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.)
Senior Pair's Selfless Leadership Crucial to Benzie Central's Historic Run
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
March 3, 2023
It is pretty well-known now that a historic wrestling run by Benzie Central came to an end in a Division 4 Quarterfinal last weekend.
Perhaps equally known is the Huskies qualified 11 grapplers for the Individual Finals taking place today and Saturday at Ford Field.
But not many are familiar with the story of senior athletes Wyatt Noffsinger and Austin Smith — the undisputed motivational leaders of the team — and their personal Benzie wrestling history.
The story began when Noffsinger was an eighth grader. He took a trip with a friend and his father to watch the MHSAA Finals. And it is ending this weekend with Noffsinger and Smith watching — and cheering on — their teammates at the championship event.
Noffsinger and Smith did not qualify for this weekend’s competition. Noffsinger fell one point shy in his 175-pound bracket at the Individual Regional. And Smith graciously had opted to give up his spot in the postseason lineup to Noffsinger.
Last year Smith was among 12 Benzie wrestlers who advanced to Regionals. And injuries kept Noffsinger off the mat.
“It’s a proud moment for me as a coach,” said 10-year veteran coach Josh Lovendusky. “These two guys haven’t missed a practice in the postseason because they knew they had to be there for the team to help them train so they can be ready for the Finals.
“They don’t have to be there — they put their team first,” he continued. “They’re giving up their time to make sure their teammates are successful.
Noffsinger and Smith represent what the Huskies – who made their first-ever appearance at Team Finals weekend – are all about, according to Lovendusky, who now shares his coaching duties with co-coach Cody Vandonkelaar.
“It is what we’ve been trying to embody this entire season,” Lovendusky said. “Coaching for as long as I have, I have never seen somebody as selfless as these two individuals have been this season.”
Smith may get the honor of being the most selfless. He voluntarily gave up his slot wrestling at 144 pounds for his friend Noffsinger, nicknamed “Cheddar.”
Teams may send only 14 competitors into the individual tournament (not counting the girls division). Benzie’s postseason roster was developed by team vote, and Smith was originally selected. After stewing on it for a few days and recalling how Noffsinger – who wrestles at 175 pounds – didn’t get a shot at Districts or Regionals last year, Smith approached Vandonkelaar about making the change.
“I only felt right that we both get three chances at (the postseason),” Smith said of his decision. “I don’t get four and he only gets two.
“I just thought it would be fair if we both went three for three.”
Both Smith and Noffsinger are thrilled the coaches made the roster change, especially since it resulted in a nail-biting finish in the “blood round” – the round that determines the final two qualifiers who will advance or be done. As luck would have it, Noffsinger faced a teammate in his Finals-qualifying match hosted by Charlevoix, and lost by one point.
“Cheddar exceeded my expectations, to be honest,” Smith said. “It came down to one point.
“I was on the end of my seat, and whoever lost I’d feel bad for and whoever won I’d feel awesome for,” Smith continued. “He came up a little bit short, and I am just happy he got a shot to go.”
Noffsinger is at the top of his class academically and led the Huskies to academic all-state recognition this year. The three-sport star is grateful Smith yielded his spot.
“Austin didn’t have to do that,” Noffsinger said. “I wasn’t expecting it.
“It completely says a lot about who he is as a man … who he is as a friend,” he continued. “I was so grateful.”
Without Smith, Noffsinger is quick to point out, he would not have had the chance to fulfill the dream of competing at the Finals that began with that eighth-grade trip.
“Knowing that I was going to have the last shot to make it was a huge sense of relief and gratitude for him as a friend to give me that opportunity,” Noffsinger said. “I wanted to win really bad and make it.
“And the same time, it hurts knowing if you do win, you’re going to take a teammate’s shot at making it – and it really hurt knowing your dream was gone,” Noffsinger said of falling one point short. “It is still cool because we made it as a team, and it will be awesome to be down there for the experience and the amazing atmosphere.”
Lovendusky is quick to point out the two seniors represent much more leadership than any coach could ever request.
“These two individuals are the unsung, motivational leaders of this team,” Lovendusky said. “At the team states neither one of them wrestled, but they were the absolute loudest.
“They made sure the team was ready to go,” Lovendusky continued. “You can’t ask for better senior leadership than kids giving everything they have even though they didn’t have the opportunity to wrestle, and they were a pivotal part of what our team did.”
Smith and Noffsinger have one more leadership task to complete when the Individual Finals are over. They’ll lead the charge into the Brazilian steak house that’s become a tradition for the Huskies team.
They’re looking forward to the large serving of steak on a skewer. And they will celebrate this year’s team making history.
“It’s all-you-can-eat meat, and it’s an awesome experience,” said Noffsinger.
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS (Top) From left: Benzie Central co-coach Cody Vandonkelaar, Wyatt Noffsinger, Austin Smith and co-coach Josh Lovendusky show off the program’s hardware won this winter. (Middle) Smith and Noffsinger help as officials at a youth wrestling tournament this week. (Below) Smith celebrates a match win, while Noffsinger attempts to break free from an opponent. (Photos courtesy of Jill Robinson and Shane Iverson.)