Performance: DCC's Kevon Davenport
February 28, 2019
Kevon Davenport
Detroit Catholic Central senior – Wrestling
As he had the past two years, Davenport played a major part in Detroit Catholic Central claiming its third straight Division 1 team championship Saturday at Wings Event Center. The nationally-regarded 145-pounder picked up three victories on the weekend, all wrestling up at 152 pounds, in earning the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
Davenport won with a pin in 4 minutes, 50 seconds against Clarkston’s Jacob Billette in the Quarterfinal, a 21-5 technical fall against Westland John Glenn’s Brenten Polk in the Semifinal and a 7-3 decision against Brighton’s Victor Grabowski in the Final. Those victories improved Davenport’s record this season to 34-1, with his only defeat coming against an opponent from Indiana by 5-2 decision while wrestling up at 160 pounds.
What also made this season’s team championship special was Davenport was able to compete with his brother Kamron, a freshman who wrestles at 125 pounds. Now Kevon gets a chance to finish on an individually historic note. Davenport will bring a 167-10 career record into this weekend’s Individual Finals at Ford Field, where he will attempt to become the 25th or 26th wrestler – and first from DCC – to win four MHSAA titles (Hudson’s Jordan Hamdan also will try to win his fourth). Davenport’s first three championships came at 119, 130 and 145 pounds, and he’s the top seed at 145 with matches set to begin Friday. Davenport carries a 3.0 GPA and has signed to continue his career next season at University of Nebraska, where he intends to study sports media and communications.
Coach Mitch Hancock said: “Kevon is an incredibly gifted and hard-working young man. He's very well-liked and respected by his peers and amongst his teachers here at Catholic Central. Kevon has the opportunity this weekend to do something very special, and we are proud of the hard work, dedication, and focus he's put into representing himself, his family and Catholic Central in an incredible way. I consider it a blessing to be a part of Kevon's life. He's an incredibly mature, selfless, and caring person. His personality shines brightly, and he is very respectful and humble. Kevon has incredible mentors in his father Kevon and mother Izetta.”
Performance Point: “We tried to stay even keeled, not get too high or too low,” Davenport said of the championship match against Brighton. “We had a mindset on dominating, and I felt like in the matches that we won, we controlled the pace, we did our thing and tried our best to wrestle our style. We were just trying to come out with a mindset of dominating and having fun.”
Starting strong: “I think it had a huge impact on the dual, being able to get the momentum rolling and kind of keep things going from there. We talked a lot about that. Momentum is a big thing for us, so that’s really important to us.”
Bringing brother on the ride: “That was really fun. (Kamron) was a little down on himself because he lost, but he clinched the dual for us. He didn’t get pinned, so that clinched the dual for us. I think it was really cool just being able to experience this entire season, my last high school season, with my brother. I think it was a great feeling.”
Not much time to celebrate: “It feels great, but at the end of the day, I’ve still got one more week, I’ve still got history to chase. Next weekend, I look forward to being crowned the first four-time champ in CC history. It feels great, but at the end of the day, we still have work to be done.”
Focus on 4: “It would mean a lot (to win a fourth championship). It’s something that I worked a lot for, as far as coming up through middle school. That’s always everybody’s goal coming up, being a four-time champ, and you want to chase that goal. For it to be so close to me and such an attainable goal, it’s really unfathomable, especially at CC.”
- Paul Costanzo, Second Half correspondent
Every week during the 2018-19 school year, Second Half and the Michigan Army National Guard recognizes a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Past 2018-19 honorees
February 21: Reagan Olli, Gaylord skiing - Read
February 14: Jake Stevenson, Traverse City Bay Reps hockey - Read
February 7: Molly Davis, Midland Dow basketball - Read
January 31: Chris DeRocher, Alpena basketball - Read
January 24: Imari Blond, Flint Kearsley bowling - Read
January 17: William Dunn, Quincy basketball - Read
November 29: Dequan Finn, Detroit Martin Luther King football - Read
November 22: Paige Briggs, Lake Orion volleyball - Read
November 15: Hunter Nowak, Morrice football - Read
November 8: Jon Dougherty, Detroit Country Day soccer - Read
November 1: Jordan Stump, Camden-Frontier volleyball - Read
October 25: Danielle Staskowski, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep golf - Read
October 18: Adam Bruce, Gladstone cross country - Read
October 11: Ericka VanderLende, Rockford cross country - Read
October 4: Kobe Clark, Schoolcraft football - Read
September 27: Jonathan Kliewer, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern soccer - Read
September 20: Kiera Lasky, Bronson volleyball - Read
September 13: Judy Rector, Hanover-Horton cross country - Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Detroit Catholic Central’s Kevon Davenport works toward a pin during the Shamrocks’ Quarterfinal win over Clarkston on Friday. (Middle) Davenport’s arm is raised in victory at Wings Event Center. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Hruska Earning Fame as Iron Mountain Continues Climb with District Title
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
February 10, 2023
IRON MOUNTAIN — Shayna Hruska accomplished what no other Upper Peninsula female wrestler had before, becoming the first girl to capture a title at the Upper Peninsula Wrestling Championships and being selected the meet’s Outstanding Wrestler in Marquette on Jan. 21.
The Iron Mountain junior has gone on to earn her second straight Mid-Peninsula Conference championship at Ishpeming on Feb. 4, gaining top honors at 106 pounds after winning at 103 a year ago.
The Mountaineers have since captured a Division 4 Team District title Wednesday night in a 49-27 defeat of Bark River-Harris. They host the Team Regional on Feb. 15.
They’re also entered in Saturday’s Individual District at Manistique. Hruska, however, elected to pass on the Individual District in favor of competing in the Girls Regional on Feb. 19 at Grayling or Cadillac.
Female wrestlers are allowed to wrestle the individual postseason beginning either with the District including boys competitors, or in the Girls Regional bracket that feeds into the Girls Individual Finals; both finish at Ford Field.
“Girls wrestling is growing, which makes for stronger competition,” she said. “I’m really grateful for my teammates and coaches because they push me to get better.
“Wrestling on a Sunday will be a little different, but I don’t think it will be too much of an adjustment. I just need to get plenty of rest and eat healthy.”
Hruska secured the U.P. title by taking an 8-2 decision from St. Ignace freshman Dalton Champion in the 106-pound final.
“I was really excited, but right now I’m working toward Regional and state tournaments” she said. “Wrestling against the boys prepares me a lot. They have a different technique. Every wrestler is different. Wrestling the boys is harder, but prepares you better.”
Iron Mountain is loaded with experienced standouts this season. Senior Shawn McGuire won last season’s Division 4 Finals championship at 119 pounds, and junior Tyler Winch was the runner-up at that weight. Senior Evan Haferkorn and juniors Fulton Stroud and Alex Wilson all placed at last season’s Finals as well.
Coach Cory McLaren said Hruska does plenty to bolster the lineup as well.
“We need her in our lineup,” he added. “People are recognizing her. We’re hoping she encourages other girls to try out. She has the fire and desire. She’s also growing and starting to get longer.”
Hruska became interested in wrestling when she was in third grade.
“I wanted to join wrestling and brought home a permission slip,” she said. “My parents tried to discourage me because they didn’t think I’d like it, then I brought home another permission slip and they signed it. They’ve learned to enjoy it and really loved wrestling since I went out. I’ve improved a lot. I used to be real nervous and would sometimes get sick, but I’ve learned to overcome that.”
A week before the M-PC meet, Hruska was runner-up by one point in a tournament at Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
“I was on top trying to score and ran out of time,” she said. “I’ve learned to take it one match at a time and never underestimate anybody.”
Iron Mountain placed fourth among 21 teams at Sturgeon Bay prior to retaining the league title a few days later.
“That was a tough tournament,” said McLaren. “There was very strong competition down there. We had some kids out with the flu, but it was still a real good experience for us.”
John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
PHOTO Iron Mountain’s winners at the U.P. Championships at Marquette hold up their charts, from left: Evan Haferkorn, Fulton Stroud, Shawn McGuire, Alex Wilson and Shayna Hruska. (Photo courtesy of the Iron Mountain wrestling program.)