Grand Rapids Catholic Central's Gant Adds Name to 4-Time Champions List

By Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com

March 8, 2026

Grand Rapids Catholic Central senior Dale Gant became the latest member of the exclusive Individual Wrestling Finals four-time champion club Saturday.

Gant took home the 138-pound title in Division 3 at Ford Field with a 10-4 win over Constantine senior Bear Geibe.

Following the victory, Gant displayed a picturesque backflip in celebration.

“I can tell you that I’ve felt every emotion leading up to this point,” Gant said of the pressure of going for a fourth-straight title. “I was happy, sad, scared, nervous, angry – I was everything. Just to be able to get that over, it is like a weight I just lifted off my shoulders, and it’s just a great, great feeling.”

Gant (40-1) won titles at 113 pounds, 120 pounds, and 126 pounds before completing his run Saturday at 138. In the final he scored a takedown in the second period to get a 3-1 lead, then added two more in the third to hold off his opponent.

“I was just sticking to myself and remembering all the training that I’ve done and knowing that I’ve worked for this,” Gant said. “It was just about staying composed and just wrestling.”

106

Champion: Dylan Phillips, Laingsburg, Fr. (52-1)
Decision, 9-2, over Dom Sindone, Dundee, Fr. (34-9)

The Laingsburg freshman was in control throughout his 106-pound final, using a six-point second period to keep Sindone at bay and win his first championship.

“I’ve put in a lot of work for this and have trained hard every day with a lot of great partners,” Phillips said.

The freshman suffered just one loss on the year and finished with 52 wins to establish himself as a strong threat in the future.

“I just stayed focused and didn’t put any of my opponents on a pedestal,” Phillips said. “I was confident that I was the better wrestler and relied on my training.”

113

Champion: Braxton Shaffer, Ida, Soph. (53-4)
Fall (4:00), over Jude Rosas, Blissfield, Sr. (42-13)

Shaffer made the most of his opportunity, as a reversal in the second period led to him scoring a pinfall right as the frame concluded.

The two were tied 0-0 after one period and neither was gaining an advantage until Shaffer turned up the effort when he saw an opening, securing his first Finals title.

“I saw there were only 10 seconds left and I was getting my (chicken) wing early in the match, and I didn’t want it to get to a third period,” Shaffer said. “I wasn’t even sure the mat slap was for me when it happened. I looked around to make sure it wasn’t another mat. I was just really excited when I realized it was for me.”

120

Champion: Mason Haines, Dundee, Sr. (40-7)
Decision, 1-0, over Danny Vaneeckhoutte, Erie Mason, Jr. (42-9)

In a battle of 2025 champions, Haines repeated at this weight with a hard-fought win over the 2025 106-pound champion.

Haines would be the first of eight champions on the night for Dundee, matching an MHSAA record the program also set in 2021 and 2025.

“I knew it was going to be a tough match and I just knew I had to play it smart and not be too aggressive and put myself in a bad position,” Haines said. “It was about winning and making sure I did what I had to do.”

Haines got the lone point in the third period on an escape after he rode Vaneeckhoutte for the entire second period.

126

Champion: Bryan Sterling, Dundee, Sr. (40-6)
Technical Fall (2:30), 18-3, over Mackey McClelland, Yale, Soph. (55-7)

Sterling closed out his Dundee career with his first individual title, doing so in convincing fashion.

He scored five takedowns in the match to earn a technical fall early in the second period.

“I knew with this being my last year, I wanted to get it done, and that has been my mindset all season and all weekend,” Sterling said. “Last year I let myself get lazy and I knew that I could win (a state title), so I stayed focused and didn’t let myself slip up.”

132

Champion: Mason Katschor, Dundee, Jr. (42-7)
Decision, 4-2, over Logan Rhodes, Yale, Jr. (50-8)

Katschor earned his third championship, this time doing it at 132 pounds after winning at 113 pounds in 2025 and 106 in 2024.

The match was tied 1-1 in the third period before Katschor scored the lone takedown and then kept Rhodes from matching him the rest of the way.

“The first two titles were great, so every time I get another one, it feels even better,” Katschor said. “I knew this one was going to be a grind and I needed to do a better job of moving my feet, but it’s a tough environment to compete in.”

144

Champion: Braden Broderick, Dundee, Sr. (45-7)
Decision, 1-0, over Ryan Woods, Belding, Sr. (57-2)

Broderick won his second consecutive title Saturday after winning at 132 pounds a year ago. 

He scored the lone point with an escape in the second period, then rode Woods for the entire third to hang on for the win.

“We do a lot of extra work at the end of practice so you can dig deep in those close moments,” Broderick said. “I told myself it was going to take a little something extra in that third and I dug deep, and it paid off. It feels great to be able to go out with another state title.” 

Delton Kellogg’s Mitchell Swift, top, works toward his first championship against Columbia Central’s Dylan Boone.

150

Champion: Stone Redmon, Dundee, Soph. (23-4)
Decision, 18-6, over Van Wirtz, Olivet, Jr. (48-5)

After dealing with a hip injury during parts of the season, Redmon overcame adversity to earn his first Finals title after finishing runner-up at 144 pounds in 2025.

“It’s a true blessing, and I’m grateful to be in this position,” Redmon said. “I worked hard to come back strong after the hip injury, and it feels great to be able to keep adding to the success of the Dundee program.”

Redmon had four takedowns in the first period and controlled his match throughout. 

157

Champion: Blake Cosby, Dundee, Sr. (44-2)
Technical Fall (5:46), 21-5, over Grason Weber, Leslie, Sr. (57-7)

Cosby closed his prep career with a third individual championship after winning at 144 pounds in 2024 and 150 pounds in 2025.

He had three takedowns in the first period to set the pace of the match and continued to add to his lead throughout until scoring the tech fall late.

“I’ve been here and I’ve done this, so I didn’t have many nerves for this one,” Cosby said. “I just went out and wrestled. It means a lot to be able to go out on a high note.”

165

Champion: Donny Beaufait, Dundee, Sr. (38-1)
Technical Fall (2:34), 16-1, over Carson Warner, Napoleon, Jr. (42-4)

Beaufait secured his second-consecutive title, repeating as the 165-pound champion.

He was relentless from the start, scoring 10 points in the first period and quickly wrapping up the match in the second.

“I knew what it takes to get to this point, and it was just about putting in the work all season,” Beaufait said. “There’s a standard that is set at Dundee, and it’s been fun to be part of that and have the success we’ve had.”

175

Champion: Fred Hammond, Otisville-LakeVille Memorial, Sr. (55-0)
Decision, 2-1 (2 OT), over Max Sundquist, Kingsford, Jr. (25-2)

After winning the 165-pound title in Division 4 last year, Hammond moved to Division 3 and still came home with a championship thanks to an escape during the second overtime.

“I wasn’t worried about moving up a division, I was focused on getting in the gym and getting better each day,” Hammond said. “I knew if I put in the work, things would work out like they did.”

The two were tied 1-1 after three periods with each earning an escape. The first overtime didn’t result in any points and then Hammond got the escape in the first of the two 30-second sessions of the second overtime. Hammond closed out the match by riding Sundquist for the final 30-second period.

“(Sundquist) is a great wrestler and very strong, so I was trying to keep the pace going in those gut-wrenching overtime periods,” Hammond said. “I just wanted to use my endurance.” 

190

Champion: Layne Knisley, Bronson, Sr. (55-3)
Decision, 11-5, over Alex Schram, Saginaw Swan Valley, Sr. (51-3)

Knisley used a 7-0 start in the first period to ride his way to a championship.

“My mindset was to go out and do what I do best and get the job done,” Knisley said. “I was really excited early and made a few mistakes, but once I settled in, I felt confident in myself and it feels awesome to be a state champion.”

Schram managed to cut the lead to 7-5 entering the third period, but Knisley got near-fall points in the third to put some cushion on his lead.

215

Champion: Rocco Redmon, Dundee, Sr. (35-11)
Decision, 2-1, over Brady Warner, Napoleon, Sr. (37-5)

Redmon closed out the eight-championship night for Dundee by earning his first title after finishing runner-up at 190 pounds in 2025.

Redmon got a reversal in the second period while on bottom to take a 2-0 lead on Warner. The Napolean senior would get an escape in the third, but couldn’t answer with a takedown.

“(Warner) is a bigger guy, so I knew I had to move my feet and be quick,” Redmon said. “I knew this one would be a grinder, but we put in the work at Dundee, so we get what we deserve.”

285

Champion: Mitchell Swift, Delton Kellogg, Sr. (53-3)
Decision, 5-4, over Dylan Boone, Brooklyn Columbia Central, Sr. (46-6)

After finishing fourth at last week’s Regional, with a 9-8 loss to Boone, Swift rebounded this week with his first Finals championship thanks to a 1-point win in his favor this time around.

“I was just wrestling bad last week and didn’t feel good on the mat last week. This week, I got the nerves out and just stuck with what my coaches have told me,” Swift said of the turnaround. “I just came out with the mindset that I had to win, and it feels amazing to be a state champion.”

Swift got a takedown in the first period to lead 3-0, then added an escape in the second to go up 4-0. Boone got an escape and takedown in the third, but Swift answered with an escape late to earn the narrow victory.

Click for full results.

PHOTOS (Top) Grand Rapids Catholic Central's Dale Gant, right, prepares for his next move against Constantine's Bear Geibe during their Division 3 championship match Saturday at Ford Field. (Middle) Delton Kellogg’s Mitchell Swift, top, works toward his first championship against Columbia Central’s Dylan Boone. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)

D1 Preview: DCC Ready for Challengers

February 22, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

For nearly two seasons, no high school team in Michigan has been able to take down reigning Division 1 champion Detroit Catholic Central.

This weekend’s MHSAA Finals at Kalamazoo’s Wings Events Center would be the time and place for aspiring challengers to emerge.

Below is a look at all eight teams competing in Division 1, listed by seed. Quarterfinal matches begin at 2:15 p.m. Friday, with Semifinals at 9:30 a.m. Saturday and the championship match that afternoon at 3:30 p.m. All matches this weekend will be viewable live on a subscription basis on MHSAA.tv. For Friday’s schedule and results throughout, check the MHSAA Wrestling page.

#1 Detroit Catholic Central

Record/rank: 26-1, No. 1
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League
Coach: Mitch Hancock, 11th season (244-44)
Championship history: Twelve MHSAA championships (most recent 2017), two runner-up finishes.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 119 Benyamin Kamali (28-1) sr., 125 Stone Moscovic (31-7) sr., Dominick Lomazzo (31-9) fr., 130 Joshua Edmond (17-0) soph., 135 Derek Gilcher (32-5) soph., 140 Logan Sanom (37-7) soph., 145 Kevon Davenport (35-2) jr., 145 Joseph Urso (32-9) jr., 152 Cameron Amine (37-2) jr., 171 Aidan Wagh (33-8) sr., 189 Brendin Yatooma (31-9) soph., 189 Rory Cox (35-5) sr., 215 Easton Turner (32-1) jr., 285 Steven Kolcheff (31-7) soph.
Outlook: DCC is seeking its fifth team championship in seven seasons and second straight season with only one loss; those lone defeats have come against Ohio power Lakewood St. Edward. The Shamrocks pulled off the rare accomplishment of qualifying 14 for the Individual Finals, although only 12 will compete at once this weekend because of multiples at two weights. Kamali, Davenport and Amine all are going for their third individual titles next weekend, while Gilcher, senior Devon Johnson (112, 20-8) and junior Rhett Newton (135, 14-3) also placed in 2017.

#2 Brighton

Record/rank: 31-3, No. 2
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association Gold
Coach: Tony Greathouse, fifth season (120-27)
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2015.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Mason Shrader (34-3) fr., 112 Ben Manly (34-9) fr., 125 Eddie Homrock (41-7) soph., 125 Zach Johnson (42-7) fr., 135 Aiden Brown (28-14) soph., 140 Dane Donabedian (35-5) soph., 145 Nick Bleise (40-9) sr., 145 Victor Grabowski (36-10) jr., 160 Harley Berne (35-12) soph., 189 Greyson Stevens (42-6) soph., 215 Luke Stanton (36-9) soph.
Outlook: Brighton’s young lineup is rising fast, as it’s moved up to the second seed from eighth a year ago and with nine underclassmen among 11 individual qualifiers. Total only two seniors start, and Bleise was one of the team’s two Individual Finals placers a year ago. Brighton also won the overall KLAA title this winter ahead of fourth seed Westland John Glenn and seventh seed Hartland.

#3 Macomb Dakota

Record/rank: 29-2, No. 3
League finish: First in Macomb Area Conference Red
Coach: Ed Skowneski, sixth season (177-38)
Championship history: Has not appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Brendan Ferretti (47-4) fr., 103 Brock Prater (45-3) soph., 112 Nick Alayan (44-1) jr., 119 Justin Tiburcio (46-5) jr., 125 Connor Casey (35-9) sr., 125 Andrew Barrett (32-16) jr., 135 Brandon Alkazir (33-14) jr., 140 Tommy Gawlowski (25-5) sr., 160 Dustin Solomon (29-3) jr.,
171 Layne Malczewski (50-0) sr., 171 Eli Andary (35-15) jr., 285 Rahmi Khalil (45-5) sr.
Outlook: Dakota enters the Quarterfinals for the fifth time under Skowneski and as the third seed for the second straight year. The Cougars gave up a total of 34 points over four matches in the District and Regional and have upped their total number of Individual Finals qualifiers for the second straight season. Alayan was an individual runner-up last year, while Tiburcio, Solomon, Malczewski and Khalil all placed as well. 

#4 Westland John Glenn

Record/rank: 25-3, No. 4
League finish: First in KLAA Black
Coach: Bill Polk, 20th season (384-118)
Championship history: Has not appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 119 Caleb Meekins (44-8) jr., 125 Michael Mars (48-0) sr., 130 Isaac Lefler (43-6) sr., 140 Anthony Gibson (46-3) sr., 145 Brenten Polk (37-13) jr.
Outlook: After repeating as a KLAA division champion, John Glenn will return to the Finals for the second straight season. Mars will compete for his third individual championship next weekend after finishing as a runner-up in 2017, and Gibson and junior Kyle Borthwell (125, 37-4) also placed last year. Although all of the Individual Finals qualifiers this time fill the lighter half of the lineup, the heavier half features seven upperclassmen including five seniors.

#5 Davison

Record/rank: 24-5, No. 5
League finish: First in Saginaw Valley League.
Coach: Roy Hall, 20th season (519-94-1)
Championship history: Eight MHSAA championships (most recent 2006), five runner-up finishes. 
Individual Finals qualifiers: 112 Steven Garty (32-8) jr., 112 Andrew Chambal (29-1) soph., 125 James Johnston (24-11) fr., 130 Raymond Cole (15-11) jr., 135 Marc Shaeffer (33-6) soph., 152 Brian Case (38-7) jr., 152 Alex Facundo (25-0) fr., 160 Jay Nivison (29-4) soph. 171 Cal Stefanko (35-0) jr., 189 Trevor McGowan (32-10) jr., 285 Aaron Gilmore (33-6) jr.
Outlook: After two straight runner-up finishes (and four in five years), Davison is the fifth seed this weekend – but a dangerous one with 11 individual qualifiers. Case placed at the Individual Finals the last two years and was joined last season by Garty, Chambal, Stefanko, Gilmore and now-sophomore Jaron Wilson (119, 15-9). And this isn’t it for this group – there are no seniors in the starting lineup and only one who has competed this season.

#6 Oxford

Record/rank: 20-7, No. 7
League finish: First in Oakland Activities Association Red
Coach: Ron Wingert, first season (20-7)
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2011, two runner-up finishes. 
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Matthew Oxford (33-12) jr., 112 Ashton Anderson (38-12) fr., 119 Liam Hillary (35-13) jr., 135 Sergio Borg (43-5) sr., 145 Ryan Miller (38-7) sr., 152 Trent Myre (30-6) jr., 160 Caleb Tabert (35-7) jr., 189 Austin Schlicht (42-11) jr.
Outlook: After building a championship-filled legacy under retired coach Paul McDevitt, Oxford has continued under Wingert with an 11th straight league title and 13th District championship over the last 14 seasons. Borg, Miller and junior Devin Trevino (171, 40-6) were individual placers last season, Borg for his second straight. He and Miller are two of only four seniors, which should make Oxford an intriguing contender next season as well.

#7 Hartland

Record/rank: 32-4, No. 6
League finish: Tied for second in KLAA Gold
Coach: Todd Cheney, 26th season (732-105-2)
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2016, five MHSAA runner-up finishes.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 112 Wyatt Nault (39-6) soph., 119 Corey Cavanaugh (47-4) jr., 125 Kyle Kantola (51-1) jr., 130 Carter Hankins (44-7) sr., 135 Greg Pietila (36-16) sr., 152 Tanner Culver (33-2) jr., 160 Reece Potter (30-4) jr., 160 River Shettler (40-2) jr.
Outlook: Hartland is back at the Quarterfinals for the 17th straight season, an incredible feat – especially for a team with just three senior starters. The Eagles gave up only 12 points total over their first three postseason matches before edging Walled Lake Central by eight to advance last week. Culver, Shettler, Nault and Kantola were Individual Finals placers last season, Kantola for the second straight.

#8 Hudsonville

Record/rank: 29-7, No. 9
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red
Coach: Mike Rottier, 11th season (195-121)
Championship history: Has not appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 119 Kameron Kempker (41-3) sr., 135 Jack Samuels (44-1) jr., 145 James Samuels (29-10) jr., 152 Chase Mol (22-16) jr., 285 Seth Hoonhorst (44-2) sr.
Outlook: After missing the Quarterfinals last year, Hudsonville is back for the second time in three seasons and third time this decade. The Eagles emerged from close Regional wins over Grand Haven and Rockford paced by a veteran lineup expected to include three seniors and eight juniors this weekend. Jack Samuels and James Samuels both were individual placers in 2017.

PHOTO: Detroit Catholic Central’s Kevon Davenport (top) works against Brighton’s Victor Grabowski during last year's Finals weekend; their teams have the top two seeds in Division 1. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)