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.)
Led by 1st-Year Coaches, Dundee Adds to Longtime Tradition with Another D3 Win
By
Jeff Chaney
Special for MHSAA.com
February 25, 2023
KALAMAZOO – Nate Hall and Garrett Stevens knew what they were taking over when they were announced as co-coaches of the Dundee wrestling team before this season.
Longtime coach Tim Roberts did not leave the cupboard bare when he decided to retire.
His Vikings program had won five straight MHSAA Division 3 team titles and was littered with talented and powerful wrestlers.
Hall and Stevens proved to be the right picks to take over the legendary program, as they helped coach the Vikings to their sixth-straight title, and 14th overall.
And Dundee did it in its usual impressive fashion, with a 60-18 win over Whitehall in the Final on Saturday at the Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo.
"The well was not dry, and don't wreck it," said Hall, whose team finished duals at 19-2. "We didn't change much. We have all been around the program long enough, we had a great idea of what was taking place and how we are successful."
Which is?
"The commitment of the families, that is 100 percent why this program is so successful," Hall said. "I am not chasing kids down to have them wrestle in the summer. I'm chasing them trying to keep up with them."
And that is exactly what the Vikings' three opponents were doing all weekend in Kalamazoo – chasing down Dundee's talent.
In the Final, the Vikings were down 12-0 after two pins by Whitehall. But after that, Dundee went on to win 11 matches in a row, seven straight by pin.
Freshman Haydn Nutt began with a pin in 3 minutes, 9 seconds. Nutt was one of six freshmen who took to the mat this weekend for the Vikings. And all six are ranked among the top 10 in their respective weight classes by Michigan Grappler, including Nutt, who is the state's top-ranked 106-pounder in Division 3.
"We started the year and we had 13 freshmen, and I can't say enough the way our program has developed those kids," Hall said. "They were ready from day one this year, and they stepped up and progressed properly. They were ready to go."
It helps when you have a senior class of state champions leading the way like Braeden Davis at 132 pounds, Kaden Chinavare at 138 and Aiden Davis at 157.
"Dundee is the best place to be when you want to pursue wrestling," said Braeden Davis, who will look to win a fourth-straight individual title next weekend at Ford Field and couple that with his now four team titles. "We have a great staff, a great community. It's all about wrestling at Dundee."
Braeden Davis went 3-0 for the weekend and helped Dundee defeat Hart in the Quarterfinals 64-15 and Constantine in the Semifinals 59-16.
Braeden Davis was most impressive in the Final, when he won by fall in 15 seconds.
Whitehall co-coach Justin Zeerip knows good wrestling when he sees it. A four-time Individual Finals champion himself, Zeerip was impressed with the Vikings.
"Dundee is so tough, " said Zeerip, whose team ended with a 32-4 record. "From 106 to 175, they have seven top-ranked guys. And a couple other guys are ranked really high, so hats off to them, they are a great program. Our kids wrestled hard, they are just a super team."
Whitehall did wrestle hard during the two-day event as well, downing Gladstone in the Quarterfinals 48-24 on Friday, and then Algonac in the Semifinals 40-27 earlier Saturday. Whitehall wrestled over its seed in that match, as the No. 3-seeded Vikings got past the second seed.
"I was proud how my guys wrestled this weekend," Zeerip said.
PHOTOS (Top) Dundee’s Kaden Chinavare, right, goes for a takedown during his 126-pound match with Whitehall’s Caden Varela. (Middle) Whitehall’s Jackson Cook wrestles to a 7-3 decision win at 190 in the Semifinal against Algonac. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)