Performance: Eaton Rapids' Austin O'Hearon
February 16, 2018
Austin O’Hearon
Eaton Rapids senior – Wrestling
O’Hearon, the reigning Division 2 individual champion at 145 pounds, led Eaton Rapids to a Team District championship on Feb. 7 as the Greyhounds won their matches by a combined score of 147-3. He then went on to win his Individual District title at 160 pounds Saturday to earn the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
The Greyhounds standout claimed the Individual District title with a 6-4 championship match victory over DeWitt’s Sam York – O’Hearon is ranked No. 2 and York No. 3 at their weight in Division 2 by Michigan Grappler. O’Hearon also won their rematch this past Wednesday as No. 5 Eaton Rapids upset No. 2 DeWitt 31-26 to win a Team Regional title and advance to next weekend’s Quarterfinals for the first time since 2015. The Greyhounds are coached by Joe Ray Barry, a three-time MHSAA champion at Mason from 1997-99.
O’Hearon will bring a 176-17 career record into this weekend’s Individual Regional at Vicksburg, and he ranks third in Eaton Rapids’ illustrious history in both career victories and career takedowns with 369. He finished seventh in Division 2 at 112 pounds as a freshman and then seventh at 125 as a sophomore before claiming the title last winter at 145. He’s 41-1 this season with his only loss to Portland’s Owen Guilford after bumping up to 171 pounds; O’Hearon then handed Guilford his only loss this season in a rematch earlier this month. O’Hearon has opportunities to continue wrestling at the college level, but has planned on enlisting in the U.S. Navy – following his grandfather (Army) and father (Marines), who both also served – and would like to train to become part of the SEALs special operations force.
Coach Joe Ray Barry said: “His work ethic over the four years is what separates him from his competition – early morning workouts and late night runs. He’s in the corner for his team day in and day out, constantly pushing them to work harder than they do. He’s leading by example and stays focused.”
Performance Point: “(The season) has come along how I wanted it to,” O’Hearon said. “Everything’s falling into place. … It’s just because I work hard. There’s no substitute for hard work. I’ve just always believed that the harder I work, then success has to come with it. If you work hard at something for long enough, you’re bound to reach your goals. For me, one of the spots I lacked was strength. So my (physical education teacher) was talking to me one day, said I could come up (before school) Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and lift with him. So I was like, ‘Yeah sure, I’ll try it.’ I just liked it. It was nice. It woke me up in the morning. I noticed wrestling I was just getting a lot stronger, and so it just all fell into play how I wanted it to.”
Back to the Finals: “We knew going in (to Wednesday’s Regional) that we could win it. We were crunching the numbers, and everywhere that we crunched it looked good. We had some things that happened … but probably the biggest thing of the night was our heavyweight getting a pin against the kid he had lost to at Districts. After he got that pin, I knew that we were going to go to team states. … Everything as a team has fallen together. At the beginning of the season we were kinda distant; now it’s more team-based. We’re all trying to be better for the team. We’ve grown as a team. We’re real close right now. It’s just making everything go smooth and easy.”
We are E.R.: “My freshman year, I knew all the seniors, I knew all the juniors. I pretty much knew everybody. There were kids I’d wrestled with in the youth (programs), so we were already like family. And that’s what I think makes Eaton Rapids better than most teams, because we’re all real close and homegrown and we’re all pretty much family. We all wrestled together in the youth programs, and now we’re wrestling high school together.”
Thanks Coach Barry: “He’s just always pushed me to be the best that I can be. He helps me with technique. He still rolls around with me up at practice every once in a while. He’s getting old now and it’s hard, because he doesn’t like the beatings … (but) yeah, I love wrestling with him. He’s still quick. He’s still strong. I can’t say enough good things about him.”
My time to lead: Just the younger kids, I try to keep them motivated, show them it is possible to win a state title and to have your team be successful. You just have to stay positive. I just try to motivate the younger guys to stick with the program, because this is what a program is built on: our seniors helping out our younger guys. I remember when I was a freshman, the seniors would always help me out … so that’s just how I try to be this year.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2017-18 school year, Second Half and the Michigan Army National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2017-18 honorees:
February 9: Sophia Wiard, Muskegon Oakridge basketball - Read
February 2: Brenden Tulpa, Hartland hockey - Read
January 25: Brandon Whitman, Dundee wrestling - Read
January 18: Derek Maas, Holland West Ottawa swimming - Read
January 11: Lexi Niepoth, Bellaire basketball - Read
November 30: La'Darius Jefferson, Muskegon football - Read
November 23: Ashley Turak, Farmington Hills Harrison swimming - Read
November 16: Bryce Veasley, West Bloomfield football - Read
November 9: Jose Penaloza, Holland soccer - Read
November 2: Karenna Duffey, Macomb L'Anse Creuse North cross country - Read
October 26: Anika Dy, Traverse City Central golf - Read
October 19: Andrew Zhang, Bloomfield Hills tennis - Read
October 12: Nolan Fugate, Grand Rapids Catholic Central football - Read
October 5: Marissa Ackerman, Munising tennis - Read
September 28: Minh Le, Portage Central soccer - Read
September 21: Olivia Theis, Lansing Catholic cross country - Read
September 14: Maddy Chinn, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Eaton Rapids' Austin O’Hearon (left) works for a takedown this season. (Middle) O’Hearon’s arm is raised after he earns last season’s Division 2 title at 145 pounds. (Top photo and head shot courtesy of Eaton Rapids’ wrestling program; middle photo by HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Allegan's Simaz Adds to Family Title Run
March 2, 2014
By Chris Phifer
Special to Second Half
AUBURN HILLS, MI – For the past decade, the name Simaz has rung through the walls of The Palace of Auburn Hills in early March.
And it's had a championship ring.
Four Simaz brothers – Eric, Cam, Taylor and Kyle – have won eight individual titles at the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals, starting with Eric and Cam in 2005, and ending with Kyle on Saturday in the 145-pound match in Division 3.
He beat Chad Decker of Grass Lake 27-12 for his second title.
Total family titles: one by Eric, three by Cam, two by Taylor and two by Kyle.
“I think that's awesome,” Simaz said. “Our family is very competitive. A jog around the Simaz house is a race. We have a very competitive family.”
Simaz says this title did not come without trepidation.
“This weekend is a very stressful weekend,” Simaz said. “I'm glad it's over, and I'm glad I came out on top.”
103
Champion: Tristan Serbus, Corunna, Soph. (46-1)
Decision, 10-6 over Brendan Abrigo, Manchester, Jr. (52-3)
Serbus had something to prove.
He lost to Abrigo earlier this season, but that would not stop him from achieving what he had been working for his whole season – beating Abrigo in the 103-pound championship match.
And he stayed on the offensive to do that, beating him 10-6 for the title.
“It feels awesome,” Serbus said. “I worked hard and attacked, attacked, attacked. I am so glad I have my coaches and teammates.”
112
Champion: Aaron Kilburn, Richmond, Soph. (40-5)
Decision, 4-1 over K.J. Suitor, Saginaw Swan Valley, Soph. (54-3)
Kilburn improved on last year's third-place finish by controlling Suitor for a 4-1 victory.
Kilburn cruised through his first match with a fall in the second period. He continued with a 9-2 victory over Nolan Saxton from Lakeview. In the Semifinal, he outlasted Arthur Paine from Montrose 3-0, setting up his final match with Suitor.
“I thought that I wrestled well the whole tournament,” Kilburn said. “It feels better taking first than third, I can tell you that.”
119
Champion: Devin Schroder, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Soph. (40-4)
Decision, 5-2 over Kanen Storr, Leslie, Soph. (57-2)
Schroder won his second straight MHSAA title in what proved to be one of the most competitive weights in the Finals tournament, regardless of division.
His Semifinal match was a repeat of last year’s championship matchup, as Schroder worked his way to a 10-3 decision over Alex Martinez of Ida.
He continued to roll in the Final, defeating Leslie’s Storr, a champion himself in 2013.
It was sweet accomplishment for Schroder, who focused on this weekend to fuel his work ethic and dedication the last few weeks.
“You have down points during the season,” said Schroder, who lost four matches this year after going undefeated last year. “However, you look forward to the state tournament, because it pushes you to get better.”
125
Champion: Foster Karmon, Allegan, Soph. (58-2)
Decision, 2-1 over Jerry Fenner, Birch Run, Jr. (48-6)
Karmon had to endure two close matches to claim his first title. He used strategy and savvy wrestling to overcome Fenner in the Final.
This coming after he beat Matt Santos of Saginaw Swan Valley in the Semifinal 2-1.
“I had to keep my offense going (during the third period up 2-0),” Karmon said. “I knew if I backed up I would get called for stalling, so I had to stay on him like I did earlier in the match.”
130
Champion: Grant Turnmire, Almont, Jr. (47-4)
Fall, 0:38 over Zane Corey, Allegan, Sr. (45-4)
All it took was one big headlock, and support from his dad, to propel Turnmire to his first MHSAA title. Turnmire used an impressive headlock to pin Corey in 38 seconds.
After that he rushed to hug his father and coach, Bill Turnmire.
“It is special to win a state title,” Grant Turnmire said. “My dad has supported me throughout. This is very special.”
135
Champion: Nate Limmex, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Jr. (23-0)
Technical Fall, 17-2 in 3:42 over Alex Young, Portland, Jr. (34-9)
Being injured in January did not stop Limmex from capturing his second MHSAA title in two years. Limmex had some tight matches on his path to the Final, but came away unscathed.
He dominated talented Young from Portland from the start, completing his 17-2 technical fall in the second period.
“I have been working on transitioning from leg attacks to turks because it will lead to more opportunities for back points,” Limmex said. “It is not boring winning two state titles. It feels good knowing that the hard work pays off.”
140
Champion: Zehlin Storr, Leslie, Sr. (61-0)
Decision, 3-1 over Doug Rojem, Dundee, Sr. (47-6)
Wrestling a returning champ at the same weight might seem intimidating to the average person.
However, when you are a person like Storr, it is not intimidating; it is motivating.
He used wrestling knowledge and craftiness on his way to a second MHSAA championship, beating a very talented Rojem, who also was attempting to win his second title.
“I wanted to beat his defense with my offense,” Storr said. “This year, I can say I had a blast. ”
152
Champion: Devin Skatzka, Richmond, Jr. (40-3)
Fall, 1:01 over Eric Coval, Manchester, Sr. (37-1)
“Pin to win” is a motto that many wrestlers and coaches use to motivate.
However, Skatzka takes this to heart.
He went through the entire Finals pinning every opponent in the first period, one in just 15 seconds.
That led to his third MHSAA title.
“I really did not expect it, especially against Coval (when talking about pinning every opponent in the first period),” Skatzka said. “I was really looking for that pin. I am very proud of myself.”
160
Champion: Tristen Zienkiewicz, Farwell, Sr. (49-2)
Decision, 4-3 over Jared Elliott, Birch Run, Sr. (48-6)
Many wrestlers have moves they try to execute during every match. The trick is to be able to utilize them in different positions.
Zienkiewicz did just that.
With only eight seconds left in is final match against Elliott, he executed a fantastic inside trip, dragging his feet in bounds for the two-point takedown to secure a 4-3 victory.
“(Hitting an inside trip with eight seconds to go), I thought my God, my God, my dream came true,” Zienkiewicz said. “Whatever is there, I take it.”
171
Champion: Andy Donoho, Lake Fenton, Sr. (52-7)
Decision, 4-2 over Tye Thompson, Dundee, Jr. (43-7)
Last weekend, Donoho did what was best for his team, bumping up a weight to wrestle Dundee's MHSAA runner-up Teddy Warren at 189 pounds.
This weekend he was able to avenge a loss his teammate Trent Hilger suffered last week at Team Finals, as he beat Thompson in the championship match at 171.
“Gratification, I got it here from great coaches and great workout partners,” Donoho said. “Everyday, we get after it. It was worth it.”
189
Champion: Jake McKiernan, Richmond, Sr. (37-5)
Decision, 5-0 over Teddy Warren, Dundee, Sr. (25-4)
Wrestling has three positions – neutral, top, and bottom.
McKiernan utilized strategy in the neutral position to come away with a 5-0 victory over Warren.
He knew Warren was good on his feet, so he had to be better than him there, because he knew he could take him on the mat.
“This feels incredible,” McKiernan said. “My coaches helped me mentally. I never really pictured myself in this situation. Getting better in the neutral position was the key, especially in this match.”
215
Champion: Danny Drummond, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Sr. (33-9)
Decision, 7-4 TB3 over Colin Beebe, Allendale, Sr. (48-1)
Wrestling is a very physical sport. Sometimes matches last a very long time.
Drummond figured his final match with favored Beebe would go into overtime. In fact, it took three overtimes for Drummond to outlast Beebe.
Drummond was able to score an escape with time still remaining. He then was able to secure a late takedown to secure his first title.
“I wrestled him four or five times in two years, and he's beat me every time,” Drummond said. “He is one of the best wrestlers I have ever wrestled. I wanted to pound it on for three periods physically. This feels amazing.”
285
Champion: Eric Fader, Sandord-Meridian, Sr. (48-5)
Decision, 7-6 TB1 Glenn Geurink, Allendale, Sr. (46-1)
When you think of heavyweight wrestling, you think of a slow-paced chess match, especially when you are talking about title deciders.
Fader and Geurink would disagree.
That's because this match had non-stop action to the end. And in the end, it was Fader that came away with a 7-6 tie-breaker victory.
“I just went out there and did my best,” Fader said. “I had to grind it out, do some set ups, and hit my blast double.”
PHOTO: Allegan's Kyle Simaz has his hand raised in victory during the Division 3 Individual Finals. (Click to see more fromHigh School Sports Scene.)