Queen of the Mat
December 16, 2011
DEWITT – Even if they haven’t faced her, most Lansing-area wrestlers have heard of Rachel McFarland.
It’s a different story when DeWitt hits the road for Saturday tournaments. McFarland will run up against opponents who don’t know a thing about her – until she beats them.
The Panthers senior has won more than 100 matches over the last three seasons. She’s been asked about wrestling boys probably as many times.
“Sometimes, I feel bad for them. I’m not going to lie,” McFarland said, breaking into a laugh. “I don’t think of (wrestling boys) in a different way. But for guys, it’s probably weird because they never wrestle a girl.
“I just wrestle.”
A girl wrestling on an MHSAA team isn’t rare -- roughly 146 have participated in the sport per season over the last three. But McFarland is special.
She signed a letter of intent Wednesday to accept 
nearly a full scholarship from NAIA Oklahoma City University, which has the top-ranked women’s collegiate wrestling program in the country this season. She’s also wrestled on the international mat, taking fifth in a world competition in Hungary over the summer.
A 112-pounder, McFarland will carry a 101-39 record into her final high school season later this month. She’s both won a CAAC Gold championship and finished runner-up, and as a sophomore advanced to the MHSAA Regional round.
Not bad for only five years in the sport. After sitting through her younger brother’s tournaments while they were growing up, she decided in eighth grade to join her middle school team. She was tired of watching and not being a part. And she was drawn to the sport’s intensity.
“She had the drive to be great. I’ve never seen an athlete in any of my sports with such work ethic and dedication,” said DeWitt coach Brian Byars, who also coaches the school’s boys cross country team. “And so we knew that she could be something special. We just didn’t know what.
“Her commitment and desire kept her achieving goals, and we just kept setting them higher and higher. And then we just started realizing what a treasure we have.”
McFarland is following a short line to success at the MHSAA level. Goodrich’s C.C. Weber finished fourth in Division 3 at 103 pounds in 2009, the best MHSAA Finals finish by a girl. Martin’s Amy Berridge finished seventh at 103 in Division 4 in 2004. McFarland will be Oklahoma City teammates with Kristi Garr, also from Goodrich and an MHSAA Finals qualifier in 2010.
McFarland was a softball player during her middle school years, and ran cross country and track earlier in her high school career. She had picked up some wrestling knowledge watching her brother, and the rest came from natural ability and a lot of work on technique.
“I thought I was going to beat her because she’s a girl. She totally was better,” said DeWitt sophomore Alex Lantz, McFarland’s practice partner last season. “When she roughs around the guys a little bit, it’s like ‘Whoa, she just threw me. I’ve got to do it back or something.’”
McFarland’s success is opening the wrestling room door for other interested girls at her school. A few gave the sport a brief try over the last few seasons, and Byars said one in particular has talked to both he and McFarland about joining the team this winter. Byars and McFarland also have discussed starting a little girls wrestling program in their community.
McFarland also considered signing with King College (Tenn.) and Menlo College (Calif.), which like Oklahoma City are members of the 14-team Women’s College Wrestling Association. She intends to study biomedical science and will move far from her family – but anticipates few changes to life on the mat despite the fact she’ll no longer be wrestling boys.
“Everyone knows girls are more dramatic, so there might be more drama. But I think it will be about the same,” McFarland said. “I’ll definitely miss the guys. It’s fun being with them. But I think it will be OK. (The girls) are all wrestlers. They’ll understand.”
D2 Preview: Parade of Possibilities
February 27, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
If seeds hold up this weekend, 11 schools will have representation atop the podium at the Division 2 Individual Wrestling Finals at Ford Field.
That wouldn’t be unprecedented; in fact, last season’s Division 2 championship matches produced winners from 13 schools. Gaylord celebrated two champions in 2018; St. Johns, Lowell and Holly are seeded to do the same Saturday.
Below, we look at 10 contenders to watch in Division 2, plus list everyone who finished at least as a runner-up in 2018 and all of the top seeds heading into this weekend. Surely we still missed a few who will end up rising to the top of the podium Saturday – but come back to Second Half early Sunday as we’ll interview and report on all 56 champions.
The “Grand March” on Friday begins at 11 a.m., with five rounds wrestled throughout the day including the semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Wrestling picks back up with consolation rounds at 9 a.m. Saturday, and concludes with the championship matches that afternoon at 3 p.m.
Follow all matches on a subscription basis live on MHSAA.tv, and click here for results at MHSAA.com.
112 Sean Spidle, Flint Powers Catholic junior (33-0) – Last season’s Division 3 champion at 112 pounds also won 103 as a freshman. He’s the top seed at 112 in his new division as he goes for a third championship.
119: Vincent Perez, Tecumseh senior (49-0) – The top seed at 119 hasn’t lost since falling in last year’s 112 championship match to Gaylord’s Chayse LaJoie (see below), avenging that defeat at last weekend’s Team Quarterfinals with a 5-4 win. Perez also took third at 103 as a sophomore.
125: Chayse LaJoie, Gaylord junior (45-1) – The top seed at 125 is wrestling for his third Finals championship after winning 103 as a freshman and 112 last season. His only defeat this winter came last weekend to Tecumseh’s Perez in a rematch of last year’s title bout.
125: Chaise Mayer, Warren Woods Tower senior (40-3) – After finishing runner-up at 103 as a freshman and 112 as a sophomore, Mayer took third last year after entering as the top seed at 125. He’s back at that weight and on the opposite side of the bracket from LaJoie. Mayer’s losses this winter all came to wrestlers holding top seeds this weekend.
140: Avry Mutschler, Lowell senior (33-2) – After finishing runner-up at 135 last season, Mutschler enters as the favorite at 140 with his only in-state loss to reigning Division 1 champ Derek Gilcher from Detroit Catholic Central. Mutschler also finished fourth at 130 as a freshman and third at 140 as a sophomore.
145: Caleb Fish, Eaton Rapids junior (40-1) – Fish missed a first championship last season falling 6-4 to St. Johns’ James Whitaker (below) in the final at 140. Fish is the top seed at 145 this time, and his only loss was to Whitaker after also beating him this winter. Fish also took fifth at 135 as a freshman.
152: Austin Boone, Lowell junior (27-4) – The two-time champ is looking to add to titles won at 135 two years ago and 145 last winter. He’s the top seed at this weight with his two in-state losses to reigning Division 1 champs Kevon Davenport of Detroit Catholic Central (3-2) and Alex Facundo of Davison (3-1, sudden victory).
152: James Whitaker, St. Johns senior (31-2) – Although Boone is on top of this bracket, Whitaker has a path to meet him in the championship match. He won 140 last season and finished fourth at 135 as a sophomore, and his only in-state loss this season was to Eaton Rapids’ Fish.
160: Alec Rees, Sparta senior (37-1) – The top seed at 160 won 152 last season, finished runner-up at 145 as a sophomore and fifth at 140 as a freshman. He has just two losses over the last three seasons.
171: Ryan Ringler, Cedar Springs senior (44-0) – The top seed at 171 is the reigning champion at this weight and a combined 97-1 over the last two seasons. He’s 199-8 for his career and also finished third at this weight as both a freshman and sophomore.
Other 2018 runners-up: 112 Nicholas Korhorn, Lowell (23-9, 103 in 2018); 125 Caleb Teague, Goodrich senior (42-7, 119 in 2018); 135 Matthew Tomsett, Madison Heights Lamphere senior (49-2, 130 in 2018); 189 Cade Dallwitz, Holly senior (51-1, 171 in 2018); 285 Joel Radvansky, Warren Woods-Tower senior (40-4, 215 in 2018).
Additional No. 1 seeds: 103 Jacob Brya, St. Johns freshman (38-2); 130 Kaleob Whitford, St. Johns senior (38-2), 135 Jacob Gonzales, Holly freshman (48-1); 189 Cade Dallwitz, Holly senior (51-1); 215 Taye Ghadiali, Warren Fitzgerald senior (41-0); 285 Donovan King, Farmington senior (47-2).
Also undefeated: 140 Nick Matusko, Chelsea junior (42-0); 140 Owen Zablocki, New Boston Huron senior (32-0); 145 Jacob Lanzini, Trenton senior (51-0).
PHOTO: Gaylord’s Chayse LaJoie, left, and Tecumseh’s Vincent Perez locked up during last weekend’s Team Quarterfinals; both are top seeds heading into this weekend’s Individual Finals. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)