Whitman, Trombley Join 4-Time Legends
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 3, 2018
DETROIT – Brandon Whitman and Jarrett Trombley will both be headed to the state of North Carolina this fall.
Before leaving, however, they put on one more show Saturday night for wrestling fans at the MHSAA Individual Championships.
Lake Fenton’s Trombley and Dundee’s Whitman became the 23rd and 24th wrestlers in state history to win four Individual Finals titles, claiming their final Division 3 crowns in the end zone at Ford Field.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Whitman, who will wrestle at the University of North Carolina next year. “Ever since you were little you were watching some of these (four-time state champions). I watched Lincoln Olson (Davison) and I watched Ben Freeman (Walled Lake Central) last year, I was on a bunch of teams with Ben, so it was nice to be up there with those people and know that your work was paying off.”
Whitman (47-0) defeated Richmond senior Colton McKiernan (40-3) at 215 pounds 6-0 in a rematch of last season’s 189-pound final. He also won at 189 as a sophomore and 171 as a freshman, and accumulated 202 victories in his Dundee career, adding two Team Finals championships as well.
On the weekend, Whitman was dominant, winning by forfeit in his first match before pinning his quarterfinal and semifinal opponents in 20 and 7 seconds, respectively.
“It just shows that the work I put in is more than the people that I compete with,” Whitman said. “I put in hours upon hours of work, and it shows. When you put in the work, good things will come.”
Trombley (59-0), who is headed to North Carolina State, was dominant as well at 130 pounds, winning by technical fall in each of his first three matches before defeating Dundee sophomore Christian Killion (34-9) 8-2 in the title match.
“It’s just amazing to get this accomplishment and be here with my friends and family and just celebrate,” he said. “Not many people have been here before.”
Trombley won titles at 112, 119 and 130 pounds his previous three seasons, and admitted there were some nerves before he headed out on the mat.
“I tried not to (put pressure on himself) but toward the start time of my match, I got a little bit more nervous and more nervous,” he said. “But it was definitely all worth it now.”
103
Champion: Hunter Assenmacher, Ida, Soph. (53-0)
Decision, 7-2 over Robbie Altland, Hart, Jr. (51-1)
Assenmacher said he’d been waiting for his MHSAA championship moment since he first stepped on a mat at 4 years old.
A year ago, he came up one match short. This year, however, nothing was able to slow him down as he rolled to an unbeaten season.
“I’m just so thankful for everybody who pushed me through the season and helped me get to where I am right now,” said Assenmacher, who jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first period.
“I knew I had to keep pushing the pace, but I didn’t want to give up something stupid, so I just kind of played it safe but made sure I wasn’t taking anything off of him.”
112
Champion: Sean Spidle, Flint Powers, Soph. (40-3)
Major decision, 12-3, over Tyler Swiderski, Dundee, Fr. (33-11)
With two titles in two seasons, Spidle knows the four-timer talk is going to start following him around. But he’s not ready to focus on that quite yet.
“I’m not going to really think about that,” Spidle said. “I’m just going to try to take it one match at a time. Sure the goal is to win states each year, but I’m just going to try to not think about that and take it one match at a time.”
Last year’s 103-pound champion jumped out to an early lead against Swiderski, and had a confident look on his face following a big move in the first period.
“I think the turning point was when I took him down and got back points,” Spidle said. “I felt pretty good throughout the match, but that really gave me a huge confidence booster.”
119
Champion: Dametrius Castillo, Alma, Fr. (38-6)
Decision, 3-2, over Kyle Schaaf, Clare, Jr. (52-3)
After helping Alma reach the Team Quarterfinals for the first time in school history, Castillo came up with some more history in the individual tournament, claiming the Panthers’ first title since 1993.
“It means that it doesn’t matter how big your school is or how small your school is, if you come out here to wrestle and work for it, you can come out here and win,” Castillo said. “I think now that we’ve shown everybody that we’re here to wrestle and we’re coming up big and bringing up a lot of people, it shows them they have a chance and makes them want work harder every day in practice.”
Castillo took a 3-2 lead late in the match, and held off a late headlock attempt by Schaaf.
“I knew he was going to try and throw it,” Castillo said. “I was just waiting for it to lock him up and hold on so I didn’t get a stalling call. I just knew I had go out there and still be offensive and not get a stalling call to win.”
125
Champion: Dakota Greer, Howard City Tri-County, Sr. (43-2)
Decision, 9-2, over Reese Wallis, Montrose, Sr. (49-2)
After finishing off his third championship and a marvelous high school career, one could forgive Greer for taking some extra time behind the mat following his 9-2 win against Wallis.
“Right now, I’m just resting,” he said. “Trying to get my breath, trying to take it all in.”
Greer didn’t rest much on the mat, controlling his match from start to finish and adding to the 119-pound title he won a year ago and the 103-pound title he won in 2015.
“It was just a matter of figuring him out,” Greer said. “He was more of a defensive wrestler that was staying away from me, so it was more of just once I kind of figured it out and felt comfortable out there, I was in control for sure.”
135
Champion: Stoney Buell, Dundee, Fr. (43-4)
Decision, 6-1, over Trevor Robinson, Shepherd, Jr. (42-4)
On the night his teammate won a fourth Finals title, Buell took his first step toward accomplishing the feat as well.
“Brandon (Whitman) just told me don’t wrestle the crowd, just wrestle the opponent,” Buell said of the pre-match advice he received. “‘You’re not facing the crowd, you’re facing your opponent. And just have fun. Be thankful.’”
Buell took control of the match with near-fall points in the second period.
“I felt more comfortable, but I probably should have attacked more,” Buell said. “Just to separate the match and let him know that I’m the best in the state right now.”
140
Champion: Mason Breece, Birch Run, Sr. (57-3)
Decision, 2-1, over Nick Felt, Shelby, Jr. (50-5)
For 5 minutes and 58 seconds, Breece couldn’t break through Felt’s defense. But in those final seconds, the Birch Run senior saw an opening and took it.
“I knew I was running out of time, and I just had to score,” Breece said. “He put himself in a bad position and I capitalized. As soon as I got that lock locked up and I was ready for it, he just made a mistake and I caught it.”
Breece’s late takedown finished off a strong career that, up until Saturday night, was missing one key piece.
“I’ve been a contender for a couple years now,” he said. “And it feels great to finally get what was coming my way.”
145
Champion: Alex Roberts, Richmond, Sr. (36-5)
Decision, 5-3, over Sean Trombley, Lake Fenton, Jr. (48-2)
Alex Roberts doesn’t give up many points, so when a five-point move opened some breathing room for him, he knew the title was his to lose.
“I felt comfortable,” Roberts said. “I know that I’m hard to score on, and if I was going to give up anything, it wouldn’t be enough for him.”
Roberts finished sixth a year ago and fourth as a sophomore. After Saturday’s win, his post-match emotion was palpable.
“I can’t even describe it,” he said. “I wanted to be a state champ since I was a little kid, and finally the hard work paid off.”
152
Champion: DJ Daniels, Caro, Jr. (58-2)
Fall, 3:45, over Zachary Bellaire, Dundee, Sr. (42-8)
Daniels didn’t have the opportunity to stop Bellaire from winning the 140-pound title a year ago, but he was still plenty motivated to take on the guy who took home the bracket he wanted in 2017.
“He won my chart last year, so there was a little bit of vengeance there,” Daniels said. “I knew the match would be won on our feet, and apparently it was.”
Daniels took advantage of a Bellaire shot attempt, catching the returning champion and taking him to his back late in the second period where he finished off the match with a pin.
“It felt great,” Daniels said. “There’s nothing like it. You don’t even think about it until it’s over.”
160
Champion: Jackson Nevadomski, Lake Fenton, Sr. (43-2)
Fall, 2:59, over Tylor Orrison, Dundee, Sr. (44-4)
Nevadomski made a B-line to the Lake Fenton cheering section to celebrate with his family after claiming his first championship.
“They’ve done everything for me to get to this point – parents, coaches and friends,” Nevadomski said. “I just figured they should be the first to celebrate for me.”
Nevadomski had defeated Orrison, the 2017 145-pound champion, in the Regional Final two weeks ago, and took some notes while he did, which led to the second-period pin.
“When I was on top I got a couple wings in, so I knew if I could get on top and get those wings in, then I just needed to switch them up a little, so we worked on that in practice the last couple weeks,” he said. “We worked on running the chicken wing and coming over with a half. I guess it worked out for me.”
171
Champion: Owen Guilford, Portland, Jr. (40-1)
Major decision, 10-1, over Robert Granberry, Remus Chippewa Hills, Sr. (45-6)
Guilford said there wasn’t a special strategy heading into his title match. But when you’ve had as much success as he has this season, it’s best to not stray too much from what’s worked.
“Just trust your training,” Guilford said. “That’s what Coach has instilled in me. We knew we could win that match, so just trusted our training, stuck together and pulled it off in the end.”
Guilford had a big lead heading into the final period, and remained calm to claim his school’s first title since 2000.
“Maybe if anything, stay cautious, don’t try anything stupid,” he said. “It only takes one move to lose in wrestling.”
189
Champion: Ethan Weatherspoon, Napoleon, Jr. (54-0)
Decision, 6-4 (SV), over Brockton Cook, Birch Run, Jr. (56-5)
Weatherspoon hasn’t been in many tight matches this season, but when he found himself in a dogfight against Cook on the state’s biggest stage, he dug deep enough to pull out the win.
“It was just all in my head for a second,” Weatherspoon said. “Being in a big championship match, you just have to relax. That’s what I started to do, and that’s when I started getting my rhythm.”
Weatherspoon was able to get a takedown early in the sudden-victory overtime, but Cook led early, putting a scare into the unbeaten wrestler.
“I just told myself, ‘Hey, you gotta do it,’” he said. “’All that work you put in, I’m getting what I put out.’ I was not about to stop right there.”
285
Champion: Tyler Marino, Richmond, Sr. (31-5)
Decision, 5-1, over Tyden Ferris, Delton Kellogg, Sr. (45-2)
Marino was one match short of his championship goal a year ago, but the motivation that created helped push him over the top in his final season.
“It feels great, coming from being second last year to winning it this year; it’s all I’ve been training for and it feels amazing,” Marino said. “You just have to make yourself calm before the match. I just listen to music, keep myself calm and do what I do.”
Marino won four low-scoring matches on the weekend, something he’s excelled at all year.
“I’m always attacking and trying to draw the stalling calls,” he said. “I do active stalling. Active stalling is a huge part of wrestling. You’re moving, but you’re really not trying to score, you’re just showing the ref that you’re doing what you’ve got to do.”
PHOTOS: Dundee's Brandon Whitman (left) and Lake Fenton's Jarrett Trombley receive salutes from the Ford Field crowd after becoming the latest four-time MHSAA Finals champions Saturday. (Middle) Whitman and Trombley take a quick photo together during a quieter moment. (Top photos by HighSchoolSportsScene.com, middle photo by Michelle Campbell.)
Midland Heroes Win 'Match of Life' In Saving Another On Way to Regional
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
February 22, 2023
Wilson Shinske woke up Saturday hoping to accomplish something great.
But the Midland senior had no idea just how great and impactful his accomplishment would be, and that it would happen well before he stepped on a wrestling mat.
On the way to the Division 1 Wrestling Regional at Hartland, Shinske and his dad, Steve, pulled a man from a burning vehicle on I-75 and helped resuscitate him on the side of the road. As the man was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, the Shinskes got back in their own vehicle and made it to the meet in time for weigh-ins.
“The entire way there, I was thinking, ‘It doesn’t matter if I lose or if I win today, this was a win,’” Wilson Shinske said. “Being on the wrestling team is about being part of something bigger than yourself. Yeah, I lost both of my matches, and it was like that journey has ended. But knowing what I did earlier, I won the match of life.”
Shinske finished his wrestling season with a 21-11 record after dropping his pair of Regional matches at 215 pounds. While all of that was certainly important to him, and the end of any senior season can be tough, the events of Saturday morning put a lot of things in perspective.
“I can tell you that I was proud as hell of him,” Steve Shinske said. “I was super proud of how he handled the morning. I was proud – I’m always proud of him when he does a sport, even when he thinks he doesn’t do well. When he lost, I saw him take those losses on Saturday differently than he had in the past in some of those situations. I think he had a different mindset. After he lost the second match, he went over and sat by a wall, and there were some tears shed. There were a ton of emotions, and not just wrestling emotions.”
Wilson Shinske’s day had started like hundreds of wrestlers around the state, as he left Midland around 5:30 a.m. focused on advancing to the MHSAA Individual Finals at Ford Field.
He fell asleep during the ride, but when the car started to slow down well before he thought it should, he knew something was off.
After coming over the Zilwaukee Bridge, Steve Shinske noticed a car fire ahead. As they approached, the retired Midland fireman decided he would stop and see how he could help, figuring he would see someone outside of the vehicle.
What he saw, however, was the driver slumped over in the front seat of the pickup truck. He pulled to the side of the road, and as he made his way to the truck, so did Wilson, who had now woken up from his pre-meet nap.
“It was 75 at 6 a.m. on a Saturday with no traffic; there’s no way we should be slowing down,” Wilson remembered. “As soon as he put it in park, not even a second later, I’m out of the car.”
As the Shinskes got to the vehicle, Steve noticed the driver – whose name they would later learn is Jerry – still had his foot crammed on the accelerator. That left the rear tires spinning until the tires had burned off and the rims were grinding on the pavement, which caused the fire at the back of the truck. His first move was to put the car in park and shut it off.
They removed Jerry – who they determined was not breathing and did not have a pulse – from the truck, and then Wilson’s training kicked in.
Wilson – a three-sport athlete who carries a 3.8 GPA – plans to study nursing in college, and spends much of his school day working in a hospital as part of a co-op. He’s CPR-certified and plans to work in the ER or a trauma unit.
A point of emphasis in Wilson’s training is to assess the situation in an emergency.
“The car is on fire, the gas tank is in the back of the car, we need to get him away from this,” Wilson said. “We need to get him up in front of our car – put a barrier between us to protect us if something happened. I don’t think there were really any nerves, just more fight or flight. I’m not running away, I’m fighting this. I wasn’t concerned with how cold it was – I wasn’t dressed for 20-degree weather – it was, ‘We have a problem here, let’s fix this problem.’”
Steve started CPR on Jerry while Wilson went back to see if they could find any personal information about him that would help, and 9-1-1 was called.
An off-duty paramedic then arrived on the scene, and put in a call to her supervisor for more assistance. That’s when Wilson took over CPR, and Steve went to put out the fire using snow from the median.
When the supervisor arrived, he brought out an AED to deliver a shock to Jerry’s heart. After some more CPR, Jerry took a gasp of air, and the monitor showed that there was heart activity.
“Then the cavalry came,” Steve said of the rush of emergency vehicles on the scene. He borrowed a fire extinguisher from a police officer to put out the remaining flames, and Jerry was loaded into an ambulance. Wilson said he could see Jerry taking breaths as he was being put into the ambulance.
The whole situation took about 15 to 20 minutes.
“Wilson’s played a lot of sports – football, tennis, he’s wrestled since he’s been 6, he plays golf – he understands that sports gives you perseverance, it gives you a different mindset,” Steve said. “I bet anybody that he works with on the floor at the hospital will tell you that he’s the most outgoing, go-getter co-op student they’ve had. Those things in his life helped him in that situation.”
Jerry survived, and the Shinskes went to visit him in the hospital Monday. While there, they learned from the family that the fire had started to melt the gas tank before Steve was able to put it out. They also learned that Jerry’s wife had recently passed away, and that their quick action had prevented his family from adding another layer of grief in a very short time.
“I love watching (Wilson) wrestle, and I’m going to miss watching him wrestle,” Steve Shinske said. “But watching him on I-75 on Saturday morning was almost better than watching him wrestle. He, as a young man, as a person that’s getting ready to go into the next phase of his life, to be able to handle something like that and not miss a beat was special.”
For Wilson, the experience further cemented his chosen career path, and desire to help others.
“I want to be a part of saving lives more often,” he said. “Not that I want to see people in these situations, but I want to help them when they are.”
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) From left: Wilson Shinske, Jerry and Steve Shinske meet Monday, two days after the father and son helped save Jerry’s life on I-75. (Middle) Wilson Shinske, far right, has his arm raised in victory after a match. (Photos courtesy of the Shinske family, with permission.)