Champion Teammates Harber, Bernard Spark Montrose's Mat Resurgence
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 9, 2022
Levi Harber was ecstatic Saturday after winning his own Individual Wrestling Finals title.
But when his Montrose teammate Aidan Bernard won about an hour later, Harber’s excitement spilled into raw emotion.
“So, me and Aidan, ever since way back, we’ve been wrestling together,” Harber said. “... For me to do it, that meant that he had to do it, too. It was weird. I couldn’t celebrate unless I knew my partner in crime did it, too. The reason I was so emotional was that the kid works so hard. Aidan works so hard. He wanted it so bad.”
Harber won the Division 3 285-pound title at Ford Field, and Bernard won at 135 pounds. Following Bernard’s win, the two seniors shared a tearful embrace, celebrating a moment that gave Montrose multiple champions for the first time since 2006, when the Rams were among the most dominant teams in the state.
Their accomplishment wrapped up careers that included a combined six all-state finishes and saw Montrose advance to the Team Quarterfinals four times.
“That group, as a whole, was pretty special,” Montrose coach Jason Perrin said. “I don’t know if it would be as fitting if that group left us and didn’t have a couple top-of-the-podium guys. When that group came in as freshmen, they were the two that led the way right out of the gate. Those two definitely highlighted that class, so it definitely was fitting.”
Harber won his Finals title with a second-period pin, while Bernard won his Finals match 8-1.
They had the same goal heading into this season, but were coming at it from different angles.
Football is where Harber’s future lies, as he has signed to play at Vanderbilt. He decided as a sophomore that’s what he wanted to do, but that didn’t detract from his work as a wrestler. He simply just worked.
Harber’s daily routine includes waking up and going to the weight room by 3:30 a.m., and when the pandemic didn’t allow him to do so, he was able to get some of the equipment from the school and work out at home.
And even after he signed, he continued to put that effort into both sports, something his Vanderbilt coaches appreciated.
“Division I coaches love wrestlers,” Harber said. “They love multi-sport athletes, so when I told the coaches that I was a wrestler, they loved it. Because, wrestling is different. It’s not only difficult to do, it’s mentally hard. Football coaches are looking for kids who are not only physically strong, but mentally strong, and wrestling makes mentally-strong people.”
Harber entered the season having taken third as a sophomore and second as a junior. His ambition to win it all only increased when he realized that nobody from Montrose had ever done it at heavyweight.
“He brought it to my attention, and I was like, ‘No, you’re wrong,’” Perrin said. “We have a wall in our wrestling room with all our state placers. I went into the room one day and looked at it and was like, ‘Dang, he’s right.’”
Bernard also plays football for the Rams, but his love is wrestling. He plans to wrestle in college and has offers, but has not made a public commitment.
After taking third as a sophomore and fourth as a junior, he dedicated his offseason to getting over the hump and standing at the top of the podium.
“Last year really made me want it the most,” Bernard said. “Coming in as the No. 1 seed and taking fourth, I was hungry. I was really putting in a lot of work, because I had one more shot.”
His offseason included a trip to Virginia Beach, and while wrestling a New Jersey state champion there, he injured his knee. He was told it was his ACL, but nothing that would require surgery.
Bernard took a week off before competing in the Disney Duals. He played through the injury during football season and wrestled through it in the winter. While he wore a brace, he said it wasn’t an issue – until the Finals. Twice in his victory Saturday, Bernard had to take injury time because of his knee. Afterward, he would say that nothing – not the knee, not even a broken bone – would stop him from finishing the match.
“To be quite honest, I don’t really know if I asked or knew the extent to which he was injured,” Perrin said. “Every time I turned around, he was still doing this or that – he played football. When he took the first injury time, obviously I was concerned, but I knew it was something that he’s going to be able to battle through because he has all year. When he took the second, we were concerned, but my mind immediately went to he can’t take a third, because then he’s done. We were definitely making sure that he knew to hustle back to the center.”
Bernard made his road to the championship match look easy, with a 6-0 victory followed by a pair of pins. But he accomplished it against a returning Finals champion and two other placers, including one who had defeated him twice the year before.
“I remember I told (Perrin) specifically, ‘You have to beat them all, or you can’t win the title,’” Bernard said. “That was my main thought the whole time. No matter who I came up against, if I couldn’t beat that person, I couldn’t win the title.”
Getting Montrose back to its early-2000s heights is a tall task. The Rams won team titles in 2003 and 2004 and had 10 individual champions from 2003-06. But thanks to the Class of 2022, it’s closer than it’s been in a decade.
Harber and Bernard are at the center of that, and according to Harber, it can be drilled down even further.
“It was Aidan Bernard,” Harber said. “That was our team captain. If I had to have one man on that team command the ship, it’d be Aidan. He showed up to practice on the worst of days and the best of days, and he was always setting the tempo for the rest of us.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Levi Harber’s arm is raised in victory Saturday after his Division 3 championship win at 285 pounds. (Middle) Harbor and teammate Aidan Bernard hold up their charts after claiming titles at Ford Field. (Below) Bernard works to take his opponent to the mat. (Action photos by HighSchoolSportsScene.com; middle photo courtesy of the Montrose wrestling program.)
Amrhein's Pin Run Highlights Another Record-Setting Finals for Dundee
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
March 1, 2025
DETROIT – The Dundee wrestling program had another statement night at the 2025 MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals.
The Vikings tied the MHSAA record for most individual champions in a single year with eight, matching their 2021 effort.
Of the eight champions, none was more impressive than junior Jeremy Amrhein, who won his first title at 157 pounds.
The junior ran through the competition all weekend, winning all of his four matches by pinfall during the first period.
The longest bout was Saturday’s championship, where Amrhein (45-6) defeated Constantine junior Brody Jones (55-2) in 1:17.
“I was just going out there and trying my best. It was my first time winning the state final, so I was nervous, but I just had to go out there and give it my all,” Amrhein said. “I think my cardio was where it needed to be this weekend. It has allowed me to become stronger and more dominant. I was expecting three periods for this final, but I will take the early night.”
Adding to the victory for Amrhein is that it also marked his 100th win of his high school career.
106
Champion: Danny Vaneeckhoutte, Erie-Mason, Soph. (46-2)
Decision, 5-3, over Branlun Simon, Portland, Soph. (45-5)
Vaneeckhoutte took a 5-0 lead midway through the final and held off a game Simon.
“I knew I had to dig deep,” Vaneeckhoutte said. “I knew the match was getting late and (Simon) got two, but I wasn’t going to give up. It felt great to hear that final whistle and be a champion.”
Vaneeckhoutte scored takedowns in each of the first two rounds. Simon threatened with a reversal in the third to make it 5-3, but couldn’t get any closer.
113
Champion: Mason Katschor, Dundee, Soph. (34-5)
Fall (3:45), over Mackey McClelland, Yale, Fr. (44-4)
Katschor won his second championship in as many years, as the sophomore pinned McClelland in the second period.
“It was on my mind all the time,” Katschor said of winning a second title. “I work hard all year for these moments.”
Katschor had an 8-1 lead after the first period and got a reversal to open the second, which eventually led to the pinfall.
120
Champion: Mason Haines, Dundee, Jr. (37-5)
Decision, 4-2, over Haydn Nutt, Dundee, Jr. (31-7)
After being forced to forfeit in the District Final and Regional Final, Haines finally got his match with Dundee teammate Nutt.
With things tied 1-1 in the third period after each scored an escape, it was Haines that managed a takedown that pushed him to the victory.
“After having to forfeit the last two tournaments, I was going to leave it all on the mat today,” Haines said. “I got what I wanted, a state title.”
126
Champion: Dale Gant, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Jr. (40-1)
Technical Fall (5:02), 21-6, over Logan Whidden, Comstock Park, Sr. (33-4)
Gant cleared his third hurdle toward becoming the next four-time individual champion.
After winning the 113-pound title as a freshman in 2023, Gant won the 120-pound title as a sophomore in 2024.
This year, Gant scored seven takedowns to earn the technical fall and put his focus toward his senior season.
“That is everyone’s goal, to be a four-time state champion. Now that I have three, that is where my focus is,” Gant said. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s definitely a goal I have set for myself.”
132
Champion: Braden Broderick, Dundee, Jr. (35-10)
Decision, 1-0, over Lucky Gartin, Algonac, Sr. (53-6)
After finishing runner-up at 120 pounds last year, Broderick dug deep to win a low-scoring match in the 132-pound final Saturday.
After a scoreless first period, Broderick executed an escape to start the second, then rode Gartin for two minutes in the third to win, 1-0.
“We do these situations all the time in the practice room. I was tired, but I knew that was all that stood between me and a state title,” Broderick said of the third period. “I just wanted it more and got it done. Last year really stung, so it drove me each day and in that third period.”
138
Champion: Wyatt Burns, Dundee, Soph. (38-9)
Decision, 7-2, over Jacob Fink, Richmond, Sr. (39-9)
In a rematch from last week’s Regional Final that went to an ultimate tie-breaker, Burns made sure he left no doubt in Saturday’s championship match.
He scored a quick takedown in the opening period and then added another one late in the third to claim his first title.
“I just made sure to stay on my offense. I didn’t attack like I needed to last week. I think that was the difference this time,” Burns said. “I knew I had the speed and the takedowns to win. I just needed to believe in my abilities.”
144
Champion: Mikey Wilson, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Sr. (46-1)
Technical Fall (5:14), 15-0, over Stone Redmon, Dundee, Fr. (43-14)
Wilson won his second consecutive championship in dominant fashion, not giving up a point.
He had a pair of takedowns that were followed by numerous near-fall points to earn the tech fall in the third.
His 144-pound title came a year after he won the 138-pound championship.
“If you put this tournament on too much of a pedestal, it’s going to impact how you wrestle, so I tried not to let the focus be on this match or winning another title, just going out and wrestling to the best of my ability,” Wilson said.
150
Champion: Blake Cosby, Dundee, Jr. (37-0)
Technical Fall (1:56), 19-4, over Bryson Boucher, Lakewood, Soph. (46-7)
Cosby completed an unbeaten season and won his second-consecutive championship with an impressive tech fall in the first period.
Cosby had five takedowns in the first and used some near-fall points to secure the win. Last year, he was the champion at 144 pounds.
“I wanted to go out and dominate. I knew I could do it; the training has been there,” Cosby said. “I know nobody is working as hard as me, so if I just go out and wrestle, I will get positive results.”
165
Champion: Donny Beaufait, Dundee, Jr. (47-1)
Fall (4:42), over Julian Walker, Algonac, Jr. (53-6)
Losing in the 2024 150-pound Final in an ultimate tie-breaker stuck with Beaufait throughout this season.
In Saturday’s 165-pound Final, he was going to leave no doubt.
With the match trending toward a technical fall in the third period, Beaufait managed to get Walker’s shoulders on the mat to close out his junior year with his first championship.
“The match last year affected how I approached this season in every way. From the summer, to lifting, to practices, to each match of the season, it drove me,” Beaufait said. “This year, I was going to make sure nobody but me decided how things were going to go.”
175
Champion: Kole Katschor, Dundee, Sr. (44-4)
Major Decision, 10-2, over Alex Hicks, Hart, Sr. (53-3)
Katschor secured his third-consecutive championship thanks to a pair of early takedowns that gave him a sizable lead.
“There was a little bit of pressure coming into this, but I am just glad I could end my career with a third state title,” Katschor said.
After winning the 150-pound championship as a sophomore and the 157-pound title as a junior, Katschor was the eighth and final champion on the night for the Vikings.
“It’s a great program with a lot of great wrestlers that do things the right way,” Katschor said of Dundee. “I am very proud to be able to be part of the success that Dundee has had.”
190
Champion: Gavin Craner, Whitehall, Sr. (58-0)
Major Decision, 11-0, over Rocco Redmon, Dundee, Jr. (27-5)
Craner concluded a second-consecutive unbeaten season with a dominant 11-0 victory.
He won the 175-pound title as a junior and went 112-0 over the last two years.
“I just had the mindset that nobody could touch me this weekend,” Craner said. “It’s been a tough season, but it’s all about keeping that positive mindset. If I am scoring points, I don’t think anyone can beat me.”
Craner got points in all three periods, scoring takedowns in the first and third, along with near-fall points in the second.
215
Champion: Wyatt Jenkins, Whitehall, Sr. (53-3)
Decision, 4-3, over Josh Petersen, Hillsdale, Sr. (50-4)
Jenkins had scored three first-round pins this weekend coming into Saturday’s Final.
However, Petersen gave him a championship-worthy match.
After Jenkins established a 4-0 lead in the first period, Petersen fought back to cut the deficit to one point. But Jenkins managed to hold on, driven by the motivation of his ailing grandfather.
“My grandfather is at home and not sure how much time he has left, so that was what was on my mind today and what was pushing me in that third round,” Jenkins said. “I am proud to be a state champion, but I really just wanted to do it for him more than myself. It feels good to get this for him.”
285
Champion: Reid Hiltunen, Algonac, Sr. (55-1)
Major Decision, 11-1, over Joel Simon, Lake Odessa Lakewood, Sr. (49-5)
Hiltunen stormed out to an 11-0 lead after one period and then did his part to keep Simon from getting back in the match, securing his first championship.
“I felt like I could dominate on my feet and on top,” Hiltunen said. “The first period was great, being able to put up 11 points. My mindset all year had been to win this, and it feels amazing to have it all come together.
Hiltunen scored a takedown in the first period and then had two near-fall attempts score four points each. Simon wasn’t able to mount much offense from there, as Hiltunen proved to be elusive.
PHOTO Dundee’s Jeremy Amrhein, in blue, hoists his opponent into the air during their Division 3 championship match. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)