Dawson, Nieuwenhuis Claim 4th Individual Titles, Romeo Wins Girls Team Final
By
Scott DeCamp
Special for MHSAA.com
March 8, 2026
DETROIT – Madison Nieuwenhuis has big plans in her future as it relates to wrestling, including competing in the World Team Trials and heading to the University of Iowa.
First, the Plainwell senior was looking to etch her name into the MHSAA record book Saturday at the Girls Wrestling Finals at Ford Field.
Nieuwenhuis became the second girls wrestler in MHSAA history to win four individual championships as she pinned Howell freshman Olive DiMassa in the 105-pound bout in 1:34.
Two matches later, Westland John Glenn senior Nakayla Dawson joined that select company with her fourth-straight title on a technical fall (5:30, 17-1) at 115 pounds against Frankfort senior Isabella Crompton.
Last year, Fowlerville’s Margaret Buurma became the first girl to capture four MHSAA Individual Finals titles.
“I’m super excited,” Nieuwenhuis said. “I’ve had this goal for, I don’t even know how long it is, and it’s finally come true. I’ve worked so hard, and I’m so happy right now.”
Said Dawson: “It is very satisfying because at the beginning of the season I wasn’t doing my best when I first got my (knee) injury. People thought I was going to lose states – they (weren’t) going to take the title from me.”
For the second time, the MHSAA recognized a girls team champion based upon individual points and places scored by each school.
Romeo was the team champion with 80 points, pushed by Oxford at 78.5. Plainwell was third (64), followed by Yale (55.5), Lowell (53.5), and Allen Park (47) among the top six.
“It was a really close race. Hats off to Oxford – they wrestled really well this weekend and I’m glad our girls could pull it off,” said Romeo coach Stephen Manuel, whose daughters Belicia and Kaili won individual titles in consecutive matches at 155 and 170, respectively. “We were behind going into the finals and we had to score 12 points, so they had to bonus and they did.”
100
Champion: Lillee Denson, St. Clair Shores Lakeview, Sr. (22-1)
Technical Fall (5:16) 22-6, over McKenzie Mantei, Dundee, Soph. (31-4)
Wrestling was a gradual progression for Denson, who didn’t begin the sport until her sophomore season.
“I started my sophomore year, and I didn’t even make it to state,” said Denson, who is a Northern Michigan University commit. “My second year, I just had to change my mindset and I ended up getting runner-up last year, so just short of state champion. And this year, I won it all because of my support system.”
Denson lost at last year’s Finals at 105 against Lowell’s Tatianna Castillo, who won the title at 110 on Saturday.
105
Champion: Madison Nieuwenhuis, Plainwell, Sr. (28-0)
Fall, 1:34, over Olive DiMassa, Howell, Fr. (40-2)
It was an emotional end to Nieuwenhuis’ high school career, as she sprinted toward the Division 2 boys mat immediately following her victory over DiMassa. She was a nervous wreck watching sophomore brother Dylan Nieuwenhuis win at 113 pounds.
First, she had to take care of her business, which she did with no problem.
“I’m super pleased with my performance. … I’ve got a lot bigger things coming, so I’m glad I got to check this part and pull it off,” Nieuwenhuis said.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it without the Plainwell community. There’s no one better than the Plainwell community. My parents have stuck by me and my brother. They’re there every single step of the way. They’ve done so much for us. I wouldn’t be able to do it without them.”
110
Champion: Tatianna Castillo, Lowell, Soph. (34-1)
Fall, 5:10, over Rylee Nidiffer, Riverview Gabriel Richard, Fr. (32-4)
Castillo collected a second-straight title, this one at 110 after winning 105 in 2025.
The Lowell boys team won its 13th-straight Division 2 team title last weekend, and the Red Arrows have had numerous wrestlers bring home individual championships.
Castillo is hoping that the Lowell girls can establish a rich wrestling history of their own. They’re off to a good start.
“I think we kind of trained to live up to the boys’ expectations, even though we’re our own kind of section,” she said. “I think it’s so, like, amazing to bring the girls something bigger into Lowell. Lowell isn’t really known for the girls (program), but being a state champ and helping other girls come, I just feel like it’s so amazing to be able to be a part of that.”
115
Champion: Nakayla Dawson, Westland John Glenn, Sr. (15-0)
Technical Fall (5:30), 17-1, over Isabella Crompton, Frankfort, Sr. (48-2)
It wasn’t the easiest of seasons for Dawson, despite her perfect record, as she was hampered by a knee injury to start.
Dawson remained inspired, however, to the point where she said she’d like to coach wrestling some day and teach others what she’s learned.
Dawson said she is considering Indian Hills Community College in Iowa for her next wrestling stop.
“It means a lot because just from me winning my first state title and everything like that, more girls have moved into wrestling, especially at my school and everything,” she said. “They wanted to learn, wanted to wrestle, because of me.”
120
Champion: Cheyenne Frank, Oxford, Sr. (39-0)
Technical Fall (4:40) 16-1, over Alexander Stiltner, Battle Creek Harper Creek, Sr. (40-2)
Frank capped her perfect senior season with a dominant win and a second-straight title. If that weren’t enough, she did backflips on the mat immediately following – just because.
“I just felt like kind of doing that. I just felt loose, you know,” Frank said with a big smile.
Frank was a Finals runner-up as a sophomore and placed fifth as a freshman as a four-time all-stater.
“This means a lot to my community, my team, like all my great coaches,” Frank said. “I’m just glad I got to do this, this last year with them and be surrounded by people I love and care about.”
125
Champion: Adriana Murray, Yale, Soph. (39-3)
Fall, 1:57, over Haley Stenz, Alpena, Soph. (32-2)
If you saw Murray’s vertical leap when she jumped into her coach’s arms after winning her first Finals title, then you may not believe she is coming off significant surgery during her freshman year.
Murray was at a loss for words Saturday, expressing gratefulness to be able to return to the mat.
“I got injured last year. I had surgery on both of my legs on my birthday, and it was supposed to be my last year (wrestling),” Murray said. “I won’t lie, it was miserable. I can’t sit here and tell you all the perfect stuff and that it was great and it’s easy to work through because it’s not. I couldn’t walk for nine months. I had to miss a little bit of school. I wasn’t walking. I wasn’t moving.”
130
Champion: Kassie Sapp, Whitehall, Soph. (39-1)
Decision, 6-4, over Cecilia Williams, Mason, Sr. (21-1)
When Sapp was trailing Williams 4-3 late in their match Saturday, she couldn’t help but think of her 4-3 loss to Grand Haven’s Gracey Barry in last year’s 115-pound title bout.
Even though Williams entered as a favorite, seeking her third Finals title after winning 125 last year and 120 in 2023, Sapp was determined to flip the script. She did so with a takedown during the final seconds.
“I mean, I just dug in, I really did. I don’t even know,” Sapp said. “I just found it within myself and I was like, ‘I’m not going to lose. I’m not going to do what I did last year.’ I was like, ‘I’m not going to lose 4-3 again. There’s no way.’”
135
Champion: Angellaya Burden, Mio, Jr. (28-0)
Fall, 3:33, over Paisley DeNault, Clarkston, Sr. (22-1)
After winning her second-straight championship, Burden admitted she’s not always fond of practices. She finished fourth in the state as a freshman, so somebody must be doing something right.
“I have to thank my coaches, even though sometimes I don’t like them,” Burden quipped and then laughed. “Definitely my teammates, too – even though I feel like quitting, they keep pushing me.
“I definitely struggle a little bit wrestling at practice, but I know at the end of the day it’s making me better – even when I’m wrestling my brothers,” she said, turning and looking toward her coach with a raised eyebrow.
140
Champion: Alexis Lazar, Brighton, Sr. (27-0)
Fall, 1:44, over Kylee Mollow, Olivet, Jr. (44-5)
Lazar has been wrestling for six years. She’s in her first year attending public school after previously being homeschooled.
In her first season competing in an MHSAA sport, she moved to the head of her class.
She kept her cool.
“I didn’t get in my head. I had fun the whole time. I just went out there and did what I had to do,” said Lazar, a Grand Valley State University commit.
145
Champion: MacKenna Webster, Three Rivers, Sr. (42-1)
Fall, 6:00, over Brynna Alwell, Allen Park, Sr. (31-5)
Winning her first Finals title was a big deal for Webster, after she lost in a championship match last year and finished sixth as a sophomore. But being a positive role model may rank higher on her list.
“Honestly, it’s everything. I’m always (trying to set an example) for the girls after me, to be able to leave my mark for those girls,” Webster said. “I just feel so completed. The girls after me, my little girls … they’re why I do it. They’re always pushing me all the way. I’m so glad that I could do it for them.”
Webster plans to attend Davenport University.
155
Champion: Belicia Manuel, Romeo, Sr. (50-0)
Fall, 1:03, over Aaliyah Langell, Big Rapids, Fr. (27-2)
Manuel seized her second title, adding to the one she captured at 140 as a sophomore. She finished runner-up at 145 last year when she lost to four-time champ Margaret Buurma of Fowlerville.
Watching sister Kaili win a championship at 170 immediately after she clinched hers, Belicia was very satisfied with the way her high school career wrapped up.
“It was really nice. It was really fun, especially winning it my last year together (with her sister),” Manuel said.
She plans to attend Northern Michigan University, where she is looking to wrestle.
170
Champion: Kaili Manuel, Romeo, Jr. (48-1)
Technical Fall (2:30) 23-7, over Adelaide Holderman, Middleville Thornapple Kellogg, Jr. (25-3)
Moments after big sister Belicia won her second title, Kaili followed suit with another of her own. This was her third championship, as Kaili won at 155 last year and 145 two years ago.
Belicia’s match was so quick, Kaili pretty much missed it.
“Honestly, I looked at the beginning, I did like a lap and then I looked back and it was over. I was like …,” she paused, then gestured with applause to acknowledge her sister for a job well done.
When Kailia was asked if she and Belicia tangle at home, she came back with an amusing reply.
“It’s mainly my other sisters that fight,” she said. “I’m more of, like, a talker and not a fighter.”
190
Champion: Olivia Kemp, Carleton Airport, Jr. (25-1)
Decision, 4-2, over Kanata Richardson, Bloomfield Hills, Sr. (30-3)
Richardson was seeking a second-straight title, but Kemp had other plans – even if it looked bleak for her during a large portion of the match.
It was such an emotional finish for Kemp, she still had tears in her eyes several minutes after her match ended.
“I just looked over, saw my coaches – I thought of all the hard work I put in through the season, knowing I couldn’t beat her the last time I had a bum shoulder,” said Kemp, who placed fifth last year. “This time, I’m all healed up and ready to go. There’s no excuses.”
235
Champion: Halle Spears, Midland, Sr. (33-0)
Fall, 1:42, over AnnMarie Green, Clare, Sr. (27-2)
Spears finished runner-up at 190 last season, so all she had on her mind this year was to win the prize.
“It’s so great. I’ve waited so long for this. It feels really good to come back and get what I wanted last year,” Spears said.
A Grand Valley State University commit, she was overcome with emotion when she thought about her brother being in her corner at the Finals. Their celebratory embrace was accompanied by tears of joy.
“Have fun and do what you know,” she said. “I think when you’re wrestling, you should just always do what you know and wrestle how you know you have to wrestle.”
PHOTOS (Top) Westland John Glenn's Nakayla Dawson, left, and Plainwell's Madison Nieuwenhuis have their hands raised in victory after earning their fourth MHSAA Finals championships Saturday at Ford Field. (Middle) Romeo's Belicia Manuel, right, and Big Rapids' Aaliyah Langell prepare to face off. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
Performance: Dundee's Brandon Whitman
January 26, 2018
Brandon Whitman
Dundee senior – Wrestling
Whitman is fast approaching an opportunity to join one of the elite groups of achievers in any sport in MHSAA history. With a chance at becoming the 23rd four-time individual wrestling champion a little more than a month away, Whitman continued his undefeated run of this season by winning the Most Valuable Performer at the upper weights at last weekend’s Hudson Super 16 – earning this week’s Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
Whitman, wrestling last weekend and mostly this season at 215 pounds, and occasionally as a heavyweight, is 27-0 this season and 180-3 over his high school career. He is ranked No. 3 nationally at 220 pounds by InterMat, with MHSAA Division 3 championships the last two seasons at 189 pounds and a win at 171 as a freshman. His most impressive victories this winter arguably are against Cody Howard of Lakewood St. Edward (Ohio), a nationally-ranked 195-pounder headed for Virginia Tech, and twice over Temperance Bedford heavyweight Austin Emerson, another nationally-ranked foe who will continue next season at Eastern Michigan University. Whitman also earned the 100th pin of his high school career in Wednesday’s dual meet win over Hudson.
Dundee as a team is ranked No. 1 in Division 3 this season and competing for its fourth MHSAA title in six seasons after finishing runner-up at last year’s Final on a tie-breaker in the championship match. Whitman will continue his academic and wrestling careers at the University of North Carolina. He carries a 3.9 grade-point average and intends to study physical therapy.
Coach Tim Roberts said: “It isn't about him. It's about all of us. He's doing his best to get better, and his ego has never gotten in the way of his success. He’s endlessly getting better, (asking) ‘how can I learn more about this sport and get better?’ I feel lucky; I’ve been able to coach a lot of great people, and he ranks as one of best people inside and outside of it. … Watching him come out of his shell more, how he treats other people, it’s great. As a freshman he was really good, obviously; he’s even better now. Even yesterday, he was asking questions trying to get better. It’s very impressive, how he handles himself. I’m just really happy I’ve had the opportunity to have this four years with him.”
Performance Point: “It’s been fun. I’ve been trying to get the best matches I could get so I can see what areas I need to improve on. … One of the big things with Emerson is I learned that I need to relax a little bit more. In some of those bigger matches, I tend to go out and try to sprint pretty much the whole match – and I get tired towards the end because the body’s not really meant to sprint for that long. The first time I wrestled him, I went out there and I got a takedown right away, took out a lot of energy. The second time I was a lot more relaxed. I picked and chose where I went and made my attacks, and it worked out a lot better. I ended up beating him 8-1 instead of 3-2, and I felt like I competed and I was able to go a lot longer than I usually am.”
On the verge of history: “It’s nice. It’s cool. But the ultimate goal is to just to keep getting better and better, and improving where you need to improve. Being the best that you can be. It will set goals for other kids coming up to try to work towards that and try to beat my records. That’s kinda cool.”
Humility counts: “(It’s) just the way I’d say my parents raised me. Nobody really likes when kids are cocky. They like a humble person who can compete at high levels but they are nice to people and can carry themselves well, and that’s how I’ve been raised.”
In this together: “This year I feel we’re having a lot more fun. We’re going out there and scoring points, and competing a lot harder than I think previous years too. Doing it for a cause greater than yourself, I think that’s helped a lot too. Because if you’re doing it for yourself, you can get nervous. But if you’re doing it for your team and for your friends, that can help take some of the pressure off.”
Ready to help: “I want to go into physical therapy. My brother’s been in physical therapy quite a few times. I’ve been in it quite a few times now. It’s interesting, and I want to being able to help other sports people, or anyone be able to recover as fast as they can to get them back doing what they do.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2017-18 school year, Second Half and the Michigan Army National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2017-18 honorees:
January 18: Derek Maas, Holland West Ottawa swimming - Read
January 11: Lexi Niepoth, Bellaire basketball - Read
November 30: La'Darius Jefferson, Muskegon football - Read
November 23: Ashley Turak, Farmington Hills Harrison swimming - Read
November 16: Bryce Veasley, West Bloomfield football - Read
November 9: Jose Penaloza, Holland soccer - Read
November 2: Karenna Duffey, Macomb L'Anse Creuse North cross country - Read
October 26: Anika Dy, Traverse City Central golf - Read
October 19: Andrew Zhang, Bloomfield Hills tennis - Read
October 12: Nolan Fugate, Grand Rapids Catholic Central football - Read
October 5: Marissa Ackerman, Munising tennis - Read
September 28: Minh Le, Portage Central soccer - Read
September 21: Olivia Theis, Lansing Catholic cross country - Read
September 14: Maddy Chinn, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Dundee's Brandon Whitman scores a takedown during the Temperance Bedford Tournament this season. (Middle) Whitman pins Lakewood St. Edward's Cody Howard during the Detroit Catholic Central Super Duals. (Photos courtesy of Dundee wrestling.)