MHSA(Q&)A: St. Johns wrestling coach Zane Ballard
March 4, 2012
This weekend had to resemble, at least slightly, a typical dual match for St. Johns coach Zane Ballard – except he was at The Palace of Auburn Hills for the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals.
But with 13 qualifiers, Ballard guided all but one of his regular line-up at some point over the tournament’s three days. Seven Redwings won championships and two more finished runners-up, just more reminders of how his program has evolved over the last four seasons from solid to arguably the state’s strongest.
St. Johns was 59-51 in the four seasons before these seniors entered high school. The Redwings finished 121-7 during their four-year run and won a third-straight MHSAA Division 2 team title Feb. 25. They haven’t lost to an in-state opponent since 2010. And four of those champions -- plus three more Finals placers -- should be back next season.
Second Half caught up with Ballard on Saturday after one final podium appearance – and the placing of one last medal around the neck of four-time undefeated champion Taylor Massa.
Did you ever imagine you’d have almost your entire line-up at the Individual Finals?
I never envisioned it in the past. But this year, I knew it was possible to do it. This is one of those tournaments, it’s so tough. It’s grueling. … To pull that all together to get nine guys to the Finals, that’s unimaginable. Everything has to go right.
How has coaching changed for you in the last four years, as opposed to first four of five at St. Johns?
It’s like an almost entirely different job. I’ve grown as much or more as any of the wrestlers have. Before four years ago, we had a middle school program but they came in pretty fresh wrestlers. The last four years, kids have been coming in with the capabilities to win a state championship right off the bat.
Is it more fun to coach now, or just different?
Winning’s fun. But it’s different. You’ve got to train them. You’ve got to keep them focused. You have to create workouts for them to keep their attention. They might think they have an easy weekend, and you have to keep them focused. And there’s a lot that plays into it behind the scenes than just the training part.
How do you guys improve on this? How do you keep them coming back for more?
It’s cliché, but we’ll take it one year at a time. We’ll come back next year and have a great showing and do whatever we can to get back. It’s not going to be for lack of training, because if I know these guys, probably most of them will work out tomorrow. They’re ready to go.
Performance: Tri-County's Dakota Greer
March 9, 2018
Dakota Greer
Howard City Tri-County wrestling - Senior
Greer capped his high school wrestling career Saturday at Ford Field with a third Division 3 championship, winning a 9-2 decision over Montrose’s Reese Wallis in the title match to finish this season 43-2 and earn the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
The champion at 119 as a junior and 103 as a freshman, Greer finished 174-6 for his career with 86 pins, and despite missing the end of his sophomore season. He injured his thumb late that winter, and despite making the attempt at his Individual District tournament, was unable to continue competing. That ended up taking him out of the running for four individual titles, but still left him among the elite who have wrestled in this state.
Greer followed the influence of cousins Dillen and Darren Decker into the sport – the 2015 Carson City-Crystal graduates both were MHSAA finalists for the Eagles, and Dillen was a champion as a senior before both went on to wrestle at Heidelberg University in Ohio. Greer also plays baseball – pitcher and centerfield – and is considering a variety of college options and opportunities to continue wrestling at that level. If he doesn’t wrestle, he’s leaning toward Ferris State University; regardless of where he’s headed next, Greer would like to study forestry, criminal justice to become a conservation officer, or heating and cooling.
Coach Corey Renner said: “Dakota told me about when he was a youth wrestler, getting beat by the same kids all the time, until one year he ‘decided not to lose anymore.’ So he started working harder, trying to learn more, etc., and his ability took off from there. Dakota has practiced so much that his moves just seem to happen without a lot of conscious thought, more like a reflex. He is also very good at reading his opponent and finding weaknesses in a short amount of time. … Dakota seems to be able to see things from a coach’s point of view, and he is good at helping get other kids to buy into what we are trying to do. Dakota doesn't ever expect anything; he knows that success is earned every day and that past success doesn't guarantee anything or allow you any "slack.” I think that when Dakota had the injury his sophomore year, he approached it with the same attitude as when he was a little kid – just work hard and do all the things that helped lead to success before to try to get back to where he was.”
Performance Point: “It was more of a relief than anything to finally get it done,” Greer said of winning the third title. “All the things leading up to it, all the work. Getting the two before, you’re kinda expected to win it, so it’s nice to get out there and get it done. … Coming into my freshman year, I wasn’t sure how good I would be or what I could become. What I’ve done is what I’ve dreamed of doing, but I didn’t know if I could or not. After I got the first one, I knew I was capable of it. It was just a matter of making it happen.”
On the attack: “I started to see a lot of cases where kids were coming at me with a bunch of weird, different techniques defending my offense. This year I was focusing on how to still attack and find out ways to get around that. If they’re going to block one thing, find another way to attack.”
No regret: “(Missing the 2016 Finals) doesn’t bother me too much. I can’t worry about things like that. I’m not going to sit here and say I would’ve done something; you never know unless you do it. It was a very tough bracket that year – any of those kids could’ve beaten me. … (But) I think it was a huge part of me coming back as strong as I did. It drove me.”
Cousin connection: “The reason I started wrestling was because of my cousins. I always looked up to them and wanted to wrestle because of them. They used to live here right by us, and they wrestled when they were younger and I always looked up to them and wanted to do what they were doing. I started when I was 3, and from then on is history. They were down (at Ford Field) watching me wrestle; they’ve been huge support.”
Gotta get outside: “I just love everything about it. I love nature, being outside, all the great things and activities. (This fall) I got a couple deer. This whole winter, I run hunting dogs, beagles, so I raise and train them and hunt rabbits with those. I have my own fishing boat, and I do bow fishing and bass fishing and all that stuff during the summer. It’s basically my whole life besides wrestling and school.”
- 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:
March 1: Camree' Clegg, Wayne Memorial basketball - Read
February 23: Aliah Robertson, Sault Ste. Marie swimming - Read
February 16: Austin O'Hearon, Eaton Rapids wrestling - Read
February 9: Sophia Wiard, Muskegon Oakridge basketball - Read
February 2: Brenden Tulpa, Hartland hockey - Read
January 25: Brandon Whitman, Dundee wrestling - Read
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) Howard City Tri-County's Dakota Greer (left) works to gain control during his championship match Saturday. (Middle) Greer celebrates with the Ford Field crowd after clinching his third MHSAA individual wrestling title. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)