St. Johns' Hall Joins Champion Elite
March 1, 2014
By Jeff Chaney
Special to Second Half
AUBURN HILLS, MI – It's a moment Zac Hall said he will never forget.
Hall joined elite company by winning his fourth MHSAA individual wrestling championship, when he beat Greenville's Alec Ward 12-2 in the 140-pound title match in Division 2 at the Finals on Saturday at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
The St. Johns senior became just the 18th Michigan wrestler to win four MHSAA Finals titles, and when the referee raised his hand after his victory, the large crowd at The Palace rose to their feet and applauded loudly in appreciation.
“That is the most amazing feeling in the world. I'll remember that moment for the rest of my life,” Hall said. “I don't know how many people are here, thousands, and they were all clapping for me. That is the most awesome feeling.”
This marks the third straight year a wrestler has won his fourth title. Last year Fowlerville heavyweight Adam Coon accomplished it, and two years ago it was Hall's former St. Johns teammate Taylor Massa.
“All that hard work and time you put in in the (practice room), it pays off,” Hall said. “When your buddies want you to hang out, and instead you are in the room grinding, that all just paid off here.”
103
Champion: Dominic LaJoie, Gaylord, Fr. (50-1)
Decision, 11-7 over Dalton Roberts, Fowlerville, Sr. (46-6)
LaJoie is well on his way to becoming a four-time champion, as he built a large early lead over Roberts and held on for a 11-7 win.
LaJoie scored the match's first seven points, and then fought off a furious Roberts rally in the third period.
“I just came out and went as hard as I could,” LaJoie said. “This feels really awesome. I owe a lot to my dad (Jerry LaJoie), my coaches and my partners in the room. This is a great feeling.”
112
Champion: Lucas Hall, Lowell, Soph. (37-0)
Fall, 2:19 over Bryan LaVearn, Ortonville Brandon, Soph. (50-2)
Hall didn't listen to all the nay-sayers. He knew he had what it takes to win an MHSAA title and went out and proved that by pinning LaVearn in their 112-pound title match.
Hall used one of his signature moves, “the high flyer,” to pin LaVearn for the win.
“People have been trying to get into my head, posting stuff on Twitter and Facebook, but you can't let that get to you,” Hall said. “You just need to keep your head and keep looking forward. I know I had a bull’s eye on my back because I came in undefeated and ranked number one. You can't let all that get in your head; you just have to keep after it.”
119
Champion: Mason Smith, Clio, Jr. (55-0)
Decision, 3-1 over Jacob Chapman, Flint Kearsley, Jr. (35-6)
Returning champion Smith overcame a bit of familiarity to win his second straight title, as he beat Chapman for the title with a work-man-like 3-1 win.
“The hardest thing is we've wrestled six times, and we both know what both of us are going to do,” Smith said. “So you have to do what you can do.
“I started with a gameplan, and was not that comfortable with it, so I changed it. I said I would do whatever felt right – score more points.”
125
Champion: Nick Pipes, Warren Woods-Tower, Sr. (48-5)
Decision, 6-1 over Patrick Blommel, Stevensville Lakeshore, Sr. (38-6)
Pipes finally got his medal, and it was a big one.
The four-time Finals qualifier failed to place in the top eight in his first three trips to The Palace, but won a championship on his fourth try.
“I'll take not placing in my first three years to win it now,” Pipes said. “I knew coming in that I qualified three times before this and was always the underdog. But this year being ranked first, and everyone thought I was going to win it, that helped my confidence.”
130
Champion: Austin Thompson, Marysville, Jr. (52-1)
Decision, 8-7 UTB over Jaedin Sklapsky, Eaton Rapids, Jr. (49-2)
Thompson chose down in the ultimate tiebreaker and escaped Sklapsky for an 8-7 win.
“A year ago I wouldn't have chosen down,” said Thompson, who is in his first year at Marysville. “I wasn't very good on the mat, but I've made a lot of improvements on the mat since I've moved to Marysville.”
135
Champion: Austin Melton, DeWitt, Soph. (48-3)
Major Decision, 13-4 over Collin Lieber, Croswell-Lexington, Fr. (50-2)
The gameplan was simple Melton.
Score, and score early, and that is exactly what he did in winning the 135-pound championship.
A takedown and a near-fall in the first period turned a five-point early lead into a 13-3 win and a title.
“My coaches just told me to do what I've been doing every match, which is to take it to him,” Melton said. “To score as much points as possible, so that I can get up as much as you can.”
145
Champion: Steve Bleise, Chelsea, Sr. (49-0)
Decision, 12-5 over Mark Bozzo St. Johns, Sr. (38-8)
Last year Bleise was beaten in the Finals by a St. Johns wrestler, Logan Massa. But not this year.
Bleise had a phrase running through his head as he ran to the mat for the 145-pound title match against Bozzo.
“I told myself going out to the mat, I wasn't going to take second again,” Bleise said. “That really got my mindset going. I couldn't imagine coming off that mat not winning again.”
152
Champion: Logan Massa, St. Johns, Jr. (51-0)
Fall, 1:56 over Dillon Ellsworth, Lapeer East, Jr. (58-3)
Massa said it helps his psyche to have his brother on the side of the mat for his big matches.
And why not when your brother is a four-time undefeated champion, Taylor Massa.
It's helped two years in a row now, as Logan Massa won his second straight MHSAA championship with his brother in his corner.
“It's awesome to have him in my corner,” Logan Massa said. “It is really cool that (St. Johns coach Derek Phillips) lets me do it. It makes you feel more comfortable having him in my corner.”
160
Champion: Logan Ritchie, New Boston Huron, Jr. (57-2)
Decision, 2-1 over Tobias Barnes, Romulus Summit Academy, Sr. (56-2)
Ritchie kept the pressure on Barnes, and it paid off with a title.
Ritchie was awarded a penalty point late in the third period that allowed him to beat Barnes 2-1.
“I knew he liked to back up in space, and I just kept keeping the pressure on,” Ritchie said. “I know this time of the year they will call stalling. Maybe not in Districts, but they will down here.”
171
Champion: Max Dean, Lowell, Soph. (34-2)
Decision, 14-8 over Devon Pingel, North Branch, Soph. (55-2)
It was a battle of two super sophomores in the 171-pound title match, as Dean got the best of Pingel 14-8.
It was Dean's first MHSAA championship, while Pingel now has a runner-up finish to go with his title from 2013.
“I have a lot of respect for Devon Pingel,” Dean said. “He is always on the attack, and he is always coming. I got a little broken down last (period), but that is a credit to him. Fortunately, I built a little bit of a lead and was able to counter.”
Dean built a 8-2 lead and held on for the win.
189
Champion: Angus Arthur, St. Johns, Jr. (47-0)
Decision, 5-2 over Garett Stehley, Lowell, Sr. (31-2)
Two years ago, Arthur and Stehley were teammates on the Lowell wrestling team. Saturday they were opponents trying to win the 189-pound title.
And in a match that came down to the wire, Arthur hung on for a 3-2 win to win his second straight title.
Stehley was runner-up for the second straight year.
“It's the best feeling in the world,” Arthur said. “I know Garett is a hard wrestler, and this is his second year (he has taken second), so I knew he would come out strong. … I just kept on my attacks.”
215
Champion: Josh Colegrove, Lowell, Jr. (35-1)
Fall, 1:50 over Jacob Alarie, Bay City Western, Sr. (45-7)
Last year, Colegrove missed the Finals, recovering from surgery on an injured knee he suffered in football.
So when he won the title at 215 pounds with a pin over Alarie, he let out a huge yell and jumped into his coaches’ arms.
“This feels awesome; all my hard work to get back is paying off,” Colegrove said.
Colegrove also pointed to the sky in his celebration.
“My grandpa (Bill Colegrove) passed away a couple of years ago, after my freshman year,” Colegrove said. “I won this for him, because he was a big part of my life. He was always there for me.”
285
Champion: Chris Hendricks, Fruitport, Sr. (45-1)
Decision, 6-3 over Preston Pelham, Tecumseh, Sr. (55-2)
Fruitport has another heavyweight champion.
Hendricks accomplished that by beating Pelham 6-3 in a hard-fought battle of athletic 285-pounders.
From 1994-97, Matt Brink won three MHSAA titles for the school in the heavyweight division.
“All the work I put in, it's paying off now,” Hendricks said. “All the people that have come up to work with me, former champions, my coaches, my workout partners, I wouldn't have done this without all of them. I owe this all to them.”
PHOTO: (Top) St. Johns' Zac Hall was among flag bearers during the grand march before Saturday's MHSAA Individual Finals. (Middle) Hall's hand is raised as he finishes his fourth title. (Click to see more from High School Sports Scene.)
MHSAA Girls Wrestling Celebrates Pair of 1st-Time Achievements
By
Brad Emons
Special for MHSAA.com
March 2, 2025
DETROIT – Ford Field was buzzing again this weekend, and 24,000 fans saw history made multiple ways during the MHSAA Girls Wrestling Finals on Saturday.
Individually, Fowlerville senior Margaret Buurma became the first girl to win four Individual Finals titles.
Also for the first time, the MHSAA recognized a girls team champion based on the individual points and places scored by each school. Grand Haven, scoring 69.5 points, emerged as the winner followed by runner-up Lowell (59) and Fowlerville (57).
Buurma’s historic fourth title didn’t come easily as she held off Romeo junior Belicia Manuel in a battle of past Finals champions by 1-0 decision in the 145-pound title match.
“The way it went down – 1-0 – was a win just as well as 10-0,” said Buurma, who plans to continue her career collegiately. “It means so much to me. Just to be able to be a role model for younger girls in Michigan and have something for them to look forward to when they get older. It’s just amazing, and I couldn’t do it without my support system.”
Meanwhile, Plainwell’s Madison Nieuwenhuis (100), Westland John Glenn’s Nakayla Dawson (110) and Caledonia’s Maddie Hayden (170) earned three-peats. All are juniors and will try and match Buurma’s four-peat next season.
100
Champion: Madison Nieuwenhuis, Plainwell, Jr. (26-0)
Technical Fall (2:34) 17-1, over Veronica Tapia, Lowell, Jr. (31-2)
Nieuwenhuis quickly went on the offensive to record the pin and garner her third-consecutive MHSAA individual title to go along with an unbeaten season.
She suffered a bloody lip and needed an injury timeout, but nothing could stop her.
“I just tried getting better attacks than last time,” Nieuwenhuis said. “I’m pretty excited about it, and hopefully I can get one more next year. I think the season went really well, and I think I grew a lot.”
105
Champion: Tatianna Castillo, Lowell, Fr. (28-0)
Fall, 5:05, over Lillee Denson, St. Clair Shores Lakeview, Jr. (19-3)
Castillo made quite a debut, going undefeated. And for every pin this season, she received a Mamba candy from the Lowell coaching staff signifying that she has that “Mamba Mentality.”
Lowell is known for its boys champion powerhouse teams in Division 2, and Castillo has the distinction of becoming the school’s first girls individual champ.
“It was so emotional. I really didn’t know how to feel,” Castillo said. “I definitely had some tears after the matches. It’s so amazing.”
Castillo was not familiar with Denson as an opponent, so she didn’t alter her strategy.
“I just went in there and wrestled my way,” Castillo said.
110
Champion: Nakayla Dawson, Westland John Glenn, Jr. (12-0)
Fall, 1:55, over Shai Curtiss, Shepherd, Jr. (38-2)
Dawson, who has already wrestled nearly 100 male opponents during her prep career, also joined the three Individual Finals title club with a decisive victory via pin over Curtiss.
“I don’t worry about who I wrestled because if I look at rankings and look what they did and it might get into my head and I might not wrestle as good as I could,” Dawson said. “I really don’t worry about who I wrestle, and I just go out and wrestle.”
Dawson placed third in her weight class at the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Tournament, against a bracket filled with boys. Her overall record this season was 38-6, and she won all 12 matches versus females.
“I think it benefits me because of the strength. It just prepares me for all this and makes me better,” Dawson said.
115
Champion: Gracey Barry, Grand Haven, Sr. (33-1)
Decision, 4-3, over Kassie Sapp, Whitehall, Fr. (15-3)
In one of the most competitive matches of the day, the senior Barry was able to edge the freshman Sapp by a mere point.
Barry was a runner-up a year ago and also a Finals qualifier as a sophomore.
“I’ve seen that girl (Sapp) at Districts, I’ve seen her at Regionals,” Barry said. “Each time it’s gotten closer and closer. It was a tough match, and I’m just completely in shock right now. This has been my dream probably since I was 5 years old. My dad (Joe) has been my wrestling coach my whole life. He won three titles at Mason. My goal was just to get to the top of that podium, and I’m very proud.”
120
Champion: Cheyenne Frank, Oxford, Jr. (26-0)
Decision, 9-4, over Sky Langewicz, Sr., Algonac (15-4)
Frank jumped out to a 6-0 lead and went on to post a five-point decision for her first title and to cap an undefeated season.
Langewicz, the taller competitor, tried to use her leverage against Frank.
“I’ve wrestled two other times – well three times – one last year and then at Districts and Regionals this year,” Frank said. “I guess my game plan was to go in, like working all my stuff and hand fighting, and just stick to my stuff, perfect my stuff and find different ways to tie up. She is such a talented wrestler. It was definitely harder to use some of my stuff.”
As a sophomore, Frank finished as a runner-up, and she placed fifth as a freshman. On Saturday, she also recorded her 100th career win.
“It’s crazy, all my growth in wrestling … it’s really an incredible thing,” Frank said. “It makes me happy.”
125
Champion: Cecilia Williams, Mason, Jr. (10-0)
Fall, 1:55, over Lola Barkby, Sturgis, Sr. (22-2)
After finishing runner-up as a freshman, Williams missed the Finals during her sophomore season with both a knee problem and hip injury, but bounced back Saturday to record her first state crown.
Barkby came in as the reigning champion at 120.
“I feel a lot better, my body … no injuries at all, I’m all healed up,” Williams said. “I never wrestled her (Barkby). My biggest problem was the crowd and all these people, so I was just trying to wrestle myself. I was just trying to get to her legs … the Peterson (roll).”
130
Champion: Angellaya Burden, Mio, Soph. (25-2)
Fall, 3:04, over Brynn Bower, Grand Haven, Sr. (18-3)
Burden overcame an early 5-2 deficit to record the pin and earn her first championship. She also had pinned Bower in the first period at the Regional.
Burden, who was fourth a year ago at 125, became Mio’s first girls Finals champion.
“I just had to get off the bottom and score,” said Burden, who has been wrestling since the third grade.
135
Champion: Isabella Cepak, South Lyon East, Sr. (18-0)
Fall, 0:19, over Kennedi Wahmhoff, Mason, Sr. (31-2)
After finishing as a runner-up two times, Cepak got to the mountaintop with the fastest pin (19 seconds) in the girls Finals.
“That was the plan all along, to go for it right off the whistle,” Cepak said. “I had never faced her before.”
Going into her senior season, Cepak brought a new attitude and a new confidence.
“Just finally feeling like I wrestle to my full ability and didn’t hold myself back,” she said. “That’s how it feels to finally win, I guess, for this year.”
140
Champion: Nanda Kibi, Plymouth, Jr. (31-1)
Fall, 2:35, over Mackenna Webster, Bronson, Jr. (33-1)
After not qualifying last year as a sophomore following an eighth-place finish as a ninth-grader, Kibi was on a mission this season and proved it with a pin over Webster, who suffered her only setback this winter.
During the season, Kibi impressed with 27 pins among her 31 victories.
“I didn’t make it out last year, and it was just all year what I’ve been working through,” she said. “And, I went to Nationals and I said I can win a state championship, so I just had to put the work in all year.”
Webster had a solid resumè coming into the Finals.
“I’ve never wrestled her,” Kibi said. “At Fargo (N.D.) she placed one place ahead of me, and that’s all I knew about her. I just wrestled the way I normally do.”
145
Champion: Margaret Buurma, Fowlerville, Sr. (38-3)
Decision, 1-0, over Belicia Manuel, Romeo, Jr. (30-3)
The two finalists have had somewhat of a history. They trained a little bit together over the summer in a battle of reigning champions.
Buurma was able to get an early point Saturday and hold on for the victory.
“We wrestled a lot on the Team Michigan teams together,” Manuel said. “The first time I’ve really wrestled her was this year. I’ve always been a little bit smaller, but I’m really glad I had the opportunity to face amazing wrestlers throughout the entire weekend and to be able to push myself to my best extent.”
155
Champion: Kaili Manuel, Romeo, Soph. (41-0)
Fall, 4:29, over Maddison Ward, Niles, Sr. (30-1)
Waiting in the staging area while her sister Belicia was wrestling a close match for the 145 title, Kaili tried to stay focused and in the moment.
Kaili captured her second-straight title with a pin versus Ward, who suffered her only defeat of the year and was the reigning champion with a 64-1 record over the past two seasons.
“It fun along the process and watching my sister wrestle before me. … It’s kind of like a little bit of stress, but it’s fun overall,” said Kaili, who won at 145 last year. “Today, I was just looking to work moves and stuff. I was aiming for the pin, but it kind of like came to me. I’m happy, it’s exciting and it’s nice, too. I want another one, and I’m going for four. I was hoping to win with her (Belicia), but things happen. We’ll come back next year for it.”
170
Champion: Maddie Hayden, Caledonia, Jr. (22-1)
Decision, 5-0, over Raven Aldridge, Clinton, Sr. (33-5)
After winning the 155 titles both as a freshman and sophomore, Hayden put in a business-like effort to earn her third-straight crown.
It was the first meeting between the two.
“I had never seen her, but I knew of her just based (on) we wrestle a lot of the same (opponents),” Hayden said. “To be honest, my game plan was to get in, get out.”
Hayden got a late start to the season and bumped up a weight class. She didn’t wrestle until November after suffering a concussion in a tourney prior to the preseason.
“When you can’t work out, you can’t wrestle, but I’d like to be back at 155,” she said.
190
Champion: Kanata Richardson, Bloomfield Hills, Jr. (28-2)
Decision, 4-2, over Halle Spears, Midland, Jr. (27-3)
As a freshman, Richardson missed the MHSAA Tournament with both an MCL and ACL tear before finishing fourth as a sophomore a year ago.
Against Spears, she was able to stay on her feet and avoid any major takedowns.
“Last year at states and I beat her by one point in the quarterfinals,” Richardson said. “Then this year, in the Brighton tournament I lost to her. And I lost to her again at Regionals in triple overtime by one point. Today, I just had to prove it to myself and prove to everybody else that I’m the best, and that’s what I was going to do. I stuck with what I had. I trusted God’s plan and He just told me to keep that arm on that fireman’s (carry), and I did.”
235
Champion: Isabel Anaya, Holland West Ottawa (33-0)
Decision, 8-2, over Annmarie Green, Clare (16-1)
After placing fifth last year, third as a sophomore and seventh as a ninth-grader, Anaya made it to the top of the podium with a victory over Green, who suffered her only loss of the season.
“I wrestled her three or four other times, and I’ve only ever beaten her once,” Anaya said. “The other times she would get me into positions and I wouldn’t know what to do, and she’d just stick me. But this time she didn’t stick me.”
Anaya, who plans to wrestle in college but hasn’t decided where, said she changed her strategy against the top-seeded Green.
“I didn’t try things before that didn’t work,” Anaya said. “I practiced millions of different moves to figure out what would be the best to do today.”
PHOTOS (Top) Fowlerville’s Margaret Buurma, left, holds up four fingers after clinching her fourth Individual Finals championship Saturday. (Middle) Westland John Glenn’s Nakayla Dawson, top, works toward winning her third title. (Below) Grand Haven holds up its team championship trophy, the first awarded in MHSAA girls wrestling history. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)