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.)
D2 Preview: Next Group of Stars Ready to Rise
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 31, 2021
Boiled down, this wrestling season has included a lot of new and a lot of different – but also a lot of opportunity for teams and athletes in all four divisions.
The new opportunities Friday for Division 2 Individual Wrestling Finals qualifiers might be considered the most bountiful of the weekend.
Only four returning champions are back in the field – meaning at least 10 new champs will be awarded. Only six of last season’s runners-up are back – so the championship matches at Grand Rapids’ Van Andel Arena will be filled with wrestlers earning that experience for the first time.
Even among those returning champs, three are only juniors – and their senior seasons would take on some added historic context if they can enter next winter coming off a repeat.
Below we look at 10 title contenders to watch Friday in Division 2, plus list all of the top seeds heading into the tournament, champs and runners-up back from 2020 and every wrestler who will make the trip to Grand Rapids with an undefeated record.
Even then, we surely missed a few who will end up making headlines Friday – but make sure to come back to Second Half late that evening as we’ll interview and report on all 14 Division 2 champions.
Wrestling begins that day at 10 a.m., and this season it’s a one-day event. Spectators remain limited, but all matches will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv. See the MHSAA Wrestling Finals page for more information and to follow results this weekend.
112 Nolan Wertanen, St. Joseph junior (32-0) – The reigning champion at 103 is the top seed at this weight and brings in a combined 78-2 record over the last two seasons.
119 Jack Parker, Spring Lake senior (25-1) – He’s the top seed at this weight after finishing runner-up at 112 a year ago and seventh at 103 as a sophomore.
119 Grant Stahl, Mount Pleasant sophomore (27-1) – After coming in second and finishing 39-3 at 103 last season, Stahl enters this weekend as the second seed at this weight.
125 Joe Haynes, Warren Woods Tower senior (20-1) – Last season’s champion at 119 also was second at 119 as a sophomore and third at 103 as a freshman, and is 149-17 over his varsity career.
130 Trevor Marsman, Cedar Springs senior (28-0) – Last year’s runner-up at 119 is a combined 80-2 over the last two seasons and enters his last Finals as a top seed; he also finished seventh at 112 pounds as a sophomore.
135 Zeth Strejc, Lowell senior (19-3) – The top seed at this weight is wrestling for his first championship after finishing runner-up at 130 last year and eighth at 125 as a freshman.
140 Micah Hanau, Stevensville Lakeshore junior (22-0) – He’s another reigning champion coming off the 2020 title at 130 to go with his fifth place at 125 as a freshman.
152 Jacob Gonzales, Holly junior (17-0) – The reigning champion at this weight also hasn’t lost a match since freshman year and is a combined 123-3 over his first three seasons; he also took seventh at 135 in 2019.
189 Cody Brenner, New Boston Huron senior (23-2) – After finishing runner-up last season at 171, Brenner is the second seed at his weight this weekend; he also placed third at 171 as a sophomore and eighth at 160 as a freshman.
285 Keegan Nugent, Lowell senior (27-0) – Last season’s runner-up at 215 finished 35-8 in placing for the first time and has taken another jump with an undefeated record and top seed heading into his last Finals.
Additional No. 1 seeds: 103 RJ Thome, Fremont junior (31-0); 145 Logan Slominski, Sparta senior (34-0); 160 Doak Dean, Lowell senior (24-2); 171 Jacob Lee, Lowell senior (18-1); 189 Vincent Scaramuzzino, Croswell-Lexington senior (23-0); 215 CJ Krum, St. Johns senior (33-0).
Also undefeated: 103 Cody Richards, Monroe Jefferson junior (18-0); 112 Max Montgomery, Spring Lake senior (27-0); 112 Adrian Rosas, Southgate Anderson senior (18-0); 125 Aaron Lucio, Stevensville Lakeshore sophomore (20-0); 130 Zack Hall, Lake Fenton junior (25-0); 140 Carter Hinson, Zeeland East senior (21-0); 152 Jacob Halsey, St. Joseph junior (31-0); 189 Adam Haselius, Jackson Northwest sophomore (24-0); 215 Ian Norscia, Southgate Anderson senior (15-0).
PHOTO: Holly's Jacob Gonzales, left, wrestles for the 152-pound championship during last season’s Division 2 Individual Finals.(Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)