After Inspiring Return, Bartlett Marches On
March 27, 2020
By Doug Donnelly
Special for Second Half
TEMPERANCE – Just before the Temperance Bedford wrestling team was to enter the arena at Kalamazoo’s Wings Event Center for opening ceremonies of the MHSAA Team Finals this winter, head coach Kevin Vogel told Connor Bartlett he had a job for him.
“I had no idea what it was,” Bartlett said. “Then, he called me up to the front and handed me the flag.”
Bartlett had been chosen to usher in the event. It was a moving tribute to the 17-year-old Bedford athlete who, about a year ago, wasn’t sure he would still be alive.
“It was a great honor,” Bartlett said. “I had never been to the state finals before. I didn’t know anything about the ceremony.
“We were the first team to enter the arena. They had me carrying the flag for the City of Kalamazoo. I led my team and all of the wrestlers into the arena. It was amazing. It’s something I’ll never forget. To be at the forefront of my team and lead them was fantastic.”
Bartlett was the perfect choice to lead Bedford into its first trip to Finals weekend since 2016. The senior wrestler missed his junior season on the mat while he battled testicular carcinoma. At times, he was forced to make peace with the possibility that the cancer might win.
“I always kept that in mind – that I wanted to get back on the mat. That was a big source of inspiration and something I wanted,” he said.
Bartlett went to Ottawa Lake Whiteford until his freshman year, when his family moved into neighboring Bedford Township. He had never wrestled before but had heard about Bedford’s storied wrestling program.
“My brother had started wrestling a year or two before me,” he said. “I had always heard about Bedford’s wrestling program. My freshman year came, and I played football at Bedford. I thought I would wrestle as a way to stay in shape for football. I ended up loving wrestling so much I decided to give up football and concentrate on wrestling.”
That first year on the mat, he said, there was a huge learning curve.
“My first year was pretty rough,” he said. “I only won a single match all year.”
His sophomore year saw rapid improvement, enough that he won a JV tournament.
“I do not consider myself a natural at wrestling,” he said. “It was 100-percent hard work. Actually, most of it was the great coaches that Bedford has.”
He anticipated an even more improved season as a junior, but that had to be put on hold. Near the end of his sophomore school year, Bartlett was watching TV at home when the right side of his body went numb. It felt, to him, like it fell asleep. He didn’t think much of it until a short time later he was at school and it happened again. This time, it was his entire body that went numb.
“The paramedics came,” he said. “I knew something was wrong.”
After a series of tests, doctors soon discovered Bartlett had testicular carcinoma. If that wasn’t enough bad news, doctors told Bartlett it was stage four.
“It had spread to my lungs, my brain and part of my kidney,” he said.
He began chemotherapy treatments almost immediately. He had tumors removed, went through more treatments and had a bone marrow transplant that kept him hospitalized for about 40 days. It was during that time that Vogel brought the Bedford wrestling team on a surprise visit to see him at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. The visit had a major impact on him, Bartlett said.
“That was pretty big,” he said. “I had so much support.”
While doctors continued treatments, scans and tests, Bartlett never lost faith.
“It was pretty severe,” he said. “The doctors told me everything. I didn’t want them to hold anything back.
“Throughout the process I was at peace. I was calm. I had 100-percent faith if I died, I would wake up in heaven. I had no doubts about that.”
While things looked bleak at times, Bartlett pressed on, determined. The treatments worked. Finally, the last spot of cancer on his lungs went away, and the cancer remains in remission. He’s had a couple of follow-up tests and is cancer-free now.
He rejoined the wrestling team this year. Bartlett had lost between 20-30 pounds but was able to get back to his wrestling weight for the season.
“I had done some stuff, but I had just started to lift and run around the time the season started,” Bartlett said. “Once I got used to it, I was just working out with the team. It was an ongoing thing. It felt good to get back into the swing of things. I was done with that portion of my life.”
It was about midseason that he began to feel like he was back in wrestling shape. He ended the season with a 13-14 record.
“It was better than I could have expected,” Bartlett said.
Now that wrestling season is complete, Bartlett is focused on the next stage in life. He wants to go to college, study nursing, and become a missionary through the church in Lambertville where his dad, Brett Bartlett, is pastor. He wants to take the message of God to other countries. A couple of years ago he went on a mission trip to Hungary and helped put on what amounted to a vacation Bible school for children. “It was awesome seeing all of these kids accept Christ,” he said. “It was great to be part of that.”
Bartlett is grateful for his church, family and teammates who stuck with him through the entire ordeal. His dad, mom (Kim) and three siblings were always by his side.
“They were with me 100 percent,” he said. “I always had someone by my bedside. They gave up part of their lives to be with me.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a sports and news reporter and city editor over 25 years, writing for the Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio from 1992-1995, the Monroe Evening News from 1995-2012 and the Adrian Daily Telegram since 2013. He's also written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Temperance Bedford’s Connor Bartlett leads his team into the Wings Event Center arena before the Division 1 Team Quarterfinals on Feb. 28. (Middle) Bartlett prepares to carry the City of Kalamazoo flag during the procession. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Preview: Individual Finals Headlined by Fantastic 5 Seeking to Win No. 4
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 5, 2026
For nearly 50 years, winning four championships at the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals has stood as an unbeatable standard of excellence, and an aspiration only 40 of Michigan’s best have accomplished during that time.
This weekend’s Finals at Ford Field could see the largest group inducted into the elite club.
As more than 1,100 competitors take to the mat Friday and Saturday, that historic accomplishment will be in the sights of five contenders – Westland John Glenn’s Nakayla Dawson, Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Dale Gant, Detroit Catholic Central’s Wyatt Lees, Plainwell’s Madison Neiuwenhuis and Hudson’s Nicholas Sorrow.
The Grand March begins at 10 a.m. Friday, with wrestling through semifinals that evening. Wrestling begins again at 9 a.m. Saturday, with championship matches at 3:30 p.m.
Tickets may be purchased from Ford Field. All matches will be broadcast live on the NFHS Network, and we’ll talk to all 14 champions in each division for our coverage published later that evening and overnight. See the Wrestling page for more information and to follow results this weekend.
Following are glances at just some of the many contenders who will compete:
Division 1
113 Cyrus Woodberry, Detroit Cass Tech sophomore (37-4) – After winning Cass Tech’s first individual championship last season, at 106, he returns as the top seed at this weight.
120 Layne Martin, Rockford junior (43-0) – The reigning champion at 113 pounds is top-seeded at this weight as he seeks a second-straight title.
132 Wyatt Lees, Detroit Catholic Central senior (37-3) – As noted above, he’s wrestling for his fourth individual title and seeded first in this bracket after previously clinching at 106, 113 and 120.
138 Bohdan Abbey, Hartland senior (43-1) – Another top seed in his bracket, he’s looking to finish his career as a three-time champ after winning last year at 132, as a freshman at 113 and finishing runner-up at 126 as a sophomore.
144 Liam Fitzpatrick, Rockford (44-0) – He’s the top seed at his weight after finishing seventh at 130 last year and fourth at 132 as a sophomore.
150 Grayson Fuchs, Detroit Catholic Central junior (22-1) – He’s also top-seeded and seeking a third individual title to go with wins at 144 last year and 126 as a freshman.
157 Dallas Korponic, Hartland senior (45-2) – He’s a returning top seed and also a three-time hopeful after winning 150 last season and 132 as a sophomore.
165 Jay’Den Williams, Roseville senior (37-1) – The reigning champion at 165 and top seed in this bracket again has advanced to championship matches every year of high school having also finished Finals runner-up as a freshman and sophomore.
215 Eamon Murray, Midland senior (55-1) – The top seed at this weight is making his first trip to the Finals, but as a favorite with his only loss coming at the beginning of December.
285 Logan Tollison, Grand Ledge senior (51-0) – The reigning champion at this weight, and 215 runner-up in 2024, has won 96 straight matches and is the top seed in his bracket.
Other 2025 runners-up: 120 Brice LaFleur, Saline senior (43-2, 113 last year); 126 Ryan Totten, Detroit Catholic Central junior (38-9, 120 last year); 144 Deacon Morgan, Rochester Adams junior (24-2, 126 last year); 157 Julius Pacheco, Davison junior (31-3, 150 last year); 175 Zach Miracle, Temperance Bedford senior (44-2, 165 last year); 190 Thomas Jaynes, Romeo senior (49-1, 190 last year).
Additional No. 1 seeds: 106 Brody Compau, Rockford freshman (43-0); 126 Gavin Lewis, Oxford senior (47-4); Logan Hammingh, Rockford senior (42-1); 190 Caden Krueger, Detroit Catholic Central junior (36-4).
Also undefeated: 113 Landon Learn, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer freshman (48-0); 120 Matthew Quigley, Traverse City West junior (48-0).
Division 2
120 Jarrett Smith, Lowell senior (42-2) – A top seed at the Finals for the third time, he’s looking to add a third title to those won last year at 113 and as a sophomore at 106.
120 Pilot Swab, Stevensville Lakeshore junior (12-2) – He’s a two-time Finals placer and the reigning champion at 106, and wrestling on the opposite side of the bracket from Smith.
126 Christian Haslem, St. Clair senior (49-1) – He’s reached championship matches all of his first three seasons and is top-seeded at this weight after winning 120 as a junior and finishing runner-up previously at 106 and 113.
132 Devan Garcia, Battle Creek Harper Creek junior (46-2) – He’s the favorite at this weight after winning 113 as a freshman and finishing runner-up at 120 a year ago.
138 Quinten Cassiday, Cedar Springs junior (52-0) – He finished runner-up at 126 last season but hasn’t lost since and is the top seed in his bracket.
144 Luke Egan, Cedar Springs senior (42-0) – His story is similar to his teammate’s above, as Egan was the runner-up at 138 last year and is an undefeated top seed this weekend.
150 Bryce Morrison, Hamilton senior (49-0) – He finished fifth at 132 as a sophomore and third at 144 a year ago, and enters this weekend as favored to win his first title.
157 Johnathan Ford, Bay City John Glenn junior (33-0) – He’s top-seeded and seeking a second-straight title after winning last year at 157.
165 Zane Willobee, Gaylord senior (40-1) – He emerged from outside the top four seeds to win 157 as a sophomore and finished runner-up at this weight a year ago.
190 Martin Knight, North Branch senior (43-0) – Last season’s runner-up at this weight is returning as the top seed.
Other 2025 runners-up: 113 Tyler Cooper, Plainwell sophomore (30-8, 106 last season); 120 Branlun Simon, Portland junior (48-0, 106 in Division 3 last year); 126 Carson Blum, Lowell sophomore (41-9, 113 last year); 132 Rasler Warner, Richland Gull Lake senior (15-0, 132 last year); 165 Julian Walker, Algonac senior (48-2, 165 in Division 3 last year); 215 Holden Otter, Carleton Airport junior (34-1, 215 last year).
Additional No. 1 seeds: 106 Thomas Leahy, St. Clair Shores Lakeshore junior (50-1); 113 Dylan Nieuwenhuis, Plainwell sophomore (37-1); 175 Louis Smith, Three Rivers senior (53-0); 215 Jonathan Golec, Goodrich senior (40-1); 285 Layne O’Neil, Fowlerville senior (46-2).
Also undefeated: 144 Jeffrey Miller, Jackson Northwest senior (47-0); 190 Brad Meyers, Portland senior (48-0); 190 Don Spillers, Detroit Martin Luther King junior (44-0); 285 Ryder Balkema, Otsego junior (35-0).
Division 3
120 Mason Haines, Dundee senior (33-7) – The reigning champion at 120 is the top seed in that bracket and also finished second at 106 as a freshman and third at 113 as a sophomore.
120 Danny Vaneeckhoutte, Erie Mason junior (39-8) – He’s seeking to add a second-straight championship after winning 106 last year.
132 Mason Katschor, Dundee junior (35-7) – The top seed at this weight won 113 a year ago and 106 as a freshman.
138 Dale Gant, Grand Rapids Catholic Central senior (36-1) – A top seed again, he’s looking to add to championships at 113, 120 and 126 over his first three seasons, respectively.
144 Braden Broderick, Dundee senior (38-7) – He’s the top seed in his bracket, the reigning champion at 132, and also finished runner-up at 120 as a sophomore.
150 Stone Redmon, Dundee sophomore (16-4) – He debuted last season with a runner-up finish at 144 and returns as a top seed in this bracket.
157 Blake Cosby, Dundee senior (37-2) – He’s a top seed one more time and wrestling for championship number three after winning at 150 last year, 144 as a sophomore and finishing runner-up at 144 as a freshman.
165 Donny Beaufait, Dundee senior (33-1) – He’s seeded first in this bracket as he seeks to repeat as champion at this weight and also finished runner-up at 150 as a sophomore.
175 Fred Hammond, Otisville-LakeVille Memorial senior (51-0) – He won 165 in Division 4 last season and is seeded first at this weight in his return to Division 3, where he finished sixth at 150 as a freshman and third at 165 as a sophomore.
215 Rocco Redmon, Dundee senior (28-11) – He’s top-seeded this weekend after finishing runner-up at 190 a year ago; he also finished fifth at 130 as a freshman.
Other 2025 runners-up: 126 Mackey McClelland, Yale sophomore (52-6, 113 last year); 157 Bryson Boucher, Lake Odessa Lakewood junior (40-3, 150 last year).
Additional No. 1 seeds: 106 Dylan Phillips, Laingsburg freshman (48-1); 113 Braxton Shaffer, Ida sophomore (48-4); 126 Bryan Sterling, Dundee senior (33-6); 190 Logan Knisely, Bronson senior (51-3); 285 Sam Tappenden, Bronson senior (48-8).
Also undefeated: 138 Aiden Durham, Grass Lake sophomore (43-0).
Division 4
113 Jordan Zambon, Riverview Gabriel Richard junior (42-8) – He won 106 last year and finished runner-up at that weight as a freshman.
126 Owen Fogel, St. Louis senior (48-3) – He’s a repeat top seed and hoping to become a repeat champion after winning 113 in 2025; he also finished sixth at 106 as a freshman and third at that weight as a sophomore.
126 Sammy Stewart, Manchester senior (42-3) – The reigning champion at 120 is the third seed in this bracket as he hopes to finish with a third title to go with his 113 championship as a freshman and runner-up finish at 126 as a sophomore.
132 Nicholas Sorrow, Hudson senior (47-2) – He’s top-seeded in his pursuit to add to championships at 106, 120 and 126 over her first three seasons, respectively.
144 Wyatt Burns, Springport junior (39-1) – After winning 138 in Division 3 last year at Dundee and finishing fourth at 126 as a freshman, he’s top-seeded at this weight as he pursues a second-straight title.
150 Beckett Campbell, Hudson sophomore (49-0) – He debuted by winning the 144 title a year ago and returns as a top seed with a combined record of 103-3 over his first two seasons.
150 Blake Sloan, Manchester senior (51-2) – The reigning champ at this weight has reached title matches every year of high school having also finished runner-up at 138 as a freshman and 144 as a sophomore.
157 Jeremy Amrhein, Manchester senior (49-0) – A top seed and returning champ, he won the Division 3 title at 157 last year for Dundee and finished third at 138 as a sophomore.
157 Eli Roe, Beaverton senior (45-1) – He’s the reigning champion at this weight and seeded second this time, and also finished sixth at 150 as a freshman.
190 Bryce Randolph, Clinton senior (46-2) – He’s the reigning champ at this weight and top seed this weekend and also finished Division 3 runner-up at 175 as a sophomore and fifth at 165 as a freshman.
2025 runners-up: 106 Jaxton Kimling, Hudson junior (38-10, 106 last year); 120 Kolton Burns, Decatur junior (47-3, 113 last year); 120 Alex Rodriguez, St. Louis senior (41-0, 120 last year); 138 Colt Perry, Hudson senior (43-7, 132 last year); 138 Luke Harrington, Riverview Gabriel Richard senior (43-6, 138 last year); 165 Haylen Buell, Martin senior (50-0, 144 last year); 190 Drew Challender, St. Louis senior (46-6, 165 last year); 190 Rowan Bradford, Decatur senior (38-1, 190 last year); 215 Isaac Westfall, Reading junior (45-1, 215 last year).
Additional No. 1 seeds: 106 Jaxton Kimling, Hudson junior (38-10); 113 Royce Beal, Hudson freshman (43-5); 120 Alex Rodriguez, St. Louis senior (41-0); 138 Luke Harrington, Riverview Gabriel Richard senior (43-6); 157 Wyatt Kimble, Hudson freshman (45-4); 165 Haylen Buell, Martin senior (50-0); 215 Isaac Westfall, Reading junior (45-1); 285 Noah Walker, Hesperia senior (45-3).
Also undefeated: 165 Cael Tyler, Roscommon freshman (53-0).
Girls Division
105 Madison Nieuwenhuis, Plainwell senior (24-0) – She’s the top seed and hoping to win this bracket for the first time after claiming her first three titles at 100.
110 Tatianna Castillo, Lowell sophomore (30-1) – She debuted by going undefeated and winning 105 last season, and is the top seed this time at 110.
115 Nakayla Dawson, Westland John Glenn senior (11-0) – She’s top-seeded in this bracket as she looks to add to titles won at 110 the last two seasons and 105 as a freshman.
120 Cheyenne Frank, Oxford senior (35-0) – She’s top-seeded as well as she seeks to repeat at this weight and finish a second-straight undefeated season.
130 Cecilia Williams, Mason senior (18-0) – She’ll attempt to finish her career with three Finals titles and is top-seeded after winning 125 last year and 120 in 2023.
135 – Angellaya Burden, Mio junior (24-0) – The reigning champion at 130 is seeded third at this weight and also finished fourth at 125 as a freshman.
145 Nanda Kibi, Plymouth senior (24-3) – She’s seeking to finish her career as a repeat champ after winning 140 last year and finishing eighth at 135 as a freshman.
155 Belicia Manuel, Romeo senior (46-0) – After finishing runner-up at 145 last year to four-time champ Margaret Buurma of Fowlerville, Manuel is top-seeded in this bracket and aiming to add to her title at 140 won as a sophomore.
170 Kaili Manuel, Romeo junior (44-1) – She’s seeking a third-straight championship after winning 155 a year ago and 145 as a freshman.
190 Kanata Richardson, Bloomfield Hills senior (27-2) – The reigning champion in this bracket is seeded first as she seeks to finish with a repeat.
Other 2025 runners-up: 100 Lillee Denson, St. Clair Shores Lakeview senior (18-1, 105 last year); 100 Veronica Tapia, Lowell senior (26-3, 100 last year); 130 Kassie Sapp, Whitehall sophomore (35-1, 115 last year); 145 MacKenna Webster, Three Rivers senior (38-1, 140 last year); 235 AnnMarie Green, Clare senior (24-1, 235 last year); 235 Halle Spears, Midland senior (29-0, 190 last year).
Additional No. 1 seeds: 100 Lillee Denson, St. Clair Shores Lakeview senior (18-1); 125 Adriana Murray, Yale sophomore (35-3), 135 Paisley DeNault, Clarkston senior (19-0), 140 Alexis Lazar, Brighton senior (23-0), 170 Adelaide Holderman, Middleville Thornapple Kellogg junior (22-2), 235 Halle Spears, Midland senior (29-0).
Also undefeated: 115 Emma Baker, Stevensville Lakeshore sophomore (28-0); 130 Elyse Morales, Decatur senior (24-0); 140 Kaycie Moldenhauer, Atlanta sophomore (22-0); 235 Sydney Smith, Portage Central senior (19-0).
Team Final: The second team championship in MHSAA girls wrestling history will be awarded based on points accrued by individual qualifiers. Grand Haven won the inaugural team title a year ago.
PHOTOS (Top) Grand Rapids Catholic Central's Dale Gant, left, wrestles Comstock Park's Logan Whidden last season at Ford Field on the way to winning his third Individual Finals championship. (2) Detroit Catholic Central's Wyatt Lees, left, wrestles teammate Ryan Totten for the title at 120 pounds. (3) Westland John Glenn's Nakayla Dawson, right, locks up with Shepherd's Shai Curtiss during a 2025 Finals bout. (4) Hudson's Nicholas Sorrow, right, works toward a pin at 126 pounds against Lawton's Austin Garcia. (5) Plainwell's Madison Nieuwenhuis, left, puts a hold on Lowell's Veronica Tapia during their championship match. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)