In Her Fight, Inman Seeks to Provide Hope
January 23, 2019
By Wes Morgan
Special for Second Half
The silver lining from tragedy can take a while to come into focus.
Searra Inman might not have been searching for it in the days that followed a motorcycle accident that would forever change her life.
Inman wasn’t supposed to survive the July 9 crash that left her paralyzed from the waist down. Surgeons in Indianapolis even used her as a case study due to the fact that almost no one with such severe spinal cord injuries has reached the operating table alive.
So, Inman kept living. Her goals were unchanged. And in the process of that pursuit, she slowly began to realize the lives she was touching along the way. Spurred on by an outpouring of support from her family, church, and classmates and staff at Niles Brandywine High School, Inman faced her new reality head-on.
The first item on the senior’s to-do list was to make good on a promise to herself to earn a four-year varsity wrestling plaque. The second was to reach 100 career victories.
“I love to do these things, and I don’t want to sit in bed the rest of my life and feel discouraged about the situation,” Inman said. “Instead, I pushed forward. Wrestling has helped with it. There were times in wrestling I wanted to quit and give up. Instead, I pushed through it and worked hard and gained a lot of mental strength. It helped me get through my situation.”
Veteran Bobcats wrestling coach Rex Pomranka received the news from Inman directly when visiting her in the hospital. He began talking to local officials about whether or not Inman would be allowed to take wins for the team if opponents failed to produce a wrestler at 103 pounds.
Both the officials and Inman’s doctors gave her the green light.
“She said she had a plan as to how she was going to get out on the mat and that she’d show me at our first meet, which she did,” Pomranka said.
In the season opener Dec. 5 at Bronson, Inman locked the wheels on her wheelchair, climbed down to the floor and crawled out to the circle. Very few people in attendance had any idea what was happening, including referee Kevin Raber.
“I wasn’t trying to show pity or anything, but I was thinking about other kids possibly snickering or saying something that was inappropriate,” Raber recalled. “I took a couple steps to her so she didn’t have to crawl all the way out to the middle. I raised her arm up and congratulated her.
“When it was all done, I didn’t want anything negative to happen, so I said, ‘Do you mind if I pick you up?’ She said, ‘It’s up to you.’ I said, ‘Well, I’d like to.’ So, I just picked her up. Everybody started clapping and it was a very moving moment. I didn’t realize until I was in the middle of it what was going on. Man, I had to swallow my tears in that moment. It was definitely profound and moving for me.”
Inman didn’t know what to expect as she boldly slid out of her wheelchair.
“I was nervous and so embarrassed,” she said. “I told my assistant coach that I didn’t know if I was ready to go out there. I didn’t know how it was going to look. I built up some courage, crawled out and, with everybody clapping, it made me feel like I was still out there wrestling even if there wasn’t an opponent.”
She didn’t mind the lift from Raber either.
“When he asked to carry me, I was happy,” she said. “I didn’t want to crawl back to my chair. There was somebody who wanted to help and saw how hard I was willing to push myself.”
Raber, unaware of Inman’s accident and the community’s fundraising efforts, felt compelled to donate his check from that night, as well as additional money, to Inman’s family — information he didn’t voluntarily divulge. He even made a trip to Brandywine a week later to talk to her about that emotional night.
“I was honored to be in that moment with her,” he said. “I officiate because I love the sport of wrestling. If it could help her have a little brighter Christmas, to be able to help her parents or anything, she could use it with a better purpose than I ever could have.”
Like Raber, Pomranka hardly kept it together that evening.
“I was in tears,” said Pomranka, whose brother was paralyzed in an automobile accident nearly 30 years ago. “This was a goal she was shooting for. I was trying to hide the tears; I’m was glad she was able to get back on the mat and do something she enjoyed. I’m just happy she is here to finish out her senior year.”
It was Inman’s 76th career victory. She’s now at 95 with the season winding down.
“It’s either going to happen at our last dual meet or at Districts if everything goes right,” Pomranka said of Inman reaching 100 wins. “A lot of the coaches have been really nice to bump their lineup around so she can get the forfeit. I appreciate the coaches doing that. They want to see her get to 100.”
Inman’s father, Chris, thought back to the day in the hospital when he had to deliver news no parent should have to deliver.
“For a day and a half, I was upset because I held back,” he explained. “We wanted to get all the information from the doctors. But she was starting to figure it out.
“She said, ‘Dad, tell me what’s going on?’ I walked up with tears in my eyes and she knew. ‘I’m paralyzed, aren’t I?’ She looked away with a tear in her eye and she just collected her thoughts. It was that mentality that I’ve seen from her with any challenge she has ever faced. She said she was going to walk again. From that moment on, that has been her drive. She’ll never walk without the assistance of something, but her goal is to get back upright.”
More goals include driving a car and, even if reluctantly, getting back to everyday tasks a lot less exciting than wrestling.
“My mom (Pepper) is always pushing me to do things I may not like doing, even though I’m in a wheelchair,” Inman said. “She tells me, ‘Would you have done it if you weren’t in a wheelchair?’ So, I go and do it.”
She still enjoys working on cars and motorcycles, changing the brakes on her parents’ vehicles and getting her hands greasy. But Inman’s passion is helping animals, so she plans to attend Lake Michigan College for two years before working toward a degree in veterinary medicine at Michigan State University.
Helping her get there have been a host of teachers, friends and even strangers. Teachers film their classes and send the video to Inman while she’s doing physical therapy at Mary Free Bed in Grand Rapids two days a week. Her therapists, she said, are aiding Inman in reaching a goal: She plans to surprise everyone on graduation day.
The funds raised by the community have kept the Inman’s out of what would have been crushing debt from medical bills. They’ve read and saved every well-wishing card they’ve received.
Admittedly private, Chris – who teaches at Brandywine – described how the community has rallied behind his family as a humbling experience.
“Early on they had her on a video conference live at the school,” he said. “It was a big fundraiser. They panned around and Brandywine’s cafeteria and hallway for hours was crowded. (Searra) made the comment, ‘Good grief, with this much support I can’t fail.’
“That was huge for her. I’d go into Walmart or a gas station or whatever, and people would just come up and give me a hug and ask about Searra. We started to see the impact, and people started sharing their stories and how they gained strength through Searra’s story. She didn’t even realize the impact she was having on everybody. Now she realizes her decision to stay positive and to smile has really impacted people.”
“The world sometimes is a rough, hard place,” Chris said. “You hear about all the bad stuff. You initially think you’ll never get through this. But people come out in support and share their stories, and then you realize the place where you live is pretty amazing.”
So is watching Inman smile as her hand is raised in victory.
“I have known a lot of people who have given up on something they really enjoyed because something bad happened,” she said. “I’m hoping with this situation I can bring out the best in it and give other people who don’t think they have a chance at something a reason to go out there and strive for it.”
Wes Morgan has reported for the Kalamazoo Gazette, ESPN and ESPNChicago.com, 247Sports and Blue & Gold Illustrated over the last 12 years and is the publisher of JoeInsider.com. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Niles Brandywine wrestler Searra Inman is assisted off the mat by official Kevin Raber during a match this season. (Middle) Official John Bishop raises Inman's arm in victory during a match at Three Rivers. (Below) Brandywine coach Rex Pomranka assists Inman. (Top photo by Troy Tennyson/Coldwater Daily Reporter. Middle and below photos courtesy of JoeInsider.com.)
Davis Becomes Dundee's Latest Member of 4-4 Club with Individual Sweep
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
March 4, 2023
DETROIT – Winning four MHSAA Individual Finals wrestling titles is quite an accomplishment.
Winning eight total wrestling championships is even more impressive.
But, that’s becoming somewhat commonplace for the Dundee wrestling program.
On Saturday, Dundee senior Braeden Davis (41-0) became the fifth wrestler in MHSAA history to win a fourth individual wrestling state championship to go with four team state championships as he defeated Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Michael Wilson (32-4), 3-1, in the 132-pound Division 3 final.
Three of the five four-four winners have come from the Dundee program, as Davis joined Stoney Buell (2018-21) and Casey Swiderski (2019-22).
“It means a lot. I am glad and proud for myself. It’s a great privilege and great accomplishment,” Davis said of joining the four-time winner club. “It means a lot to (join the other two with eight titles). We trained a lot together. We all managed to succeed and get things done.”
Davis hadn’t seen a third round in his previous three Individual Finals weekends and still hadn’t until Saturday. The first two rounds of the championship match were scoreless before Davis got an escape to start the third and then finally scored a takedown later in the round to go up 3-0.
“I try not to think about (winning quickly) because that is something that can make me nervous. I just try to drown it out and not think about that,” Davis said. “I just had to wrestle smart and keep my hands down. I managed to hit a nice little go-behind.”
Davis was one of seven Dundee wrestlers to capture an individual championship Saturday.
106
Champion: Haydn Nutt, Dundee, Fr. (38-6)
Major Decision, 12-2, over Mason Haines, Dundee, Fr. (28-8)
A pair of Dundee freshmen collided in the 106-pound final, with Nutt scoring a decision over teammate Haines.
“It is kind of fun,” Nutt said of wrestling his teammate. “It was pretty exhausting, but it was fun. We’ve been wrestling since we were like 8, so we basically know everything about each other. I was just moving, scoring and shooting. That’s what was working.”
The two have had more competitive battles in the past, but Nutt was bringing an extra level of intensity in the championship bout.
“My blood was pumping the entire time,” Nutt said. “I felt like I had so much energy, and I couldn’t get rid of it.”
113
Champion: Dale Gant, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Fr. (39-6)
Decision, 2-1, over Talan Parsons, Ovid-Elsie, Jr. (50-1)
Gant knew he needed his best to get past the unbeaten Parsons. After a scoreless first period, Gant managed to secure a takedown in the second and then avoid getting put on his back in the third to hand Parsons his lone blemish of the season.
“I was just trying to stick to my stuff and not let him get comfortable,” Gant said. “I have lost to him in the past, so I knew what to expect from him.”
Following the victory, the GRCC freshman dove into his coaches’ arms, with his coaches perhaps even more excited than the new champion.
“This means a lot. I have been thinking about this day for years,” Gant said. “It’s been playing over and over in my mind. It’s just an amazing feeling.”
120
Champion: Kade Kluce, Dundee, Jr. (42-5)
Major Decision, 14-4, over Noah Harris, Richmond, Sr. (41-6)
Kluce has set himself up to possibly be the next in line for eight wrestling championships.
The Dundee junior claimed his third individual title Saturday to go along with three team titles.
“I feel I could have done better,” Kluce said. “I was hoping for a tech fall and I was close, but didn’t quite get it. But, I am still proud of myself.”
Kluce won the 103-pound title in 2021 and the 112-pound title a year ago.
“It feels easier as I go along,” Kluce said of the third title. “I have gotten used to the environment and just look to score as much as I can.”
126
Champion: Cameron Chinavare, Dundee, Jr. (37-2)
Decision, 3-0, over Gavyn Merchant, Kingsley, Jr. (44-2)
In a pretty defensive matchup, Chinavare rode out a first-round takedown to an eventual victory over a familiar opponent in Merchant.
“It was a dog fight out there. We just went out and scrapped. I had fun,” Chinavare said. “I knew his shot pretty well, and he just couldn’t get in on it.”
Chinavare was the 125-pound champion a year ago and used his big-match experience to keep Merchant from scoring.
“There is no better feeling than to win a state title,” Chinavare said. “It’s a great feeling.”
138
Champion: Kaden Chinavare, Dundee, Sr. (41-6)
Decision, 5-4, over Gianni Tripp, Alma, Sr. (51-6)
After scoring three first-round pins to reach the 138-pound final, Chinavare was pushed to the limit.
Tripp led 4-2 in the third period following a takedown, but Chinavare dug deep and got an escape before eventually getting the championship-winning takedown in the closing moments.
“I have been there a lot this whole season. My coach always just tells me to stay calm,” Chinavare said of the close match. “I just had to breath and get through those closing seconds. It was tough.”
Despite the lopsided wins earlier in the weekend, Chinavare knows that Saturday’s final is the kind of match that will make him a better wrestler.
“I just never stop the grind,” Chinavare said. “Even now, I will be wrestling again in a few days. The grind just doesn’t stop, and that’s what it takes.”
144
Champion: Camden Johnecheck, Williamston, Sr. (44-2)
Decision, 7-6, over Blake Cosby, Dundee, Fr. (42-7)
Johnecheck is all that kept Dundee’s wrestling program from crowning a record-tying eight individual champions Saturday.
The senior was down 5-0 early to Cosby, but rallied to even the match at 5-5. An escape from Cosby got him back in the lead, but Johnecheck managed to surge his way to a takedown in the closing seconds to win.
“I am known for my conditioning, and I felt like if I could make it to the third period, I could make up some ground,” Johnecheck said. “I had to go for something late, so I went for my single-leg and it just worked out.”
Knowing it was his final match, Johnecheck made sure he ended it on a high note.
“It’s always nice to be able to beat someone of his caliber,” Johnecheck said. “As a senior, it was my last match, and I didn’t want to have it be a loss to a freshman, so I had to lay it all out on the line.”
150
Champion: Kole Katschor, Dundee, Soph. (43-9)
Decision, 5-4 (OT), over Cole Karasinski, Grand Rapids West Catholic, Sr. (44-1)
Katschor held a 3-0 lead, but Karasinski managed to tie the match at the buzzer with a takedown to force OT with the score tied 4-4.
After a scoreless minute, Katschor managed to ride out Karasinski, and then earn an escape to score the 150-pound title.
“I just tried to ride him out and I knew if I could do that, I could get an escape on him,” Katschor said.
The title was the first of this Finals for Dundee, setting the tone for a big night for the program.
“It was a hard match, but I just really wanted that title,” Katschor said. “It is a sweet feeling to be able to get it.”
157
Champion: Aiden Davis, Dundee, Sr. (44-2)
Decision, 5-2, over Tyler Schofield, Olivet, Jr. (47-1)
After finishing runner-up in 2020, Davis completed a third-consecutive championship run. The two were tied at 1-1 during the third period, but Davis used his Finals experience to prevail.
“I felt pretty good during the match. (Schofield) wasn’t shooting much, so I felt like I was controlling the pace of the match and felt pretty comfortable,” Davis said.
Davis was the 135-pound champion in 2021 and the 145-pound champion last year. He credits his success to the support from the Dundee faithful.
“You see a sea of blue in the D3 section, and it’s amazing because they feed me energy,” Davis said. “The environment that Dundee provides is unlike any other.”
165
Champion: Kyan Fessenden, Kingsley, Sr. (41-1)
Decision, 4-3, over Connor Owens, Flint Powers Catholic, Sr. (26-2)
With his prep career winding down, Fessenden knew he had to pull out some magic.
Trailing 3-2 to Owens, the Kingsley senior fought his way to scoring a reversal in the closing seconds. That proved to be the difference.
“This was the last match of my high school career. You have to go big or go home, so that’s what I did,” Fessenden said.
The victory kept Owens from repeating as champion, while giving Fessenden his first title.
“It feels amazing. (Owens) is a great competitor, and being able to beat him makes it even more special,” Fessenden said. “He really pushed me to my limit.”
175
Champion: Noah Etnyre, Lutheran Westland, Sr. (46-3)
Fall, 2:35, over Gavin Craner, Belding, Soph. (53-5)
Only one pinfall victory occurred in the Division 3 Finals on Saturday, and that went to Etnyre.
He trailed Craner 2-0 early, but managed a quick escape and eventually secured a takedown early in the second period that led to a pin.
“I felt like I had better hips, and I felt like I would be able to win the scrambles with him. That’s what set up the win,” Etnyre said.
Etnyre was the Division 4 171-pound runner-up in 2022 and felt like Saturday’s victory was a nice redemption story to end his career.
“This feels great. It has been my goal since freshman year to win a state title,” Etnyre said. “I am just blessed to be here and be able to be a champion.”
190
Champion: Bryson Hughes, Reed City, Sr. (50-2)
Decision, 5-3 (OT), over Troy Demas, Constantine, Sr. (50-2)
A takedown in sudden victory was the difference as Hughes got past Demas.
“It was all about working. Just always work. Nothing is ever settled, you have to settle it yourself,” Hughes said. “That was a great challenge. (Demas) is a great athlete and an excellent wrestler. It was just about pushing myself to be the best.”
Each wrestler led during regulation, but were evenly matched. A fatigued Hughes could barely put into words how he felt about winning.
“It hasn’t quite hit me yet, but I know that in the days to come I am going to be very happy,” Hughes said.
215
Champion: Elizin Rouse, Kingsford, Jr. (35-4)
Decision, 5-3 (OT), over Bennett VandenBerg, Constantine, Jr. (54-2)
March is known for upsets, but the 11th-seeded Rouse provided one of the all-time upsets when he won the 215-pound championship this weekend.
“I knew the seeding wasn’t right. They haven’t watched me wrestle,” Rouse said of his seeding. “It’s no hate to them, they were just doing their job, but I had to prove them wrong.”
The junior from the Upper Peninsula needed overtime to get past VandenBerg. After trailing 2-0 in the second period, Rouse fought his way back and took a 3-2 lead in the third before VandenBerg forced OT with an escape.
In the extra period, Rouse powered his way to a takedown.
“We were both tired. I could hear him breathing heavy, and I know I was breathing heavy,” Rouse said. “I was just trying to push through to represent the boys from the U.P.”
285
Champion: Shane Cook, Whitehall, Sr. (62-0)
Decision, 9-5, over Landen Roe, Birch Run, Sr. (44-7)
The top seed and unbeaten Cook took control and never looked back. Going up 5-0 early in the second period, Cook was never in much danger of losing the 285-pound title match.
“The game plan was just to let it fly like I do any other match. Ultimately this match is just like any other. I had to score points like I would my other matches,” Cook said. “I was aggressive, and I was really happy with my performance.”
Saturday’s championship capped an impressive 62-0 record for the senior.
“It’s a pretty unreal feeling,” Cook said. “It hasn’t fully hit me yet. I’m trying to let it hit me, but it just hasn’t yet. I’m extremely happy right now, and I’m sure I’ll never forget this moment.”
PHOTOS (Top) Dundee’s Braeden Davis, top, works toward a win over Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Michael Wilson on Saturday at Ford Field. (Middle) Kingsley’s Kyan Fessenden, left, shows his chart after defeating a past champion in his Finals bout. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)