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.)
Brothers Storr Finish Perfect Seasons
March 2, 2013
By Bill Khan
Special to Second Half
AUBURN HILLS — Their toughest competition lives under the same roof.
Kanen and Zehlin Storr of Leslie get more of a battle sparring against each other than they typically get in a match against other high school wrestlers.
They combined to achieve a rarity on Saturday as brothers who completed perfect seasons with state championships in the MHSAA Division 3 individual Finals at The Palace.
Kanen finished off an undefeated freshman year at 58-0 by beating Reiley Brown of Whitehall 9-6 in the 103-pound final. Five weight classes later, Zehlin capped his junior year with a 59-0 record by beating Chris Briar of Menominee 7-3 in the 135-pound title match.
"Me and my brother work our butts off," Zehlin said. "We train together and we go all over the state looking for partners. I feel we deserve this."
Zehlin has been on the cusp of winning a championship each of his first two seasons, taking third in Division 4 at 130 pounds as a freshman before losing 5-4 in the Division 3 135-pound final last year. He has a 158-12 record.
He was able to impart some of his experience on the big stage to his younger brother.
"I told him not to let The Palace get to you," Zehlin said. "It's a nerve-racking place. I told him to stay calm, like he always does."
Kanen gives up weight to his older brother, but the brothers say they still get quite a bit of benefit from their sessions against one another.
"He really helped me a lot," Kanen said. "When we don't have other practices to go to, we drill with each other and help make each other better. Yeah, he's a little bigger. I make him work, but he beats me up pretty good."
The Storrs weren't the only brothers to win Division 3 titles, as senior twins Steven and Joe Sika of Whitehall took home championships.
Click for full results, and read below for recaps of each championship match and comments from all the winners.
285
Champion: John Marogen, Dundee, Sr. (44-7)
Decision, 4-1, over Josh Capen, Ithaca, Sr. (43-1)
Marogen came a long way from his first wrestling match in middle school to the final one of his high school career.
"I just remember my first match ever," he said. "I came out and got pinned. Now I'm here today, winning this. My freshman year, I had a losing record, but these coaches just kept on me."
The match was tied 1-1 in the third period before Marogen scored the final three points to win the first of Dundee's three championships on Saturday.
112
Champion: Devin Schroder, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Fr. (53-0)
Decision, 10-1, over Alex Martinez, Ida, Fr. (53-2)
One match after Kanen Storr completed a perfect freshman season, Schroder did the same by scoring a major decision over Martinez.
Schroder has been preparing himself for this day for years. He can recall being at the MHSAA Finals 10 years earlier when Davison's Brent Metcalf won the second of his four straight titles.
"I kind of expected it," Schroder said. "I've worked in the room. I've wrestled a lot of these kids when I was younger. I didn't want to accept anything but the state championship. Every single time I stepped into practice and put my shoes on, that's what I was thinking of."
119
Champion: Jerry Fenner, Birch Run, Soph. (57-3)
Decision, 3-2 OT, over Matt Santos, Saginaw Swan Valley, Fr. (26-6)
Santos had a grip on Fenner's right leg before the Birch Run sophomore was able to pry himself loose for an escape that ended the match.
"Right when I reached back, I grabbed his fingers, felt them get loose," Fenner said. "I kept pulling up. Finally his hands slipped off and disconnected. I pushed back and slipped away."
It was a much more satisfying end to the season for Fenner, who held a five-point lead late in the third period of a quarterfinal match last year before losing 7-6 to Jackson Lambdin of Allendale.
125
Champion: Zach Cooper, Whitehall, Sr. (55-1)
Decision, 7-0, over Blake Russo, Grand Rapids West Catholic, Jr. (50-4)
Cooper added a third MHSAA title to the 103- and 112-pound crowns he won the last two years at Remus Chippewa Hills.
He transferred his senior year to Whitehall, where his father, Tim, was the undefeated 1980 Class C 132-pound champion.
"My dream was to match my dad and be a one-timer," Cooper said. "I've always wanted to follow in his footsteps. Winning two was, oh my gosh, amazing. Now three — I couldn't be any happier."
130
Champion: Nate Limmex, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Soph. (22-0)
Decision, 10-2, over Nick Burg, Richmond, Jr. (41-12)
Limmex completed a perfect season by scoring a major decision over Burg, last year's third-place finisher at 119 pounds.
"Wrestling is the biggest part of my life," Limmex said. "This was my main goal and I accomplished it. It's great."
Limmex outscored his four opponents at The Palace, 43-6.
140
Champion: Doug Rojem, Dundee, Jr. (54-1)
Decision, 2-0, over Lake Bennett, Birch Run, Sr. (55-7)
Doug Rojem has been on the podium twice before, but this time he made it as the champion.
He took third last year at 130 pounds after losing 6-4 in overtime in the semifinals to eventual-champion Alberto Lopez of Otsego. He was fifth at 119 in 2011.
"That was a heartbreaker," Rojem said of the overtime loss. "This year, it was completely different. I didn't feel much pressure. I just let myself wrestle and good things happened."
145
Champion: Devin Skatzka, Richmond, Soph. (52-2)
Decision, 8-0, over Jordon Bennett, Lake Odessa Lakewood, Soph. (41-2)
Skatzka is halfway to four MHSAA championships after scoring a major decision over Bennett.
Skatzka was the 135-pound champion as a freshman last year.
"I do look forward to it, but I like to take everything one at a time," Skatzka said. "I don't like to look ahead. All I wanted to do was come out strong. I wanted an early takedown to get in his head."
152
Champion: Luke Pahl, Comstock Park, Sr. (44-3)
Decision, 9-6, over Jared Elliott, Birch Run, Jr. (48-9)
It wasn't an easy path to the championship for Pahl, who won 3-2 in the quarterfinals and 4-3 in the semifinals.
"It was just a lot of mental toughness and being able to be on top of your game all the time," Pahl said.
Pahl was seventh at 140 pounds last year. He attributed his improvement to a grueling week-long wrestling camp at Penn State last summer.
160
Champion: Steven Sika, Whitehall, Sr. (55-3)
Technical Fall, 21-4, over Skyler Ley, Caro, Jr. (51-6)
After squeaking out a 7-6 victory in the semifinals, Sika rolled to his first MHSAA championship via technical fall.
He placed seventh at 152 pounds last year when he expected a much better fate.
"Taking seventh last year wasn't a good feeling," Sika said. "I had it with me all summer, all year. It really motivated me. This was my last chance. Things change when you get here. You see a lot of good wrestlers lose. It happened to me last year. I didn't want to end my high school career on a bad tournament."
171
Champion: Joe Sika, Whitehall, Sr., (53-2)
Decision, 4-1, over Trevor Jaster, Caro, Sr. (39-3)
While Steven Sika was winning the 160-pound title, Joe Sika didn't allow himself to watch. Instead, he stayed under the stands in the warm-up area.
"I'm not allowed to watch his matches, because if he loses, I do," Joe said. "If I don't know, then I'll do my own thing. That's how my losses have come this year."
Joe said that he found out from a child that Steven was on the verge of winning by technical fall.
"We're practice partners," Joe said. "It helps us a lot. We're pretty much the same talent. It's like wrestling yourself, basically."
189
Champion: Teddy Warren, Dundee, Jr. (49-3)
Decision, 6-3, over Colin Beebe, Allendale, Jr. (38-1)
Warren wanted to make progress after losing in the first round at 171 last year to Joe Sika.
"I was just hoping to place at this tournament, but to come out on top is really extraordinary," Warren said.
Warren scored a near-fall with 12 seconds left to take the lead for good.
215
Champion: Gage Hutchison, Buchanan, Sr. (56-0)
Pin, 2:24, over Taylor Gohn, Allendale, Sr. (38-3)
Hutchison repeated as the 215-pound champion in his third trip to the final round. He was the runner-up at 171 pounds in 2011.
"Man, it gets better and better every time," Hutchison said. "I get less nervous and more excited. I'm always confident — confident, but not cocky. There's always a target on your back."
PHOTO: Leslie's Zehlin Stoff (orange stripe) wrestles Menominee's Chris Briar during Saturday's Division 3 finals. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)