Through the Years: Wrestling 1948-2016

September 9, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

We pick back up our series on MHSAA tournaments through the years with one that's enjoyed one of the longest traditions despite evolving to include a new format only a few decades ago.

The MHSAA has sponsored a wrestling tournament since 1948, splitting the postseason into team and individual portions in 1988 to allow for celebrations of both the individual excellence and exciting team aspects of the sport.

This feature is from the spring issue of benchmarks, built and written by Rob Kaminski. Scroll to the bottom of the page for links to our previous installments.

 

Previous installments 

August 26: Boys/Girls Skiing - Read
August 23:
Boys/Girls Bowling - Read
August 19:
Boys Ice Hockey - Read
August 16:
Girls Gymnastics - Read
August 12:
Boys/Girls Swimming & Diving - Read
August 9:
Football - Read
August 5:
Girls Volleyball - Read
August 2:
Boys Soccer - Read
July 30:
Boys Cross Country - Read
July 26:
Girls Cross Country - Read
July 22:
Boys/Girls Lacrosse - Read
July 19:
Boys/Girls Tennis - Read
July 15:
Boys/Girls Golf - Read
July 12:
Girls Soccer - Read
July 8:
Boys Track & Field - Read
July 5:
Girls Track & Field - Read
July 1:
Baseball - Read
June 28:
Softball - Read

Dundee Continues Winning Ways with 7th-Consecutive D3 Final Victory

By Jeff Chaney
Special for MHSAA.com

February 24, 2024

KALAMAZOO -- One thing Dundee’s wrestling community knows about is winning. 

The Vikings continued to make history in Division 3 on Saturday at the Wings Event Center, as they won their seventh-straight team title with a 49-20 clincher over Whitehall in the championship match.

In total, Dundee has won nine of the past 11 Division 3 team titles, and 16 Finals championships overall.

"This is a special group of kids, and a special community," Dundee co-coach Garrett Stevens said. "Every time we do something like this, it's just a special chapter, and I am thankful to be a part of it."

One of those special – and talented – athletes, Kade Kluce, got things started for Dundee in the Final with a hard-fought 8-2 opening win over Whitehall's Nolan Taranko in their 126-pound match.

Kluce, a senior, has played a major part of four team titles, and will look to join an exclusive group next week at Ford Field when he tries to win his fourth individual championship. If he accomplishes that feat, he will join former Vikings Braeden Davis, Casey Swiderski and Stoney Buell as well as Lowell's Austin Boone and Davison's Brent Metcalf as the only wrestlers in the state of Michigan to win four individual and four team titles.

"That's my biggest goal I have right now, aside from being in college," Kluce said. "That's what I have worked so hard for ever since I got to high school."

Whitehall’s Gavin Craner, left, controls his match at 175.Kluce said it's easy to have goals and work hard at Dundee.

"This is a family," Kluce added. "We do everything together, and we have great leadership that helps us be a part of everyone's matches."

That strong camaraderie was on display all weekend for the Vikings, as they defeated Lake Odessa Lakewood in the Quarterfinal on Friday 58-18, followed by a 49-22 win over Constantine in the Saturday morning Semifinal.

Then in the championship match, Dundee won 10 of 14 bouts – none bigger than what senior Aiden Massingill achieved at 215 pounds, defeating an Individual Finals qualifier to give the Vikings a 32-18 lead.

That seemed to ease a little tension, as Whitehall had put up a nice fight by winning three of the previous four matches. 

"I just told my kids to go out there and wrestle hard, and they did that," said Whitehall coach Justin Zeerip, whose team finished with a 29-4 record. "To be in the Finals three of the last four years has been awesome."

To make it three in the past four, Whitehall met an old foe in its Semifinal match.

"I was proud of our team for beating Clinton in the Semifinals," Zeerip said. "We beat them by one point earlier in the year and then beat them by 20 in the Semifinals. I was proud of how our kids wrestled this weekend."

But the weekend belonged to Dundee -- again. 

"Winning like this starts at home," said Stevens, whose team ended with an 18-5 record. "You need to get your sleep, discipline in your diet, and do well in the classroom. Then you have to stay healthy and put in the work. And if you do all the things right and at the end of the day you get your hand raised -- that's winning."

Click for full results.

PHOTOS (Top) Dundee’s Aiden Massingill has his arm raised in victory after a key win at 215 pounds Saturday. (Middle) Whitehall’s Gavin Craner, left, controls his match at 175. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)