength that boys possess compared to the flexibility advantage girls tend to have. 

“I feel when I’m wrestling girls, I’ll be doing different moves,” she said. “It’s easier to get to my shots. With boys, I have to work for it more and set it up better.”

The success of Dawson and Morgan Irwin, a 2023 graduate who finished second at 115 pounds last winter, has been inspirational to other girls around the school. 

“I feel like girls have looked at it and wanted to try wrestling,” she said. 

In addition to wrestling, Dawson is also an accomplished sprinter on the track team, although she says she does that more to stay in shape for summer wrestling than anything. 

Polk said there is still a long way to go for Dawson to realize her full potential in wrestling, but by the time her high school career is done, she likely will be one of the all-time greats Polk has coached.

“Boys or girls, she is definitely one of the most accomplished we have had,” Polk said. “She can go toe-to-toe with any of the boys out there.”

Keith DunlapKeith Dunlap has served in Detroit-area sports media for more than two decades, including as a sportswriter at the Oakland Press from 2001-16 primarily covering high school sports but also college and professional teams. His bylines also have appeared in USA Today, the Washington Post, the Detroit Free Press, the Houston Chronicle and the Boston Globe. He served as the administrator for the Oakland Activities Association’s website from 2017-2020. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties

PHOTOS (Top) Nakayla Dawson’s arm is raised in victory during last season’s Individual Finals at Ford Field. (Middle) The Westland John Glenn standout goes for a takedown in her championship match against Remus Chippewa Hills’ Natalie Gibson. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)

Sandusky's Ryan Repeats, Aims for 4

By Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com

February 12, 2020

Logan Ryan had to learn how to handle losing.

After a youth career that saw her win multiple national wrestling honors, including the NUWAY Nationals in 2017, Ryan’s freshman year competing at 140 and 145 pounds proved to be difficult.

“I got destroyed that year,” the Sandusky sophomore said.

Now the losses are much less frequent, but she has figured out how to turn them into positives.

“When I get beat, I just feel like that’s an opportunity for me to fix what I do wrong in a match,” she said. “I think it does really good for me to fix my mistakes and see what happens. Honestly, I feel like wrestling the boys in high school makes me tougher. The boys are stronger than me, it roughs me up and it makes me more aggressive and prepared for everything else.”

Ryan is 25-5 on the year, and while the MHSAA postseason is about to begin, she’s already claimed a state championship this season. Ryan won the 145-pound title at the Michigan Wrestling Association High School Girls State Championship on Feb. 2 in Adrian. It was her second straight title at the event, which was in its second year.

“It was pretty awesome,” she said. “I was super happy to win it again and wrestle really good. I still feel like there’s more room to improve.”

Ryan defeated Shelbi Daniels of Chesaning 8-2 in the championship match. She was the second seed entering the tournament and won by pin and technical fall in her first two matches before winning a 3-0 decision in the semifinals.

She could have made weight at 138 pounds, but her dad, Jeff, who is the assistant coach at Sandusky, said they decided to enter at 145 because of the depth of that weight class.

“We wrestle the best; that’s our whole idea of it,” Jeff Ryan said. “She went after the best and beat all the ones she wanted to.”

A year ago, Ryan won the title at 160 pounds. She was one of three freshmen to win a title last year, and this year, only she and Eliana Bommarito of Hartland (235 and 270) were able to repeat. 

That leaves them both with an opportunity to become the state’s first four-time girls state champions.

“I don’t know who my opponents are going to be, which freshmen are coming in, but I definitely thought about that after I won the second one,” Ryan said. “I definitely think about becoming a four-time state champion. That would be awesome.”

There were four other repeat champions, including Ryan’s cousin, Kendra Ryan of Fenton, who won at 107 pounds. Sparta’s Rayan Sahagun (102), Southgate Anderson’s JoJo Palshan (117) and Lowell’s Reese Gonzales (132) also won their second title in as many years.

Sandusky coach Adam Filkins was excited with how much the meet grew from its first year to its second and noted that it follows a trend around the state with girls in wrestling.

“Last year, we started our first girls division at our tournament, and we more than doubled that this year,” he said. “They’ve doubled the amount of girls at the state finals. There has been a crazy amount of growth, way more than I would have expected. There’s a great push behind it, and there seems to be no resistance.”

Opportunities are also growing at the next level, as there are about 60 colleges which now have a women’s wrestling program. 

“I think it’s amazing – I think it’s awesome,” said Ryan, who added her ultimate goal is to make the United States Olympic team. “I think more girls that have never experienced anything like wrestling should definitely try.”

As the postseason gets underway with Team District tournaments Wednesday and Thursday, and the Individual Districts on Saturday, Logan Ryan said her goal is to qualify for the Regional. She said she plans to move down to 135 pounds for the individual tournament.

“I lost in the blood round last year,” she said. “We have a tough region and district.”

As she looks further into the future, however, the goal is to be wrestling at Ford Field – along with the rest of the girls who have been competing at Adrian.

“Girls wrestling is coming,” Ryan said. “It’s big, and it’s growing.”

Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.

PHOTOS: (Top) Sandusky’s Logan Ryan, top, maintains control over her opponent. (Middle) Ryan’s arm is raised in victory. (Photos courtesy of the Sandusky wrestling program.)

MWA Girls State Championship finals results

97 pounds
Champion: Emme Hicks, Saline, Fr.
Fall, 4:56, over MaKenzie German, Jr., Clinton

102 
Champion: Rayana Sahagun, Sparta, Sr.
Fall, 3:20, over Makayla Wiltse, Mio, Sr.

107
Champion: Kendra Ryan, Fenton, Jr.
Fall, 0:51, over Hannah Becker, Forest Hills Central, Sr.

112
Champion: Hannah Arledge-Teran, Fowlerville, Soph.
Decision, 6-4, over Casey Boni, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, Soph.

117
Champion: Jojo Palshan, Southgate Anderson, Sr.
Decision, 6-0, over Alana Nuorala, Ishpeming Westwood, Jr.

122
Champion: Autumn Teague, Holly, Sr.
Decision, 6-1, over Lydia Roope, Bay City Western, Fr.

127
Champion: Sylvia Pierce, Temperance Bedford, Jr.
Fall, 2:41, over Taylor Randolph, Clinton, Soph.

132
Champion: Reese Gonzales, Lowell, Jr.
Fall, 2:20, over Ellyana Kuzma, Gibraltar Carlson, Sr.

138
Champion: Alicia Pieper, Waterford Kettering, Jr.
Decision, 5-1, over Bella Wazny, Hemlock, Soph.

155
Champion: Maritza Gallegos, Salem, Jr.
Decision, 9-5, over Brynn Green, Howell, Fr.

168
Champion: Khloe Williams, Clio, Fr.
Major decision, 12-3, over Bo Geibe, Constantine, Soph.

184
Champion: Kailyn Garrett, South Lyon, Soph.
Fall, 1:33, over Grace Middleton, Mayville, Sr.

270
Champion: Eliana Bommarito, Hartland, Soph.
Fall, 0:40, over Teresa Rodriguez, Parchment, Jr.