Crespo Begins 'Chase' with 1st D4 Title
By
Wes Morgan
Special for MHSAA.com
March 8, 2017
Oftentimes a coaching change is accompanied by the need to restock talent in order to rebuild.
That certainly wasn’t the case for first-year Mendon wrestling coach Caleb Stephenson, who took over for his father, Art, this winter.
Not only were the raw materials in place for the Hornets, as it turned out, some of the newbies weren’t that raw at all.
Already polished after having competed in national tournaments since the third grade, Skyler Crespo ripped through his first varsity season with only one loss en route to an MHSAA Division 4 championship at 125 pounds this past weekend.
Entering the tournament seeded No. 1 in his weight class, he expected nothing less.
Becoming the first freshman in school history to win a Finals championship, Crespo crushed it in his first appearance at The Palace of Auburn Hills, finishing 4-0 and atop the all-state podium. His final record for his rookie season was an astonishing 52-1.
Just like he did in the Regional Finals, Crespo, one of only two freshmen in the bracket, edged reigning champion Robert LeFevre of Erie Mason in the championship bout, this time by a 3-1 decision.
A few scrambles between the two ate up most of the first period before Crespo snatched LeFevre’s leg and recorded a takedown. Crespo was called for stalling a second time in the third period to make it 2-1. He dodged a couple more shots and had an escape in the final minute.
Supremely confident all season, Crespo wasn’t distracted by all the hype surrounding the Palace atmosphere. His first-round match Thursday went off without a hitch — a pin in 1 minute, 58 seconds against Roscommon’s Deklin James.
In the championship Quarterfinals on Friday, Crespo earned a 13-7 decision against Jacob Brand from Burton Bentley.
“The biggest thing for me was just getting to the second weigh-in (after the Quarterfinals),” Crespo said. “Trying to watch my weight wasn’t the most fun. After that, I knew I was in really good shape.”
Crespo put on a show in the Semifinals, dominating Jacob Roberts of Leroy Pine River in an 18-3 technical fall to advance to the Finals. In the championship against LeFevre, both grapplers knew the other’s moves from the Regional match (a 2-0 Crespo win) and studying footage.
“I knew he was going to be tough; he’s a strong kid,” Crespo said. “I knew I was better than him on my feet and better than him on top. I knew he was going to try to ride me and turn me. I knew if I worked my hardest, I was better in every aspect of the match.”
“Skyler wrestled a really great match from a match management standpoint, and controlled the situations he was in with composure,” Caleb Stephenson said. “LeFevre had a great game plan for us, but Sky stayed true to who he is and stayed confident in his offense and defense.
“Lots of people that see Skyler from afar don't understand the type of work that he has put in for years, both mentally and physically, that has prepared him for this moment. He has been all over the country pursuing great tournaments with his parents, who have dedicated so much to his success, so it may surprise some people, but it doesn't surprise those closest to him, because he's already chasing three more.”
It was a fantastic weekend for Mendon as a total of three grapplers were among the top-eight all-state finishers in Division 4.
Wyatt Cool defeated Hart’s Carlos Garza 6-1 in the fifth-place match at 160 pounds. The junior capped his season with a 48-4 record and second consecutive all-state finish.
Classmate Nik Andaverde also made it as far as the championship Semifinals before finishing fourth overall at 112 pounds. Andaverde ended the year with a 48-5 record.
Despite working on wrestling year round, Crespo competes in three sports at Mendon. He plays football and plans to tee it up for the golf team this spring.
“I always try to do something every day to get better (at wrestling),” he said. “It’s not always fun, but when you get rewarded like this, it feels good.”
Wes Morgan has reported for the Kalamazoo Gazette, ESPN and ESPNChicago.com, 247Sports and Blue & Gold Illustrated over the last 12 years and is the publisher of JoeInsider.com. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTO: (Top) Mendon's Skyler Crespo wrestles Erie Mason's Robert LeFevre during Saturday's Division 4 Final at 125 pounds. (Middle) Crespo celebrates his first MHSAA championship. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
New Leader, Same Result as Lowell Claims 13th-Straight Division 2 Title
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
February 28, 2026
KALAMAZOO – It’s not easy to replace a legend, but for Kyle Slocum and the Lowell wrestling program, Saturday looked a lot like the past dozen years.
In their first year with Slocum at the helm, the Red Arrows kept their record-setting Division 2 Finals streak alive, defeating Eaton Rapids 62-4 to claim their 13th-straight Team Finals title at Wings Event Center.
“It was the same mission the whole year,” Lowell senior Jarrett Smith said. “It stayed the same. We’re still working hard and getting better every day and having fun. I bet it’s a lot of pressure off (Slocum’s) shoulders. This probably feels a lot better for him than it does for us, honestly.”
The last 11 titles before Saturday’s came with RJ Boudro at the helm. But with him now in charge of the Grand Valley State program, the Red Arrows turned to Slocum, who had been an assistant in the program for 19 years.
“RJ did so much for our program,” Slocum said. “He was the pillar of our program and one of the best coaches in the state, easily. So, we had to navigate that and figure out how we’re going to put that back together without him. There were a lot of things that he did that we had no idea that he did. I just got to show up and wrestle with the kids. That changed a lot, but (assistant) Matt Dood and the coaching staff, everybody stepped up into new roles and we took it all on. That’s what I’m the most proud of, the way we were able to continue the tradition.”
The 13th extends Lowell’s record for consecutive wrestling titles, and brings the program one closer to the all-sport record held by East Grand Rapids boys swimming & diving, which won 15 straight from 1948 to 1962.
But even though they’ve cycled through nearly a generation of wrestlers during the streak, the Red Arrow faithful continue to show up and be loud every time.
“I think they just truly know how special it is,” Slocum said. “This could all go away. I was thinking about that, it’s such a tradition, it’s so nice that we take for granted how long we’ve been doing this. It’s not easy to do. But you have all the pillars in place to keep going. With RJ leaving, probably a lot of people thought, ‘Are they going to be able to do it?’ We still have a lot of really good pillars in our program. That’s the key, building that at the youth level and having that continue through high school.”’
The win Saturday came against the team the Red Arrows (35-3) lost against in their first-ever trip to the Final. That 1999 appearance also happened to be the last won by Eaton Rapids, which has eight titles and was the state’s dominant Class B/Division 2 program in the 1990s.
The sixth-seeded Greyhounds (39-6) pulled off upsets of Algonac and Three Rivers on their way to the Saturday’s Final, their first since 2015, and coach Devin Milheim feels this could be just the beginning for his program.
“We have one senior, we’re young, we’re hungry,” Milheim said. “This hopefully leaves a little bad taste in our mouth and we’re ready to get working in the summer. There’s lots of things to improve on, so the sky is the limit for this group.”
Maiko Sherman picked up the lone victory for Eaton Rapids in the Final, a major decision at 106.
Lowell won the other 13 matches, including six pins and two technical falls. Mason Saylor (120), Smith (126), Cole Cichocki (138), Logan Dawson (144), Keith Tett (157) and Colton Barney (165) all pinned their opponents, while Cody Foss (150) and Seth Harvey (175) won by tech fall.
Weston McFarland (215) won by major decision for Lowell, while Dylan Boone (190), Braylen Meeuwsen (285), John Carter McKay (113) and Carson Blum (132) all won by decision.
“It feels good,” Smith said. “I was just reflecting, coming in freshman year your first time on the big stage, you’re just trying to go out and get your wins and help your team. Now, coming in as a senior and trying to be a leader and encourage others to do the same. Younger guys transitioning to the leader roles is what I’ve noticed. It feels really good, and I’ve got faith that these guys will keep it going.”
Lowell was dominant all weekend, defeating Fruitport 71-8 in the Quarterfinal and New Boston Huron 55-15 in the Semifinal.
PHOTOS (Top) Seth Harvey’s hand is raised in victory as he finishes Lowell’s Division 2 championship win with a technical fall. (Middle) Colton Barney, right, works towards a pin at 165. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)