D3 Preview: Bracket Build-up
February 26, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This weekend’s Division 3 Individual Finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills could include the tournament's best matchups, regardless of division.
The 119 and 140-pound brackets both include multiple champions from 2013, and the 125-pound bracket could end with a matchup of last season’s 119-pound championship match. And aside from those great potential tilts, Allegan’s Kyle Simaz could finish his career among the winningest wrestlers in MHSAA history.
See below for 10 contenders to watch this weekend, plus others who enter the tournament undefeated or coming off runner-up finishes in 2013. Follow all the matches beginning with Thursday's first round on a subscription basis live on MHSAA.TV, and click here for results at MHSAA.com. And check back with Second Half later Saturday night for full coverage from the Finals, including comments from all 14 champions.
119: Kanen Storr, Leslie sophomore (54-1) – Kicked off his high school career with a perfect 58-0 record and championship at 103 pounds, and has fallen only once this season after moving up two weights.
119: Devin Schroder, Grand Rapids Catholic Central sophomore (36-4) – Followed up a perfect freshman season including a 53-0 record and championship at 112 with a nearly-flawless sophomore campaign so far.
125: Jerry Fenner, Birch Run junior (45-5) – Already has 155 wins in his career and two top-three Finals places after claiming last season’s championship at 119 pounds and finishing with a 57-3 record.
125: Matt Santos, Saginaw Swan Valley sophomore (54-0) – Remains unbeaten this season after falling to Fenner 3-2 in overtime in last season’s championship match; beat Fenner 2-0 at the Tri-Valley Conference Championships earlier this month.
135: Nate Limmex, Grand Rapids Catholic Central junior (19-0) – Hasn’t lost in his last two seasons, including winning the title at 135 in 2013. Limmex began his high school career with a fourth place in Division 2 while wrestling for Lowell.
140: Zehlin Storr, Leslie senior (57-0) – Brings a career record of 216-12 into this weekend after also going undefeated in winning 135 pounds last season; has never finished lower than third at his weight in any of three Finals trips.
140: Doug Rojem, Dundee senior (43-5) – Hopes to follow up on helping his team to a second straight championship last weekend with his second straight individual title after winning this weight in 2013. Rojem never has finished below fifth at a Final.
145: Kyle Simaz, Allegan senior (57-1) – Claimed last season’s Division 2 championship at 140 after two runner-up finishes as a freshman and sophomore; now sits at 236-4 for his career and can finish fifth in MHSAA history for wins.
152: Devin Skatzka, Richmond junior (34-3) – Two-time champion is seeking his third after winning 135 as a freshman and 145 last season; Skatzka also has helped his team to three straight Team Finals and two championships.
189: Teddy Warren, Dundee senior (22-3) – Like teammate Rojem, is defending the championship at the same weight after finishing with a 49-3 record in 2013. Warren also qualified for the Finals as a sophomore.
Other 2013 runners-up: Whitehall sophomore Reiley Brown (119, 38-3, 103 in 2013), Ida sophomore Alex Martinez (119, 48-3, 112 in 2013), Grand Rapids West Catholic senior Blake Russo (130, 34-2, 125 in 2013), Richmond senior Nick Burg (140, 35-4, 130 at 2013), Lake Odessa Lakewood junior Jordan Bennett (140, 44-1, 145 in 2013), Birch Run senior Jared Elliott (160, 45-5, 152 in 2013), Caro senior Skyler Ley (171, 48-4, 160 in 2013), Allendale senior Colin Beebe (215, 45-0, 189 in 2013).
Also undefeated: Manchester senior Eric Coval (152, 34-0), Allendale senior Glenn Geurink (285, 43-0).
More of note: Corunna sophomore Tristan Serbus (103, 42-1), Richmond senior Aaron Kilburn (112, 34-5), Dundee junior Tye Thompson (171, 40-6), Dundee senior Brendan O'Connor (130, 44-3) Farwell senior Tristan Zienkiewicz (160, 45-2),
PHOTO: Hudson’s Kyle Simaz (right), here wrestling against Richmond during last week’s Team Semifinals, can finish his career with 240 wins. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Hudson Makes Another Memory, Pulling Away for 4th-Straight Finals Victory
By
Jeff Chaney
Special for MHSAA.com
February 22, 2025
KALAMAZOO – As the Hudson wrestling team turned away from the post-dual handshake, the Tigers pivoted and raced back to their fans at Wings Event Center on Saturday with four fingers extended in the air.
On many of those wrestlers' fingers, three rings proudly took their spots, leaving one finger without.
Not anymore, as Hudson won its fourth-straight Division 4 championship with a 45-25 victory over Climax-Scotts/Martin in the title match.
"This is an unreal feeling,” 138-pound senior Julien Kimling said. "I remember my first one with that great group of seniors. We just strived to be like that group. They were great leaders, they started us off with number one, and now we are here with number four. It's an unreal feeling.”
Longtime Hudson coach Scott Marry, who has won more championship rings than fingers during his tenure leading the Tigers, said it's a joy every year to watch his wrestlers enjoy their successes after a long season.
"It is so fun to coach the spirit that these boys have," said Marry, who now has led Hudson to 12 team titles. "They have a farmer's mentality. They get up with the chickens and don't go to bed until the crickets are out. They don't stop."
And like he says year after year, Hudson wrestling is community and generational.
"It's hard to describe the community we have back at Hudson," Marry said. “It's like a little slice of paradise. God takes good care of us."
Whatever they are doing in Hudson as far as wrestling, it's working.
Led by Kimling, the Tigers won nine of the 14 matches against a very game CSM team.
Kimling had one of eight wins that ended with bonus team points for the Tigers. He won by major decision over a talented Seth Toris 10-2.
Bonus points is how Hudson made its way to the Finals, scoring wins over Roscommon in the Quarterfinals 75-3 and Clinton in the Semifinals 47-18.
"There is just a family feeling here, the love for each other," Kimling said. "We talked about this all weekend, the love for each other, the love for the sport and the love for God and everything all above us."
Climax-Scotts/Martin coach Mike Reitz saw the camaraderie of Hudson up close, and was impressed. But he was still happy that his team hung so tough with the premier program in Division 4.
"Who would have thought with two matches left to go we were still in it,” said Reitz, whose team ended its year with a 26-2 record. "We came in ranked number three, battled in the Semifinals, and then the boys showed up and battled in the Finals. I couldn't ask for any more. A couple of matches didn't go our way, but credit to them."
CSM defeated second-seeded St. Louis in the Semifinals 30-25 and Union City in the Quarterfinals 47-28.
With the three wins his team picked up this weekend in Kalamazoo, Marry now sits at 946 over his 37 years leading the Tigers.
But he doesn't want to hear that.
"We don't care about wins,” Marry said. “We care about kids."
Click for this weekend’s Division 4 meet summaries.
PHOTOS (Top) Hudson’s Julian Kimling, left, has his arm raised in victory Saturday afternoon at Wings Event Center. (Middle) CSM’s Logan Gilbert, right, faces off against Hudson’s Chase Clark at 120 pounds. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)