D4 Preview: Hamdan Headlines Pursuit
February 28, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Division 4 features some of the most intriguing storylines heading into this weekend’s Individual Wrestling Finals at Ford Field – including some that could continue past this weekend.
Hudson senior Jordan Hamdan is hoping to become either the 25th or 26th four-time Finals champion – Detroit Catholic Central’s Kevon Davenport is attempting the same in Division 1 – while Mendon’s Skyler Crespo is competing for his third straight title and three others are wrestling to win their second. Crespo is a junior, and with another championship this weekend would be among a possible few looking to join that four-time club in 2020.
Below, we look at 10 contenders to watch in Division 4, plus list everyone who finished at least as a runner-up in 2018 and all of the top seeds heading into this weekend. Surely we still missed a few who will end up rising to the top of the podium Saturday – but come back to Second Half early Sunday as we’ll interview and report on all 56 champions.
The “Grand March” on Friday begins at 11 a.m., with five rounds wrestled throughout the day including the semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Wrestling picks back up with consolation rounds at 9 a.m. Saturday, and concludes with the championship matches that afternoon at 3 p.m.
Follow all matches on a subscription basis live on MHSAA.tv, and click here for results at MHSAA.com.
112 Ben Modert, Bronson junior (48-2) – Last season’s champion at 103 is seeded first at 112 with losses this season to only Clinton 119 top seed AJ Baxter and Division 3 qualifier Kanon Atwell of Lake Odessa Lakewood. Modert also took fifth at 103 as a freshman.
119 Robbie Altland, Hart senior (45-1) – Altland was the Division 3 runner-up at 103 last season and earned the top seed in this bracket as he makes a run at his first title. He took third at 103 as a sophomore and seventh as a freshman, both in Division 4 before his team moved for last winter.
125 Noah Comar, Clinton senior (50-1) – Comar is 213-8 over his career and has made the championship match all of his first three seasons, winning 112 as a sophomore and falling at 112 as a freshman and 125 last winter. He’s seeded first this weekend with his only defeat to unbeaten Hartland Division 1 favorite Kyle Kantola.
130 Jamison Ward, Carson City-Crystal junior (46-1) – The top seed at this weight is seeking his first title after taking fourth at 119 last season and finishing runner-up at 103 as a freshman. Ward’s only loss this winter came to Division 3 qualifier Mark Langewicz of Algonac.
135 Jordan Hamdan, Hudson senior (44-0) – The top seed at 135 enters the weekend a combined 203-8 over his career with his previous championships at 130 last season, 119 as a sophomore and 112 as a freshman. He is one of only two wrestlers to defeat Mendon reigning champ Skyler Crespo this season, and he hasn’t lost a high school match in more than two years.
145 Austin Wolford, New Lothrop senior (34-3) – The top seed at 145 will look to add to last season’s title at 140, fourth place at 135 as a sophomore and fifth at 130 as a freshman. His only losses were to top seeds Avry Mutschler of Lowell (Division 2), Christian Killion of Dundee (D3) and Richmond D3 qualifier Hayden Bastian. Wolford owns the other win over Crespo this winter.
140 Skyler Crespo, Mendon junior (47-2) – As noted, the top seed at 140 has lost only to reigning champions Hamdan and Wolford this winter, and both by close decisions. Crespo is the reigning champ at 135 and also claimed the 125 title as a freshman, and brings a 154-4 career record into this weekend.
189 Kyle Cassiday, Beaverton senior (48-1) – Last season’s champion at this weight does not enter as the top seed – he lost 1-0 to Napoleon’s Ethan Weatherspoon (see below) earlier this winter – but is lined up to meet Weatherspoon for a rematch. Cassiday is a combined 104-2 over the last two seasons.
189 Ethan Weatherspoon, Napoleon senior (49-0) – Last season’s Division 3 champion at this weight already owns a win over the reigning Division 4 champion Cassiday (above). Weatherspoon also finished eighth at 171 as a sophomore and seventh at 160 as a freshman.
215 Tim Rizor, Leroy Pine River junior (43-2) – Rizor went from seventh at 171 as a freshman to runner-up at 189 last season, and he’s the top seed at 215 with a 110-22 career record entering the weekend.
Other 2018 runners-up: 119 AJ Baxter, Clinton sophomore (46-7, 103 in 2018); 119 Jesse Brumm, Vermontville Maple Valley sophomore (43-3, 112 in 2018); 135 Matthew Grant, Onaway junior (31-5, 135 in 2018); 171 Justin Carnahan, New Lothrop junior (32-5, 171 in 2018).
Additional No. 1 seeds: 103 Brayton Mears, Union City freshman (32-4); 152 Jorge Sereno, Hudson senior (35-11); 160 Braydon Randolph, Clinton sophomore (43-1); 171 Brock Nelson, Leroy Pine River junior (45-2); 285 River Fox, Schoolcraft senior (50-2).
PHOTO: Jordan Hamdan (right) wrestles Clinton's George Ames during the Division 4 Team Final on Saturday at Wings Event Center. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Corrigan Siblings Carry Success Into Regionals, Celebrate Madalyn's Milestone Win
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
February 13, 2025
HARRIS — Like sister, like brother.
The wrestling season is winding down for Madalyn and Mitch Corrigan, who are already well into their individual championship pursuits.
Madalyn, a senior, wrestles for Powers North Central, and Mitch is a sophomore grappler at Bark River-Harris.
Despite the rivalry, the two siblings cheer for and support each other.
“We try to motivate each other,” Madalyn said. “I tell him, ‘You can do the same and more.’ If he’s in a good mood, he does the same for me.”
Madalyn earned her 100th career victory by pinning her Norway opponent 86 seconds into the 113-pound match during last week’s Division 4 Team District Final at Bark River-Harris.
Her victory also helped the Jets earn their first District title with a 36-30 triumph over the Knights.
“This is pretty exciting,” she said. “This wasn’t a goal I had in mind, but it means a lot. We’re only in our second year. None of us thought this would be possible so soon. I was depending on my teammates to make weight and win the first match so I could get my 100th. I had 14 victories after my freshman year. It never entered my mind that I would reach 100.”
The Jets also topped BR-H 36-30 in last Thursday’s opener, and Norway edged Iron Mountain 36-35 to advance.
“I knew Maddy really wanted it,” Mitch Corrigan said. “She looked real happy, and I was pretty happy for her. There’s lot of competitiveness at home. Although, I wanted to see her do well even when they wrestled against us.”
Mitch won his match as well, taking a 13-9 decision at 215 pounds.
“One of our kids had to stop wrestling due to family issues,” he said. “I got bumped up a weight class and made sure to keep my hips back. This has been a big learning experience.”
Maddy Corrigan needed just 44 seconds to win by pin in a 120-pound match during the District Semifinal.
“I had a lot of motivation coming into this meet,” she said. “When I put my first foot on the mat, I told myself, ‘All you got.’ I left everything on the mat.”
Mitch Corrigan said he had high hopes going into Saturday’s Individual District at Manistique, where he reached the championship match and dropped a 15-12 decision to Charlevoix sophomore Ryan Glass at 190 but still advanced to this Saturday’s Individual Regional at Charlevoix.
“Maddy and I will be following each other the rest of the way,” Mitch said.
Maddy Corrigan also took runner-up honors in her Individual District at Gaylord, dropping a 4-3 decision to Frankfort junior Isabella Compton in the 115-pound title bout.
North Central’s team run ended Wednesday in Team Regional competition. But she will compete in the Individual Regional on Sunday at Cadillac.
The Individual Finals are set for Feb. 28-March 1 at Ford Field in Detroit.
John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
PHOTOS (Top) Powers North Central’s Maddy Corrigan anticipates the official’s signal for pin during her 100th career victory last week at Bark River-Harris. (Middle) Mitch Corrigan, left, wrestles North Central’s Myles Nehring. (Photos courtesy of the Escanaba Daily Press.)