Title IX at 50: Harrold's Achievement Heralds Growth of Girls Wrestling
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 11, 2022
This March, for the first time, 14 championships and 112 medals total will be awarded to the highest achievers from a girls-only division at the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals – the latest of history-making steps over the last 30 years of girls competing on the high school mat in Michigan.
There have been many heroes along the way, as participation has grown to see more than 400 girls wrestle at MHSAA member schools during the 2019-20 season, the last not interrupted by COVID-19 (and 283 took the mat last year despite reduced participation across the sport after a late start due to the coronavirus.)
About 900 athletes open the annual Individual Finals with a “grand march” to kick off the now two-day event. First among Michigan girls to join the parade was a pioneer from a now-closed high school who, by competing at Joe Louis Arena on March 11, 1999, took a major first step toward cultivating the opportunities of today.
Saginaw Buena Vista’s Cynthia Harrold, then a senior, brought a 29-7 record into the Finals and competed in Division 3 at 103 pounds. She lost both of her matches, but not without plenty of deserved fanfare for her accomplishments in making the journey. Many matches are wrestled simultaneously at the Finals, especially during the early rounds, and so many photographers swarmed to capture her matches that the adjacent mats needed to be shut down to accommodate the media crowd.
According to a Detroit Free Press report published that Thursday highlighting the start of the tournament, Harrold had won 98 matches over her four-year high school career. She also played softball and ran track, and previously was a cheerleader before turning her winter sports focus completely toward wrestling.
She was set to join the grand march that day in Detroit with 895 other wrestlers, all boys. The following year, three girls qualified for the Individual Finals. Martin’s Amy Berridge in 2004, Goodrich’s CC Weber in 2009 and Clawson’s Katlyn Pizzo in 2017 would become the first to place at the state championship wrestling tournaments, bringing additional spotlight to girls achieving at the high school level.
With interest continuing to grow, the Michigan Wrestling Association (the sport’s high school coaches association) began sponsoring a Girls Wrestling Finals in 2019 – with momentum from that event leading to the creation of the MHSAA girls individual championship division at Ford Field to debut this season.
Second Half's weekly Title IX Celebration posts are sponsored by Michigan Army National Guard.
Previous Title IX at 50 Spotlights
Dec. 20: Competitive Cheer Gives Michigan Plenty to Cheer About - Read
Dec. 14: Evelyn's Game Had Plenty of Magic - Read
Dec. 7: Council Term Ends, But Leinaar Leaves Lasting Impact - Read
Nov. 30: Basketball Season Ready to Add to Rich Tradition - Read
Nov. 23: Marysville Builds Winning Streak Yet to be Challenged - Read
Nov. 16: Wroubel Has Championed Girls School Sports from Their Start - Read
Nov. 9: Pioneer's Joyce Legendary in Michigan, National Swim History - Read
Nov. 2: Royal Oak's Finch Leading Way on Football Field - Read
Oct. 26: Coach Clegg Sets Championship Standard at Grand Blanc - Read
Oct. 19: Rockford Girls Set Pace, Hundreds After Have Continued to Chase - Read
Oct. 12: Bedford Volleyball Pioneer Continues Blazing Record-Setting Trail - Read
Oct. 5: Warner Paved Way to Legend Status with Record Rounds - Read
Sept. 28: Taylor Kennedy Gymnasts Earn Fame as 1st Champions - Read
Sept. 21: Portage Northern Star Byington Becomes Play-by-Play Pioneer - Read
Sept. 14: Guerra/Groat Legacy Continues to Serve St. Philip Well - Read
Sept. 7: Best-Ever Conversation Must Include Leland's Glass - Read
Aug. 31: We Will Celebrate Many Who Paved the Way - Read
(Photo courtesy of the Detroit News.)
D2 Preview: Boone Pursues Title Sweep
March 5, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The name Brent Metcalf is as revered as any in the history of Michigan high school wrestling.
By Saturday night, Lowell’s Austin Boone may join the Davison legend in a pair of historic achievements.
Boone, with two others this weekend, will attempt to become the 27th wrestler to win four MHSAA Individual Finals championships. He’ll also attempt to join Metcalf as the only wrestlers in state history to win four individually and be part of four Team Finals titles. Metcalf won his from 2002-05 before going on to star at University of Iowa and internationally.
Below, we look at Boone and nine more contenders to watch in Division 2, plus list all of the top seeds heading into this weekend. Surely we missed a few who will end up among the biggest headliners 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 3:30 p.m.
Follow all matches on a subscription basis live on MHSAA.tv, and click here for results at MHSAA.com.
112 Jacob Brya, St. Johns sophomore (37-0) – The latest Redwings standout is off to a championship start after winning the title at 103 a year ago, and he’s the top seed at his weight this weekend. He has won 27 times by pin this winter and three more by technical fall as he’s pushed his career record to 79-2.
130 Christopher Lilly, Croswell-Lexington senior (50-1) – After qualifying for the Finals but missing out on placing his first two seasons, Lilly broke out in a big way with the championship at 135 in 2019. His only loss this winter came Friday during the Team Quarterfinals; he’s 102-8 over the last two seasons.
135 Nick Matsuko, Chelsea senior (45-0) – The top seed in his bracket this weekend, Matsuko hasn’t lost since suffering his only defeat of last season in the 140 final. He’s won 35 matches this winter by pin and built a combined 90-1 record over the last two seasons.
140 Nate Young, Holly senior (45-1) – After finishing runner-up at 130 a year ago, Young has been nearly unstoppable this winter with his only loss to Detroit Catholic Central two-time champ Joshua Edmond. Young is the top seed at this weight, and 37 of his wins have come with bonus points. He took sixth at 103 as a freshman.
145 Austin Boone, Lowell senior (37-0) – Boone’s first three championships have come at 135, 145 and 152, and another title run also will give him his first undefeated season at the high school level. He’s the top seed at this weight and will continue his career wrestling at Penn State.
145 Chayse LaJoie, Gaylord senior (35-1) – The champion at 103 and 112 his first two seasons, respectively, finished runner-up by 3-2 decision in the final at 125 a year ago. He could end up in the premier match of the weekend if he faces Boone in the final at this weight; LaJoie’s only loss this winter came to Boone at last week’s Team Final. LaJoie will continue his career at Cornell.
160 Caleb Fish, Eaton Rapids senior (42-0) – The Greyhounds standout will look to finish his high school career with a second-straight championship after winning at 145 last season. He also was runner-up at 135 in 2018 and fifth at that weight as a freshman, and has just one loss over the last two seasons. He’s the top seed at his weight and will continue at Michigan State.
171 Cody Brenner, New Boston Huron junior (45-2) – The top seed at this weight earned it in part with a Regional win over reigning 160 champ Omari Embree of Warren Woods Tower (see below). Brenner’s most recent loss came to an out-of-state opponent, and his only instate defeat was at the first event of the season to a Division 1 contender. Brenner was eighth at 160 as a freshman and third at 171 last season.
171 Omari Embree, Warren Woods Tower sophomore (25-2) – He also debuted in the best possible way last season, with the championship at 160. He’s not the top seed at this weight as one of his two losses came two weeks ago to Brenner by an 8-6 decision. But Embree’s only other loss came to an out-of-state opponent.
189 John Shelton, East Grand Rapids senior (47-0) – The future Central Michigan wrestler is the top seed at this weight after finishing runner-up a year ago losing a 3-2 decision in the final to Cedar Springs’ Sage Serbenta, the only wrestler to defeat Shelton (twice total) during 2018-19. Shelton also took sixth at this weight as a freshman and fifth as a sophomore.
Other 2019 runners-up: 112 Jamison Zimmerman, Niles senior (28-5, 103 in 2019); 119 Joe Haynes, Warren Woods Tower junior (45-3, 119 in 2019); 160 Nelson Poet, New Boston Huron senior (38-4, 160 in 2019); 189 Kayleb Venema, Whitehall senior (35-5, 189 in Division 3 in 2019).
Additional No. 1 seeds: 103 Nolan Wertanen, St. Joseph sophomore (42-2); 119 Joe Haynes, Warren Woods Tower junior (45-3); 125 John Sosa, Gaylord senior (38-2); 130 Rico Brown, Gaylord senior (31-2); 152 Jacob Gonzales, Holly sophomore (45-0); 215 Zolen Marron, Lake Fenton senior (50-0); 285 Joe Harper, Imlay City senior (43-1).
Also undefeated: 140 Shenard Foster, Harper Woods freshman (16-0).
PHOTO: Lowell’s Austin Boone (top) works toward a major decision at the end of last Friday’s Quarterfinal win over Muskegon Reeths-Puffer. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)