Imlay City's D'Ambrosio: Calm, Cool & Contending for School's 1st Mat Championship
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
February 7, 2024
Dominic D’Ambrosio’s answer when asked at 5 years old if he wanted to start wrestling was probably a clue for what was to come.
“I remember when my dad asked me if I wanted to wrestle,” D’Ambrosio said. “I think I just said, ‘Sure.’”
It’s not that D’Ambrosio would be nonchalant or aloof when it came to wrestling. He’s quite the opposite, actually. The work he’s put in has him unbeaten at 43-0 as a senior, ranked among the top four at 138 pounds in Division 3, and threatening to become the Spartans’ first Individual Finals champion.
The clue was that D’Ambrosio was going to be calm and cool on the mat, and have a grounded view of the sport off it, which has also helped him reach those heights.
“When I was younger, I got an award for being a cool cucumber – the Cool as a Cucumber award,” he said. “When I lose, I just look at it as I can get better from it. At the end of the day, it’s just a game. It’s serious, the work you put into it, but it’s not so serious. If you lose, you just want to get better. I just like to get the work done.”
To be fair, D’Ambrosio doesn’t do much losing.
He’s dropped just nine matches during his four-year career, compared to 159 wins, and a third of those losses came against Dundee four-time Finals champion Braeden Davis, who is now unbeaten and ranked No. 5 in the country at 125 pounds as a true freshman at Penn State.
D’Ambrosio was 14-0 as a freshman when COVID-19 ended the Spartans’ 2020-21 season short of the postseason. He placed third at the Finals as a sophomore, and fifth as a junior.
He has his eyes on the ultimate prize this year, and for a moment he allowed the thought to get him out of his even-keeled nature. But even that doesn’t last long.
“It would be pretty special,” he said. “I’ve been working hard for it. But, either way, I’m just going to go and leave it all out there.”
D’Ambrosio is the son of Imlay City coach Tony D’Ambrosio, which in some cases could create more pressure. But not this one. And a lot of that could be credited to Tony.
“We always tried to keep the pressure low and just have fun,” said Tony D’Ambrosio, who is in his 10th year at the helm in Imlay City. “We just focus on getting better. He’s always just wrestled. It’s just how he is. Dominic doesn’t even look at the brackets. He doesn’t find out who he’s wrestling until he shakes hands.”
What happens after they shake hands isn’t what one would expect from someone who could win that same Cool as a Cucumber award every year.
D’Ambrosio’s matches typically don’t last long. Of his 159 wins, 105 have come by pin, including all three of his wins at the 2023 Individual Finals. As a junior, he set the school pin record at 41. This season, 32 of his 43 wins have been by pinfall.
Just four of his matches have gone beyond the first period this season, and only two of those have gone the distance.
“This year, he’s really been turning it all on,” Tony D’Ambrosio said. “He didn’t start pinning a lot until later on into middle school and high school. It’s just basic stuff, not anything fancy. He’s a nice kid, but when he’s on the mat, he’s going to turn you over.”
Dominic isn’t a thrower, and his pins aren’t the result of catching an opponent in anything fluky. He’s just meticulous, and able to take advantage of any opening he’s given.
“I’m (working on a half Nelson) 100 times, 200 times during the week, so I’ll be able to hit it during the weekend,” he said. “If I got somebody’s head, nobody is getting out of it. I can just flow really well into a pinning sequence.”
As he pins his way through the season, D’Ambrosio is racking up awards. He’s been named Most Valuable Wrestler at four tournaments bouncing between 138 and 144, and at one point found himself ranked No. 1 by Michigan Grappler at 138.
As you would expect, he hasn’t allowed that to get to his head, and as his father puts it, “the only ranking that matters is the podium.”
With District tournaments this week, D’Ambrosio now can focus 100 percent of his efforts on getting to the top of that podium. But don’t expect the pressure to mount in his house or on the mat.
“It would be special,” Tony D’Ambrosio said. “But, again, as long as he goes out there and just does what he does, and does his best – it’s kind of like the NCAAs, you have to have a good weekend. It doesn’t dictate who you are. It would be awesome, and it’s a great goal to have. It would be a great goal to accomplish and be the first (from Imlay City). But wherever he ends up, I’m going to be proud of what he’s done.”
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) Imlay City’s Dominic D’Ambrosio, right, wrestles to a fifth-place finish at 132 pounds in Division 3 last season at Ford Field. (Middle) D’Ambrosio, right, takes to the mat during his early years in the sport. (Below) D’Ambrosio, right, works to pin an opponent. (Top photo by High School Sports Scene; other photos courtesy of the D’Ambrosio family.)
DCC's Marines 'Finishes Business' of Perfect Season, 4th Title Pursuit
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 2, 2024
DETROIT – Even after he capped a remarkable wrestling career at Detroit Catholic Central on Saturday with a fourth-straight Division 1 Individual Finals title, Darius Marines was all business.
“It’s amazing,” Marines said. “My goal coming in here today was just to finish business. I’ve done this before, three times before, so this is nothing different. It’s just another business day. And I got it done.”
The Catholic Central senior was dominant in a 10-2 win against Roseville sophomore Jay’Den Williams at Ford Field, becoming the 36th Michigan wrestler to win four individual titles. Dundee’s Kade Kluce would become No. 37 later in the night.
Marines – who won at 145, 152, and 157 in his final two seasons and finished this one 50-0 – is the third Catholic Central wrestler to accomplish the feat. He also claimed title No. 6, as he and the Shamrocks had won their second-straight Team Finals title a week earlier.
He was one of five Shamrocks to win a title Saturday.
Williams entered the match unbeaten at 49-0 and was making his second-straight appearance in an Individual Final. He lost a year ago in the 144-pound final against Marines’ former CC teammate Clayton Jones.
“He’s a Greco guy, he did really good at Fargo (Nationals),” Marines said. “He got sixth at Fargo last year, so I knew he was going look for under-hooks and upper body things. My plan was just to stay out of his positions and get to my stuff, and that’s what I did.”
106
Champion: Steve Vaughn, Davison, Fr. (35-8)
Decision, 6-1, over Ethan Smith, Brighton, Soph. (47-7)
With a large contingent of his Davison teammates cheering him on matside, “Stevie” took control of the 106-pound Final with a first-period takedown, and never looked back.
He added a reversal and another takedown in the third to claim his first title in his first opportunity.
“It feels great man,” Vaughn said. “I’ve been working my whole life for this. I’ve been thinking this the whole year. Ever since I came in, I’ve been working, grinding.”
113
Champion: Wyatt Lees, Detroit Catholic Central, Soph. (49-5)
Fall, 1:42, over Matthew Quigley, Traverse City West, Fr. (46-4)
Lees made it two-for-two at Ford Field, quickly working for a pin to claim his second Finals title. He won his first a year ago at 106 pounds.
“It’s fun,” he said. “It felt really good.”
While he has two more to win, Lees now has his sights set on joining Marines as the next four-timer at Catholic Central.
“That’s always been my goal since setting foot at CC,” he said.
120
Champion: Archer Anderson, Clarkston, Jr. (32-5)
Decision, 10-8 OT, over Preston Lefevre, Clarkston, Jr. (33-6)
After finishing runner-up a year ago, Anderson wasn’t going to let anything stand in his way of coming out on top. Not even a 5-2 third-period deficit against his teammate.
Anderson rattled off three takedowns in the final period and added another in overtime to claim his first Finals title.
“I was just trying to score points,” he said. “I was just trying to score points and come back from the tilt he got me in.”
He said wrestling a teammate in the Final made things more nerve-racking.
“It makes it worse,” Anderson said. “We’ve wrestled each other so many times. The more you wrestle a kid, the tighter the match is going to get. It shows.”
126
Champion: Grayson Fuchs, Detroit Catholic Central, Fr. (42-6)
Decision, 8-5, over Bohdan Abbey, Hartland, Soph. (57-1)
The moment wasn’t too big for Fuchs, who wrestled his first Final at Ford Field against an unbeaten returning Finals champion in Abbey.
“I had a lot of confidence I was going to win a state title,” Fuchs said. “There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to be at the top of that podium. I was confident.”
Fuchs was able to build an early lead and hold Abbey at bay down the stretch.
“It was vital that I got a takedown at the beginning and got some points up,” he said. “I know that with my head and hands defense, he wouldn’t be able to score on me. It was important for me to get those first points, and that tilt was big.”
132
Champion: Dallas Korponic, Hartland, Soph. (53-5)
Decision, 6-4, over Josh Vasquez, Grandville, Jr. (36-3)
Korponic trailed 3-2 in the third period before seeing an opening and taking it.
With 51 seconds remaining in the match, Korponic was able to reverse Vasquez and put him to his back, taking the lead with a four-point move that wound up winning him his first Finals title.
“He’s a funky kid, and I knew I was going to have to wrestle the whole match, and one of those times he was going to roll and I was going to take advantage of it,” Korponic said. “He got too low on me, and basically all I had to do was step over him for a headlock.”
Korponic held Vasquez off at the end, shooting a single leg and holding on as the final seconds ticked off.
138
Champion: Wyatt Hepner, Grosse Pointe South, Jr. (48-0)
Decision, 1-0, over Sam Agnello, Utica Eisenhower, Sr. (38-3)
Hepner knew points would be at a premium in this Regional rematch, and a second-period escape wound up being the only point scored, proving him right and making him Grosse Pointe South’s first Finals champion.
“It feels pretty awesome to say,” Hepner said. “I’m making history, which is awesome, and just having an impact on the Grosse Pointe South wrestling community. Hopefully we’ll just enlarge it and keep it growing.”
Hepner came close a year ago, finishing runner-up at 126 pounds.
144
Champion: Justin Gates, Davison, Sr. (41-2)
Technical fall, 25-10 (4:21), over Tanner McDunnah, Davison, Jr. (33-8)
Gates finished his career as a three-time Finals champion and four-time finalist.
He won at 103 as a freshman and 138 as a junior, while taking second as a sophomore.
“It feels great,” he said. “The work I put in every day, the work my teammates put in and helped me with every day, all my coaches, my family – I just want to thank them, I wouldn’t be able to do it without them. It’s just bittersweet leaving it all out there, that’s my last high school match I’ll ever wrestle, and I just tried to enjoy the moment and be present in it.”
Gates had high praise for his teammate, McDunnah, who was his roommate for the weekend.
“There’s nothing like losing the state finals that will give you that sting that you need to put a little extra work in,” Gates said. “Tanner is the type of kid to just out-work everybody. I’m sure he’s going to use that as extra motivation. I’ll expect him to be on the top of the podium next year for sure.”
150
Champion: Mason Stewart, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (50-3)
Decision, 3-1, over Vinnie Abbey, Hartland, Sr. (50-5)
Stewart lost a heartbreaker at the 2023 Finals and had a bit of a flashback when Abbey – also a Finals runner-up a year ago – looked to have secured a takedown in the final seconds to force overtime.
After officials discussed the call, however, it was ruled that Stewart had successfully fought him off, and the match was over.
“It was the best feeling in the world, honestly,” Stewart said. “I was in the same exact position a year ago, lost in the Finals, the guy reversed with short-time left, and it was one of the worst pains I’ve felt in my life. I knew that was never going to happen again. I wasn’t going to let that happen to myself. I just had to win.”
165
Champion: Zak Knapp, Brighton, Sr. (50-4)
Major decision, 13-1, over Zachary Taylor, Gibraltar Carlson, Jr. (52-1)
Knapp wasted little time taking control of this match, putting up eight points in the first period en route to his first Finals title.
“Every day in the room, I was just putting in the work,” he said. “I was super excited to be out here. I took it all in, I put my mind to being a state champ. I was pacing back and forth saying, ‘I’m the champ. The champ is here.’ I was ready for everything, and I stepped onto the mat, I was just going to go out there and give it my all and do whatever I can.”
175
Champion: Dylan Scott, Waterford Kettering, Sr. (38-2)
Decision, 5-3 OT, over Micah Roper, Oxford, Sr. (40-4)
Scott considers himself more of a defensive wrestler, but when overtime came around, he knew he had to be on the offensive.
His aggressiveness paid off, as he was able to get the winning takedown to claim his first Finals title.
“Honestly, I’m a big defensive guy,” he said. “But throughout this year and other seasons, I’ve always lost by a takedown. My coach told me, ‘Takedowns win matches.’ So, right then and there, I had to make it count.”
Scott’s defense did come in handy late in regulation, however, as Roper was able to get in on his legs with the score tied at 3. But Scott was able to fight him off and force sudden victory.
190
Champion: Brock Trevino, Clarkston, Sr. (25-1)
Fall, 1:57, over Adam Bazzi, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, Sr. (42-3)
Trevino said he wrestles by feel, so when he felt he had Bazzi in a compromising position, he went with it, even though it was a move with which he wasn’t really familiar.
“It was pure luck, I don’t really drill that move ever, but it worked,” Trevino said. “It was a feel thing, you know. I get comfortable in positions, and that’s usually how I win. I’m not very technical, I just wrestle for positioning.”
After the win, Trevino busted out an air guitar, leg-kick celebration that was fitting of his wrestling style.
“My coach was just like, ‘C’mon, it’ll be sick,’” Trevino said.
215
Champion: Connor Bercume, Detroit Catholic Central, Jr. (43-3)
Decision, 5-3, over Logan Tollison, Grand Ledge, Soph. (48-4)
Bercume successfully defended his title at 215 pounds to become a two-time Finals champion.
“It feels pretty good,” he said. “I’m really not happy with the way I performed in the Final, but happy to have won.”
Bercume got an early takedown in the match and looked to be on his way to cruising, but Tollison settled into the match and gave him a fight until the final whistle.
285
Champion: Ryan Ahern, Rockford, Sr. (49-1)
Major decision, 17-6, over Anton Barynas, Jenison, Jr. (46-6)
Ahern weighed in at 211 pounds for the weekend, but that didn’t stop him from dominating the division and claiming his fourth all-state finish and first Finals title.
“It feels really good to finally get a win in the state Finals,” he said. “I feel like I’ve always been super motivated, but just throughout the years I’ve gotten better and better with great practice partners. Every year, I’ve had a bunch of different guys to practice with, and different coaches.”
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Catholic Central’s Darius Marines has his wrist raised in victory after clinching his fourth Individual Finals championship Saturday. (Middle) Davison’s Justin Gates, right, wrestles teammate Tanner McDunnah en route to claiming his third title. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)