New Leader, Same Result as Lowell Claims 13th-Straight Division 2 Title
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
February 28, 2026
KALAMAZOO – It’s not easy to replace a legend, but for Kyle Slocum and the Lowell wrestling program, Saturday looked a lot like the past dozen years.
In their first year with Slocum at the helm, the Red Arrows kept their record-setting Division 2 Finals streak alive, defeating Eaton Rapids 62-4 to claim their 13th-straight Team Finals title at Wings Event Center.
“It was the same mission the whole year,” Lowell senior Jarrett Smith said. “It stayed the same. We’re still working hard and getting better every day and having fun. I bet it’s a lot of pressure off (Slocum’s) shoulders. This probably feels a lot better for him than it does for us, honestly.”
The last 11 titles before Saturday’s came with RJ Boudro at the helm. But with him now in charge of the Grand Valley State program, the Red Arrows turned to Slocum, who had been an assistant in the program for 19 years.
“RJ did so much for our program,” Slocum said. “He was the pillar of our program and one of the best coaches in the state, easily. So, we had to navigate that and figure out how we’re going to put that back together without him. There were a lot of things that he did that we had no idea that he did. I just got to show up and wrestle with the kids. That changed a lot, but (assistant) Matt Dood and the coaching staff, everybody stepped up into new roles and we took it all on. That’s what I’m the most proud of, the way we were able to continue the tradition.”
The 13th extends Lowell’s record for consecutive wrestling titles, and brings the program one closer to the all-sport record held by East Grand Rapids boys swimming & diving, which won 15 straight from 1948 to 1962.
But even though they’ve cycled through nearly a generation of wrestlers during the streak, the Red Arrow faithful continue to show up and be loud every time.
“I think they just truly know how special it is,” Slocum said. “This could all go away. I was thinking about that, it’s such a tradition, it’s so nice that we take for granted how long we’ve been doing this. It’s not easy to do. But you have all the pillars in place to keep going. With RJ leaving, probably a lot of people thought, ‘Are they going to be able to do it?’ We still have a lot of really good pillars in our program. That’s the key, building that at the youth level and having that continue through high school.”’
The win Saturday came against the team the Red Arrows (35-3) lost against in their first-ever trip to the Final. That 1999 appearance also happened to be the last won by Eaton Rapids, which has eight titles and was the state’s dominant Class B/Division 2 program in the 1990s.
The sixth-seeded Greyhounds (39-6) pulled off upsets of Algonac and Three Rivers on their way to the Saturday’s Final, their first since 2015, and coach Devin Milheim feels this could be just the beginning for his program.
“We have one senior, we’re young, we’re hungry,” Milheim said. “This hopefully leaves a little bad taste in our mouth and we’re ready to get working in the summer. There’s lots of things to improve on, so the sky is the limit for this group.”
Maiko Sherman picked up the lone victory for Eaton Rapids in the Final, a major decision at 106.
Lowell won the other 13 matches, including six pins and two technical falls. Mason Saylor (120), Smith (126), Cole Cichocki (138), Logan Dawson (144), Keith Tett (157) and Colton Barney (165) all pinned their opponents, while Cody Foss (150) and Seth Harvey (175) won by tech fall.
Weston McFarland (215) won by major decision for Lowell, while Dylan Boone (190), Braylen Meeuwsen (285), John Carter McKay (113) and Carson Blum (132) all won by decision.
“It feels good,” Smith said. “I was just reflecting, coming in freshman year your first time on the big stage, you’re just trying to go out and get your wins and help your team. Now, coming in as a senior and trying to be a leader and encourage others to do the same. Younger guys transitioning to the leader roles is what I’ve noticed. It feels really good, and I’ve got faith that these guys will keep it going.”
Lowell was dominant all weekend, defeating Fruitport 71-8 in the Quarterfinal and New Boston Huron 55-15 in the Semifinal.
PHOTOS (Top) Seth Harvey’s hand is raised in victory as he finishes Lowell’s Division 2 championship win with a technical fall. (Middle) Colton Barney, right, works towards a pin at 165. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
D4 Preview: Hornets Seek to Stay On Top
February 25, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Eight Division 4 title hopefuls will be the first to take the mat at the first MHSAA Team Wrestling Finals weekend hosted by Central Michigan University’s McGuirk Arena.
Included among those eight is two-time reigning champion New Lothrop, two-time reigning runner-up Hudson, and three more teams returning to the Quarterfinals, which begin this season at noon.
Below is a look at all eight teams competing in Division 4, listed by seed. Quarterfinal matches begin at 12 p.m. Friday, with Semifinals at 10 a.m. Saturday and the championship match at 3:30 p.m. All matches this weekend will be streamed live on a subscription basis on MHSAA.TV. For results throughout, check the MHSAA Wrestling page.
The MHSAA Wrestling Finals are presented by the Michigan Army National Guard.
#1 New Lothrop
Record/rank: 21-5, No. 1
League finish: Third in Genesee Area Conference Blue.
Coach: Jeff Campbell, 15th season (389-70)
Championship history: 14 MHSAA championships (most recent 2015), four runner-up finishes.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Logan Zell (27-22) fr., 112 Tommy Malloy (39-12), soph.; 130 Austin Wolford, 30-15, fr., 140 Zack Riley (19-15) fr., 145 Cole Hersch (44-1) sr.; 152 Steven Garza II (50-1) sr.; 160 John Robinson (36-3) sr.; 171 Erik Birchmeier (28-2) jr.; 171 Brandon Henige (31-20) sr.; 215 Caleb Symons (48-1) sr.
Outlook: New Lothrop is favored to win a third straight Division 4 with a number of standouts who have been part of those previous title-winning teams. The Hornets are led in part by Garza, an individual champion at 145 last season, and Symons, who like last season enters Team Finals weekend with only one loss and was the runner-up at 189 in 2015. Hersch, another veteran standout, Malloy and junior Connor Krupp (16-4, 125) also are returning Finals placers.
#2 Decatur
Record/rank: 27-3, No. 3
League finish: First in Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Coach: Jack Richardson, first season (27-3)
Championship history: Has never finished among the top two teams in Finals competition.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 119 Coy Helmuth (45-5) jr.; 130 Lucian Parish (43-5) sr.; Ethan May (47-3) jr.; Zac Checkley (43-13) jr.; 285 Logan Kennedy (45-5) jr.
Outlook: Richardson, a former standout at Grandville, brings back a team that missed its first championship appearance by only six points last season. Nine juniors and two seniors gained valuable experience during the run and under former longtime coach Brian Southworth. Senior Elijah Luth (37-8, 152) didn’t make the Individual Finals this time, but was a placer in 2015, and Kennedy placed in 2014. Decatur eliminated No. 8 Schoolcraft at the Regional.
#3 Hudson
Record/rank: 17-14, No. 2
League finish: Second in Lenawee County Athletic Association.
Coach: Scott Marry, 28th season (732-165)
Championship history: Five MHSAA championships (most recent 2013), runner-up 2014 and 2015.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Dylan Leathers (31-9) sr.; 103 Tucker Sholl (41-3) fr.; 112 Jordan Hamdan (44-6) fr.; 119 Carson Price (35-16) fr.; 145 Mason Lopinski (45-5) sr.; 160 Kyle Johnson (42-8) sr.; 189 Tylor Grames (45-6) jr.
Outlook: Hudson has made the championship match against New Lothrop the last two seasons, and the regular-season team record this winter can be overlooked given the difficulty of Hudson’s schedule. Another deep run would only put more fear into opponents for the next three seasons; seven Hudson starters are freshmen, and an eighth is a sophomore. Lopinski was an individual runner-up at 145 last season, while Johnson was the champion at 152 in 2014.
#4 Hesperia
Record/rank: 36-7, No. 4
League finish: First in Central State Activities Association Silver.
Coach: Doug Baird, 13th season (437-38)
Championship history: Division 4 champion 2008, five runner-up finishes.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 125 Davian Gowens (39-3) sr.; 140 Logan Eaves (28-9) sr.; 140 Trentyn Gleason (40-13) soph.; 145 Gerrit Yates (49-4) soph.; 171 Mark Workman (30-0) sr.; 285 Josh Ehrke (43-2) sr.
Outlook: Hesperia is continuing a dominating decade with its eighth appearance at Finals weekend over the last 10 seasons to go with the championship in 2008 and three of its five runner-up finishes all-time, the most recent coming in 2013. Yates was an individual runner-up last season at 135 and is one of eight underclassmen in the lineup. But there is experience; in addition to Yates last winter, Gowens was a champion in 2014 and Eaves and Workman were runners-up that season.
#5 Springport
Record/rank: 28-6, No. 6
League finish: First in Big 8 Conference.
Co-coaches: David Pratt, 11th season (291-78)
Championship history: Class D runner-up 1984.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 125 Tyler Teague (46-6) jr.; 130 Noah Teague (41-11) soph.; 135 Sean O’Hearon (43-1) jr.; 145 Taylor Whitmore (43-5) sr.; 152 Zeth Caudill (38-3) sr.; 189 Nick Cooper (35-1) jr.; 215 Luke Overweg (30-22) soph.
Outlook: Springport is making its second Quarterfinals appearance in three seasons and third under Pratt after claiming its seventh straight league championship and 11th District title under the coach. The Spartans graduated three-time champion Jacob Cooper last spring, but junior Nick Cooper has picked up the mantle and finished runner-up last season at 171; Caudill, Noah Teague and O’Hearon all also were Individual Finals placers in 2015.
#6 Manchester
Record/rank: 23-6, No. 9
League finish: First in Cascades Conference.
Coach: Steve Vlcek, 26th season (524-187)
Championship history: Division 4 runner-up 2008.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Reese Fry (40-6) soph.; 119 Blake Belaire (36-11) soph.; 125 Miquel Grammatico (35-13) sr.; 130 Ethan Woods (44-2) jr.; 171 Trevor Humphrey (43-4) sr.; 189 Jordan Good (15-3) jr.; 285 Stevie Suliman (39-10) sr.
Outlook: Manchester returns to Finals weekend for the second straight season and seventh over the last decade, and with 10 upperclassmen in the lineup despite graduating a strong group last spring. Woods was the individual runner-up at 119 last season and also placed as a freshman, and Humphrey also placed in 2015.
#7 Leroy Pine River
Record/rank: 25-4, No. 10
League finish: First in Wolverine Conference.
Coach: Tim Jones, 17th season (455-80)
Championship history: Class C runner-up 1991.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Dylan Stephens (37-6) soph.; 112 Andrew Park (47-3) soph.; 119 Nate Park (41-4) sr.; 119 Jacob Roberts (40-5) soph.; 130 Tucker Fansler (39-12) jr.; 160 Joe Rigling (42-13) jr.; 171 Raden Holmes (43-9) jr.; 189 Josh Jackson (46-5) sr.; 215 Bryan Mccurry (34-16) fr.
Outlook: Only top seed New Lothrop has more Individual Finals qualifiers among Division 4 teams competing this weekend, and Andrew Park was an individual placer last season. They’ve been part of a team that has won 16 league and District titles over the last 17 seasons and also made the Team Quarterfinals a year ago for the first time since 2008. Pine River beat its three MHSAA Tournament opponents this month by an average of 40 points.
#8 Munising
Record/rank: 19-5, unranked
League finish: Does not wrestle in a league.
Coach: Bob Miles, 10th season (169-107)
Championship history: Upper Peninsula runner-up 1968.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 119 Nick Miles (35-9) soph.; 189 Hunter Sadler (50-2) sr.
Outlook: The wrestling program is continuing a strong run by Munising teams in multiple sports, making Finals weekend for the first time in Miles’ decade as coach and after winning a second straight District championship. Sadler finished sixth at 171 last season and brings experience on the big mat. The Mustangs have accomplished this despite voiding four weights and with only two seniors – which could bode well for the future.
PHOTO: A New Lothrop wrestler has his hand raised by an official in victory during a match this season against Richmond at CMU. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)