Nieuwenhuis Follows Sister's 4th Title Few Mats Away with 1st Finals Triumph
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
March 7, 2026
DETROIT – Plainwell sophomore Dylan Nieuwenhuis couldn’t help but be a little distracted during his Division 2 113-pound championship match during Saturday’s MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals at Ford Field.
Just two mats down, his sister Madison Nieuwenhuis was competing for her fourth-straight title at the same time.
Madison quickly took care of business, then raced over to cheer on her younger brother, who won his first championship with a 4-1 win over teammate Tyler Cooper.
“I was listening the whole time. I got a little bit more excited when I heard that she had won during my match,” Dylan Nieuwenhuis said. “Just having her in my corner, knowing she’s been there and won four titles, just helped me out huge throughout the year.”
Nieuwenhuis (41-1) and his fellow Plainwell sophomore, Cooper (33-9), are training partners and know each other well. That was clear when the match was tied 1-1 after three periods.
“We know everything each other does, so it was just a matter of who's going to have the bigger gas tank,” Nieuwenhuis said, who scored a takedown in overtime to clinch the title.
106
Champion: Thomas Leahy, St. Clair Shores Lakeshore, Jr. (54-1)
Decision, 13-6, over Chase Jacobs, Stevensville Lakeshore, Fr. (42-7)
Tied 6-6 in the third period, Leahy put together a takedown and also scored near-fall points to pull away.
“I just knew I had to stay composed all match and not get ahead of myself, to stay in good position all match. I knew I could pull it out if I did that,” Leahy said. “It’s an amazing feeling.”
Leahy had a 6-2 edge early in the match, but Jacobs scored a takedown late in the first period and then got an escape to start the third to make it 6-6 before Leahy turned it on.
120
Champion: Jarrett Smith, Lowell, Sr. (49-2)
Technical Fall (4:18), 22-5, over Tim Hanna, North Branch, Soph. (44-3)
Smith claimed his third Finals championship in as many years after winning at 113 pounds in 2025 and 106 pounds in 2024.
He controlled this match with a ferocious pace, securing six takedowns on Hanna to score the technical fall in the third period.
“My goal wasn’t really just focused on winning a state title. I just wanted to come in and dominate,” Smith said. “I wanted to remain aggressive and get after it from the start.”
126
Champion: Cristian Haslem, St. Clair, Sr. (53-1)
Decision, 5-2, over Lucas Christopher, Fenton, Soph. (57-3)
Haslem won his second-consecutive championship, finding a way to edge Christopher after winning the 120-pound title a year ago.
“It helped me realize that I was meant to be here, and it wasn’t a mistake,” Haslem said of relying on his title experience last year. “I knew people were coming for me all year and that I had to work even harder to win again.”
A takedown in the second period put Haslem in the driver’s seat, and he added an insurance point in the third on an escape.
132
Champion: Devan Garcia, Battle Creek Harper Creek, Jr. (50-2)
Decision, 4-3, over Rasler Warner, Richland Gull Lake, Sr. (18-1)
Garcia won a Finals championship in 2024, but finished runner-up in 2025. That motivated him throughout this year and in Saturday’s final to find a way past Gull Lake’s Warner.
“I wanted this bad. I had to wait a whole year for it, but it feels great,” Garcia said of getting back to the top. “I had to train my butt off every day and focus on the small things.”
Garcia landed a takedown in the third period with one minute on the clock to break a 1-1 tie. Warner got an escape, then a stall point, but couldn’t find that tying score.
138
Champion: Quinten Cassiday, Cedar Springs, Jr. (56-0)
Decision, 5-1, over Izaak Kukulski, Bay City John Glenn, Sr. (42-6)
Cassiday finished off an unbeaten junior season to earn his first individual championship.
After finishing runner-up last year at 126 pounds, he got a first-round takedown to control the match with Kukulski.
“I just needed to work on my push and pulls, get to my shots, get to my attacks, and ultimately find the points,” Cassiday said. “Finishing runner-up ate at me every single day since I lost last March. I have been working so hard for this moment.”
144
Champion: Luke Egan, Cedar Springs, Sr. (46-0)
Decision, 1-0, over Logan Dawson, Lowell, Sr. (48-8)
A third-round escape was the lone point scored in the 144-pound final, which earned Egan his first championship after finishing runner-up at 138 a year ago.
Egan rode Dawson for two minutes during the second period to keep the match scoreless, then got the championship-winning escape in the third.
“I really had to dig deep in there,” Egan said. “It was just about hard wrestling until the final whistle.”
150
Champion: Bryce Morrison, Hamilton, Sr. (53-0)
Technical Fall (3:09), 15-0, over Tyler Densmore, Charlotte, Soph. (48-2)
Morrison completed an unbeaten senior season with a dominant performance, posting seven points in the first period and eight in the second.
He had come close to a title before, finishing fifth in 2024 and third last year, but was motivated to get the job done in 2026.
“This was just about the work I have put in all season,” Morrison said. “I couldn’t have done it without my coaches. They pushed me every single day. It is just such a good feeling to have all that work pay off.”
157
Champion: Johnathan Ford, Bay City John Glenn, Jr. (37-0)
Decision, 4-2, over Lane Blanchard, Otsego, Sr. (52-2)
Ford repeated as the 157-pound champion in Division 2, while also completing an unbeaten season.
He scored all his points in the second period, as it started with an escape and was followed by a takedown. Blanchard managed two points in the third, and was fighting for a takedown as the clock expired.
“It was life or death there. That was 10 seconds of my life that I wasn’t going to give up on,” Ford said of holding on for the win. “Nobody was going to get me down in those 10 seconds.”
165
Champion: Zane Willobee, Gaylord, Sr. (44-1)
Decision 4-3, over D’Marion Erlenbeck, Clio, Sr. (52-3)
This was a rare rematch of a championship match from 2024, when Willobee bested Erlenbeck, 11-5, in the 157-pound final.
This time around, Willobee escaped with a 4-3 nod, riding a first-round takedown to the win.
“It feels great to get back on top and go out on top,” Willobee said. “I made a mistake last year, and this year I really put in the work and relied on my family and community and didn’t put so much pressure on myself.”
These two met last week in a Regional Semifinal as well with Erlenbeck scoring the win. The two shared a moment on the mat after the match to honor their extensive head-to-head history.
“Me and D’Marion go way back. We’ve shared this moment many times, and we both recognize that it’s not always about wins and losses, it’s about praising our Lord and Savior,” Willobee said.
175
Champion: Louis Smith, Three Rivers, Sr. (61-0)
Decision, 6-5, over Seth Harvey, Lowell, Sr. (37-8)
A Regional Final rematch after Smith had won the first time by pinfall was much more difficult on Saturday.
After taking a 5-0 lead on Harvey, the Lowell senior fought back and nearly completed the comeback before coming up a point short.
It was the first title for Smith, who completed an unbeaten season with 61 victories.
“I’ve worked so hard all year; this is my whole life. Wrestling is my whole life, and I just knew I wanted it more,” Smith said. “I’ve wanted this since birth. It was just my time.”
190
Champion: Brad Meyers, Portland, Sr. (52-0)
Decision, 5-4, over Martin Knight, North Branch, Sr. (46-1)
A battle of unbeatens went back and force, but a takedown by Meyers during the final minute propelled him to his first championship.
“I wanted to stay aggressive, get my shots, and play smart,” Meyers said. “It means the world to me to get this title. I have been working on this for six years. To get it in my senior year is amazing.”
Meyers got an escape in the second period to lead 1-0 entering the third. Knight tied things up with his own in the third before Meyers got the key takedown. Knight scored a reversal to make it 4-3, but Meyers escaped to push his lead to two. A stall point was given to Knight late, but it wouldn’t be enough.
215
Champion: Landon Guilford, Portland, Jr. (46-2)
Decision, 8-6, over Jonathan Golec, Goodrich, Sr. (43-2)
A back-and-forth match concluded just in time for Guilford, as Golec was originally scored a takedown as time expired, but the referees ruled afterwards that it happened after the third round had ended, giving Guilford his first championship.
Golec held a 5-3 lead in the second period, but Guilford used a pair of escapes to tie things up at 5-5 in the third. He then got his second takedown of the match with 1:28 left, only to see Golec escape moments later. Guilford then fought off the Goodrich senior for the final 75 seconds.
“I was just trying to do whatever I could to avoid getting taken down,” Guilford said. “Obviously, it was close, but I left it all on the mat. I haven’t really processed what it means to win, but I’m grateful for the moment.”
285
Champion: Layne O’Neil, Fowlerville, Sr. (50-2)
Decision, 3-2, over Hartland Bregg, Marshall, Soph. (46-3)
Tied 1-1 entering the third period, O’Neil managed an escape that put the match in his favor. Bregg got an escape to make it 3-2, but couldn’t get O’Neil on the ground.
“I knew I had to dig deep,” O’Neil said of finishing out the match. “I just told myself to finish the job. It’s amazing (to be a state champion).”
O’Neil finished third last year but ended his senior season with a championship.
PHOTOS (Top) Plainwell's Dylan Nieuwenhuis, left, wrestles teammate Tyler Cooper for a Division 2 championship Saturday. (Middle) Hamilton’s Bryce Morrison, top, works toward a win at 150 pounds. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
Hillger Cashing in on Price of Excellence
January 29, 2016
By Bill Khan
Special for Second Half
LINDEN — The books are never too far away from Trent Hillger, even as he works to put his name in the Lake Fenton wrestling record books.
On Monday night, as he does occasionally, Hillger rode for an hour across mid-Michigan to work out with partners who could challenge him.
As his mother drove him home, Hillger studied with the aid of a flashlight. At breakfast the next morning, he squeezed in some more study time. On the ride to school, he put the finishing touches on a paper.
That preceded another full day at school, followed by time in the weight room and wrestling practice.
It's the price of excellence for Hillger, on the mat and in the classroom.
"It's something a lot of kids don't have to experience," said Hillger's father, David, the athletic trainer at Lake Fenton. "Good or bad, it's just something he's had to learn to deal with. I'm proud of him, because that's a challenge every day. It's not like a lot of kids who just go home and study for two or three hours; he doesn't have that liberty."
Hillger, perfect on the mat the last two seasons, is nearly perfect in the classroom. The junior carries a 3.97 grade-point average, with an A-minus in an advanced-placement class standing between him and a 4.0.
"I really have to schedule my time every week, because I'm so busy," he said.
The 6-foot-1, 230-pounder was already a standout defensive end/outside linebacker for Lake Fenton when he filled a need at quarterback last fall. As one of the biggest quarterbacks in the state, he ran 141 times for 1,342 yards and 19 touchdowns in a run-oriented offense. He was an effective passer on those rare occasions when the Blue Devils threw the ball, going 25 for 39 for 503 yards and five touchdowns.
Defensively, he had 13 tackles for losses, five sacks, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
"It was definitely a wildcat type of offense," Hillger said. "I ran the ball probably 20 times a game."
He led Lake Fenton into the second round of the MHSAA Division 4 playoffs, where the Blue Devils lost to eventual runner-up Flint Powers Catholic. For his efforts, Hillger received special mention on The Associated Press' all-state team.
But it's as a wrestler that Hillger has made the biggest name for himself.
After placing fourth in the MHSAA Division 3 individual tournament and going 57-8 at 171 pounds as a freshman, Hillger joined his head coach as Lake Fenton's only sophomore champions when he won the 215-pound title to cap a 58-0 season.
Vance Corcoran was Lake Fenton's first MHSAA champion, in the 1985 Class C tournament, then won again as a senior in 1987.
Shaun Mann (1994-95) and Ryan Ruddy (1996-97) are Lake Fenton's only other two-time champions.
"We've never had a three-timer, so he's got a chance to do that," Corcoran said. "We've had some really good kids come through the program; Trent's right there. Not only is he a great kid, but he's respected by all of his teammates. He's a 4.0 student, he's one of the best captains we've ever had and he's dependable."
Hillger is 39-0 in his quest to join the list of Lake Fenton's two-time champions. Of those victories, only three weren't pins or forfeits. He won one match by technical fall, one by a 6-1 decision over 2015 Division 1 qualifier Brandon Krol of Hartland ... and one in a match that exceeded the hype.
Hillger went four overtimes against Lapeer's Dan Perry on Dec. 19 in a battle between two MHSAA champions who are ranked among the top nine nationally. With an escape in the fourth overtime, Hillger escaped with a 4-3 victory in the Genesee County Wrestling Championships at Davison.
"It's exciting," Hillger said. "I like having close matches like that, but it's a little nerve-racking having an overtime match."
Hillger, who has won 97 straight high school matches, is ranked No. 6 nationally at heavyweight by InterMat and No. 8 by FloWrestling. Perry, who has signed with Michigan, is No. 4 in FloWrestling's rankings and No. 9 on InterMat. The two are expected to meet again on Saturday in the Lapeer Tournament.
"I look at them, yeah," Hillger said of the rankings. "It's cool. College is where it all matters. That's what I'm looking forward to if I choose wrestling."
Hillger's combination of academic and athletic prowess has attracted the attention of Ivy League schools for football and wrestling. He's also been recruited by Iowa, Missouri, Wake Forest and Eastern Michigan for football. In wrestling, Indiana, Iowa State, Michigan and North Carolina State have expressed interest.
While choosing which school to attend, Hillger also has to decide which sport to continue at the next level. That decision may be more difficult.
"I have choices for both," said Hillger, who wants to get into sports nutrition or athletic training. "I'd say in wrestling I have a bit more, but they're the same level, the same caliber of teams. I couldn't decide. I've been doing both of them my whole life. It'll be a tough decision when I decide next year which sport I'll go into."
Hillger is a unique wrestling athlete in that he's successfully made the jump from 171 pounds to heavyweight in two years' time. The skills that were necessities in the lower weight class serve Hillger well against the big boys in a division that maxes out at 285 pounds.
"During the summer, I knew I'd be at heavyweight, so I started wrestling up in weight classes," Hillger said. "I was wrestling really small. I'd wrestle 280-pound guys at 200 pounds, just to get used to it; it transferred over. Now I'm really comfortable at heavyweight. You've just got to use your speed and don't get stuck underneath a guy. Once you get stuck underneath, you're not getting up."
Hillger said he kept "my little-man mentality" when he moved up to heavyweight.
"I'm trying to stay fast, but I also got stronger in the other weight classes," he said. "That helped me to be faster than everyone else and still have the strength of the big guys. A lot of heavyweights wrestle up top. I like to stay low and take a bunch of shots, keep the pace going, make it a fast pace."
Like many wrestlers who enter elite high school programs, Hillger had a wealth of experience at a high level since he began competing at age 6. What set him apart was that he was having immediate success in one of the heavier weight classes.
"From day one, the kid's come in and he's mature and he's a hard worker," Corcoran said. "So, all the seniors took to him right away. They saw his work ethic. We get freshmen come in every now and then who come in like that, but not at the 171 weight class where he's wrestling men. Right away, he dominated. He's kept that same work ethic. I think it's even gotten better over the years, if that's possible."
Hillger is trying to not only repeat as an individual champion, but get Lake Fenton its first team title.
The Blue Devils are 27-3 and ranked No. 3 in Division 3 by MichiganGrappler.com. They are coming off a 42-22 victory on Wednesday over perennial power New Lothrop, the top-ranked team in Division 4.
"We should make the Finals," Hillger said. "Our team is very good, so the Finals is definitely a realistic goal. It will be tough to beat (top-ranked) Dundee; we'll have to have a few matches go our way."
Hillger has traveled across the country wrestling at a high level throughout his summers, but said the camaraderie of high school wrestling is hard to beat.
"It's an individual sport, but having your whole team cheering you on the side is nice," he said. "Seeing how far your team can go in team states is cool, seeing the whole team come together.
"When I wrestle by myself, I always have friends around at national tournaments, but it's not the same as having your team on the sidelines, getting excited for your matches."
Bill Khan served as a sportswriter at The Flint Journal from 1981-2011 and currently contributes to the State Champs! Sports Network. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Trent Hillger works against Grand Rapids Catholic Central's Grant Tennihill during last season's MHSAA Division 3 Final at 215 pounds. (Middle) Hillger stands at the top of the podium after winning the championship. (Click for more photos from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)