D2 Preview: St. Joe's Wertanen, Holly's Gonzales Seek to Climb for 3rd Time
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 3, 2022
Only five returning Individual Finals champs are part of this weekend’s Division 2 brackets at Ford Field, and two of them won in a different division a year ago.
But two more of that few are wrestling for an especially elite honor.
St. Joseph senior Nolan Wertanen and Holly senior Jacob Gonzales both will wrestle for their third Finals championships and are among contenders we’ve highlighted below.
The Grand March on Friday begins at 10 a.m., 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 at Ford Field. All matches will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv, and we’ll talk to all 14 champions in each division for our Second Half coverage published later that evening and overnight. See the MHSAA Wrestling Finals page for more information and to follow results this weekend.
112 Adam Polk, Pontiac sophomore (34-2) – Last season’s champion at 103 could run into the top seed in this bracket in his second match but has lost only twice this winter, both times by decision.
119 Nolan Wertanen, St. Joseph senior (47-0) – The top seed at this weight hasn’t lost since his sophomore season and can add a third championship after winning 103 in 2020 and 112 in 2021. He has a 149-3 career record despite missing the second half of his freshman season with an injury.
125 Tayden Miller, Mason junior (33-0) – Last year’s runner-up at 119 is the top seed at this weight this weekend and also finished third at 103 as a freshman.
130 Louden Stradling, Gaylord junior (20-1) – He’s pursuing his first championship and top-seeded after finishing Division 1 runner-up at 103 as a freshman and 119 as a sophomore wrestling for Battle Creek Lakeview.
135 Aaron Lucio, Stevensville Lakeshore junior (50-0) – He’s up two weights after finishing runner-up last season at 125 and suffering his only loss of the winter in the championship match. He was third at 119 as a freshman.
145 Max Brown, Whitehall senior (37-6) – The top seed at this weight was last season’s Division 3 champion at 140, and he’s also placed third at 130 and fourth at 125 as his team has moved back and forth between the two divisions.
152 Micah Hanau, Stevensville Lakeshore senior (48-2) – He’s the top seed at his weight after finishing third at 140 last season and winning 130 as a sophomore. He also finished fifth at 125 as a freshman and has a 152-13 career record.
160 Jacob Gonzales, Holly senior (45-0) – The champion at 152 the last two years is top-seeded at this weight and hasn’t lost since he was a freshman; his career record is 171-3.
189 Kael Wisler, New Boston Huron senior (51-1) – He’s the top seed and seeking his first championship after finishing runner-up at 171 last season and eighth at that weight as a sophomore.
285 Ira Jenkins, Whitehall senior (47-0) – He also was a Division 3 champion last winter and hasn’t lost in two years, carrying a 172-11 career record into this weekend. He was fifth at 171 in Division 2 as a sophomore and third at 152 in Division 3 as a freshman.
Other 2021 runners-up: 135 Gage Race, Jackson Northwest junior (35-5, 130 last year); 152 Jack Conley, Lake Fenton junior (45-5, 145 last year); 171 Jacob Halsey, St. Joseph senior (47-1, 152 last year); 171 Nicholas Blanchard, Whitehall senior (45-2, 152 in Division 3 last year); 189 Carson Crace, Lowell junior (23-9, 160 last year).
Additional No. 1 seeds: 103 Ja'Marcus Smith, Detroit Mumford senior (16-1); 112 Jackson Blum, Lowell freshman (33-3); 140 Jacob Brya, St. Johns senior (38-0); 171 Cameron Macklem, Goodrich senior (42-3); 189 Adam Haselius, Jackson Northwest junior (41-1); 215 Carter Blough, Lowell senior (33-2).
Also undefeated: 112 Connor Greer, Bay City John Glenn freshman (37-0); 171 Mikus Bishop, Harper Woods sophomore (17-0); 215 James Campbell, Mattawan senior (33-0); 285 Joshua Cook, Ferndale senior (49-0).
PHOTO St. Joseph's Nolan Wertanen, top, works toward a pin during Friday's Division 2 Team Quarterfinals. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com).
Hudson Starts Saturday Celebrating Record-Setting Coach, Ends with Testament to His Work
By
Jeff Chaney
Special for MHSAA.com
February 28, 2026
KALAMAZOO – Scott Marry always likes to spread the praise.
The longtime Hudson wrestling coach always points to his wrestlers, school administration and Hudson community when talking about the successes of his program.
But he has been the constant in the dynasty.
This weekend at the MHSAA Team Wrestling Finals at Wings Event Center, Marry's Tigers won their fifth-straight Division 4 championship with a 50-15 victory over rival Clinton in Saturday afternoon’s championship match.
That made 13 Division 4 championships and 17 appearances in championship matches for Hudson during Marry's 38 years leading the program.
And to boot, with his team's 65-9 win over Decatur in the Semifinals, Marry became the all-time winningest coach in MHSAA wrestling history with a 983-216 record.
"I came back (to Hudson) from Michigan State in 1986 – I wrestled for (former Michigan State wrestling coach) Grady Penninger," said Marry, a 1983 Hudson graduate. "I spent three years up there, and I came back on unwanted terms. I did not want to be home, but I had to be home because I wasn't focused. I was wasting my time and my money and when I got home, basically my dad is an old-school conservative and he said get your butt to work – you are not going to school, so you are going to get a job."
So Marry leaned back on his love of wrestling.
"I started working construction and helping out with the wrestling room," Marry said. "Low and behold, the next year the wrestling coach resigned and they gave it to me. I wasn't even ready. I just started teaching like Grady taught us in the room at Michigan State, and now 38 years later here we are."
Here we are, all the titles and wins, let alone mentoring hundreds of boys and girls to push themselves through a difficult sport to become men and women.
"I owe a lot to Grady Penninger, and I owe a lot to my parents and I owe a lot to this community," Marry said. "Honestly, putting up with me. This is a longevity award, and there are a lot of places that wouldn't have put up with me and Hudson still loves me even after all the mistakes I've made."
You don't have to look far to see that love.
Senior 132-pounder Nick Sorrow, who will be looking to win his fourth individual championship next weekend at Ford Field to go with his now four team titles, points that out.
"He gives 100 percent every day," Sorrow said. "He focuses on bringing the energy up, and when energy is up good things happen. He is a positive light in our lives. It just goes to show how much he loves and cares for this team. He is with us every day, extra hours, early mornings. He is there for us and cares so much about Hudson, I just wish everyone knew just how much."
The Tigers won 11 of 14 matches Saturday against Clinton, which wrestles in the Lenawee County Athletic Association with Hudson and also Division 3 champion Dundee. Four wins came by pin, three by technical fall and four by decision.
Total, the Tigers gave up only 24 match points all weekend. That dominance in Division 4 has been the theme for the past decade, as Hudson has won eight of the past 10 titles.
The Tigers also won five in a row from 2009-2013.
"We are trying to make a new mark next year," Marry said. "We are looking for six in a row; we have never won six in a row.
“This team is very special. These seniors have led this team in a really spectacular way throughout the season. Off the mat, in the classroom, every which way. These leaders have really shown their leadership skills, and I am so proud of them."
PHOTOS (Top) Hudson’s Colt Perry works toward a decision at 150 pounds under the watchful eye of coach Scott Marry, far left. (Middle) Marry monitors the action Saturday afternoon after becoming the state’s all-time winningest wrestling coach during the Semifinals earlier that day. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)