Michigan's best headed for Sr Nationals this weekend
3/25 - Michigan's top seniors will be traveling south to Virginia Beach this weekend to try their hand against the nation's best prep wrestlers at the NHSCA Senior Nationals. The Senior Nationals are widely known as the toughest, most notorious folkstyle national wrestling tournament in the country. The event is sure to attract most of the best grapplers in the country and there should also be a good amount of college coaches in attendance as the event is one of the biggest recruiting havens for wrestling.
Michigan's Best Bets
Michigan's big five to keep an eye on this weekend are all wrestlers who have been present in most of the national rankings over the past year:
1. Mark Weber (Goodrich), 135 - Many people were skeptical about Weber after he suffered a few upsets earlier this year to Brumley and Morse, however, the 4x champ proved that he is still one of the best in the country with his Dapper Dan win over Colin Johnston last weekend. Weber, a 2x Fargo finalist, has the most national expierence and sucess out of all the Michigan kids wrestling this weekend and this is why he is the best bet to place high and contend for a national title.
2. Marcel Dubose (Oak Park), 215 - We are unsure if Dubose will in fact be wrestling this
weekend. He is listed on the NHSCA participants list, however, he is not registered at a weight
class and he was added last minute. We had received word prior that he may not be competing
because he planned on doing track this spring and did not want to jeapordize his eligibility. If
Dubose is indeed wrestling this weekend there is no doubt that he will be one of the men to beat
at 215. Marcel has been a household name in Fargo over the past few summers and went
undefeated last summer in Disney. He is capable of beating anyone in the country and will be
looking to repeat champions for Highland Park after Jarod Trice won it all last year.;
3. Ben Bennett (Rockford), 171 - There is no doubt that Bennett is one of the best wrestlers in Michigan. He has not been beat by anyone in the state over the past two seasons. He has wrestled many of the top guys in this weight over the past few years and looked good in Fargo last summer, coming a round away from placing in a loaded weight class. Bennett is a great mat wrestler, so folkstyle seems to suit him better, which makes him a legitimate threat to place high this weekend.
4. Jacob Burge (Mason), 171 - Burge has not lost to anyone in the state of Michigan other than
Bennett and Cam Simaz in the past two seasons. He exploded onto the national scene this fall
winning the Super 32s at 171 over nationally ranked Ed Ruth of PA in the finals. He also placed
over one of the nation's top 171lbers Jordan Blanton of Illinois. Burge also did well at the MSU
Open this fall, beating a few college caliber wrestlers including a big win over Bennett. If he and
Bennett are both on this weekend we could very well have two Michigan guys placing at 171.
5. Travis Pettengill (Kearsley), 215 - Pettengill had some issues this season that kept him out
of the state tournament, but that does not change the fact that he is one of the best big men in the country. Pettengill has been ranked very high nationally since last year when he beat Dubose twice as well as Dan Craig in the state finals. Pettengill went 9-1 in Disney last year, however, his less than impressive Fargo performance raises some concern. Regardless, he is a big, athletic, strong 215lber in a weight that is not traditionally deep, so he is a pretty good bet to place.
Keep an eye on....
There are many talented guys to keep an eye on this weekend that have lacked the national exposure of the big 5. Here are some guys that could garner some attention this weekend:
1. LJ Helbig (Mason), 189 - Helbig moves well for a big man and is very technical. He has little national expierence, but has alot of sucess. He won the NHSCA National Open last summer and the guy he beat in the finals won the Super 32s this fall, so Helbig is definitely in the ballpark of the nation's best guys. This weekend could be his coming out party....
2. Alex Ortman (Bedford), 152 - Ortman is a good folkstyle wrestler. Problem for him is that there are few opportunities for Michigan kids to display their folkstyle skills. Ortman has beaten some of Michigan's best wrestlers over the past couple years including a win over last year's senior national All-American David Johnson and a win this year over Fargo All-American Jake Bohn. Ortman is definitely capable of competing on the national level, he just hasn't had the oppurtunity yet. This weekend will be his chance.
3. Brennan Brumley (Warren Woods Tower), 140 - Brumley suffered a tough loss to Morse in the state finals and he finished 2nd again, however, his two wins over Mark Weber cannot be forgotten. Brumley is a strong kid that is capable of keeping it close with anyone and pulling out some upsets. If he can beat Weber twice, he can place in this tournament.
4. Zac Stevens (Monroe), 125 - Stevens has very little national expierence, but he is a talented kid that looked good at the state tournament. 125 is traditionally a deep weight, so placing may be a task. However, dont be surprised if Stevens rattles off 4 or 5 wins and puts together a good showing this weekend.
5. Bryan Rickard (Davison), 112 - Rickard fell short at the state meet again, however, he has seen alot of top-tier national competetion throughout his career in the summer and during the season with Davison's schedule. At 112 he should be a legimitate threat to string some wins together and make an all-american run.
6. Jake Bohn (East Kentwood), 160 - Bohn is much like Rickard in that he has wrestled many of the nation's best preps over the past couple years. Bohn, who is a good greco/freestyle wrestler, has competed well in numerous freestyle, greco, and sombo national events over the past year. Last year in Fargo he lost a close freestyle match to Albert White of Illinois, who was a senior national champ last spring. Therefore, it is evident that Bohn is capable of competing with the nation's best.
7. Justin McDermitt (Davison), 140 - McDermitt is built for this tournament with his hard nosed style Davision attacking style. He is in great shape and will be in every match he wrestles. Hes in the same boat as Rickard and Bohn in that he has wrestled a lot of national tournaments over the past couple years (Fargo, Super 32s, Fila Cadets, Medina, etc.). With his style and his expierence against top tier competetion McDermitt is one of the those guys who should have confidence going in to this weekend and could surprise some people.
Michigan Entries
112
Andrew Brackins (Waterford Kettering), X-X-7-1
Justin Fleeson (Belleville), X-X-2-3
Terrance Frank (Grand Blanc), X-X-X-2
Bryan Rickard (Davison) X-4-3-4
119
Brett Marsh (Dexter) X-2-1-4
125
Jeremiah Austin (Westland John Glenn) X-X-X-2
Zachery Stevens (Monroe) 7-3-2-1
130
Christian Cullinan (Wyandotte Roosevelt) X-X-4-1
135
Steve Cox (Canton) X-X-X-5
Cody Dunn (Leslie) X-8-1-1
John Houseman (Grand Haven) 6-3-2-1
Mark Weber (Goodrich) 1-1-1-1
Bebeto Yewah (Lansing Sexton) X-X-X-2
140
Brennan Brumley (Warren Woods Tower) X-2-2-2
Donnie Corby (Croswell-Lexington) X-X-2-1
Justin McDermitt (Davison) X-2-3-1
Garrett Rozeboom (Mason) X-3-1-3
145
Deven Brown (Carleton Airport) X-X-X-1
Brian Hittle (Durand) 5-X-1-3
152
Jacob Johnson (Dearborn Hts Crestwood) X-X-5-2
Ryan Mack (Richmond) X-X-2-X
Alex Ortman (Bedford) X-4-1-1
Jake Varilek (Lake Orion) X-X-4-1
Tom Willits (Waterford Kettering) X-X-7-4
Corey Woodruff (Pinconning) X-X-6-1
160
Jake Bohn (East Kentwood) X-7-5-2
Chris Eggert (Dundee) 6-2-2-2
171
Ben Bennett (Rockford) 1-3-1-1
Jacob Burge (Mason) 3-3-1-1
189
Celic Bell (South Haven) X-3-X-2
LJ Helbig (Mason) X-X-2-1
Seth Holt (Grand Haven) X-X-3-3
215
John Corder (Hartland) X-X-X-6
Marcel Dubose (Oak Park) X-1-1-1
Travis Pettengill (Kearsley) X-4-1-X
Kyler Ritter (Manchester) X-X-6-1
Jimmy Rowe (Dundee) X-5-2-1
285
DJ Charneski (Hartland) X-X-X-2
Brett Corell (Utica Eisenhower) X-3-3-3
Michael Schaibly (Caledonia) X-X-6-2
Rudy Spaulding (Hesperia) 4-4-4-3
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