Be the Referee: Wrestling Inspections
By
Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials
January 27, 2022
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment – Wrestling Inspections - Listen
Before every individual or team wrestling event, each participant must be inspected by the referee or other authorized personnel. They are looking for any skin infections or evidence of a communicable disease.
A typical inspection will check a wrestler’s mouth for braces, fingernails, hairlines, underarms, back/shoulder area, behind the knee and more.
All inspections are done in the same manner for all wrestlers at a tournament site, both male and female wrestlers. Inspections generally should take place in an area not readily visible by the public because of modesty concerns for the wrestlers.
No wrestler is allowed to compete until they have gone through and passed the inspection.
Skin inspections are done with the goal of keeping all participants as safe as possible and preventing the spread of contagious skin conditions.
Previous editions
Dec. 16: Ball Over Backboard - Listen
Dec. 9: Winter Officials Mechanics - Listen
Nov. 26: Instant Replay - Listen
Nov. 11: Tourney Selection - Listen
Nov. 4: Receiver Carried Out of End Zone – Listen
Oct. 28: Volleyball Back-Row Block – Listen
Oct. 21: Soccer Disallowed Goal – Listen
Sept 30: Field Goal Falls Short – Listen
Sept. 23: Volleyball Obstruction – Listen
Sept. 16: Catch or No Catch – Listen
Sept. 9: Intentional Grounding – Listen
Sept. 2: Pass Interference – Listen
Aug. 26: Protocols and Mechanics – Listen
Performance of the Week: Reed City's Wyatt Spalo
January 31, 2025
Wyatt Spalo ♦ Reed City
Senior ♦ Wrestling
Spalo, 36-4 this season, avenged two of his losses on the way to repeating as champion in the 285-pound weight class at the Northern Michigan Championships after entering the tournament seeded third in his bracket. Spalo edged Sault Ste. Marie’s Sawyer Kuenzer in the semifinal 2-1 to avenge a loss, then avenged another with a 7-6 decision over Gaylord’s Caden Sides in the championship match.
It’s been a highlight-filled season for Spalo, who finished Division 3 Finals runner-up at his weight last winter. He reached 150 career wins and is up to 162, and has 28 pins this season and has surpassed 100 wins by fall for his career. Spalo also was a standout two-way lineman on Reed City’s District-champion football team. After graduation, he’s considering attending trade school for welding.
@mhsaasports 🤼♂️POW: Wyatt Spalo #wrestling #reedcity #outstandingwrestler #100pins #150wins #part1 #highschoolsports #tiktalk #interview #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #fyp #MHSAA ♬ original sound - MHSAA
@mhsaasports 🤼♂️POW: Wyatt Spalo #spongebob #gronkowski #pineapple #reesespieces #coolguy #part2 #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #fyp #MHSAA ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
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Previous 2024-25 honorees
Jan. 24: Olivia Flynn, Harbor Springs basketball - Report
Jan. 17: Levi Rozema, Holland Christian swimming - Report
Jan. 10: McRecco McFadden, Burton Bentley basketball - Report
Dec. 18: Nash Leonard, Bay City Western hockey - Report
Dec. 11: Blake Cosby, Dundee wrestling - Report
Dec. 4: Keaton Hendricks, Zeeland West football - Report
Nov. 29: Kate Simon, East Grand Rapids swimming - Report
Nov. 22: Ella Kokaly, Essexville Garber volleyball - Report
Nov. 15: Caroline Bryan, Grosse Pointe South swimming - Report
Nov. 8: Kaylie Livingston, Whitmore Lake cross country - Report
Oct. 25: Oliver Caldwell, Grand Rapids West Catholic tennis - Report
Oct. 18: Alex Graham, Detroit Cass Tech football - Report
Oct. 11: Victoria Garces, Midland Dow cross country - Report
Oct. 4: Asher Clark, Bay City John Glenn soccer - Report
Sept. 26: Campbell Flynn, Farmington Hills Mercy volleyball - Report
Sept. 19: TJ Hansen, Freeland cross country - Report
Sept. 12: Jordan Peters, Grayling soccer - Report
Sept. 6: Gabe Litzner, Sault Ste. Marie cross country - Report
Aug. 30: Grace Slocum, Traverse City St. Francis golf - Report
(Photos courtesy of the Reed City athletic department.)