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
Edwards Celebrates Victory, then Reunion
March 5, 2015
By Jeff Chaney
Special for Second Half
AUBURN HILLS – Day One of the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals always is exciting for the wrestlers who qualified.
It was twice as exciting for Iron Mountain senior 130-pounder Alex Edwards.
Well, maybe three times exciting.
Not only was he competing in his third Finals, but he also picked up win 150 in his career with a 24-7 technical fall win over Vandercook Lake's Chaun Fluker in their first-round match in Division 4 on Thursday at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
But most exciting for Edwards was that his older brother, Charles Edwards, flew in from Florida, three weeks shy of deploying to Afghanistan, to watch Edwards get to work.
Charles Edwards is a senior airman in the Air Force.
"I didn't have a clue he was coming, he told me he was going to watch it online," Alex Edwards said. "I figured I'd call him after my match. I'm very excited."
So was older brother, who has been busy training for his deployment and hasn't been able to watch his younger brother all year.
"I flew here just to watch him," said Charles, who was a two-time Finals qualifier when he wrestled for Iron Mountain. "It was exciting to see him."
Edwards, who took eighth place at 130 last year, will try and send his brother overseas really excited if he can win an MHSAA title. Wrestling continues through Saturday at The Palace.
PHOTOS: (Top) Iron Mountain wrestler Alex Edwards embraces his older brother Charles during Thursday's MHSAA Individual Finals. (Middle) Alex Edwards has his hand raised in victory after the 150th of his career. (Photos courtesy of HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)