Dominance Sets Up John Glenn's Dawson to Make Major Decision on Repeat Pursuit
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
January 11, 2024
WESTLAND — Westland John Glenn wrestling coach Bill Polk has been at the helm for more than two decades and amassed over 500 wins, but he probably hasn’t dealt with a dilemma like this during his terrific tenure.
Granted, it’s a good dilemma to mull over, but a dilemma nonetheless.
Last year as a freshman, Nakayla Dawson was dominant at 105 pounds in the girls division, rolling to the Individual Finals championship and barely being tested throughout her MHSAA Tournament run. She finished the season 41-2. “I don’t think she wrestled more than a couple of minutes last year,” said Polk in reference to her postseason matches.
The ease of her title came as a surprise even to Dawson.
“I went in there thinking I was going to win, but I didn’t expect it to be that easy,” she said. “I was nervous for just about all my matches.”
During the regular season last winter, Dawson also happened to defeat four boys who placed in their division in the same weight class.
She’s 17-4 this winter and last Saturday won the 106 bracket at the New Lothrop Hall of Fame Tournament with three pins.
Given all that, it’s begging the obvious question as wrestling season gets into full swing with the holiday break over: Should Dawson just wrestle in the boys division?
“That’s what we are leaning toward,” Polk said. “That definitely is what she wants to do.”
If she does switch to the boys division when the tournament begins next month, don’t think Dawson can’t hold her own.
There was debate about whether she would wrestle in the boys division last year, but Polk said since she was only a freshman, the thought was to have her wrestle in the girls division her first season and then go from there.
Wrestling at 106 pounds this year, Dawson has had several close losses to ranked boys wrestlers. While hard to suffer those losses now, they likely will make her even tougher to beat come February and March.
“I’m hoping it will refocus her a little bit,” Polk said.
Being competitive and defeating boys is nothing that new for Dawson, given she grew up having battles with older brother Robert and younger brother Kyron, as well as numerous cousins.
Robert is a senior and one of the best wrestlers for John Glenn this year, while Kyron will be a freshman next season.
“Wrestling with them already set me up with wrestling other boys,” Dawson said. “(Robert) was bigger than me and stronger. I was already kind of used to wrestling boys.”
Polk said the sibling rivalry isn’t limited to just the house since he sees the battles between Robert and Nakayla in the wrestling room every day.
“They still do, are you kidding me?” Polk said. “You definitely see some brother-sister battling going on in the room from time to time. He’s helped make her a lot tougher.”
Dawson said the big difference she experiences wrestling boys compared to girls is the greater strength that boys possess compared to the flexibility advantage girls tend to have.
“I feel when I’m wrestling girls, I’ll be doing different moves,” she said. “It’s easier to get to my shots. With boys, I have to work for it more and set it up better.”
The success of Dawson and Morgan Irwin, a 2023 graduate who finished second at 115 pounds last winter, has been inspirational to other girls around the school.
“I feel like girls have looked at it and wanted to try wrestling,” she said.
In addition to wrestling, Dawson is also an accomplished sprinter on the track team, although she says she does that more to stay in shape for summer wrestling than anything.
Polk said there is still a long way to go for Dawson to realize her full potential in wrestling, but by the time her high school career is done, she likely will be one of the all-time greats Polk has coached.
“Boys or girls, she is definitely one of the most accomplished we have had,” Polk said. “She can go toe-to-toe with any of the boys out there.”
Keith Dunlap has served in Detroit-area sports media for more than two decades, including as a sportswriter at the Oakland Press from 2001-16 primarily covering high school sports but also college and professional teams. His bylines also have appeared in USA Today, the Washington Post, the Detroit Free Press, the Houston Chronicle and the Boston Globe. He served as the administrator for the Oakland Activities Association’s website from 2017-2020. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties
PHOTOS (Top) Nakayla Dawson’s arm is raised in victory during last season’s Individual Finals at Ford Field. (Middle) The Westland John Glenn standout goes for a takedown in her championship match against Remus Chippewa Hills’ Natalie Gibson. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
Lowell's Blum Joins Pair of Elite Clubs with 4th Individual Finals Title
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
March 1, 2025
DETROIT – Lowell senior Jackson Blum entered rarefied air Saturday at the 2025 MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals.
Not only did Blum become one of 40 wrestlers to win a fourth individual championship, but he also became one of just seven in MHSAA history to win four individual titles and four team titles when he claimed the 132-pound championship in Division 2.
“It’s an amazing feeling. God has blessed me so much,” Blum said of the accomplishment. “The road has had a lot of ups and downs, but in the end, I was able to come out on top because of Him.”
Blum was one of three wrestlers to become a four-time individual champion Saturday, and he admitted the pressure of fulfilling that goal got to be challenging this season.
“At the beginning of this year, I felt pressure on myself. I felt like I had to win my fourth and be the next one,” Blum said. “But, that’s when I really just tried to let God guide me and take off that pressure.”
Blum (47-0) was in control of his opponent, Gull Lake junior Rasler Warner (33-4), throughout the bout.
Blum scored four takedowns in the first round and added two more in the second to secure the 19-4 technical fall 2:53 into the contest. He was one of four Lowell wrestlers to claim an individual title Saturday.
106
Champion: Pilot Swab, Stevensville Lakeshore, Soph. (45-7)
Decision, 8-1, over Tyler Cooper, Plainwell, Fr. (39-10)
Behind a late takedown in the third period that led to near-fall points, Swab claimed his first championship with a decision win over Cooper.
Swab avenged a pair of losses to Cooper during the season to claim the title.
“I just decided to pick up the pace during the last 30 seconds of the match,” Swab said. “I knew I had to pick it up. It means a lot to be a state champion.”
113
Champion: Jarrett Smith, Lowell, Jr. (42-3)
Major Decision, 8-0, over Carson Blum, Lowell, Fr. (37-7)
Facing off with a teammate at the Finals for the second consecutive season, Smith came away with a second championship.
“It’s tough, but it’s also really cool because you know you are training with the best guy in the state at your weight, every day in practice,” Smith said. “I have some years on (Blum), but he’s going to be great. He’s a great wrestler.”
Smith managed a takedown in each of the first two rounds and then scored a reverse to control the match and keep Blum off the scoreboard.
120
Champion: Cristian Haslem, St. Clair, Jr. (41-0)
Decision, 17-12, over Devan Garcia, Battle Creek Harper Creek, Soph. (37-2)
Haslem avenged a loss to Garcia at the 2024 Finals at 113 pounds, coming away with a win in a high-scoring championship match.
“I had been working all season toward getting my revenge and getting that title,” Haslem said. “It motivated me every step of the way this season. I made sure to wrestle my match at my pace this time around, and it feels amazing to be a state champion.
The key moment came in the second period when Haslem got a takedown on an ankle pick that put him ahead for good at 9-6. He followed that up with a takedown to open the third and controlled things from there.
126
Champion: Jeremiah Brown, Flint Kearsley, Sr. (25-0)
Decision, 6-5, over Quinten Cassiday, Cedar Springs, Soph. (47-2)
Trailing 5-3 late in the third period, Brown scored a takedown to go up 6-5 and held on from there to complete an unbeaten senior season.
“I knew I had nothing to lose at that point,” Brown said of the late takedown. “I was already down, it was my senior year, I had to just go. It feels great. I am living on a high right now.”
They had met in the Regional Final last weekend with Brown winning 13-7, but he knew Saturday’s rematch wouldn’t be so easy.
“I wasn’t sure if I could beat (Cassiday) again. He improved a lot,” Brown said. “He’s just a sophomore, and he’s a phenomenal wrestler. I’m really happy to have been able to win.”
138
Champion: Trenden Bashore, DeWitt, Sr. (59-1)
Decision, 8-4, over Luke Egan, Cedar Springs, Jr. (50-3)
Takedowns in the second and third rounds allowed DeWitt’s Bashore to close out his high school career with his first championship.
“All I ever wanted to be was a state champion, and I always came up short. But, not this time,” Bashore said after the win.
Bashore finished runner-up at 132 pounds at the 2024 Finals, but took the loss to heart and let it motivate him to Saturday’s victory.
“Last year, I got my butt kicked by one of the best, and I took what happened and let it drive me,” he said. “This year, I put focus on the small part of my technique and being on the attack.”
144
Champion: Jaron Bensinger, Gaylord, Jr. (47-0)
Ultimate Tie-Breaker, 2-2, over Buddy Leonard, Freeland, Sr. (46-3)
Bensinger let the pain of finishing runner-up last season drive him to winning his first title.
A 1-1 match in regulation was ultimately decided on an ultimate tiebreaker, with Bensinger riding out Leonard to claim the championship in the final stage.
“I knew it was going to be a battle, but I never stopped wrestling and never stopped pushing the pace,” Bensinger said. “I was confident I could ride (Leonard) for those 30 seconds. I worked my whole life to be a state champ.”
Leonard and Bensinger each scored escape points in regulation and in the overtime periods to force the ultimate tie-breaker.
150
Champion: Lane Button, Wayland, Sr. (52-0)
Decision, 11-4, over Dylan Granger, Mason, Jr. (44-2)
Button closed out a two-year undefeated run with a decision win over Granger to win his second consecutive championship and finish 100-0 over his final two prep seasons.
The senior celebrated by honoring the Detroit Lions in their home, doing an Amon-Ra St. Brown headstand, following by the Kerby Joseph cartwheel and back flip.
“That was the plan all along,” Button said of the celebration. “(Granger) was my last high school loss, so it was good motivation for me all year. I felt like I had the pace and the speed and knew what I needed to do to finish with a win.”
Button’s early takedown in the first period set the tone, and he followed up with two more in the match, as well as a reversal, to keep Granger from getting within striking distance.
157
Champion: Johnathan Ford, Bay City John Glenn, Soph. (42-6)
Decision, 7-3, over Drew Ladach, New Boston Huron, Sr. (55-4)
After an injury during the District tournament kept him from competing for a Finals title in 2024, Ford made the most of this opportunity, winning a hard-fought contest with Ladach.
“It was a stressful match, but I knew I had to just keep attacking,” Ford said. “I’ve been envisioning this moment for a long time. Getting injured last year really motivated me and pushed me this weekend.”
Ford held a 4-1 lead in the second period before Ladach was able to cut the margin to one thanks to an escape and a stalling point. As the match closed, Ford secured another takedown to seal the deal.
165
Champion: Owen Segorski, Lowell, Sr. (45-4)
Decision, 9-7, over Zane Willobee, Gaylord, Jr. (32-2)
In a matchup of two 2024 champions, Segorski, the 144-pound title winner last year, overcame a deficit to grind out a 9-7 win over Willobee, the 157-pound champion from a year ago.
“I just had to trust in my training. I know the match is only six minutes, so I know I can go hard for six minutes, no matter how tired I get,” Segorski said.
Segorski trailed 6-5 early in the third period, but tied the match up with an escape and then scored a takedown on Willobee with 35 seconds remaining to get the win.
It was the third Finals championship for Segorski, who also won the 125-pound title as a freshman.
“It feels a lot better to win here, for sure,” Segorski said. “It was really important (to win). I didn’t want to go out with any regrets.”
175
Champion: Fabian Facundo, Freeland, Sr. (43-1)
Decision, 8-1, over Zachary Taylor, Gibraltar Carlson, Sr. (53-2)
Coming up one match shy of a championship in 2024, Facundo pushed himself late to break a 1-1 tie with Taylor and earn his first title.
The two were tied 1-1 in the closing moments of the match before Facundo blitzed for a takedown and got near-fall points to secure the victory.
“I could see (Taylor) was backing up and that’s what I wanted,” Facundo said of the late takedown. “It feels good, really good.”
190
Champion: Casey Engle, Lowell, Sr. (42-8)
Decision, 9-3, over Martin Knight, North Branch, Jr. (53-3)
The Lowell senior came out fast, scoring nine points in the opening period and then fending off Knight from there to secure the 190-pound title.
“I was just trying to score the first points of the match and set the tone. It always puts you in a good place,” Engle said. “I knew (Knight) was going to throw everything at me in a state final. I just had to stay composed and not get too excited.”
Engle would be the fourth and final Red Arrow to win a championship on the night.
“It’s just being part of the legacy,” Engle said. “It means a lot to be a part of it and to be able to be a champion for the program.”
215
Champion: James Mahon, Goodrich, Sr. (38-3)
Fall (1:35), over Holden Otter, Carleton Airport, Soph. (49-5)
After winning the 285-pound championship in 2023 and 2024, Mahon made the move down to 215 pounds this season.
The change didn’t keep him from adding a third title, as he scored a takedown early in the match and eventually worked it into a pinfall.
“It was tougher (this season at 215). I wasn’t used to people shooting on me. I had to make my stance a lot lower. I couldn’t just run through people,” Mahon said. “At points, (I doubted if I could win), but it didn’t last long. If I had that thought, I just told myself, ‘I am the best. I am going to win a third (title).’”
285
Champion: Dustin Warner, Sparta, Sr. (56-3)
Decision, 4-0, over Caden Sides, Gaylord, Sr. (42-4)
In a rematch of a Regional championship from last weekend, Warner avenged a loss to Sides with a 4-0 victory.
“I wrestled smarter this time around,” Warner said. “I took advantage of my strengths. I felt really good coming into the match, and it feels awesome to be a state champ.”
The two were scoreless through two periods, but Warner opened the third with an escape and then added a takedown with 34 seconds left in the match.
“I had to use my conditioning. I know I am in better shape than everyone,” he said. “So, if the match lasts, they’re going to gas. I had to keep pushing the pace.”
PHOTOS (Top) Jackson Blum’s arm is raised in victory Saturday after he claimed his fourth MHSAA Individual Finals championship. (Middle) Wayland’s Lane Button, right, prepares to lock up with Mason’s Dylan Granger at 150 pounds. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)