Midwest's best set to collide in East Lansing this weekend

Midwest Grand Challenge
Jenison Fieldhouse -- East Lansing, MI
May 17th, 2009


Team Bios:

Mishawaka (Indiana)
Outlook: Mishawaka is a juggernaut wrestling team in
Indiana, having recently won the 2008 IHSAA Team
State Championships.  They did not win the Indiana
state title this year, however, they did beat Michigan
D2 champ Lowell in a dual during the season, so you
know they are legit.  In the Indiana state tournament
their is only one division, so keep in that in mind when
reading the credentials of their wrestlers.  The wrestler
to watch from Mishawaka in East Lansing this
weekend will be junior Christian Lentz, who was a
215lb state runner-up this year with a 44-4 record. 
Along with Lentz, Mishawaka will boast 6 other state
qualifiers this weekend, making them a definite threat
to contend.

Top Individuals:



Flat River Wrestling Club (Michigan)
Outlook: The Flat River squad is made up of Lowell High School grapplers.  Lowell was the Division 2 state champions this year in Michigan and considered by many as possibly the best pound-for-pound team in the state (depending on who you ask).  While it is unknown how many members of their state title team will be competing, it is confirmed that four of their big guns will be in attendance, including 2x state champ and nationall ranked Jackson Morse.  Morse, who won the Super 32 championships back in the fall, is currently ranked 5th in the country at 152lbs by InterMat and may the most accomplished wrestler competing this weekend.  Morse will be competing at 160lbs for the Flat River squad.  Flat River WC will be led by 3 other Lowell all-staters, including former 2x state placer Ryan Olep, who will be competing at 189lbs.

Top Individuals:



Young Guns Wrestling Club (Iowa/Illinois)
Outlook: The young guns team features a blend of Iowa and Illinois grapplers and features 7 state qualifiers.  The Young Guns lightweight fleet may be the best on display this weekend with 5 wrestlers who were state placers at 103 or 112 this year, including freshman Topher Carton of Rock Island, IL who was an undefeated state champion this year.  Adam Perrin of North Scott, IA is a former state champ, winning it in 2008.  We are unsure what weights these guys will be competing at, but it is safe to say that the Young Guns will be stacked down low.

Top Individuals:



Team Shamrock (Michigan)
Outlook: Some of Detroit Catholic Central's top guns will be competing this weekend for Team Shamrock, led by undefeated freshman phenom Alec Mooradian, who won the Division 1 112lb state title a couple months ago.  DCC is one of the powerhouse Division 1 programs in the state and they have a talented group of young lightweights with Mooradian and the Melick brothers.  We have to wait and see what weights their big guns will be competing at, but Team Shamrock will boast 4 all-state wrestlers this weekend and Mooradian will be one of the big names in the tournament.

Top Individuals:



MYWA All-Stars (Michigan)
Outlook:  The MYWA all-stars is a team made up of Michigan wrestlers, mostly all hailing from the southwest side of the state.  The squad recently competed at the TOC High School Duals in Ohio and finished runner-up.  They appear to be deep throughout with 6 Michigan all-state wrestlers including Stevensville Lakeshore freshman Tyler Daniel who won the D2 state title at 103lb this year.  John Rizgallah from Allegan is one of the most talented upperweights in the state and Plainwell junior Jaylyn Bohl broke through this year with a state finals run at the Palace a couple months ago.  As with most teams, we are unsure how they will shake out in terms of competing weights for this weekend, but this team appears to be pretty well spread out from top to bottom.

Top Individuals:



Club Triumph (New Jersey)
Outlook: The Triumph squad out of New Jersey may be one of the teams to beat by looking at the studs they are planning to bring.  Their squad boasts 4 wrestlers who placed at the NHSCA Junior Nationals (the tournament Michigan kids are not allowed to compete in), including Junior National Champs Nick Viscairo and Billy George. Viscairo was a national champ at 160 and George at 189, however, they will be wrestling up this weekend at 167 and 215.  Aside from their state champs Viscairo and George, Triumph also features 4 other New Jersey state placewinners.  New Jersey is widely considered one of the toughest wrestling states in the country, and with the whole state competing in one state tournament, it is no easy feat to place in the top 8.

Top Individuals:




Team Samsons (Ohio)
Outlook: This is the same squad that won the Disney Duals last summer, knocking off a group of Michigan's top wrestlers in the finals.  Their crew will be a little different than the one we saw in Disney last summer, however, they should remain a favorite to win the tournament.  The Samsons boast a whopping 8 Ohio state placewinners, including 2x state champ Harrison Hightower of University.  This team is well-balanced throughout and will be tough to beat.

Top Individuals:




Lifestyle Wrestling Club (Illinois)
Outlook: The Lifestyle squad out of Illinois features 3 Illinois state placers, including 2008 state champion Lance Evans.  Evans won the title at 103lbs last year, however, he missed this year due to injury.  We are unsure what weigh Evans will be wrestling at, but would assume he is no longer a 103lber.  Nick Hafercamp and Colt Hickey both finished 4th in the state this year and add firepower to the middle of the Lifestyle lineup.

Top Individuals:




Michigan Elite Seniors (Michigan)
Outlook: The Michigan Elite senior team features a wealth of expierence and some big name guys, led by 10 all-staters.  They have studs sprinkled throughout their lineup and they seem to be solid from top to bottom.  While some other teams may have more state champs and nationally seasoned wrestlers, this squad of seniors from Michigan Elite may be a darkhorse to contend because they should send high level guys to the mat at just about every weight.

Top Individuals:





Michigan Elite WC (Michigan)
Outlook: The second team for Michigan Elite entered this weekend, this team boasts 5 state placers led by the Zimmerman brothers from Hudsonville.  Justin Zimmerman was a state runner-up in Division 1 this year at 130lbs, losing his only match in the state finals.

Top Individuals:


Team Grizzly (Michigan)
Outlook: We received their lineups late, but looking over things Grizzly may be Michigan's best bet at winning it all this weekend.  They have studs throughout with what seems like a state placer at every weight, and behind four state champions, Grizzly pack as much punch as any team in this tournament.  Fowlerville's state championship duo of Nick McDiarmid and Dillon Kern, along with sophomore stud Devin Pommerenke, make arguably the best upperweight group in this tournament.  Throw in D1 state champ Sean Turner, state finalists Jake Johnson, Jared Germaine, Darius Wass, Shane Dutton, and state placers like Nick Trimble, Ryan Watts, and Troy Lamson and you are looking at one heck of a team.

Top Individuals:









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