College Recruiting Roundup
MI Grappler recaps college recruiting classes for 07-08
8/16 - In the next few weeks college freshman will be reporting to campus to begin their Collegiate wrestling careers. Michigan's schools had great recruiting years picking up big names back in the fall and throughout the spring and summer as well. Central Michigan's star studded class, which features 3 Senior National Champs, was ranked as the 2nd best in the country by InterMat while Michigan was ranked as the 7th best recruiting class. For an inside look at who the Michigan schools signed and how they will be impacted, click more and read our College Recruiting Round Up.
Mark Hall of Davison wins innagural Fab 50 Season
8/17 - The first ever season of the Michigan Grappler Fab 50 Youth Wrestling Tournament Series has come and gone and after nearly 150 entries to this year's Fab 50 the one who stands alone the top is 10 year old Mark Hall (pictured) of Davison. Hall, who competes for the CMS Wrestling Club, never left any doubt all season long as he sat atop the standings all year long, never losing a Fab 50 Tournament that he competed in. To view the full Fab 50 click more.
Brandon Zeerip commits to join brother at U of M
Hesperia state champ gives first commitment of 08-09
8/12 - Brandon Zeerip left little time for us to speculate whether or not he would join his brother Justin at the University of Michigan as he announced today that he will indeed be wrestling for Coach Joe McFarland as a Wolverine after he completes his senior season at Hesperia next year. Zeerip has put together a string of big wins this summer to be named a top 100 recruit nationally by InterMat (#61) and will join his brother Justin, a former 4x undefeated state champ, at Michigan.Stay tuned for the 08-09 Recruiting Central and Top Recruits, which will be coming out later this month.
Big Talent Rocks the Rumble!
2nd Year Draws 25 Teams from 5 Power States.
8/4 - Lowell, Michigan - They say if you build it they will come! That’s exactly what happened with this years Summer Duals Tournament in Lowell. The Grand River Rumble packed a mean punch as teams from Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois showed up with hard nosed teams High School thru Youth wrestlers looking to battle left a little blood, sweat and a few tears on the mat, at the end of the day everyone acknowledged the wrestling was everything what they bargained for and ...More...
Michigan Fire & Ice Finish 2nd at Junior Olympics
Mike Leholm named Outstanding Wrestler
8/4 -The AAU Junior Olympics held at the Rock Financial Center in Detroit came to an end on Friday and Michigan teams represented the state very well. Three Michigan teams finished in the top 8 out of a 24 team field.
Bennett caps off storybook year with Junior Title
7/26 - Ben Bennett was dominant this morning as he made easy work of Maryland's Josh Asper to win the 171lb Junior National Freestyle title. Kyle Waldo of Rockford also won this morning to finish 7th at 112lbs. For a full recap of the Junior Freestyle
division, click more. Goto our special coverage section for everything on this action packed weekof wrestling.
Mission Accomplished: Massa wins Double Title
8th grade phenom wins Freestyle National Title to complete Triple Crown
7/25 - For the last 265 days there has been one thing on Taylor Massa's mind:Fargo, North Dakota. Posted up in his wrestling room in St Johns has been a countdown of days until Fargo. With his win today Massa won the 140lb Cadet National Freestyle Title and completed hisgoal of being a Fargo Double Champ. Massa, who also won the Cadet Greco Title earlier this week, also completed the USA Wrestling Triple Crown for winning Cadet National Titles in Folkstyle, Greco-Roman, and Freestyle.
Freddie Rodriguez fell in the 91lb finals to Hayden Zillmer
of Minnesota. For a full recap of the Cadet Freestyle tournament,
click
Fargo Coverage:
CC Weber claims Junior Womens National Title
7/21 - CC Weber just capped off her sensational season with a Womens Junior National Title. It came down to the end with her and Joey Miller of Oklahoma. After winning a period a piece they went scoreless throughout the whole 3rd period. After winning the coin flip Weber chose to start with Miller's left leg and quickly transitioned to a double leg takedown for the match and the national title. We caught up with CC following her finals match to ask some questions, click below to hear what she had to say.
Iron River's Spitza strikes gold at Pan Ams
7/14 - Iron River's Jennifer Spitza got the opportunity to represent her country at the Cadet Women's Pan Am Championships last weekend in San Salvador, El Salvador and she took advantage of her opportunity by winning the 65kg championship with back-to-back falls. Click more for the full story.
Team Michigan finishes 8th at Junior Duals in Greco
7/9 - The ressurection of Michigan's Greco-Roman wrestling may be underway as the Michigan squad put together a solid performance at the Junior Duals last week in Oklahoma. Jake Walters of St Johns led the way individually for the Greco squad as he finished with a 6-1 record. Team Michigan also finished 3rd in their pool but failed to place in freestyle. There was a slew of big time matchups and wins for the Michigan grapplers, to read all the news and notes from the Junior Duals, click more.
Michigan Grappler recaps 2008 Disney Duals
MI Grappler delves into some of the headlines from the AAU Disney Duals
7/6 - It has been a over week since the Disney Duals wrapped up in Orlando and Michigan Grappler is taking a look back at the week that was. Michigan Red made the finals, and all the Michigan teams lost close duals to the Ohio Samson squad, but the real stories center on the impressive individual performances in Orlando. Click more to read some of the notable headlines from the 2008 Disney Duals.
Arthur crowned double champ at Asics Kids Nationals
7 Michigan youths earn double all-american status in Freestyle & Greco Roman
7/9 - Angus Arthur of Laingsburg swept through the Asics Kids Freestyle & Greco Roman Nationals last weekend in Orem, Utah as he won the National Championship in both styles at 100lbs in the Novice division. There were six other Michigan youths that earned double all-american status by placing in both styles. Click more for a full recap as well as complete match-by-match results for all Michigan athletes that competed.
Michigan Schoolboys finsish 3rd in both styles
6/23 - If this weekend's schoolboy national duals is a sign of things to come than the
future looks bright for Michigan wrestling. Michigan sent two full squads down to the
schoolboy duals in Indianapolis to compete in both greco roman and freestyle with the
Michigan Red squad finishing third in both styles. Click more for full recap and results.
Metcalf honored as Big Ten Athlete of the Year
6/20 - Davison native Brent Metcalf was not only the best wrestler in the Big Ten this year, but he can also now call himself the best athlete in the entire Big Ten. Today Metcalf was named the Jesse Owens Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year. Metcalf's trophy case has got to be getting full as he has already been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year as well as the Hodge Trophy winner, going to the nation's top wrestler. Metcalf won the Big Ten and NCAA Title this year at 149lbs for the University of Iowa. Click more to read the full release from the Big Ten.
Former Wolverine Hrovat is Beijing-bound
6/16 - A slew of Michigan natives were in action at the Olympic Trials in Las Vegas last weekend and only one came away with a spot on the Olympic squad. Former Michigan all-american Andy Hrovat became an Olympian with his best of three finals win over former Oklahoma State standout Mo Lawal at 84kg. Hrovat, who will be making his first Olympic trip, rallied back to win two in a row after losing the first match to Lawal in two straight periods. Also making the team as an alternate was Nick Simmons who finished 3rd at 55kg.
For full results, click more.
CC Weber wins Jr Pan Am Championship
6/30 - Having 4x state champ Mark Weber as a big brother can cast a big shadow, but CC Weber is managing to keep up with her elder sibling as she continues to win at the highest levels and stake her claim as one of the premiere up and coming womens wrestlers, not only in Michigan and the US, but the country as well. CC won the Junior Pan American Championships earlier this month in Ecuador at 105.5lbs. Weber won three bouts en route to the title, including a 3-0, 2-1 win over Canada's Jasmine Main in the finals. The United States squad dominated the event with 7 gold medals en route the the team title. Click more to read the full release from TheMat.com.
Cadet Duals wrap up in Missouri
8th grader Jordan Wohlfert makes Freestyle All-Tournament Team
6/30 - The Cadet National Duals came to an end yesterday in Missouri and the MIchigan sqaud finished short of placing in freestyle as they were eliminated from the Consolation bracket by Idaho. A pair of up an coming 8th graders from St Johns, Taylor Massa & Jordan Wohlfert, led the way for Team Michigan in both styles as Massa ended up 11-2 on the weekend overall and Wohlfert made the freestyle all-tournament team with a 7-0 record. Click below for full results from all the Michigan duals.
7 MI freshman & sophomore earn national ranking
6/24 - InterMat released their Sophomore and Freshman national rankings this week and six Michigan grapplers made the rankings. In the sophomore rankings, which went 12-deep, state champ Jackson Morse of Lowell and Nick McDiarmid of Mason each nabbed the #5 spot at 140lbs and 215lbs, respectively. Rockford's Jake Dorulla landed 6th at 145lbs as well. Click more to view the full rankings.
Top seniors on display at MWA Classic
6/19 - The innagural MWA Classic Senior All-Star Dual Meet took place Wednesday night in Hartland and some of Michigan's best were on display. In one of the best matches of the night Sr National All-American Travis Pettengill of Kearsley held off Dundee state champ Jimmy Rowe for a win at 215lbs. For full results from the classic, click more.
5 Michigan juniors earn national ranking
Elsworth, Zeerip crack top 5 of National Jr Rankings
6/9 - Last week InterMat released their end of the year rankings for the Top Juniors in the country and 5 Michiganders cracked the Top 12. Leading the way were Hesperia's Brandon Zeerip at 145 and Goodrich's Kyler Elsworth at 189, who both sit #5 in their respective weight classes. Click more to view the full rankings.
Michigan squad finishes 4th at East Coast Nationals
5/27 - Team Michigan Next Level finished 7-2 last weekend at the East Coast Nationals in Maryland to finish 4th as a team. Next Level advanced to the championship semifinals after winning their pool, but lost their final two bouts. Sr National Runners Up Mark Weber and Travis Pettengill led the way individually, both going a perfect 9-0 on the weekend. Jake Varilek, Adam Miller, Zac Stevens, and Victor Vettese all finished 7-2. Click more for Team Next Level's full results.
Michigan preps earn top national rankings
Dubose tops InterMat's final All-Class Rankings
5/10 - InterMat released their final All-Class national rankings this week, which include the top 20 preps in the country across all 4 grade levels (9-12). 11 total Michigan wrestlers made the rankings, including Marcel Dubose who landed the top spot at 215lbs. Lowell sophomore Jackson Morse and Rockford junior Kyle Waldo were the only Michigan underclassmen in the rankings. Click more to view the full rankings.
Morse, Bohn, Wildmo among freestyle state champs
Prep stars come out for MUSAW Freestyle/Greco finals
5/6 - The Michigan USA Wrestling hosted the Freestlye/Greco State Finals last weekend in Battle Creek and some of Michigan's top prep grapplers were in attendance. Among those winning double titles in Freestyle and Greco Roman were high school state champs Jackson Morse of Lowell and Roger Wildmo of Durand, as well as greco all-american Jake Bohn of East Kentwood. In one of the more notable matchups of the weekend, Wildmo (pictured) beat D2 state champ Tyler Kesselring of Greenville in both styles. Click more for full recap and results.
Cunningham leaving CMU for Iowa State
5/30 - One of Michigan's biggest wrestling names will be leaving the state next year as former Fulton state champ and NCAA champ for CMU Casey Cunnigham has taken a job as an assistant at Iowa State University. Cunningham, who has coached for 7 years at CMU, has been training and competing as well and is one of the top 163lb freestyle wrestlers in the world. For the full release from Iowa State, click more.
Tyrell Todd earns Olympic Trials berth
5/19 - The last chance for qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Trials came last weekend in Colorado at the Rocky Mountain Regional. One of the men earning a right to wrestle for the Olympic squad was University of Michigan all-american Tyrell Todd who won the 185lb freestyle division. Two other Wolverines fell just short, finishing 2nd at the Rocky Mountain regional as Michael Watts and Josh Churella finished runner up at 121 and 145.5lbs. For full results from the Rocky Mountain Regional, click more.
Michigan colleges make academic Top 30
5/10 -The NCWA released their National All-Academic Team today as well as the top 30 academic programs in the country. All four of Michigan's Division I College wrestling programs made the list with Eastern Michigan leading the way in 22nd with a 2.934 team GPA. MSU camp in 23rd, followed by CMU in 25th and Michigan in 30th. Click more to view Michigan's members of the All-Academic team.
1st season of Fab 50 officially in the books
5/31 - The innagural season of the Michigan Grappler "Fab 50" Youth Tournament Series has been a great sucess. Almost all the top in-state tournaments and championships were included as well as some of the most notorious youth national tournaments. The first season is now offically complete and the winners of the Fab 50 will be announced in late June/early July. Michigan Grappler is asking that all points and results for the Fab 50 be reported by June 15th, 2008. Email results to fab50@michigangrappler.com.
Olympic Trials freestyle brackets released
5/31 - The Trials for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing are two weeks away. The pre-seeds and brackets were recently released for the freestyle division and a handful of wrestlers with Michigan ties have good shots at earning a ticket to Beijing. Former University of Michigan All-American and D1 State Champ Ryan Churella (pictured) earned the #3 seed at 74kg. To view all the seeds and brackets for Men's Freestyle, click more.
Churella, Metcalf, Simmons among US national placers
4/26 - USA Wrestling's intense weekend of freestyle and greco roman action wrapped up today in Las Vegas with the US Senior Freestyle Nationals. Many Michigan wrestlers competed and placed, including Ryan Churella who finished 3rd at 74kg after entering the tournament seeded 7th. The FILA Junior Freestyle Nationals also wrapped up today. For a full recap of both tournaments, click more.
7 Michigan youths make W.O.W. All-Star Team
Hall and Whitford named Wrestlers of the Year
4/30 - The World of Wrestling announced their 2008 All-Star Team this week and a number of Michigan youths made the cut. Among those making the First Team were Trinity Award Winners Mark Hall and Ben Whitford, who were named the wrestler of the year for their respective age divisions. Click more to read full story.
11 Michiganders claim TOC Crowns in Ohio
The state of Michigan was well represented in Columbus, OH this weekend for the always tough Ohio Tournament of Champions. The TOC, which fields competitors from 8 and under Bantams through high school Elite and Open divisions, is renowned as the largest one day tournament in the world. 11 Michigan grapplers claimed tournament titles this weekend, click more to view the full list of placers.
Fab 50 Update: End is near - only a few events remain!
4/14 - The heart of the Fab 50 season has concluded and with only a few events remaining Mark Hall has pulled ahead into sole possesion of first in the Fab 50 standings. With a win at the Reno Worlds Hall is now 4 points ahead of his CMS teammate Dominic Sutermeister. To see the rest of the top 20 in the Fab 50 race, click more.
Hall and Whitford win Trinity Award with Reno Titles
4/11 - Mark Hall and Ben Whitford did something last weekend that few youth wrestlers in the country are capable of doing as they won the prestigous Trinity Award. Hall and Whitford won the Reno World Championships last weekend to complete the final leg of the Trinity award. Whitford won at 89lbs in the 15-18 year old division while Hall was named outstanding wrestler of the 9-10 year old division as he racked up five falls en route to the 90lb title. Click more for full results.
Team Michigan dominates Middle School Duals
4/10 - The Michigan CK Next Level middle school squad went a perfect 7-0 two weeks ago in Danville, IL to win the Middle School National Duals. The Michigan team beat squads from Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Oregon en route the title and defeated Indiana Gold 51-23 in the finals. 8th grader Taylor Massa of St Johns was named the outstanding wrestler of the tournament as he went 7-0 to lead Michigan. Also going 7-0 and earning All-American honors were Jacob Schmidt, Ben Whitford, Alec Mooridian, Freddie Rodriguez, Gabe Morse, Jordan Thomas, Mason Courtright, and Martaz Crutchfield. Also scoring at least 5 wins on the weekend were Justin Oliver, Brandt Schafer, Tyler Simaz, Andrew Morse, Jordan Wolfert, Patrick Eldred, CJ Dominguez, and Kyle Spear.
Bohn is FILA Greco National Runner Up
4/24 - Jake Bohn (pictured) continued his national success on the Greco-Roman circuit yesterday as he finished 2nd at the FILA Greco-Roman National Championships in Las Vegas, NV. A handful of top Michigan preps were also in action in the Greco Roman division of the Western Junior Regional in Vegas yesterday, but Ben Bennett was the only to earn a medal. The Rockford senior went 5-2 to finish 5th at 171lbs.
Yates, Waldo sit atop deep junior class
4/22 - As this year's star studded senior class departs all eyes turn onto the class of 2009. While this year's junior class lacks the national exposure of the Weber, Bennett, Dubose, etc. senior class, they are one of the deepest classes in recent years with six wrestlers who will be gunning for their 3rd or 4th state title next year. To view the full list of Michigan's top juniors of 2008, click more.
Morse tops list of super sophomores
4/16 - If not for the star studded group of seniors that we saw in Michigan this year, Jackson Morse would have been a contender for wrestler of the year. The Lowell sophomore emerged this year as one of the best wrestlers not only in the state, but in the country. He won the Division 2 140lb state title in impressive fashion with a dominant win over All-American Brennan Brumley in the finals. For his efforts Morse has earned the #1 spot on our list of Top Sophomores. To see all the top sophomores in the state, click more.
Dubose signs with Central Michigan
4/12 - One of the nations top upperweight recruits finally made his decision this week as Oak Park state champ Marcel Dubose, who had verbally committed to MSU in the fall, has now signed on the dotted line to wrestle for coach Tom Borelli and the Central Michigan Chippewas. Dubose, who is a Jr Greco and Sr National Champ, joins an already stellar CMU class that features two other senior national champs including the MI Wrestler of the year Ben Bennett. Go to our recruiting central to keep up with all the recruiting news.
Curby finishes runner-up at Greco Nationals
4/11 - Hillsdale sophomore Mike Curby has officially established himself as one of the premiere prep greco-roman wrestlers in the country. Curby won his first four bouts at the FILA Cadet Greco Roman Nationals today to advance to the finals where he fell 2-2, 3-1 to Tyler Beckwith of New York. Freddie Rodriguez of Holt also finished runner up as he took 2nd at 92.5lbs. Click more for a full recap of the FILA Cadet & University Greco Roman Nationals.
High School Dream Team unveiled!
4/9 - Michigan Grappler is pleased to announce the best prep wrestlers in the state of Michigan for 2008 with our High School Dream Team. The Dream Team, which is presented by Cliff Keen Athletic, includes the 1st team, 2nd team, 3rd team, and Honorable Mention squads. The 1st team will be invited to be introduced and presented awards prior at the upcoming MWA Classic in Hartland on June 18th. The first teamers are also eligible to attend the Dream Team Training Camp June 13-15th in Mason free of charge. All other Dream Teamers will receive a discount price for the Dream Team Camp. Click more to view the entire Dream Team.
Bennett wins Wrestler of the Year
4/8 - The votes have been tallied and the result is clear: Ben Bennett is the 2008 prep wrestler of the year. The Rockford senior dominated the voting much like he dominated his way through the Division 1 state tournament and the NHSCA Sr National Tournament. To read the full release, click more. The complete Michigan Grappler High School Dream Team will be unveiled tommorow!
Wildmo tops list of 2008's best Freshman
4/5 - The future of Michigan high school wrestling was on display this year as a group of elite freshman came in and were competitve right away. Among those who enjoyed sucessful frosh campaigns was Durand's Roger Wildmo (pictured) who won the 112lb Division 3 state title. Wildmo now sits atop our list of top freshman, to view the full list of Michigan's top freshman for this year, click more.
Wild weekend wraps up in East Lansing
Michigan's top youths crowned MYWAY State Champions
3/30 - The best youth wrestlers in Michigan did battle this weekend in East Lansing with MYWAY State Titles on the line. The dust is beginning to settle at Jenison Fieldhouse after a wild weekend of youth wrestling. Results are being posted as they become available.
Fab 50 Update: Hall, Sutemeister still the ones to beat
3/16 - Mark Hall and Dominic Sutemeister have continued their dominance on the national youth wrestling scene as of late with wins at Liberty and the WOW Classic. Both Hall and Sutemeister have won every Fab 50 tournament they have entered this year and they are currently tied for 1st in the latest MI Grappler Fab 50 standings. To view the full standings, click more.
Rochester wins Oakland County MS Championships
3/19 - The future of Oakland County was on display last weekend as 23 middle school teams competed in the Oakland County Middle School Wrestling Championships in Lake Orion. Rochester Van Hoosen edged Waterford Pierce by a point to win the crown. For full results, click more.
Metcalf wins Hodge Award
3/29 - Brent Metcalf did it all this year. He won the Big Ten tournament and was named the tournament's outstanding wrestler. He won the toughest weight of the NCAA Tournament in dominant fashion and was named the tournament's outstanding wrestler. Now to add to his trophy case he was named the Hodge Award winner for 2008. The Hodge Award, which is commonly reffered to as the Heisman of college wrestling, is awarded yearly to the collegiate wrestler of the year. Metcalf, just a sophomore, finished this year 39-1 with 12 pins, 7 tech falls,
and 9 major decisions. Next year he will bide to become just the third multiple time Hodge winner since it's inception in 1994.
Metcalf is the man after dominant NCAA win
3/21 - Davison native Brent Metcalf was arguably the most dominant champion of tonight's NCAA finals as he scored a 14-8 decision over Penn State's Bubba Jenkins to win the 149lb national championship. Metcalf's performance did not go
unrecognized as he was named the tournament's outstanding wrestler. Caro native Wynn Michalak of CMU fell short at 197lbs and the Wolverine pair of Eric Tannenbaum and Steve Luke also lost in close finals matches. The Chipps and Wolverines tied for 6th overall while Metcalf's Iowa Hawkeyes ran away with the team title. For a full recap of the NCAA Finals, click more.
Metcalf, Tannenbaum, Gomez among Big 10 winners
3/9 - The University of Michigan garnered three individual Big 10 titles today in Minneapolis to propel them to a third place team finish. Kellen Russell, Eric Tannenbaum,and Steve Luke won titles for UM, while Franklin Gomez won a Big Ten crown for MSU. Davison native Brent Metcalf won the biggest match of the day as he upended Dustin Schlatter to win the 149lb title. Click more for full recap.
Chipps win 7th straight MAC title
3/8 - Central Michigan continued their reign as kings of the MAC today as they wrapped up their 7th straight conference title with a school-record tying 9 individual National Qualifiers. CMU claimed 7 individual titles from Brandon Carter, Steve Brown, Trevor Stewart, Brandon Sinnott, Christian Sinnott, Wynn Michalak, and Bubba Gritter. Also receiving wildcard selections to compete in the NCAA Championships were CMU's Luke Smith and Connor Beebe, along with EMU's Charlie Pienaar. EMU true freshman Andrew Novak was selected as the first alternate to compete at the NCAAs.
Sparta duo leads Olivet to 11th place NCAA finish
3/8 - For the second consecutive year a Sparta grad led Olivet by finishing runner up at the NCAA Division III Tournament. Last year it was Kyle Vanderhyde, this year it was Jason Brew. Brew lived up to his seed as he finished 2nd at 157lbs. Vanderhyde finished 4th at 174 after making the finals a year ago. North Central's Adam Johnson, native to Portland, fell in the semifinals but came back to finish 3rd at 133lbs.
Bennett and Dubose are National Champions!
Michigan finishes 2nd overall with 10 All-Americans; Bennett named OW
3/31 - Michigan made a statement this weekend and officially arrived as one of the premiere grappling states in the country by finishing 2nd overall at the NHSCA Senior Nationals. Ben Bennett and Marcel Dubose both claimed individuals titles for Michigan while Mark Weber and Travis Pettengill finished 2nd. Bennett (pictured) won 7-2 over Hunter Collins of California in the finals to win one of the deepest weights of the tournament. For his efforts he was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the star-studded tournament. For a full recap of the Senior Nationals, click more. Goto our coverage section to view videos and updated brackets.
Weber scores big win in Dapper Dan Classic
3/16 - Just one week after winning his fourth state title Goodrich's Mark Weber competed at the prestigous Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic in Pittsburgh, PA. The Dapper Dan, which is referred to as the "Rose Bowl of Wrestling", invites the top prep wrestlers in each weight class from all over the US to wrestle Pennsylvania's best in an all-star dual. Weber was selected to wrestle at 135lbs and he won his match 5-3 over PA state champ Colin Johnston. The win gave Weber a little vengeance as Johnston was a Junior National Freestyle champ last summer in Fargo, beating Weber in the finals. For the full results of the Dapper Dan, click more.
Top Michigan preps compete at AAU Folkstyle Worlds in Detroit
3/26 - Some of Michigan's top prep grapplers are not taking much time off after the state tournament as just a couple weeks after the state tournament they were competing at the AAU World Championships in Detroit last weekend. Fresh off their state titles Roger Wildmo, LJ Helbig, Christian Cullinan, and Donnie Corby all added AAU World Titles to their resume. To view all the results from the AAU Worlds, click more.
MI Grappler recaps state finals weekend
3/13 - Michigan Grappler is pleased to release our first ever Palace Awards. In the awards we recognize outstanding wrestlers, the best celebrations, as well as some top fashion trends from the weekend that was. To view all the Palace Awards click below and for a recap of all the weekend's action check out our divisional recaps and State Tournament Coverage section.
Remembering Jono
Slain Grandville wrestler will be remembered as more than just a great athlete
3/14 - Last weekend in Auburn Hills, the best wrestlers in the state of Michigan were rewarded for their outstanding seasons with a medal and all-state recognition at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Three years ago, Jono Krystiniak was one of those wrestlers, and his impact on the sport in the state of Michigan went far beyond his own competitions. Click more to read Michigan Grappler's full feature article by Sean Garner.
Littleman Lyon makes improbable Finals run
Undersized Ithaca junior makes up for small stature with giant heart & effort
3/9 - Ithaca junior Brenan Lyon weighs all of 87lbs on a good day. What the 103lb state qualifier lacked in size he made up for with technique, quickness, and heart as he upset top 5 wrestlers en route to the D4 finals last weekend. Click more to read Michigan Grappler's full feature article about Lyon's journey to the state finals.
Cunningham finishes 2nd at Pan Am Games
3/3 - CMU assistant coach and former NCAA champ Casey Cunningham competed in the freestyle division of the Pan American Championships in Colorado Springs, CO last weekend, finishing 2nd at 74kg after going 3-1. The Fulton, MI native fell in the finals to former Olympic and World bronze medallist Ivan Fundora of Cuba.
Team Titles handed out
3/1 - Four teams finished their season today as State Champions. Holt survived the treterous D1 tournament, beating Bedford in the finals. In D2 Greenville upset Eaton Rapids while Goodrich edged Dundee in a tight dual to win the D3 crown and Hesperia cruised to the D4 title. For full results from the team state tournament, goto our Team State Coverage section.
Lowell, Shelby win MYWAY State Duals titles
3/9 - It was a sign of things to come last weekend in Battle Creek the day after the High School Team State finals as the best elementary and middle school school-based teams duked it out for MYWAY State Titles. Lowell won the elementary and Shelby won the middle school division. To view full results, click more
5 Michigan youths claim Liberty titles
3/9 - Mark Hall of Davison continued his reign over the national youth wrestling scene at the Liberty Nationals last month February 23-24. Hall, who has already won titles BorderWars and Tulsa National titles this year, added a Liberty National title to that list, garnering Outstanding Wrestling honors for his age group as well. Other Michigan wrestlers claiming titles were Dominic Sutemeister, Freddie Rodriguez, Patrick Eldred, and Eric Rogers. To see all of Michigan's placers click more.
Wolverines down rival Spartans
2/24 - #12 Michigan and Michigan State renewed their rivalry today in Ann Arbor with the Wolverines coming out on top. Michigan won 7 of 10 weights, including major decisions from Novi native Josh Churella (pictured) at 149 and Steve Luke at 174. UM avenged a loss to MSU last year in East Lansing. Among those winning for the Spartans was Alan O'Donell, who defeated former Lakewood High School teammate Eddie Phillips at 285lbs. Both squads are now off until the Big Ten
Championships, which are in two weeks in Minneapolis, MN. For a full recap of today's dual click more.
Muskegon finishes 12th at NJCAA Nationals
2/23 - Muskegon Community College finished 12th at the NJCAA Junior College National Championships behind the efforts of three all-americans. Chad Freind led the Jayhawks, finishing runner up at 197lbs while Jordan McKienna finished 6th at 165lbs and New Boston Huron native Jeremy Szekely nabbed AA honors finishing 8th at 125lbs. For full results, click more.
Olivet qualifies 3 for Nationals, finishes 2nd in region
2/23 - Olivet College finished 2nd in the Midwest Regional Tournament, advancing three individuals to the NCAA Division III National Championships. Winning regional crowns and qualifying for the Comets was sparta natives Jason Brew and Kyle Vanderhyde at 149 and 174lbs, as well as Darin Cruickshank at 165lbs. The Div III Nationals are in two weeks on March 7-8 in Cedar Rapids, IA. For full recap, click more.
Michigan loses heartbreaker to #1 Iowa
2/18 - The 10th ranked Michigan Wolverines fell just short of ending their current dual slump against top ranked Iowa today. The Wolverines split with Iowa, winning 5 of 10 matches, however, the Hawkeyes scored more bonus points to secure the win 20-16. Kellen Russell, Jeff Marsh, Eric Tannenbaum, Steve Luke, and Tyrel Todd all won for Michigan. UM was without senior all-american Josh Churella, who would have met up in a highly anticipated match with Davison High School native Brent Metcalf at 149lbs. Metcalf defeated Justin Chrzanowski via tech fall 25-8. For full box recap click more.
Muskegon qualifies 8 for NJCAA Nationals
The Muskegon Community College wrestling team finished second only to #2 ranked Meramec CC at the Central District/Region IV Wrestling Championships in River Grove, Illinois last weekend. Six Muskegon wrestlers reached the championship finals with David Wyper winning the championship at 285 lbs. Finishing second for was 125 lb. Jeremy Szekely (New Boston Huron), 133 lb. Jubran Nassar (Dearborn Fordson), 149 lb. Mike Leonard (Richmond), 165 lb. Jordan McKiernan (Richmond), and 197 lb. Chad Friend. Corey Moore of Bridgeport (184) and Corunna native Taylor Cochran also earned bids to the NJCAA Nationals, which are Feb 21-23 in Rochester, MN.
Wolverines, Spartans fall in Friday night duals
2/9 - Friday night was a bad evening for Michigan's Big Ten schools as Michigan and Michigan State both lost close duals. #6 Michigan fell to 10th ranked Penn State 20-14 while MSU lost to 7th ranked Ohio State 23-15. For full box scores from this weekend's college duals, click more. Michigan State will host #11 Northwestern sunday while Michigan travels to Columbus to take on #7 Ohio State.
EMU grapplers make history
2/4 - In just his second season at the helm of Eastern Michigan, coach Derek Delporto is already breaking records. His Eagle squad went 3-0 in Ithaca, NY last weekend, notching 14th win to surpass the school record for wins in a season. The record has held since 1974-1975, and this year's EMU squad is now 14-5, 2-1 in
the MAC. For full results from EMU's weekend, click more.
Brew wins Wheaton Invitational, Olivet finishes 6th
2/4 - Sparta grad Jason Brew, currently ranked #3 in NCAA DIII, continued his impressive junior season for Olivet College last weekend when he went 5-0 and won the 157lb division of the Pete Wilson-Wheaton Invitational. The comets finished 6th as a team as Kyle Vanderhyde (174), Darin Cruickshank (165), and Kyle Labrecque (125) also placed in the tournament. For full results from OC website, click more.
MCC crowns three champs at Laker Open
2/4 - Muskegon Community College had 5 finalists and three invidual champions at the Grand Valley State Laker Open saturday. Former Comstock Park state champ Elijiah Troost of MCC won the 125lb final over another former MI State Champ, Blair Mellish of Olivet College. Also winning for MCC was Mathais Sarli at 133 and David Wyper at 285.
Marsh upset over Poeta pushes Wolverines past Illini
2/2 - Joe McFarland's #6 ranked Wolverines rattled off six straight wins Friday night from 141 through 184 to pick up a Big Ten win over 15th ranked Illinois. The biggest win of the night went to Dexter native Jeff Marsh who upended the top ranked, previously undefeated Mike Poeta of Illinois at 157lbs. For a full box score, as well as more college results from the weekend, click more.
Same team, Opposing sides...
Individual Tournament pits teammates against one another
2/18 - There is a noticeable difference in intensity when you arrive at an individual district tournament. Tension is in the air as everyone knows that everything is on the line. This increase in pressure, tension, and intensity brings out a new level of competetiveness that makes for true wars on the mats. The problem is, what do you do when you are fighting a war against one of your own tribesman?
Click more to read the full story.
Regular season closes with conference tournaments
2/10 - The high school regular season came to an end this weekend with the conference and league tournaments all across the state. Next week marks the start of the team and individual state tournament process. The conference results are being posted as they come in.
Suitor honored by Rivals.com as athlete of the week
2/6 - Swan Valley's B.J. Suitor was honored this week by the Rivals.com website as the National Athlete of the Week after going 4-0 last weekend and surpassing the 100 career win mark. Suitor, just a sophomore, is on pace to amass over 200 wins for his career and if he continues to rack up wins at this rate he could
end his career near the top of the Michigan career win standings. To view the article from Rivals, click more.
4 Michiganders crowned champions in Tulsa
1/23 - A slew of Michigan's top youths made the trip to Tulsa last weekend for the 53rd annual Cliff Keen Tulsa Nationals and four came back to Michigan with national titles. CMS wrestling club crowned three champs of the four with Brenden McGrill in 7-8 75lbs, Dominic Sutermeister in 9-10 76lbs, and Mark Hall in the 9-10 90lb division. The other MI champ was Holt's Ben Whitford who won the 13-15 82lb bracket. 14 total Michigan grapplers came home with hardware, to view them all click more.
Lowell youths sweep MYWAY Duals
1/23 - The MYWAY Dual system got started last weekend with the Ionia Regional Duals. In both the elementary and Middle School division it was Lowell that came away with wins. In Middle School, Lowell defeated Hesperia in the finals 45-30., meanwhile the Lowell elementary grapplers knocked off Holt in the finals 42-30. For more results, click more.
Upcoming MYWAY Duals:
Hall & Sutermeister sit atop early Fab 50 standings
1/17 - The first year of the Michigan Grappler Fab 50 youth tournament series is well underway and two of Michigan's most accomplished youngsters, Mark Hall II and Dominic Sutermeister, sit atop the standings heading into to Tulsa this weekend. Hall and Sutermeister, who both train and compete for CMS, have won every Fab 50 event they have attended and are currently tied with 56 points each. To read more about the current top 5 in the Fab 50, click more.
For full standings, click here.
MYWA Duals get underway this weekend in Ionia
1/17 - The first MYWAY Duals State Championship qualifier will take place this weekend in Ionia. Among those clubs attending will be Belding, Ionia, Lowell, Hesperia, Hamilton, Lawton, Sparta, and Holt. Other upcoming Dual state qualifiers will be Clarkston on Feb 10th and New Lothrop on Feb 24th. Click the links below for fliers on those events.
Muskegon Community College wins Monon Bell Duals
1/28 - The Muskegon Community College Jayhawks won the Team Championship at the Monon Bell Duals at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, IN last saturday, January 26th.. The Jayhawks won their pool by defeating Mount St. Joseph 34-10 and Manchester College 30-12. Muskegon then defeated Tri-State University 34-13 to reach the championship match against Division II Indianapolis University. Muskegon CC defeated Indianapolis 25-18. Jayhawks going 4-0 on the day and getting big wins in the championship match were Elijah Troost of Comstock Park and Jordan McKiernan of Richmond. Click more for full duals results.
College weekend wraps up as Spartans fall to Purdue
1/27 - An action packed weekend of college wrestling wrapped up sunday afternoon in East Lansing as Purdue edged the Spartans 18-16. MSU also lost a nail-biter to #4 Minnesota on Friday night. The Gophers beat #6 Michigan as well this weekend to complete the MI-Big 10 weekend sweep. CMU and EMU clashed saturday as well, with the Chipps coming away victorious. For all the college results from this weekend, click more.
CMU knocks off Michigan in battle for state supremacy
1/20 - The 9th ranked Central Michigan Chippewas earned Michigan college bragging rights for the year as they downed #4 Michigan on Sunday 21-13 in Mt Pleasant. The Chipps were carried by their strong upperweights as they won 4 of the final 5 matches from 165 through 285, including an upset win by DCC native Trevor Stewart (pictured) at 165, who upended #2 ranked Eric Tannebaum 5-3. For full results, click more.
U of M, Brent Metcalf, Grand Valley headline Natl Duals
1/13 - The only dual that coach Joe McFarland and the Michigan Wolverines lost this weekend at the NWCA National Duals was the the University of Iowa, and they were not alone. The Hawkeyes dominated the tournament as Michigan was the only team to put up double digit points on them. The Hawks were led by Davison native Brent Metcalf, who was named tournament outstanding wrestler. Michigan ended up third after edging Minnesota 23-16 in the consolation finals. In the NCWA division, Grand Valley State sucessfully defended their title, as they beat Newman in the finals 31-21. Click more for a full recap of the duals.
Chipps knock off two ranked squads to remain perfect
1/8 - Coach Borelli's 5th ranked CMU squad won a pair of big duals Sunday to give them some momentum heading into the National Duals next weekend. The Chipps knocked off #16 Hofstra 22-14 and #13 Edinboro 28-11 to push their season record to 7-0. Among those going 2-0 on the day for CMU was Brandon Sinnott (pictured) who defeated the #6 and #12 ranked wrestlers at 174lbs. For a full recap of CMU's sunday duals, click more.
Wolverines go undefeated at Lone Star duals, EMU 3-1
1/8 - Michigan and Eastern Michigan both made the trip to Texas last weekend for the Lone Star Duals. UM went a perfect 3-0, tallying wins over Harvard, Columbia, and Appalachian State. EMU went 3-1, losing only to Appalachian State. Click more for full results from the Lone Star Duals.
MSU blanks Ohio U in first dual of new year
1/5 - Tom Minkel's MSU Spartans opened the new year with a 39-0 trouncing over Ohio University in front of the home crowd. True freshman Anthony Jones of Highland Park, a Division 3 state champ last year, made his debut and came away with an overtime win at 149lbs. For a recap and results from the MSU website, click more.
Grandville mourns loss of former all-state wrestler
1/27 - Tragedy struck the Grandville community when former standout football player and wrestler Jono Krystiniak was attacked earlier this month in an event that eventually led to his passing. Krystiniak was a former all-state wrestler for Grandville, finishing 6th in Division 1 his senior year, click more to read the full article.
Holt topples Mason as rivalry is renewed
1/17 - "Renew the Rivalry" was the theme and they did just that in Holt last night as the #3 ranked Rams defeated Division 2's #1 Mason 37-30. In another battle of ranked teams, Lake Orion (#8 D1) knocked off DCC (#5 D1) 34-27. Goto the High School results page to see more scores from last night.
Aiport's red-hot Brown named wrestler of the week
1/16 - Carleton Airport senior Deven Brown moved to 29-0 on the year last weekend and recently moved to #1 in the Division 2 rankings. He can now add MI Grappler/MYWAY Wrestler of the Week to that list of accomplishments. Click more to read full article.
Goodrich comes out on top of Michigan Duals
D3's top squad outguns Eaton Rapids, Hesperia, Hartland, among others
1/13 - When the dust cleared in Bay City this weekend it was Goodrich that came out on top. Goodrich, who is ranked #1 in Division 3, defeated D2's #2 Eaton Rapids in the final round. The Martians also defeated Hesperia (#1 D4) and Hartland (#4 D1) on their way to the finals. For full results from the Michigan Duals, click more.
MI Grappler recaps action packed Holidays
1/5 - The Holiday break was far from a break in the world of wrestling as everyone from youths to preps to collegiates were keeping busy over the holidays. Get caught up with what went down over the past few weeks in MI Grappler's holiday recap.
Spartan Country gives early look at states best youths
1/9 - The MYWAY Season kicked off last weekend with the Spartan Country tournament in East Lansing. The tournament is the only event of the year that brings all the regions together in one venue until the state tournament. Spartan Country served as an early season indicator of whos who in the state as most of the top youth wrestlers were in attendance. Among those claiming gold at Spartan Country was last year's All Future Team member Angus Arthur of Laingsburg (pictured), who won at 95lbs in the 96-97 age group. To view the results from Spartan Country, click here.
Winter Nationals feature MI top youths
12/31 - Many of Michigan's top youth grapplers were in action over the holidays at the BorderWars Winter Nationals in Battle Creek. The Winter Nationals attracted many of the top 5 to 14 year olds from not only Michigan, but surrounding states as well. Click more for full results.
Grenawalt wins CK Reno national crown
12/8 - Taylor Grenawalt of Haslett captured the 13/14 age division,105 pound crown at the prestigious Cliff Keen Reno Nationals held last weekend December 1st in Reno, Nevada. The lone Michigan wrestler entered in the tournament, Grenawalt posted wins over state champions from California, Nevada, Idaho and Oregon. He was a runner up for the Tournament Outstanding Wrestler award with two 1st period pins, surrendering a total of only 3 points throughout the entire tournament. To view full results, click more.
Simmons represents US in Freestyle World Cup
12/22 - Former Michigan State Spartan Nick Simmons continued his quest towards the 2008 Beijing Olympics last weekend as he wrestled as a part of the US squad that competed in the Freestyle World Cup in Russia. Simmons wrestled in two of the US's three duals, winning both bouts without losing a period. Simmons defeated opponents from Ukraine and Turkey. The US finished 5th overall. To read the article from TheMat.com, click more.
Nick Simmons finishes 4th at Schultz International
12/10 - Former MSU Spartan and Williamston native Nick Simmons finished 4th at the prestigous Dave Schultz International yesterday in Colorado Springs, CO. Simmons, competing at 55kg in freestyle, was the 2nd highest placing American in his weight and finished behind 3 former world or olympic medallists. He lost to former Olympic silver medallist Stephen Abas of the US in the consolation finals 2-0, 1-0.
Metcalf wins Midlands Title, CMU finishes 3rd
12/31 - There was a large contingency of Michigan Grapplers in Evanston this weekend for the 45th Midlands Championships. As far as Michigan colleges go, Central Michigan, Michigan State, and Olivet College competed with CMU finishing 3rd behind Iowa & Iowa State. MSU finished 11th and Olivet finished 30th out of the field of 52 teams. The only Michigander to win gold was Davison native Brent Metcalf, who won the 149lb crown for the University of Iowa. Click more for a full recap.
Eastern Michigan blanks Olivet 42-0
12/21 - Coach Derek Delporto's EMU Eagles shut out Todd Hibbs and his Olivet Comet squad last night 42-0 in Ypsilanti. Olivet, currently ranked 16th in DIII, lost tight battles in many weights, but were unable to break through with a win. There were a few weights that featured former Michigan prep standouts squaring off,
including 125 where EMU's former 2x D2 state champ Andrew Novak of New Boston Huron defeated another former D2 state champ in Olivet's Blair Mellish 11-5. Click more to view the full recap from EMU's website.
CMU wins Reno TOC, bring home 4 individual titles
12/18 - Tom Borelli's #6 CMU Chippewas claimed 4 individual crowns at the Reno Tournament of Champions yesterday to push them to the tournament title. This is the second year that the Chipps have twon the tournament. Caro native Wynn Michalak (pictured) racked up 2 falls, a tech-fall, a major decision, and a 3-1 finals win en route to the 197lb title. Click more for full recap.
Olivet's Brew wins ONU Invite; Lahar finishes 2nd
12/17 - Olivet finished 4th at the Ohio Northern Invitational saturday led by two individual finalists. Former Sparta 2x state champ Jason Brew led the Comets as he won the title at 157lbs. True freshman Vince Lahar, a former 3x MI state champ from Clio, continued his impressive freshman campaign as he finished 2nd at 149lbs. Middleville native Dayne Fletke and Harper Creek grad Joe Yurisch also placed in the top 5. Fletke finished 4th at 184lbs and Yurisch was 5th at 197. Click more for a recap from the Olivet website.
Northwestern drops EMU 29-6
12/17 - Eastern Michigan fell yesterday at home to #9 Northwestern 29-6. Winning for EMU was Sean Clair at 133, who remains perfect in dual competetion, and Charles Pienaar at 174. Click more for complete results from Intermat.
EMU falls to #14 Edinboro 31-6
12/16 - Eastern Michigan suffered their first loss of the season at the War at the Shore in Edinboro. Coach Derek Delporto's Eagles lost 31-6 to the 14th ranked Fighting Scots. Winning for EMU was senior Charlie Pienaar at 184 and sophomore Sean Clair at 133. Clair remained undefeated in duals with a 4-3 win over NCAA qualifier Ricky Deubel. For full results, click more.
JJJ gives 2nd contribution to
Welcome to College
12/12 - Welcome to College is back with EMU freshman JJ Johnson's 2nd entry. In his latest blog JJ talks about his developments as a student athlete, differences
between high school and collegiate wreslting, and he offers some insight and advice to future prep and college wrestlers. Click more to see what JJ had to say!
Challenge makes for dynamic wrestling enviroment
12/24 - Strobe lights, fog machines, jumbotrons, dancers, music, light shows….and some great wrestling! This is The Marquette Challenge. Watching the final round introductions resembled a WWE pay per view event more than a high school wrestling match. The Challenge and tournament director Tony Gentz provide prep wrestlers with a unique opportunity to display their abilities under the spotlight of competing in front of an amped crowd in an environment suited perfectly for high school wrestling. Oh and did we mention, there was some great wrestling going on too! 8 of the 14 finals matches featured a battle of ranked wrestlers. Click more for a full recap of the Challenge.
Genessee County crown goes home with Goodrich
12/16 - The Genessee County Championships team race was a Goodrich/Davison battle for the crown. Goodrich crowned 5 champs en route to the team title and host Davison crowned 3, including Bryan Rickard who knocked off state champ Allen Krupp in the 119lb finals. Another bigtime finals came at 189lbs where top ranked wrestlers from D1 & D3 squared off. Kyler Elsworth of Goodrich came away with the win, pinning Davison's Richard Kirksey in the third overtime session. Click more for a the semifinals/finals results, video clips, as well as a full recap of saturday's action in Genessee County..
Romeo becomes new kings of Macomb County
12/17 - The Macomb County team trophy went home with Romeo last weekend as they edged Anchor Bay by 6.5 points. There were a few classic final matchups, including Anchor Bay's #7 Robbie Bidlingmaier who edged #5 Cameron Amateis of Lanse Creuse in a thrilling 11-10 shootout. Another matchup of ranked wrestlers cam at 152 where returning state finalist Ryan Mack of Richmond outdid Josh Swanson of MH Lamphere 12-10. For full results from Macomb, click more.
Brumley, Morse headline upset filled weekend
12/9 - In a saturday filled with marquee matchups and big upsets, Jackson Morse of Lowell and Brennan Brumley of Warren Woods Tower stole the spotlight. Morse, a sophomore, and Brumley, a senior, both picked up upset wins over the top ranked 140lber in all divisions, Mark Weber of Goodrich. While these upsets were going on at the WWT Duals, there was some great action taking place at big individual tournaments across the state as well. Conor Youtsey of Mason upset reigning state runner up Justin Fleeson of Belleville at the Hartland Invite. In addition, at the Kent County Classic Jake Byers of Rockford upset state champ Tyler Kesslering of Greenville in the 119lb semfinals, then Byers lost in the finals to Steve Poffenberger of Allegan! Go to our results pages to see all the results!
Davison outlasts Hartland in surprisingly tight D1 dual
12/7 - Going into last night's dual against Davison, not many people would have given Hartland good odds for coming away with a victory. In fact, alot of people thought #2 Davison would have their way with #4 Hartland. However, Coach Cheney's squad made a match out of it and were narrowly defeated Hartland 40-36. Both teams were shorthanded as Hartland was without state champ Matt Bain (145) and state qualifier Kyle Summerfield (171) and Davison lacked the services of state qualifiers Brandon Shuart (103) and Jared Cowan (215). Click more to view all the results from this week.
Division 2's best teams toppled
#1 Eaton Rapids and #2 Lowell are downed by rivals
12/6 - Wednesday night was hyped up as a season preview for what division 2 has to offer this year, and it lived up to expectations. In a pair of rivarly duals, top ranked Eaton Rapids lost to #3 Mason and #2 ranked Lowell was dismantled by #5 Greenville. Click more to view all the bout by bout results from these duals.
Wild weekend to open high school season
12/3 - The opening weekend saw a ton of big time early season matchups both team and individually. There was some great wrestling at Lake Orion and Lansing Eastern. In one of the bigger matchups of the day, Jake Varilek of Lake Orion knocked off reigning state champ and #1 ranked Jeremy Bommarito of Hartland in the 152lb finals at the Lake Orion Invitational. Holt proved themselves as a top contender in D1 as they edged host Lake Orion as well as#2 ranked Hartland to win the team title. D2's top team Eaton Rapids outlasted a tough 20-team field at Lansing Eastern and Carson City Crystal's Dan Osterman (pictured) picked up a huge pin over top ranked Josh Dormer of Eaton Rapids in the 130lb final. For all the results from Lake Orion, Lansing Eastern, and everywhere else, go to our Results page.
DCC assembly makes for unique wrestling atmosphere
Lowell edges Detroit Catholic Central 38-36 in battle of ranked teams
By Sean Garner
12/2 - Wrestling fans might barely have been able to recognize the sight Friday afternoon at Detroit Catholic Central High School.Over 1,000 polo shirt and khaki-clad DCC students decided to skip their final hour of class to watch their Shamrocks compete in their annual Assembly Dual against the Lowell Red Arrows, which resulted in an exciting 38-36 victory for Lowell. It was an opportunity for the DCC student section to show why it is viewed as one of the most spirited in the state by coaches and athletes of many sports. Click more to read full article.
Varilek commits to Belmont Abbey
12/1 - Lake Orion all-stater Jake Varilek has signed a national letter of intent to continue his wrestling career for Division 2 Belmont Abbey college in North Carolina. Varilek, who is projected to wrestle at 157 in college, is a Top 40 recruit and finished 4th at 152lbs in Division 1 last year. Goto our recruiting central to see all the signings and commitments.
Grenawalt wins CK Reno national crown
12/8 - Taylor Grenawalt of Haslett captured the 13/14 age division,105 pound crown at the prestigious Cliff Keen Reno Nationals held last weekend December 1st in Reno, Nevada.
The lone Michigan wrestler entered in the tournament, Grenawalt posted wins over state champions from California, Nevada, Idaho and Oregon. He was a runner up for the Tournament Outstanding Wrestler award with two 1st period pins, surrendering a total of only 3 points throughout the entire tournament. To view full results, click more.
Nick Simmons wins gold at Hargobind International
Simmons, Cunningham, Hrovat win medals in Canadadian Tournament
11/6 - Former MSU 4x All-American and Williamston native Nick Simmons defeated John Pineda of Canada in the 121lb finals of the Hargobind International tournament in British Columbia, Canada last weekend to claim the gold medal.
CMU assistant coach Casey Cunnigham and former UM all-american Andy Hrovat earned medals as well, placing 3rd at 163lbs and 211lbs. Click more to view full results of the Hargobind International....more...
Hall and Massa earn OW at Tulsa Kickoff
11/20 - Michigan was well represented at the Tulsa Kickoff last weekend as 6 Michiganders came away with tournament titles. Mark Hall of Davison and Taylor Massaof St Johns were both named outstanding wrestler in their respective age divisions. Hall won the 10&under 90lb bracket with 4 falls and Massa won the 15&under 130lb weight with 5 falls. Others winning titles were Davian Gowens, Dominic Sutermeister, Martin Rodriguez, and Ben Whitford. To see how all the Michigan kids fared, click more.
Arthur & Rodriguez win titles at Big Horn Nationals
11/19 - A handful of Michigan youths traveled to Loveland, CO for the Big Horn Nationals last weekend and came away with medals. Leading the way were
Angus Arthur of Laingsburg and Freddie Rodriguez of Holt, who each won gold in 12&under and 14&under at 90lbs. Two other Michigan kids attendend and both placed as Martin Rodriguez took 2nd at 70lb in 13/14 and Shabo Gorial took 3rd at 75lbs in 11/12. The Big Horn Nationals are the first leg in the America Crown Wrestling Championships and are also a part of the MI Grappler Fab 50. To view full results from Big Horn, click more.
Spartan Classic marks start of Fab 50 era
The first points of the Fab 50 season were scored last weekend in East Lansing at the Borderwars Spartan Classic. The next Fab 50 event will be the BorderWars Nationals, which is a platinum scored event. For Sparan Classic results and info on the BorderWars Nationals, go to the BorderWars Website.
Good turnout for Eagle smackdown
The EMU Eagle Smackdown gave youth wrestlers their first oppurtunity to get on the mats this fall. For results from the smackdown, click here.
MI Grappler announces "Fab 50" youth tournament series
8/30 - Michigan Grappler is pleased to announce that this year will mark the first season of the Michigan Grappler Fab 50 Youth Tournament series. Any youth wrestler who is not yet in high school is eligible for the Fab 50. If one places at a Fab 50 sponsored event he or she will earn points and at the end of the season the 50 wrestlers with the most points will earn a spot in the Fab 50, with the top 10 guaranteeing themselves a spot on the Youth Dream Team. The highest overall point getter from the Fab 50 will be the 2007-08 Michigan Grappler youth wrestler of the year. Click more for full details on the Fab 50, including event schedule and scoring system...More...
Michigan wins Cliff Keen Invite with 3 champs
True freshman Russell explodes onto national scene
11/30 - #10 Michigan won the Cliff Keen Vegas Invitiational this weekend behind the efforts of 3 individual champions. The Wolverines finished 1st out of a 48 team field, edging 2nd place Missouri, ranked #7, by 2.5 points. Top ranked Eric Tannebaum and 7th ranked Tyrell Todd were not big surprises to win as they each entered the tournament seeded #1 and #2 at 165 and 184, respectively. However, true freshman Kellen Russell exploded onto the college scene as he entered the tournament unranked and seeded 13th, but stormed through the 141lb bracket en route to the championship. Click more for a full recap of the CK Invite.
Chipps down Spartans 33-3 in front of home crowd
11/30 - In front of nearly 2,000 fans at Rose Arena last night in Mt Pleasant, the CMU Chippewas defeated in state rival Michigan State 33-3. The only Spartan to win was 6th ranked Franklin Gomez, who defeated #14 Connor Beebe 10-3 at 133lbs. Scoring bonus points for the Chipps was Bubbba Gritter with a fall and Brandon Carter, Trevor Stewart, and Christian Sinnott with major decisions. For full results, click more.
College Previews for 2007 released
UM, MSU, CMU, EMU, and Olivet all previewed
The college season has already gotten underway, check out the MI Grappler college previews to stay in tune with what is happening at your favorite school! Click more to view previews.
Chippewas & Wolverines in action @ Northeast Duals
CMU dominates competetion, UM goes 3-1 @ Journeyman Duals
11/25 - Coach Tom Borelli's CMU Chippewas started their season in dominant fashion today at the Journeyman Northeast Duals in Troy, NY. The Chipps went 4-0, outscoring their opponents by a total of 148-15. #5 Michigan was also in action, going 3-1 with their lone loss coming in the form of an upset loss to Maryland. To view full results of CMU and UM from the duals, click more.
Grand Ledge grad Wright wins Mizzou Open
Missouri freshman wins first College title
11/122 - Grand Ledge graduate Pat Wright, currently a freshman at Missouri, won the first open tournament of his young career last weekend with a 1st place finish at the Missouri Open freshman/sophomore division. Wright went 4-0 on the day at 165lbs, including a 3-1 overtime win in the finals over Bryan Wells of Campbellsville. Click more to view full release from Missouri's website.
Michigan State goes 2-1 at ACC/Big Ten Clash
11/17 - MSU got their first dual wins of the season today at the ACC/Big Ten Clash in Chapel Hill, NC. The Spartans won their opening match over host North Carolina 21-15, then fell to Virginia 29-10 before ending their day with a 23-15 win over North Carolina State. Leading the way for MSU was 6th ranked Franklin Gomez, who stayed undefeated on the year with 3 wins today, including a 7-1 decision over 9th ranked Eric Albright of Virginia. Senior Joe Williams, ranked 14th, continued to impress at 197lbs, going 2-0 with a 10-2 major decision over 20th ranked Brent Jones of Virginia. Click more all of MSU's results on the day.
Olivet plays host to Comet Duals, finishes 2-2
11/17 - Olivet College hosted the Comet Duals this weekend and finished 2-2 on the day. The Comets, currently ranked 8th in NCAA Division III, soundly defeated Mount Union and 26th ranked Ohio Norther. They fell to #3 Wisconsin-Lacrosse 33-6 and were narrowly defeated by #12 Wisconsin-Stevens Point 24-18. Leading the way individually was former Sparta state champ Jason Brew, who went 4-0 at 157lbs. For full results from the Comet Duals, click more.
MSU's Gomez named Big Ten wrestler of the week
11/14 - MSU sophomore Franklin Gomez started his 07-08 campaign with a bang. Gomez won the MSU Open at 133 pounds, defeating Big Ten finalist Andrae Hernandez of Indiana in the finals. With his win, Gomez moved up to 6th in the 133lb national rankings. To view the full release from the Big Ten, click more.
EMU nabs Ohio state champ Sulzer
11/15 - Derek Delporto and the EMU coaching staff received a big time commitment today from Ohio state champ Aaron Sulzer. Sulzer, a Junior National All-American last summer in Fargo, is projected to wrestle 149/157 for the Eagles. Go to Recruiting Central to see all the commitments/signings.
Five MI Grapplers crowned at MSU Open
Nation's best converge on East Lansing
11/10 - Jenison Fieldhouse was a Michigan wrestling showcase today in East Lansing as the venue was filled with household names from the Michigan wrestling community. There were five wrestlers with Michigan ties who were crowned
champions. For a tournament recap and a listof all the place winners as well as the placewinners with Michigan ties, click more.
Michigan State falls to Old Dominion 20-16
11/10 - The 2007-08 dual season got underway last night with their home opener against Old Dominion. ODU won 6 out of 10 matches to come out of East Lansing with the win. In the most highly anticipated match of the night Spartan senior Joe Williams won at 197 with an impressive major decision over 16th ranked Ryan Mendoza. Former Montrose HS standout John Fulger picked up a 1st period fall in his Spartan dual debut at 157lbs and Lakewood alum Alan O'donnell won at 285lbs. 10th ranked Franklin Gomez also picked up a win for MSU at 133lbs. Click more to read full results from MSU website.
Welcome to College is back with MSU's Phil Khozein
11/6 - The "Welcome to College" blog series is back and better than ever as former Hesperia 2x state champ Phil Khozein, now a freshman wrestler at Michigan State, submitted his second blog. In Khozein's blog he talks about his transformation from an average freshman to a proud Spartan. Click more to read Khozein's blog.
Off we go....high school season underway!
11/29 - The first week of high school competetion is finally here and many teams got started last night. Among those starting the year off on the right foot was Swan Valley, ranked 4th in Division 3, who handily beat Bay City Central and Traverse City Central last night. The upset of the night came from Division 4 Clinton who knocked off #2 Manchester via tibreaker. Click more to see what other big events are coming up this week and tosee all the results from this week.
Kamron Jackson signs on the dotted line
South Haven state champ headed to EMU
11/18 - Derek Delporto is following up his impressive recruiting class from a year ago with more of the same. His EMU program secured a big time Michigan prospect in the #6 recruit Kamron Jackson of South Haven. Jackson, a 171lb Division 3 state champ last year, is projected to wrestle 174 for the Eagles. Jackson, a former Cadet freestyle All-American, joins Junior freestyle All-American Aaron Sulzer of Ohio, who commited to EMU earlier this week. For all the recruiting info, check out our Recruiting Central.
Rule changes allow more offense, less MRSA
By Sean Garner
11/14 - A new season is upon and with any new season comes a variety of new and modified rules. 2007-08 brings a litany of rule changes by the National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS), most with the intent of either protecting the wrestlers or creating livelier action. Perhaps, the most interesting new rule has to do with the optional start from referee’s position
Updated individual rankings released
11/13 - High school wrestling season is finally here as practices began this week. With the start of the season comes our updated preseason individual rankings. To view the full rankings for each division, click the respective links below.
Out of state talent makes for tough BorderWars high school division
11/5 - The BorderWars Nationals started saturday with the high school division and many of Michigan's best preps competed. Michiganders winning titles were Ryan Nieman (125), Donnie Corby (140), Justin McDermitt (145), Jeremy Epley (171), Matt Fetterley (189), Nick Whitenburg (215), and Travis Pettengill (285). While Michigan claimed a handful of titles, a lot of Michigan studs were upended in Battle Creek by out of state talent. Click more for a full high school division recap...More..
High School team previews released
The High School season is almost here and the debates have been stirring about what schools will be crowned champions of their divisions. Michigan Grappler has released our team previews for every division, click the respective links below to view each division's preview
McFarland and Delporto featured on FloWrestling
11/6 - Martin Floreani of FloWrestling.com was in Michigan last weekend for the EMU open and he conducted interviews with EMU Head Coach Derek Delporto and UofM head coach Joe McFarland. Click the links below to view the interviews.
College season officially underway with EMU open
MSU's Wimberley, CMU's Kelto win EMU open titles
11/4 - The college wrestling season has finally arrived in Michigan as most of Michigan's colleges and univerisities were in action saturday at the Eastern Michigan Open. MSU and CMU each had a champ on the day as Jeff Wimberley of MSU won at 141lbs and Ben Kelto of CMU took home the crown at 184lbs. Some former Michigan preps placing in the top 4 were Joel Trombley of MSU at 125, Jason Brew of Olivet at 157, Abe Cross of MSU at 184, and Jarod Trice of CMU at 285. Click more for full results of the EMU open...More...
Mike Kessler wins The Citadel College Open
11/6 - Mike Kessler of Bay City Western made his college debut last weekend in Charleston, SC at The Citadel Open, where he won the 141lb title. Kessler, wrestling for Appalachian State University, went 4-0 on the day and won his finals match by major decision, 11-3 over Spencer Jasper of Duke. Kessler was a 3x Division 1 state placer in high school. Click here to view tournament brackets from Citadel Open.
Donahoe, Churella, Kish slated for NWCA All-Star meet
10/30 - The 42nd annual NWCA All-Star Classic is set for November 19th in Eugene, OR at the University of Oregon. Three former Michigan prep stars have been invited to attend: Paul Donahoe, Josh Churella, and Roger Kish. Returning
NCAA champ Donahoe, a native of Davison who currently wrestles for Nebraska, will be wrestling 4th ranked Jayson Ness of Mineesota. University of Michigan senior Churella, native of Novi, will face off with Big Ten rival Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota. Lapeer West native Kish, who is currently ranked #2 for the top ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers, will be squaring off with #1 ranked Jake Varner of Iowa State. University of Michigan senior Eric Tannenbaum will also be in action, going against Pat Pitsch of Arizona State at 165lbs. To view the full lineups, click here.
Pat Wright takes 3rd in first collegiate tournament
10/29 - Grand Ledge native Pat Wright's collegiate career at the University of Missouri got off to a good start as he went 6-1 at the Lindenwood Open lasweekend to finish 3rd at 165lbs. Wright, a D1 state runner up last year, lost his first match to eventual runner up Tyson Campbell of Oklahoma Central 6-5. He then stormed through the consolations winning 6 straight including wins over the #1, #2, #5, and #7 seeds of the tournament. Another MI native in action was East Kentwood alum Randy Vanderveen, who made the semifinals at 174lbs before losing to eventual champion John Wilcox. Vanderveen, competing for Lindenwood University, injury defaulted out following the semifinals. Click more to view the full brackets...More...
Hrovat & Wechter finish 3rd at Sunkist International
10/28 - The Sunkist International Open took place this weekend in Phoenix, Arizona and featured many of the country and world's top international stars. There were a handful of athletes with Michigan ties competing, including Andy Hrovat and John Wechter, who both finished 3rd. Hrovat, a former all-american for the University of Michigan, placed 3rd at 85kg in freestyle. Wechter, a former MSU Spartan and native of Saginaw, finished 3rd at 85kg in greco-roman. Go to TheMat.com coverage for full results....More...
Hrovat earns silver medal at Medved International
10/22 - Former University of Michigan all-american Andy Hrovat finished 2nd today at the Medved International Tournament in Belarus. Hrovat lost 1-3, 1-0, 0-2 to R. Kouluv of Russia in the finals. Williamston native and MSU grad Nick Simmons went 3-2 at 121lbs, good for 5th. CMU assistant coach Casey Cunningham also competed, but failed to place at 163lbs. Click more to read TheMat.com article on day 2.
CMU adds Ohio lightweight Ben Sergent
10/25 - Coach Tom Borelli signed added another top recruit to his 07/08 recruiting class as Ohio state champ Ben Sergent verbally commited to be a Chippewa. Sergent, projected to wrestle 125lbs, joins fellow Ohio state champ Eric Cubberly (proj 165lbs), Florida champ Scotti Sentes (proj 125/133), and Michigan champ Ben Bennett of Rockford (proj 174lbs) in this stellar class. Sergent was also a Junior National freestyle champ. Go to Recruiting Central to see all the commitments.
Burge brings home the belt, hello Taylor Massa!
10/21 - The Super 32 Challenge wrapped up yesterday in Greensboro with 2 Michiganders placing. Jacob Burge of Mason won the 171lb championship with a 5-4 win over Edward Ruth of Pennsylvania. The other medal going back to Michigan is going with 8th grader Taylor Massa of St Johns, who took 3rd at 135lbs. Click more for a full recap of the Super 32s....More...
Big names show up for Spartan Classic
Bohn & Pettengill headline star studded high school division
10/22 - The Spartan Classic attracted a star studded high school field, including a number of state placewinners. One of the biggest names in attendance was Junior Greco All-American Jake Bohn of East Kentwood and reigning D2 state champ Travis Pettengill (pictured) of Flint Kearsley. Click more for full results
Top high school talent flocks to Holly Broncho Brawl
10/15 - The Borderwars Broncho Brawl was held in Holly last weekend and much like EMU Smackdown that was held weeks prior, a flock of Michigan's top prep talent showed up to compete. Among those claiming crowns were all staters Andrew Brackins (112), Bryan Rickard (119), Josh Houldsworth (130), and Jake Varilek (152). For complete results, click more.
Michigan's best staying close to home
Bennett, Weber, Dubose commit to in-state schools
10/15 -The biggest recruiting weekend of the fall is now over and Michigan's best seniors have all made their college commitments. Michigan's top 3 recruits have committed to stay in state for their college careers. Ben Bennett, Michigan's top recruit, has committed to wrestle for coach Tom Borrelli at Central Michigan.
The #2 recruit Mark Weber will be heading to Ann Arbor to compete for Joe McFaland at the University of Michigan. Not to be overshadowed by their in-state rivals, coach Tom Minkel and Michigan State landed the #3 recruit Marcel Dubose.
Go to our Recruiting Central to view the full list of commitments and recruiting rankings.
Let your voice be heard on MHSAA issues...
MHSAA online poll great way for wrestling community to be heard
10/12 - Upset with the MHSAA holding Michigan wrestlers back from competing in national events or traveling to seek competetion? Well now is your chance to let them know how you feel. The MHSAA High School sports opinion poll is up on the MHSAA website and gives you the oppurtunity to express your feelings. The wrestling community may now be heard, don't waste the oppurtunity. To take part in the online poll, click the link below.
MI Grappler's preseason individual rankings released!
Donahoe ranked #1 in preseason college poll
Slew of Michigan natives present in WrestlingReport rankings
10/8 - The first NCAA Division 1 wrestling rankings came out last week and Davison native Paul Donahoe landed the #1 spot at 125 lbs as he looks to defend his 2007 National Title. Also finding themselves in the top 2 are Josh Churella, Roger Kish, and Bubba Gritter at 149, 184, and 285lbs, respectively. Click more to see all the grapplers with Michiganties who made the rankings.
Michigan nabs Ohio stud Boyd
McFarland lands second top 30 recruit in last 48 hours
10/4 - It has been a busy week for coach Joe McFarland as his Wolverines have picked up two blue chip out of state recruits in the last 48 hours. The most recent was Ohio state champ Coby Boyd of St Paris Graham high school. Boyd is ranked as the #24 recruit in the country by InterMat and joins Californian Hunter Collins, the #29 recruit who commited to the maize & blue earlier this week.
Goto our Recruiting Central to see all the latest happenings on the college recruiting scene.
Johnson discusses hard core training in Ann Arbor
Former Jenison star training in the Big House, hanging with Zeerip & Smith
9/27 - The latest entry in our Welcome to College series comes from Ann Arbor as freshman David Johnson weighs
in on lifting, dorm life, running the Big House, and more! Read Johnson's blog to hear everything he had to say about life as a Wolverine.
Burge chooses North Carolina State
Mason senior is first to commit in 07-08 class
9/25 - The first commitment of the 2007-08 recruiting season came in this week when Mason state champ Jacob Burge commited to wrestle for coach Carter Jordan at North Carolina State University. Burge chose NC State over Michigan State and Northern Illinois. "It was a really tough choice for me between NC State and MSU," said Burge, "I really liked coach Jordan's intensity and relationship with his team."
MWA Classic set for June 2008
9/18 - The Michigan Wrestling Assoication has announced that their proposed MWA Classic dual meet is a go for this year. The event will be held for the first time this summer on June 18th, 2008 at Hartland High School. The Classic is will feature two graduating seniors in each weight class as well as honor others in the Michigan wrestling community with various awards. For full information on the MWA Classic, click more. ...More...
Bohn nabs bronze at World Grappling Championships
9/10 - Jake Bohn earned three top 6 finishes last weekend at the World Wrestling Games in Antalya, Turkey. Bohn, a senior at East Kentwood High School, earned the bronze medal in Grappling, finishing 3rd, and ended 5th in Sombo and Beach Wrestling. Bohn, who garnered Junior Greco All-American honors this summer, is currently rated as Michigan's #8 recruit. Click more to view TheMat.com's special coverage of the event...More...
Full recruiting rankings released...
9/1 - Michigan Grappler's full recruiting rankings for this year have been released. The top 70 college prospects from this year's senior class have been rounded up and ranked. The top 10 was released earlier this month, which saw Rockford's Ben Bennett (pictured) nab the top spot. Click more to see who rounded out the Top 70. ..More...
Spartans land big man to kick off recruiting season
9/11 - Michigan State got the first commitment for their 2008 freshman class last weekend when heavyweight Stephen Andrus of Kansas commited to MSU. Andrus was a 2007 Kansas state champion for Manhattan HS and is a former Cadet Freestyle national champion as well. He is ranked as the #70 recruit in the country by InterMat.
The recruting season will be heating up throughout the next month so check back with us to see who is signing where! Check out our recruiting rankings to see who the top recruits are coming out of Michigan this year.
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