Division 1 Makes History Adding 3 to 4-Time Champions Honor Roll
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 4, 2023
DETROIT – Never in the history of the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals had more than two wrestlers won their fourth title in the same year.
On Saturday, three accomplished the feat in Division 1 alone, including, for the first time ever, a pair of teammates.
Detroit Catholic Central’s Dylan Gilcher and Davison’s Josh Barr and Caden Horwath each won their fourth titles at Ford Field, joining an elite group that now numbers 35.
“I’m honored to be a part of that group,” Barr said after his 17-5 major decision victory against Hartland’s Brayden Bobo at 175 pounds. “It means that everything I did paid off, and I’m not done yet, I’m just getting started. Me and Braeden (Davis of Dundee, who won his fourth title in Division 3) are going to Penn State together. Caden and Dylan are going to Michigan together. I grew up with Dylan and Caden in the Team Donahoe wrestling room, I’ve been wrestling with Dylan and Caden for a long, long time. Caden is one of my best friends. And Braeden, we probably met when I was 8 or 9. We all push each other, for sure.”
Barr and Horwath were the fourth and fifth Davison wrestlers to win four titles, joining Brent Metcalf (2002-05), Lincoln Olson (2012-15) and Alex Facundo (2018-21).
“It’s pretty incredible just to be a part of something like that,” said Davison coach Zac Hall, who won four titles at St. Johns from 2011-14. “It’s crazy man, absolutely crazy. A couple years ago these kids were 2 feet smaller than me, and we’re playing dodgeball and kind of carefree. To see the level it’s gotten to, and these guys are obviously both in a situation to go on and do great things at the next level. It’s hard to even encapsulate in words. I’m just super proud of those two guys.”
Horwath claimed his fourth title with a 12-2 major decision against Grosse Pointe South’s Wyatt Hepner (39-7) at 126 pounds. His previous titles came at 103, 119 and 125.
“Just coming off the mat now, it feels pretty surreal,” said Horwath, who finished the season 22-1. “There’s no real feeling, I’m just happy right now. Happy me and my teammate did it, and my future teammate Dylan Gilcher, so that’s cool, too.”
Barr won his about an hour and a half earlier to finish off a 33-0 season. His previous titles came at 152, 160 and 171.
“I expected it of myself, so it feels like the right thing,” Barr said. “It hasn’t really hit me yet, all these people here, it’s awesome.”
It was also a record-tying day for Catholic Central, which had seven individual champions. The Shamrocks had seven champions in 2019, as well, a Division 1 record. Dundee holds the state record with eight in 2021.
Gilcher started it all off with a 20-4 technical fall in the second period against Travis Richards of Brighton (29-7) at 150 pounds.
His previous titles came at 112, 135 and 140. He finished his senior season at 32-0, and became the second DCC wrestler to win a fourth title, joining Kevon Davenport (2016-19).
“It feels real great,” Gilcher said. “Kevon texted me today and said, ‘Make history.’ I said I didn’t want to be No. 2, but I’m glad I am. I’m really glad I was first (on the team to wrestle Saturday), because I was stressing out about my match. But now all the stress is gone and I can watch happy, just cheer on my team, don’t have to worry about getting tired yelling.”
106
Champion: Wyatt Lees, Detroit Catholic Central, Fr. (42-10)
Decision, 3-2, over Brice LaFleur, Saline, Fr. (43-4)
Lees earned his third victory over LaFleur in four weeks, as the two had met in the District and Regional, as well.
“I felt good, I felt confident throughout the match,” Lees said. “I knew I put in the work and was ready for whatever was thrown at me. It was fun and a great opportunity.”
LaFleur was in the down position late in the match, and nearly was able to score a reversal in the final seconds, but Lees fought it off.
“I had an idea (of how much time was left),” Lees said. “But I was just going to wrestle through no matter what.”
113
Champion: Bohdan Abbey, Hartland, Fr. (44-3)
Major Decision, 13-5, over Archer Anderson, Clarkston, Soph. (27-9)
Abbey came into the match already owning a victory against Anderson this season, but he knew a second wouldn’t come easy.
“I had him earlier in the year, so I had some confidence going in, but anybody can be beat,” Abbey said. “It worked out my way. I wrestled smart, wrestled hard. It was a good match. It’s great, cause I’m only a freshman. I’ve been on other stages like this, but nothing is like the state tournament.”
Abbey held a 4-0 lead heading into the third period, and managed nine more points to put his first title away. For Anderson, it was a second-straight year placing, as he was fifth at 103 in 2022.
120
Champion: Caleb Weiand, Macomb Dakota, Sr. (47-0)
Decision, 5-3 (OT), over Josh Vasquez, Grandville, Soph. (41-3)
Weiand finished off an unbeaten season with his second-straight Finals title. The Michigan State-bound senior won at 112 pounds as a junior. He was runner-up at 103 as a sophomore.
“Two years ago, when I was a sophomore, I let the nerves get to me,” Weiand said. “Last year, I kicked that out, tried to get all the nerves away. This year, there were no nerves. I think it helps me perform way better.”
Vasquez forced overtime in the match with a takedown in the final seconds. But Weiand hit a beautiful duck under seconds into the extra frame to claim the victory.
132
Champion: Drew Heethuis, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (53-1)
Decision, 4-3, over Elijah Bunn, Rockford, Jr. (52-3)
Heethuis finished his career with a third Finals championship, as he had won at 112 and 119 the past two years.
He had a 3-0 lead heading into the third period, but had to hold off Bunn, a runner-up at 130 in 2022, in the final seconds.
“It feels awesome,” Heethuis said. “It wasn’t as dominant as I would have liked. But it’s awesome to go out on a third champ. It feels nice.”
Heethuis will wrestle next year at Princeton.
138
Champion: Justin Gates, Davison, Jr. (34-2)
Decision, 2-1, over Mason Stewart, Detroit Catholic Central, Jr. (47-6)
Gates found himself back on top of the podium after finishing runner-up in 2022 to Heethuis. He had won a title in 2021, defeating Weiand at 103 pounds.
“It means a lot more to me,” Gates said. “I feel like I’ve grown a lot more as a wrestler. After taking second, I had a chip on my shoulder.”
He pulled out the victory by scoring a reversal early in the third period and riding Stewart out for the final 1:36.
“I thought I was going to score some more points, but I’ll give credit where credit’s due. DCC always has a good gameplan for us,” Gates said. “I had to overcome and adapt to that. If it’s a close match, you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”
144
Champion: Clayton Jones, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (49-3)
Technical Fall, 17-2, over Jay’Den Williams, Roseville, Fr. (47-2)
Jones won his second-straight Finals title, and did so in dominant fashion.
He led 7-1 after the first period, and 15-2 after the second. His takedown 28 seconds into the third ended the match.
“It felt great,” Jones said. “I just put in all the work that needed to be done. I was confident. I’ve been here before, and I was ready to go get my second one.”
Jones, a Michigan State commit, was DCC’s seventh champion on the night.
“This team was great,” he said. “We put in the work. (Coach Mitch) Hancock gave us a gameplan at the beginning of the season, and we stuck to that gameplan and got it done.”
157
Champion: Darius Marines, Detroit Catholic Central, Jr. (36-3)
Major Decision, 11-2, over Vinnie Abbey, Hartland, Jr. (46-3)
Marines set himself up to be the Shamrocks’ next four-time champion, claiming his third title in as many tries.
“It means a lot to me,” Marines said. “I want to make my family proud, make my teammates proud. That’s what I came to CC to do.”
Marines, who won at 145 and 152 the previous two years, scored a takedown nine seconds into the match and rolled from there.
“It’s just business,” Marines said. “Come here and get it done. I’m at the point where this is routine for me. I’m not being cocky, but that’s what we come here to do. It’s business. It’s just work.”
165
Champion: Cameron Adams, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (35-4)
Fall, 1:03, over Nick Rochowiak, Hartland, Sr. (39-4)
Adams had Rochowiak scouted, as they had run into each other several times over the years. So when he saw an opportunity, he was quick to take it.
“We used to wrestle all the time, so I know he’s got that headlock,” Adams said. “He got up to that pinch-like headlock position and I was like, ‘Oh shoot.’ I started backing away, backing away and I reached down for the leg, brought up the leg, grabbed the head when I had the single and put him away.”
Adams had finished seventh at 160 pounds in 2022.
“Honestly, it doesn’t feel real yet,” he said. “But it feels really good. It feels amazing.”
190
Champion: Brayden Mirjavadi, Romeo, Sr. (52-4)
Decision, 3-2, over Ryan Ahern, Rockford, Jr. (51-3)
Before Mirjavadi stepped onto the mat, his coaches told him to put everything he had into his match. He took that to heart, and after that match ended, struggled to get back to his feet, as exhaustion and emotion pinned his shoulders to the mat.
Eventually he made it to his feet, however, and the celebration could begin as he erased the regret of losing in the 2022 Final at 160 pounds.
“Coaches told me that, ‘At the end of the match, if you can get up to raise your hand, you did something wrong,’” Mirjavadi said. “I definitely did that last year at the state finals. But man, I did it this time.”
215
Champion: Connor Bercume, Detroit Catholic Central, Soph. (49-4)
Decision, 8-3 UTB, over Matthew Bollman, Lapeer, Sr. (40-4)
Bercume nearly won the match in regulation, but his takedown at the buzzer didn’t beat the clock.
He regrouped in the second overtime, however, scoring five points in the final 30-second period to win his first Finals title.
“I just had to keep wrestling,” Bercume said. “It was hard going to overtime. I thought I won. But I remember last year, I lost my blood round match in ultimate tiebreaker, and I remembered how that felt. And I just found a way to win.”
Bollman, who was Lapeer’s first finalist since 2015, forced overtime with a stalling call on Bercume seconds before the takedown that wasn’t.
285
Champion: Owen Hawley, Livonia Franklin, Sr. (55-0)
Decision, 4-2, over Judah Kinne, Lake Orion, Sr. (31-2)
Hawley won this match twice. Kind of.
He appeared to have claimed a 7-2 victory, but a clock malfunction forced officials to put 22 seconds back on the clock and reset the score to 4-2. Unfazed, Hawley was able to ride out Kinne and claim the victory for real.
“I wasted a little bit of energy on that celebration at first,” Hawley said with a laugh. “But looking at my crowd, my parents, my friends, my teammates, my coaches, their faces looked terrible. There was zero belief at that point. All I had to do was give them a thumb’s up, they started cheering, they got excited, and it made me excited.
“I love to wrestle – what’s 22 more seconds?”
PHOTOS (Top) Davison's Caden Horwath, top, works for control against Grosse Pointe South's Wyatt Hepner in their championship match Saturday at Ford Field. (Middle) Detroit Catholic Central's Dylan Gilcher and Brighton's Travis Richards wrestle at 150 pounds. (Below) Davison's Josh Barr readies for the next moment during his 175-pound title match. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
Roseville's Williams Earns Elusive Title with Explosive Finals Flourish
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 1, 2025
DETROIT – Jay’Den Williams almost got too amped up Saturday.
The Roseville junior, who had much of Ford Field in awe with his big-move ability, nearly got put to his back in the 165-pound title match at the Division 1 Individual Wrestling Finals.
But he shook it off on his way to a 23-8 technical fall victory against Temperance Bedford’s Zach Miracle to claim his first championship.
“You see, I got too excited,” Williams said with a laugh. “I was excited and tried to force things. But my energy went up after that.”
Williams finished off a perfect season (53-0) after placing second the past two Finals. He became Roseville’s first champion since Bobby Nash won in 2009.
“I’m building up a lot of awards, a lot of records, and I got a little brother (Kyrie), he’s going to be coming in,” Williams said. “I want him to be the one to beat it, so I’m going to set it high.”
Williams won all four of his matches on the weekend by technical fall, ending the first three in the first period, before going 1 minute, 22 seconds into the second against Miracle.
He came out aggressive in the Final, getting three takedowns in the opening 1:16 before hitting a seven-point throw late in the period and drawing a large reaction from the crowd.
Not long after that, Miracle (57-4) was able to score a takedown and nearly get nearfall points, but that was all the offense he’d be able to get as Williams closed the match out with a pair of takedowns in the second period.
“It feels amazing,” Williams said. “Coming out here, being able to win a state title in front of all these people, knowing that you just came off a runner-up, it feels amazing.”
106
Champion: Cyrus Woodberry, Detroit Cass Tech, Fr. (51-2)
Decision, 2-1 (OT), over Jameson Wood, Brighton, Soph. (45-3)
Woodbury became the first Finals champion in Cass Tech history with a dramatic overtime victory.
After riding Wood out in the first 30-second frame, he scored an escape 12 seconds into the second to claim the victory. All three points in the match were scored on escapes, as neither wrestler was able to break through the other’s defense.
“It’s indescribable – it’s great,” Woodbury said. “I always thought I’d be here. I didn’t know how much time was left on the clock, I just thought about all the years I prayed for this, and just had to become a dog.”
113
Champion: Layne Martin, Rockford, Soph. (48-3)
Major Decision, 16-4, over Brice Lafleur, Saline, Jr. (47-3)
Martin fell behind early in the first period before putting on a dominant performance on his way to a first Finals title.
He scored the final 15 points in the match, helping make up for what he felt was a disappointing freshman year, which ended with him outside the top eight.
“I was just like, ‘Stay calm,’” Martin said. “I knew I could get some of my offense, work him on top. (A second period nearfall) was really big, really good for my mind to know I could give up a few points if I needed to.”
120
Champion: Wyatt Lees, Detroit Catholic Central, Jr. (38-5)
Decision, 3-0, over Ryan Totten, Detroit Catholic Central, Soph. (47-11)
Lees got all he could handle from his teammate, clawing his way to a third-straight Finals title. He had won at 106 in 2023 and 113 in 2024.
“It kind of sucks having to wrestle your teammate,” Lees said. “I think both of us out there didn’t care who it was, we were going to wrestle the same. At the end of the day, we’re still brothers. We both know what the other person wants. It’s been the same match the last three weeks, kind of.”
The only points in the match were scored when Lees got a takedown midway through the first period. The two Shamrocks fought to a draw from there, but it was enough for title No. 3.
126
Champion: Archer Anderson, Clarkston, Sr. (46-2)
Decision, 14-9, over Deacon Morgan, Rochester Adams, Soph. (45-6)
A year after wrestling one of his Clarkston teammates to claim his first Finals title, Anderson had to square off with a club teammate Saturday.
As he did in 2024, the Clarkston senior came out on top in this one, winning the final two periods 10-3 to pull away for the victory.
“As a freshman, I didn’t really expect it to go like this,” said Anderson, who was runner-up at 113 as a sophomore. “Funny joke, I go to the same club as (Morgan), so he is a teammate. I can’t get away from teammates. I think I spent the night at his house like a week ago. We knew – I knew he was going to be at the Finals. He’s great; he’s probably going to be a champion next year.”
132
Champion: Bohdan Abbey, Hartland, Jr. (49-1)
Technical Fall, 18-3, over Dominic Perez, Davison, Sr. (27-12)
Abbey returned to the top of the podium with a dominant performance. The junior was a champion at 113 as a freshman before finishing second at 126 a year ago.
“It was a hurting feeling for a while, so it’s good to kind of get my get-back, but not really,” he said. “But it feels good. I made sure I took in the moment and didn’t take it for granted this year.”
Abbey finished with four technical falls in the tournament.
138
Champion: Jace Morgan, Rochester Adams, Sr. (47-0)
Major Decision, 10-0, over Preston Lefevre, Clarkston, Sr. (48-2)
Morgan closed out a perfect season with a dominant performance Saturday. A takedown 37 seconds into the match set the tone, and he kept pushing the rest of the way against LeFevre, who was also a runner-up a year ago.
“Throughout my whole career, they’ve been with me, my teammates, helping me and pushing me,” Morgan said. “They’ve been helping me get better, helping me get to this point and achieving what I have today.”
Morgan became the first Adams wrestler to win a title since 1999.
144
Champion: Grayson Fuchs, Detroit Catholic Central, Soph. (42-2)
Major Decision, 14-2, over Tanner McDunnah, Davison, Sr. (34-9)
In a matchup of finalists from a year ago, Fuchs put his foot on the pedal and didn’t let up.
The now two-time Finals champion scored a takedown 13 seconds into the match, and only allowed a pair of escapes against McDunnah, who was runner-up at this weight a year ago as well.
Saturday’s match was a far cry from a week ago, when Fuchs won a tight decision at the Division 1 Team Finals.
“I was pushing the pace more, getting to my ties,” Fuchs said. “Last week, I was more wrestling into his ties and he was holding onto me. This time, I was just moving my feet more, getting my ties, my shots, moving him. I was moving my hands and my feet more, that was pretty much it.”
Fuchs, who won at 126 a year ago, got to the Finals with a trio of technical falls in the opening three rounds.
150
Champion: Dallas Korponic, Hartland, Jr. (50-4)
Decision, 1-0, over Julius Pacheco, Davison, Soph. (34-9)
Korponic claimed his second-straight title with a second-period escape holding up as the match’s lone point.
“It feels pretty good getting a second one,” he said. “It means just as much as the last one. I’ve been working all year for it, so it felt good. I know my conditioning was going to work for me. I was looking for another opportunity to score, but also just keeping that win.”
Korponic, who won at 132 pounds as a sophomore, cruised to the Finals, winning by technical fall in each of his first three matches.
157
Champion: Braylenn Aulbach, Rockford, Sr. (49-2)
Decision, 9-8, over Kyle Jelinek, Davison, Sr. (31-7)
Aulbach battled back in the third period, scoring seven points after falling behind 7-2. Jelinek suffered a leg injury late in the match, but continued on.
“He was dealing with something with his knee, which sucks,” Aulbach said. “It’s kind of mean, but you have to take advantage of that kind of thing. He’s long. I struggled to get to his legs, and he’s easily going to grab mine. I think it just comes down to pace.
“As a freshman, I never really thought I’d get to this point. This year, it was really like, ‘Wow, I can do it.’ To get it done and beat a good kid, it’s a dream come true.”
175
Champion: Michael Baldwin, Saginaw United, Sr. (33-2)
Decision, 7-6 (UTB), over Luke Johnson, Oxford, Sr. (45-4)
After splitting their matches in the District and Regional Finals, Baldwin and Johnson put on a classic Saturday night.
Baldwin won on a technical point, as Johnson grabbed his singlet in a last-gasp move during the ultimate tiebreaker period.
“It’s unreal,” Baldwin said. “My family’s here, it feels like half of my city is here. It’s like we did it, we finally did it. It’s the first year with the new school, I’m the first-ever state champ. I set the standard, doing the right things, leaving it all out on the mat. I want another kid to come through and do the same thing.”
Johnson had forced overtime with a third-period takedown, and held off a Baldwin attempt at the buzzer.
190
Champion: Lee Krueger, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (41-8)
Major Decision, 11-0, over Thomas Jaynes, Romeo, Jr. (53-7)
Krueger has watched as so many Catholic Central wrestlers have won Finals titles, so to join that group was a special moment.
“It’s surreal,” he said. “Four years I’ve been here and watched guys I’ve looked up to do it, and now it’s finally my time and I did it. It’s completely surreal. As a freshman I was like a JV, borderline varsity guy, but my coaches and my teammates pushed me all the way up to where I am now.”
Krueger broke open what was a tight match with a takedown and nearfall late in the second period to take an 8-0 lead into the third.
215
Champion: Connor Bercume, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (48-0)
Major Decision, 10-2, over Sean O’Keefe, Brighton, Sr. (38-2)
Bercume closed out his illustrious Catholic Central career with a third Finals title. He also helped the Shamrocks win the past three Division 1 team titles.
“It feels pretty awesome,” he said. “I can’t believe how blessed I am to be part of this team for four years and have all these great teammates. I just feel really honored to be part of such a great program with such a great legacy.”
The Harvard-bound senior scored three takedowns in the first period to blow the match open, and controlled O’Keefe over the final four minutes to win title No. 3.
285
Champion: Logan Tollison, Grand Ledge, Jr. (45-0)
Decision, 8-1, over Anton Barynas, Jenison, Sr. (35-5)
After finishing as runner-up at 215 a year ago, Tollison had offseason surgery on his shoulder.
Those setbacks set up an incredible comeback, and he finished off an unbeaten season Saturday with his first Finals title.
“I’ve worked hard this season, so I deserved it, I think,” he said. “I was really driven, especially since I had to take six months off after I had shoulder surgery, so I had to really get after it when I got back.”
Tollison led 2-0 heading into the third period against Barynas, who was the runner-up at 285 a year ago. But the Grand Ledge junior scored a pair of takedowns in the final two minutes to pull away for the victory.
PHOTOS (Top) Roseville’s Jay’Den Williams, right, locks the legs of Temperance Bedford’s Zach Miracle during their championship match at 165 pounds Saturday. (Middle) Saginaw United’s Michael Baldwin, top, takes Oxford’s Luke Johnson to the mat at 175 pounds. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)