Vance Bounces Back to Finish as Champ
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 10, 2020
It took a day for Tristan Vance to fully appreciate what he had accomplished.
The Clio senior won the Division 2 189-pound championship Saturday at the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals. Quite often, it takes some time before the gravity of the moment sets in. For Vance, that was partially true. But mostly, he was too sore to celebrate in a big way.
“That night, I was happy about it and celebrating about it, but I was so sore,” Vance said. “My back started spasming up right after the match. I was just so sore. I wanted to get home, and I wanted to rest. The next day, I was ecstatic.”
The spasms were nothing new to Vance, but rather a painful reminder of what he had to endure to get to this point. He missed more than half of the season because of them and didn’t return to the mat until the postseason.
While Vance himself wasn’t showing the elation and emotion that comes with overcoming what he did, his coach and father, Tony, certainly was understanding of the achievement.
“All I wanted to do is find my wife in the stands and give her a hug and kiss,” Tony Vance said. “It was the best feeling I think I’ve had since my kids were born. I got excited, and I kind of walked to the middle of the mat looking for her. I didn’t know where she was at, then I saw her waving to me. I climbed the wall and gave her a hug. It was such a struggle for him, and so much for us, too.”
The pain started late in the summer for Tristan, but it stemmed from a surgery he had as a 12-year-old. Back then, he was having back pain that effected the way he was walking. After consulting with multiple doctors, a benign tumor was found on his spine.
“I thought I had cancer, and I thought I was going to die – for like 10 minutes,” he said. “Until my mom was like, ‘That’s not what it is.’ After that, I’ve always been kind of chill, not too worried about things.”
The surgery to remove the tumor was successful, but that wasn’t the end of Tristan’s problems. He said he suffered from nerve damage and sciatica. His muscles were still tight, and he had to undergo rehabilitation for his left hamstring.
Eventually, he improved and blossomed into a star athlete at Clio, playing quarterback and linebacker on the football team and earning all-state honors (eighth place) on the wrestling mat as a junior.
That’s what made things even harder when the back pain returned.
“In middle school, none of that mattered to me,” Tristan said. “This year, it really kind of hit a soft spot. I was really depressed about it. I was kind of sure that I wasn’t going to be able to do anything.”
Tristan thought he had another tumor, but that was quickly ruled out. He was told that the smaller muscles around the hole where the tumor used to be were weakened and never fully recovered. The bigger muscles in his back were overcompensating, causing the spasms.
He decided, however, to play quarterback through the football season, even though he ran the ball a lot in Clio’s read-option offense.
“It got so bad where he couldn’t even run sometimes in games,” Tony Vance said. “He would play until he couldn’t play anymore.”
The motivation for Tristan was to play his final season with his friends on the football team. He did admit, though, that if he felt his wrestling season was truly threatened, he may have stopped.
When wrestling season began, the thought was to take things slow. Tristan returned to the mat in January, but his back acted up again in the New Lothrop tournament, and he was once again forced to sit.
“When I had to stop wrestling, it wasn’t because of the pain. It was because my muscles would contract and spasm, and I wasn’t able to do it physically,” he said. “It hurt my feelings. I was like, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to finish the season. I had four other guys on the team that ended up going to the state tournament with me, and I was seeing them do well and I was happy to see that, but I wanted to be part of that so bad.”
Tristan helped his teammates in the practice room, though he wasn’t sure if he would be able to compete again. As the postseason drew near, he began working out more and preparing for the possibility. The decision was made to put him into the lineup during the Team District and see how he held up.
“We ended up holding him out as long as we could,” Tony Vance said. “He wrestled (in the Team District) and felt pretty good, so I said, ‘All right, we’ll wrestle you in (Individual) Districts. I was worried, because I didn’t want to have another kid have to sit out, then take him all the way up to Gaylord and enter him into Districts and him not be able to wrestle.”
Tristan entered the District with a 10-2 record. He also entered at 189, despite having wrestled at 171 earlier in the season. He weighed around 180 pounds, and Tony Vance didn’t think adding a large weight cut to the stress already on Tristan’s body was a good idea. The bump didn’t bother Tristan, who was second in the District and first at the Regional.
He entered the Individual Finals as the No. 2 seed. But thanks to having wrestled so few matches, and the presence of undefeated Central Michigan recruit John Shelton of East Grand Rapids on the other half of the bracket, Tristan came in under the radar.
“I had a problem with that last season, where I kind of got in my head a little bit and too full of myself, which really affected me,” he said. “Coming in as an underdog – it wasn’t the most fun way for my last season to be, but it really helped with my mentality coming into the tournament.”
Tristan won handily in his first two matches before running into Fruitport’s Crue Cooper in the semifinals. Cooper was considered by many to be Shelton’s main competition heading into the Finals, but Tristan came away with the 3-1 overtime victory.
“I really wasn’t getting too excited about anything, to be honest,” Tony Vance said of his mindset coming into the tournament. “Me and my wife were just happy that he was able to wrestle again. He won a huge match in the semis. As the match was going, I was like, ‘Man. OK, he’s really looking good.’ After that match was done, I was excited. I thought, whatever happens from here, he’s made a good run. I wasn’t thinking that he was going to win it, I was just thinking that we’d see where it goes (Saturday), and I’ll be able to tell how he’s doing at the end of the first period.”
Tristan was calm as he entered his match against Shelton, even after he was informed right beforehand of Shelton’s credentials.
“I have never wrestled him before, and I have never seen him wrestle before because he’s on the west side of the state,” Tristan said. “My plan was mostly just to get to my tie-ups, get to my offense and do what I do best instead of waiting on what he can do.”
The match was tied at 3 after one period, and Tristan was able to take a 4-3 lead with an escape in the second. In the third period, Shelton chose down, and Tristan built an 8-4 lead thanks to a nearfall and a takedown. An escape and a stalling point put Shelton out of striking distance again, and he threw Tristan in a headlock as the clock was winding down. Tristan was able to get to his stomach, though, preventing the takedown or any back points.
“He has ice in his veins,” Tony Vance said. “He doesn’t have any doubt in himself, but he doesn’t show any emotion. He’s just calm and cool.”
After what could be his final competitive match – Tristan said he’s undecided about his future – he was congratulated by a host of spectators just off the mat, including his teammates and coaches from other schools.
Excited but sore, Tristan calmly walked through it all, not yet fully cognizant of the degree of his remarkable achievement.
“I had a lot of emotions through that time, and I wasn’t really thinking about (going through the injury) too much,” Tristan said. “I was just thinking about what had just happened. Now I’ve realized that I kind of accomplished a lot given my circumstances this year.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Clio’s Tristan Vance works to maintain control in his opening match of the Division 2 Individual Finals against Lansing Waverly’s Demitrius Webb. (Middle) Clio coach – and Tristan’s father – Tony Vance celebrates as Tristan finishes a semifinal win over Fruitport’s Crue Cooper. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Willobee Makes Prediction Come True, Exceeds Seed to Become Champion
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
March 2, 2024
DETROIT – With a mouthful of blood and a cowboy hat perched on his head, nothing could take away the joy of Gaylord sophomore Zane Willobee.
As the sixth seed in the 157-pound weight class of the Division 2 Individual Finals, not many would have anticipated him walking away with the championship Saturday at Ford Field.
But he did just that.
In a physical match, Willobee (29-3) took down Clio’s D’Marion Erlenbeck (28-6) by an 11-5 score to claim his first Finals championship.
“It was a stressful match, but I talked to my coaches before the match and they just stressed to keep my mind calm and give all glory to God,” Willobee said. “When I was out there, I was just trying to stay calm and capitalize on my opportunities. This is an amazing moment and one that I owe to a lot of people.
The Finals matchup at 157 wouldn’t have been one many saw coming as Erlenbeck was the fifth seed up against the sixth-seeded Willobee.
“Since Regionals I had been telling my coaches that it would be me and (Erlenbeck) in the Finals,” Willobee said. “I just knew that is how it would play out. You can’t focus on seeding this time of year. It’s about going out, performing, and having fun.”
The Finals matchup was a rubber match between the two, as each had narrowly defeated the other earlier this season. The difference Saturday was a pair of takedowns and near fall points for Willobee in the second and third periods.
After the match, the two competitors shared an embrace as they congratulated one another on their respective seasons.
“Erlenbeck is a wonderful competitor, and I give all my respect to him,” Willobee said of his opponent. “We’ve had some great matches, and he’s a wonderful competitor and an even better man.”
106
Champion: Jarrett Smith, Lowell, Soph. (39-1)
Major Decision, 15-4, over Cole Cichocki, Lowell, Fr. (26-12)
Smith found his first championship experience to be somewhat bittersweet. The sophomore had to face off with freshman teammate Cichocki for the crown.
Smith piled up six takedowns on his way to a 15-4 victory.
“I wish we could both win. It’s tough. One of us gets the title and one of us doesn’t, but we both worked really hard,” Smith said of wrestling his teammate in the final. “We both deserve it. We kind of thought we might meet up. We are both confident in our abilities, and our coaches have given us the tools to win.”
The two were hotel roommates this weekend and didn’t let the competition ruin their friendship.
“He’s one of my best friends,” Smith said of Cichocki. “He did better as a freshman than I did. You have to give him a lot of props. What he did is really impressive.”
113
Champion: Devan Garcia, Battle Creek Harper Creek, Fr. (47-1)
Major Decision, 12-4, over Cristian Haslem, St. Clair, Soph. (49-1)
Garcia was hoping to be on the offensive in Saturday’s 113-pound final.
Instead, it was his defensive ability that ended up earning him the title.
Garcia stuffed a pair of takedown attempts from Haslem and turned them into near falls as well. That gave him more than enough cushion to win the championship.
“I actually wanted to get in my attacks, but I pretty much scored on all his shots, so that’s the way it works out sometimes,” Garcia said. “I practiced those positions all the time, so I felt ready for them when they happened. To have it happen in the state championship feels great.”
The first stuff came in the first period to help Garcia start off with a 5-0 advantage. Haslem fought back to make it 5-3, but a second stuff from Garcia put him ahead 10-3 in the third.
120
Champion: Carter Cichocki, Lowell, Jr. (28-9)
Decision, 3-2, over Dominic Gumtow, Warren Woods Tower, Jr. (47-3)
After finishing runner-up at 113 pounds last year, Cichocki found himself two minutes from being a state champion.
Leading 3-2 to open the third, Cichocki knew if he could ride out his opponent for two minutes, the elusive title would be his.
Cichocki did just that, staying in control to overcome a 2-0 deficit and take home the championship.
“Things were different this year. Since my freshman year, I’ve tried to just see this as another match. I just stuck to what works for me and what I do best,” Cichocki said of handling the pressure of the third period. “It feels good to be a champion.”
126
Champion: Ricardo Saenz, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, Jr. (49-3)
Decision, 7-1, over Jaron Bensinger, Gaylord, Soph. (38-2)
Saenz wasn’t going to leave any doubt. The Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice junior shot out of a cannon to start the 126-pound final, scoring a takedown in the opening seconds of the bout.
From there, Saenz controlled Bensinger most of the way.
“I just kept telling myself that (Bensinger) wasn’t ready, and I was doing that to get myself motivated,” Saenz said. “I was thinking about starting the match like that all day and all season. I’ve been preparing for this moment, and I wasn’t going to let it get past me. It feels amazing to have it come to fruition.”
After taking a 2-1 lead through the first, Saenz rode out Bensinger in the second and then scored a reversal in the third with near fall points to cap off the title.
132
Champion: Jackson Blum, Lowell, Jr. (35-1)
Fall (4:54) over Trenden Bashore, DeWitt, Jr. (38-1)
Blum finds himself on the verge of being a four-time Finals champion, as the Lowell junior collected his third title with a third-round pin.
Blum recorded 11 takedowns in the match before securing a pin while ahead 23-9.
“I knew that my pace is really high, so I knew if I kept it on him, I would just keep getting to him more and more,” Blum said. “It was a tough first period, but I just trusted in my ability and stuck to the plan.”
Blum was the 112-pound champion as a freshman and the 120-pound champion as a sophomore.
138
Champion: Tee Ward, Freemont, Sr. (53-1)
Decision, 3-1, over Landon Thomas, St. Joseph, Jr. (48-1)
With the 138-pound championship bout tied 1-1 and a blood stoppage allowing Ward to get a break, he got into the music.
“We had a little bit of a break, and the song in the background just got me rolling,” Ward said.
Ward would come out of the stoppage and scored a takedown with 28 seconds remaining to go up 3-1. Ward then rode out Thomas to collect his first championship.
“I knew I had to get that takedown and ride things out from there. With five seconds left, I felt him sprawl out, and that was the best feeling of my life,” Ward added. “There’s so many emotions, but this is the best.”
144
Champion: Owen Segorski, Lowell, Jr. (34-6)
Decision, 5-1, over Jeffrey Miller, Jackson Northwest, Soph. (47-3)
Segorski had been on both ends of being in a state final. He was the 125-pound champion as a freshman, but then finished runner-up at 138 pounds as a sophomore.
This time around, the junior came back much more confident and it showed in a 5-1 win.
Segorski scored takedowns in each of the first two rounds and never let Miller get in any offense.
“It feels really good,” Segorski said of adding a second title. “I thought I should have won it last year, but I just didn’t perform and let the pressure get to me. It’s difficult to repeat, there’s a lot of pressure and it feels like you have to win. But, to be able to come back this year, I felt a lot more confident and I knew I was the better wrestler.”
150
Champion: Lane Button, Wayland, Jr. (48-0)
Decision, 4-2, over Fabian Facundo, Freeland, Jr. (45-1)
A battle of two undefeated wrestlers came down to the final minute.
Button tried to push a hard pace in the 150-pound final, and it paid off with a takedown with 1:05 remaining in the third. The takedown was enough to push Button to the title.
“I was pacing (Facundo) out the whole time, and I knew I was going to get it,” Button said of the match-winning takedown. “As soon as things got neutral, I knew I was going to get it.”
“This means a lot to me. I put a lot into it,” Button said of going unbeaten. “I quit football just to focus on wrestling, and the work paid off.”
165
Champion: Nathan Dobson, Greenville, Sr. (41-4)
Decision, 5-4, over Harrison Meekhof, Allendale, Sr. (45-4)
Dobson knew the key to beating Meekhof based on previous matchups – he had to get more takedowns.
Dobson managed to do that in the 165-pound final, scoring takedowns in the second and third periods to hold off Meekhof and win the championship.
“I just knew I needed to get takedowns today. Every time it’s me and (Meekhof), it’s a takedown battle. I knew if I got the takedowns, I would get the victory,” Dobson said. “It’s the craziest thing I have ever felt. I can’t even dream this. It’s amazing.”
175
Champion: Kendall Drake, Holly, Sr. (50-2)
Decision, 7-4, over Derek Badgley, Mason, Sr. (40-3)
Drake had never placed at the Finals prior to Saturday; now he is a champion.
The senior overcame a 3-0 deficit to pick up a 7-4 win.
“Last year I got hurt in Districts, but all I have ever wanted was to win this tournament,” Drake said. “All summer I was practicing five days a week, going against the best guys I could find. I wanted to be confident in myself, so when this day came, I knew I could win this match.”
Drake nearly scored the opening takedown of the match but was ruled out of bounds. However, he didn’t let that get to him and worked his way to three takedowns in the victory.
“It didn’t matter, I was going to be ready to overcome any obstacles that came in my way,” Drake said of the slow start. “I wasn’t going to let anything dictate the match but myself.”
190
Champion: Ty Bensinger, Gaylord, Sr. (37-1)
DQ, over Easton Phipps, Goodrich, Sr. (27-1)
The 190-pound final in Division 2 didn’t end the way anyone wanted.
Phipps, the 2023 champion, led 1-0 in the second period when he picked up Bensinger to get him to the ground. However, Bensinger ended up landing on his head and the match was immediately stopped, as Bensinger went unconscious briefly according to his coach.
Medical staff on site checked on Bensinger and ruled he couldn’t continue. That led to Phipps being disqualified, giving the title to the Gaylord senior.
“These two have wrestled many times, and it’s always been a close match. (Phipps) certainly didn’t do it intentionally, it was just an unfortunate accident,” Gaylord coach Jerry LaJoie said.
215
Champion: Logan Demarest, Bay City John Glenn, Sr. (44-1)
Decision, 3-2, over Case Johnson, Greenville, Jr. (52-3)
Staying active and staying on the move is what allowed Demarest to come away with the 215-pound title Saturday.
After giving up a takedown to Johnson in the second period, Demarest fought his way to an escape to cut the lead to 2-1.
To open the third, Demarest did the same, earning an escape to even the match at 2-2. Then he kept the pressure on and forced a stalling point to be called in his favor, which proved to be the difference.
“I’ve got family and friends that have supported me all the way. They are the ones that got me here,” Demarest said of the title. “I was thinking about them and just kept doing whatever I could to keep pushing the pace.”
285
Champion: James Mahon, Goodrich, Jr. (44-3)
Decision, 9-8, over Parker Williams, Zeeland East, Sr. (46-3)
There were a lot of fireworks in the 285-pound final, as Mahon fought off Williams, 9-8.
Williams had a 5-0 advantage on the 2023 champion in the first period, but Mahon fought back to even things up at 5-5.
The match would be tied 7-7 in the third before Mahon dug deep and scored a takedown with 31 seconds remaining that proved to be the difference.
“I knew I could take him down. I knew I needed something, and I found it,” Mahon said of the late takedown. “It’s a really cool feeling (to repeat). There was a lot of pressure, and I’m almost glad it’s over.”
PHOTOS (top) Gaylord’s Zane Willobee, left, and Clio’s D’Marion Erlenbeck ready for the restart of their match at 157 pounds Saturday. (Middle) Wayland’s Lane Button, right, works against Freeland’s Fabian Facundo in the 150-pound title match. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)