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.”
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.
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.)
Willobee Makes Prediction Come True, Exceeds Seed to Become Champion
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
March 2, 2024
DETROIT – With a mouthful of blood and a cowboy hat perched on his head, nothing could take away the joy of Gaylord sophomore Zane Willobee.
As the sixth seed in the 157-pound weight class of the Division 2 Individual Finals, not many would have anticipated him walking away with the championship Saturday at Ford Field.
But he did just that.
In a physical match, Willobee (29-3) took down Clio’s D’Marion Erlenbeck (28-6) by an 11-5 score to claim his first Finals championship.
“It was a stressful match, but I talked to my coaches before the match and they just stressed to keep my mind calm and give all glory to God,” Willobee said. “When I was out there, I was just trying to stay calm and capitalize on my opportunities. This is an amazing moment and one that I owe to a lot of people.
The Finals matchup at 157 wouldn’t have been one many saw coming as Erlenbeck was the fifth seed up against the sixth-seeded Willobee.
“Since Regionals I had been telling my coaches that it would be me and (Erlenbeck) in the Finals,” Willobee said. “I just knew that is how it would play out. You can’t focus on seeding this time of year. It’s about going out, performing, and having fun.”
The Finals matchup was a rubber match between the two, as each had narrowly defeated the other earlier this season. The difference Saturday was a pair of takedowns and near fall points for Willobee in the second and third periods.
After the match, the two competitors shared an embrace as they congratulated one another on their respective seasons.
“Erlenbeck is a wonderful competitor, and I give all my respect to him,” Willobee said of his opponent. “We’ve had some great matches, and he’s a wonderful competitor and an even better man.”
106
Champion: Jarrett Smith, Lowell, Soph. (39-1)
Major Decision, 15-4, over Cole Cichocki, Lowell, Fr. (26-12)
Smith found his first championship experience to be somewhat bittersweet. The sophomore had to face off with freshman teammate Cichocki for the crown.
Smith piled up six takedowns on his way to a 15-4 victory.
“I wish we could both win. It’s tough. One of us gets the title and one of us doesn’t, but we both worked really hard,” Smith said of wrestling his teammate in the final. “We both deserve it. We kind of thought we might meet up. We are both confident in our abilities, and our coaches have given us the tools to win.”
The two were hotel roommates this weekend and didn’t let the competition ruin their friendship.
“He’s one of my best friends,” Smith said of Cichocki. “He did better as a freshman than I did. You have to give him a lot of props. What he did is really impressive.”
113
Champion: Devan Garcia, Battle Creek Harper Creek, Fr. (47-1)
Major Decision, 12-4, over Cristian Haslem, St. Clair, Soph. (49-1)
Garcia was hoping to be on the offensive in Saturday’s 113-pound final.
Instead, it was his defensive ability that ended up earning him the title.
Garcia stuffed a pair of takedown attempts from Haslem and turned them into near falls as well. That gave him more than enough cushion to win the championship.
“I actually wanted to get in my attacks, but I pretty much scored on all his shots, so that’s the way it works out sometimes,” Garcia said. “I practiced those positions all the time, so I felt ready for them when they happened. To have it happen in the state championship feels great.”
The first stuff came in the first period to help Garcia start off with a 5-0 advantage. Haslem fought back to make it 5-3, but a second stuff from Garcia put him ahead 10-3 in the third.
120
Champion: Carter Cichocki, Lowell, Jr. (28-9)
Decision, 3-2, over Dominic Gumtow, Warren Woods Tower, Jr. (47-3)
After finishing runner-up at 113 pounds last year, Cichocki found himself two minutes from being a state champion.
Leading 3-2 to open the third, Cichocki knew if he could ride out his opponent for two minutes, the elusive title would be his.
Cichocki did just that, staying in control to overcome a 2-0 deficit and take home the championship.
“Things were different this year. Since my freshman year, I’ve tried to just see this as another match. I just stuck to what works for me and what I do best,” Cichocki said of handling the pressure of the third period. “It feels good to be a champion.”
126
Champion: Ricardo Saenz, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, Jr. (49-3)
Decision, 7-1, over Jaron Bensinger, Gaylord, Soph. (38-2)
Saenz wasn’t going to leave any doubt. The Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice junior shot out of a cannon to start the 126-pound final, scoring a takedown in the opening seconds of the bout.
From there, Saenz controlled Bensinger most of the way.
“I just kept telling myself that (Bensinger) wasn’t ready, and I was doing that to get myself motivated,” Saenz said. “I was thinking about starting the match like that all day and all season. I’ve been preparing for this moment, and I wasn’t going to let it get past me. It feels amazing to have it come to fruition.”
After taking a 2-1 lead through the first, Saenz rode out Bensinger in the second and then scored a reversal in the third with near fall points to cap off the title.
132
Champion: Jackson Blum, Lowell, Jr. (35-1)
Fall (4:54) over Trenden Bashore, DeWitt, Jr. (38-1)
Blum finds himself on the verge of being a four-time Finals champion, as the Lowell junior collected his third title with a third-round pin.
Blum recorded 11 takedowns in the match before securing a pin while ahead 23-9.
“I knew that my pace is really high, so I knew if I kept it on him, I would just keep getting to him more and more,” Blum said. “It was a tough first period, but I just trusted in my ability and stuck to the plan.”
Blum was the 112-pound champion as a freshman and the 120-pound champion as a sophomore.
138
Champion: Tee Ward, Freemont, Sr. (53-1)
Decision, 3-1, over Landon Thomas, St. Joseph, Jr. (48-1)
With the 138-pound championship bout tied 1-1 and a blood stoppage allowing Ward to get a break, he got into the music.
“We had a little bit of a break, and the song in the background just got me rolling,” Ward said.
Ward would come out of the stoppage and scored a takedown with 28 seconds remaining to go up 3-1. Ward then rode out Thomas to collect his first championship.
“I knew I had to get that takedown and ride things out from there. With five seconds left, I felt him sprawl out, and that was the best feeling of my life,” Ward added. “There’s so many emotions, but this is the best.”
144
Champion: Owen Segorski, Lowell, Jr. (34-6)
Decision, 5-1, over Jeffrey Miller, Jackson Northwest, Soph. (47-3)
Segorski had been on both ends of being in a state final. He was the 125-pound champion as a freshman, but then finished runner-up at 138 pounds as a sophomore.
This time around, the junior came back much more confident and it showed in a 5-1 win.
Segorski scored takedowns in each of the first two rounds and never let Miller get in any offense.
“It feels really good,” Segorski said of adding a second title. “I thought I should have won it last year, but I just didn’t perform and let the pressure get to me. It’s difficult to repeat, there’s a lot of pressure and it feels like you have to win. But, to be able to come back this year, I felt a lot more confident and I knew I was the better wrestler.”
150
Champion: Lane Button, Wayland, Jr. (48-0)
Decision, 4-2, over Fabian Facundo, Freeland, Jr. (45-1)
A battle of two undefeated wrestlers came down to the final minute.
Button tried to push a hard pace in the 150-pound final, and it paid off with a takedown with 1:05 remaining in the third. The takedown was enough to push Button to the title.
“I was pacing (Facundo) out the whole time, and I knew I was going to get it,” Button said of the match-winning takedown. “As soon as things got neutral, I knew I was going to get it.”
“This means a lot to me. I put a lot into it,” Button said of going unbeaten. “I quit football just to focus on wrestling, and the work paid off.”
165
Champion: Nathan Dobson, Greenville, Sr. (41-4)
Decision, 5-4, over Harrison Meekhof, Allendale, Sr. (45-4)
Dobson knew the key to beating Meekhof based on previous matchups – he had to get more takedowns.
Dobson managed to do that in the 165-pound final, scoring takedowns in the second and third periods to hold off Meekhof and win the championship.
“I just knew I needed to get takedowns today. Every time it’s me and (Meekhof), it’s a takedown battle. I knew if I got the takedowns, I would get the victory,” Dobson said. “It’s the craziest thing I have ever felt. I can’t even dream this. It’s amazing.”
175
Champion: Kendall Drake, Holly, Sr. (50-2)
Decision, 7-4, over Derek Badgley, Mason, Sr. (40-3)
Drake had never placed at the Finals prior to Saturday; now he is a champion.
The senior overcame a 3-0 deficit to pick up a 7-4 win.
“Last year I got hurt in Districts, but all I have ever wanted was to win this tournament,” Drake said. “All summer I was practicing five days a week, going against the best guys I could find. I wanted to be confident in myself, so when this day came, I knew I could win this match.”
Drake nearly scored the opening takedown of the match but was ruled out of bounds. However, he didn’t let that get to him and worked his way to three takedowns in the victory.
“It didn’t matter, I was going to be ready to overcome any obstacles that came in my way,” Drake said of the slow start. “I wasn’t going to let anything dictate the match but myself.”
190
Champion: Ty Bensinger, Gaylord, Sr. (37-1)
DQ, over Easton Phipps, Goodrich, Sr. (27-1)
The 190-pound final in Division 2 didn’t end the way anyone wanted.
Phipps, the 2023 champion, led 1-0 in the second period when he picked up Bensinger to get him to the ground. However, Bensinger ended up landing on his head and the match was immediately stopped, as Bensinger went unconscious briefly according to his coach.
Medical staff on site checked on Bensinger and ruled he couldn’t continue. That led to Phipps being disqualified, giving the title to the Gaylord senior.
“These two have wrestled many times, and it’s always been a close match. (Phipps) certainly didn’t do it intentionally, it was just an unfortunate accident,” Gaylord coach Jerry LaJoie said.
215
Champion: Logan Demarest, Bay City John Glenn, Sr. (44-1)
Decision, 3-2, over Case Johnson, Greenville, Jr. (52-3)
Staying active and staying on the move is what allowed Demarest to come away with the 215-pound title Saturday.
After giving up a takedown to Johnson in the second period, Demarest fought his way to an escape to cut the lead to 2-1.
To open the third, Demarest did the same, earning an escape to even the match at 2-2. Then he kept the pressure on and forced a stalling point to be called in his favor, which proved to be the difference.
“I’ve got family and friends that have supported me all the way. They are the ones that got me here,” Demarest said of the title. “I was thinking about them and just kept doing whatever I could to keep pushing the pace.”
285
Champion: James Mahon, Goodrich, Jr. (44-3)
Decision, 9-8, over Parker Williams, Zeeland East, Sr. (46-3)
There were a lot of fireworks in the 285-pound final, as Mahon fought off Williams, 9-8.
Williams had a 5-0 advantage on the 2023 champion in the first period, but Mahon fought back to even things up at 5-5.
The match would be tied 7-7 in the third before Mahon dug deep and scored a takedown with 31 seconds remaining that proved to be the difference.
“I knew I could take him down. I knew I needed something, and I found it,” Mahon said of the late takedown. “It’s a really cool feeling (to repeat). There was a lot of pressure, and I’m almost glad it’s over.”
PHOTOS (top) Gaylord’s Zane Willobee, left, and Clio’s D’Marion Erlenbeck ready for the restart of their match at 157 pounds Saturday. (Middle) Wayland’s Lane Button, right, works against Freeland’s Fabian Facundo in the 150-pound title match. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)