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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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!
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.
Wildmo & Wass impress at Eagle Smackdown
10/2 - The EMU Eagle Smackdown attracted a flock of prep stars to Ypsilanti last weekend. Among those turning in impressive performances were Roger Wildmoof Durand and Darius Wass of Swan Valley. Wildmo knocked off reigning D2 state runner up Herm Gillium of Clio en route to the 112lb title. Wass, meanwhile, defeated three state placers including Bryan Rickard of Davison on his way to the crown at 119. For a full recap as well as complete match by match results of the high school division, click more.
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."
Rockford sits atop preseason rankings
MI Grappler preseason team rankings released
9/1 - Michigan Grappler's preseason team rankings have been released. Coach Don Rinehart (pictured) and his Rockford Rams will enter the season ranked #1 as they look to defend their Division 1 state title from a year ago. View the full
rankings to see where everyone else falls in the first team rankings of the season.
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.
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...
Lowell Fair attracts loaded high school division
8/11 - The Lowell Fair Tournament started yesterday with high school and open action. The tournament ended a perfect split with 7 champions hailing from Michigan and 7 gold medals leaving Michigan with out of state contestants. One of Michigan's winners was Tylor Cook of Caledonia (pictured) who defeated Jaron Licatovich of Pennsylvania in the152lb finals by decsion 7-2. Click more for full results of the high school division and check back tonight or tommorow for youth results . ...more...
Michigan teams place 5th & 12th at Junior Olympics
8/4 - The AAU Junior Olympic Games wrapped up in Knoxville, TN on Friday. The Michigan Red team finished 5th out of the 23 team tournament and the Michigan Blue squad came in 11th. 5 Michiganders earned individual medals for their performances, most notably 103lber Andrew Brackins of Waterford Kettering took home the silver with a 14-1 record. Click more for a full recap of the Junior Olympics....More...
Weber is Junior National runner-up, MI 13th as a state
7/26 - Mark Weber fell in 3 periods to Colin Johnston of Pennsylvania in the Junior Freestyle finals in Fargo. Johnston took the opening period but Weber bounced back and took the 2nd. Trailing 1-0 late in the 3rd, Weber got in deep on a single leg but failed to finish and came up just short. David Johnson, Cam Simaz, and Jarod Trice also finished as All-Americans, click more for full Junior Freestyle recap, goto Fargo Coverage Section for complete coverage of the Cadet & Junior Nationals.
2 Michigan teams place top 4 in Disney
6/29 - The AAU Scholastic Duals wrapped up yesterday in Disney. The highest placing team was Freeze, who defeated MI red in the final bout. In one of the bigger upsets of the week, 2x state champ Kyle Waldo of Rockford was handed only his 2nd loss of the tournament by freshman to be Joey Rendina of Dundee. Dream Teamer Erich Smith was also upset in the final bout by Bryce Rajabain on Saline. MI Blue finished 11th while MI Gold ended in 15th. Goto coverage section for final standings as well as match by match results of every Michigan dual.
Individuals finishing the weekend undefeated were: Zach Jones (112), Justin Zeerip (160), Cam Simaz (171), Tyler Dickenson (189), Marcel Dubose (215), and Jarod Trice (285). Disney Duals special coverage.
Justin Zeerip is Prep Wrestler of The Year
6/8 - The accomplishments of Justin Zeerip keep piling up. After the senior capped off one of if not the best high school career in Michigan history which included 260 wins, 0 losses, and 4 state titles, Zeerip has placed 3rd at senior nationals and won the Michigan “Mr. Wrestler” and Dave Schultz awards, among others. You can now add another award to that list as Michigan Grappler has announced Justin Zeerip of Hesperia as the 2007 High School Wrestler of The Year...read full story...
10 Michiganders earn spot in Intermat's final rankings
Intermats final all-class rankings of the 2006-07 high school season were released last week. The rankings consist of the top 20 prep wrestlers in the nation at each weight at 10 different Michiganders made the list. The only underclassmen to garner a ranking was Rockford's Ben Bennet, who nabbed the #10 spot at 160lbs. To see the full rankings, click here.
Top Preps battle for state freestyle supremacy
5/9 - The Michigan USA Wrestling State Finals last weekend attracted some of the best high school wrestlers from all over the state. Among those claiming championships were MHSAA state champs Tyler Kesselring of Greenville (Cadet 112), Josh Dormer of Holt (Junior 125), Alex Ortman of Bedford (Junior 160), Ben Bennett Rockford (Junior 171), Erich Smith of Ishpeming (Junior 189), Travis Pettengill of Kearsley (Junior 215) and Jarod Trice of Highland Park (Junior 285). MHSAA State runners-up Jake Walters of St Johns and Jackson Morse of Lowell claimed cadet crowns at 119 & 135, respectively.
**Click here for full results of the Michigan Freestyle State Finals**
