Did you see that? (10/29-11/4)

November 5, 2012

We had champions upon champions upon champions last week, whether they were winners of MHSAA Finals in cross country and soccer, Districts in volleyball or league champs in swimming and diving. 

Girls cross country

Favorites make good: Reigning individual champions Erin Finn of West Bloomfield, Julia Bos of Grand Rapids Christian and Kirsten Olling of Breckenridge all repeated Saturday at Michigan International Speedway, with Macomb Lutheran North's Gina Patterson joining the group. Second Half talked to all four. (Division 1) (Division 2) (Division 3) (Division 4)

Boys cross country

Taking two titles: Highland Milford and Concord won both the MHSAA Lower Peninsula team championships in their respective divisions Saturday and also had the top individuals in those races. Second Half provided same-day coverage from every race. (Division 1) (Division 2) (Division 3) (Division 4)

Soccer

Headed west: A year after Detroit-area teams claimed all four MHSAA LP boys soccer championships, Grand Rapids area teams took back three. East Kentwood, Hudsonville Unity Christian and Grand Rapids South Christian won titles, while Hamtramck Freedom International kept one on the east side of the state with its first Finals win. Second Half covered them all. (Division 1) (Division 2) (Division 3) (Division 4)

Volleyball

Hang that banner: Bay City John Glenn won its first volleyball District championship in the 47-year history of the school, beating Essexville-Garber in four sets to claim a Class B title. John Glenn had to come back after dropping the first game. (Bay City Times)

Hang that banner, part II: Three Rivers also won its first volleyball District championship, downing Vicksburg in four games to claim the Class B championship. (Sturgis Journal)

Copper Kings, once again: After finding itself only two points from the District championship in 2011, and then giving up the final five to lose it, Calumet defeated rival Houghton in three games to take back the trophy after two straight Houghton wins. The Copper Kings are ranked No. 4 in Class C. (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette)

West Iron ends near-decade of dominance: Iron River West Iron County had last won a District title in 2002, before nine straight by rival Iron Mountain. But the Wykons knocked out the Mountaineers in a Semifinal and came back from match point to score the final five and beat Ironwood for a Class C championship. (Escanaba Daily News)

Swimming and Diving

Holland still rules: Coming off their first MHSAA championship in 2011, the Dutch continue to roll and piled up seven O-K Green records in winning that league championship meet. Cassie Misiewicz and Holly Morren each set two individual marks. (Holland Sentinel)

Double Dow: Midland Dow won the Saginaw Valley League championship meet with 638 points, more than double that of the runner-up. The title was Dow's seventh straight. (Midland Daily News)

Wrestling

Longtime Napoleon coach steps down: Todd Anderson announced his resignation after running the program since 1990-91. His father Don Anderson started the program in 1967. (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)

Tennis

Forman is Mr. Tennis: Troy senior Brett Forman, the MHSAA Division 1 champion at No. 1 singles as a sophomore and runner-up this fall, was named Mr. Tennis by the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association. He finished his career with a 77-8 record. (Oakland Press)

Story of the Week

Kirsten fights on: A little more than a year ago, doctors found cancerous tumors throughout Kirsten Longstreth's body, including multiple in her lungs. But the Beaverton senior had fought back to nearly knock the cancer completely out, and while continuing to play sports including volleyball this fall. (Midland Daily News)

Roseville's Williams Earns Elusive Title with Explosive Finals Flourish

By Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com

March 1, 2025

DETROIT – Jay’Den Williams almost got too amped up Saturday.

The Roseville junior, who had much of Ford Field in awe with his big-move ability, nearly got put to his back in the 165-pound title match at the Division 1 Individual Wrestling Finals. 

But he shook it off on his way to a 23-8 technical fall victory against Temperance Bedford’s Zach Miracle to claim his first championship.

“You see, I got too excited,” Williams said with a laugh. “I was excited and tried to force things. But my energy went up after that.”

Williams finished off a perfect season (53-0) after placing second the past two Finals. He became Roseville’s first champion since Bobby Nash won in 2009.

“I’m building up a lot of awards, a lot of records, and I got a little brother (Kyrie), he’s going to be coming in,” Williams said. “I want him to be the one to beat it, so I’m going to set it high.”

Williams won all four of his matches on the weekend by technical fall, ending the first three in the first period, before going 1 minute, 22 seconds into the second against Miracle.

He came out aggressive in the Final, getting three takedowns in the opening 1:16 before hitting a seven-point throw late in the period and drawing a large reaction from the crowd.

Not long after that, Miracle (57-4) was able to score a takedown and nearly get nearfall points, but that was all the offense he’d be able to get as Williams closed the match out with a pair of takedowns in the second period.

“It feels amazing,” Williams said. “Coming out here, being able to win a state title in front of all these people, knowing that you just came off a runner-up, it feels amazing.”

106

Champion: Cyrus Woodberry, Detroit Cass Tech, Fr. (51-2)
Decision, 2-1 (OT), over Jameson Wood, Brighton, Soph. (45-3)

Woodbury became the first Finals champion in Cass Tech history with a dramatic overtime victory.

After riding Wood out in the first 30-second frame, he scored an escape 12 seconds into the second to claim the victory. All three points in the match were scored on escapes, as neither wrestler was able to break through the other’s defense.

“It’s indescribable – it’s great,” Woodbury said. “I always thought I’d be here. I didn’t know how much time was left on the clock, I just thought about all the years I prayed for this, and just had to become a dog.”

113

Champion: Layne Martin, Rockford, Soph. (48-3)
Major Decision, 16-4, over Brice Lafleur, Saline, Jr. (47-3)

Martin fell behind early in the first period before putting on a dominant performance on his way to a first Finals title.

He scored the final 15 points in the match, helping make up for what he felt was a disappointing freshman year, which ended with him outside the top eight.

“I was just like, ‘Stay calm,’” Martin said. “I knew I could get some of my offense, work him on top. (A second period nearfall) was really big, really good for my mind to know I could give up a few points if I needed to.”

120

Champion: Wyatt Lees, Detroit Catholic Central, Jr. (38-5)
Decision, 3-0, over Ryan Totten, Detroit Catholic Central, Soph. (47-11)

Lees got all he could handle from his teammate, clawing his way to a third-straight Finals title. He had won at 106 in 2023 and 113 in 2024.

“It kind of sucks having to wrestle your teammate,” Lees said. “I think both of us out there didn’t care who it was, we were going to wrestle the same. At the end of the day, we’re still brothers. We both know what the other person wants. It’s been the same match the last three weeks, kind of.”

The only points in the match were scored when Lees got a takedown midway through the first period. The two Shamrocks fought to a draw from there, but it was enough for title No. 3.

126

Champion: Archer Anderson, Clarkston, Sr. (46-2)
Decision, 14-9, over Deacon Morgan, Rochester Adams, Soph. (45-6)

A year after wrestling one of his Clarkston teammates to claim his first Finals title, Anderson had to square off with a club teammate Saturday.

As he did in 2024, the Clarkston senior came out on top in this one, winning the final two periods 10-3 to pull away for the victory.

“As a freshman, I didn’t really expect it to go like this,” said Anderson, who was runner-up at 113 as a sophomore. “Funny joke, I go to the same club as (Morgan), so he is a teammate. I can’t get away from teammates. I think I spent the night at his house like a week ago. We knew – I knew he was going to be at the Finals. He’s great; he’s probably going to be a champion next year.”

132

Champion: Bohdan Abbey, Hartland, Jr. (49-1)
Technical Fall, 18-3, over Dominic Perez, Davison, Sr. (27-12)

Abbey returned to the top of the podium with a dominant performance. The junior was a champion at 113 as a freshman before finishing second at 126 a year ago.

“It was a hurting feeling for a while, so it’s good to kind of get my get-back, but not really,” he said. “But it feels good. I made sure I took in the moment and didn’t take it for granted this year.”

Abbey finished with four technical falls in the tournament.

138

Champion: Jace Morgan, Rochester Adams, Sr. (47-0)
Major Decision, 10-0, over Preston Lefevre, Clarkston, Sr. (48-2)

Morgan closed out a perfect season with a dominant performance Saturday. A takedown 37 seconds into the match set the tone, and he kept pushing the rest of the way against LeFevre, who was also a runner-up a year ago.

“Throughout my whole career, they’ve been with me, my teammates, helping me and pushing me,” Morgan said. “They’ve been helping me get better, helping me get to this point and achieving what I have today.”

Morgan became the first Adams wrestler to win a title since 1999.

144

Champion: Grayson Fuchs, Detroit Catholic Central, Soph. (42-2)
Major Decision, 14-2, over Tanner McDunnah, Davison, Sr. (34-9)

In a matchup of finalists from a year ago, Fuchs put his foot on the pedal and didn’t let up.

The now two-time Finals champion scored a takedown 13 seconds into the match, and only allowed a pair of escapes against McDunnah, who was runner-up at this weight a year ago as well.

Saturday’s match was a far cry from a week ago, when Fuchs won a tight decision at the Division 1 Team Finals.

“I was pushing the pace more, getting to my ties,” Fuchs said. “Last week, I was more wrestling into his ties and he was holding onto me. This time, I was just moving my feet more, getting my ties, my shots, moving him. I was moving my hands and my feet more, that was pretty much it.”

Fuchs, who won at 126 a year ago, got to the Finals with a trio of technical falls in the opening three rounds.

150

Champion: Dallas Korponic, Hartland, Jr. (50-4)
Decision, 1-0, over Julius Pacheco, Davison, Soph. (34-9)

Korponic claimed his second-straight title with a second-period escape holding up as the match’s lone point.

“It feels pretty good getting a second one,” he said. “It means just as much as the last one. I’ve been working all year for it, so it felt good. I know my conditioning was going to work for me. I was looking for another opportunity to score, but also just keeping that win.”

Korponic, who won at 132 pounds as a sophomore, cruised to the Finals, winning by technical fall in each of his first three matches. 

157

Champion: Braylenn Aulbach, Rockford, Sr. (49-2)
Decision, 9-8, over Kyle Jelinek, Davison, Sr. (31-7)

Aulbach battled back in the third period, scoring seven points after falling behind 7-2. Jelinek suffered a leg injury late in the match, but continued on.

“He was dealing with something with his knee, which sucks,” Aulbach said. “It’s kind of mean, but you have to take advantage of that kind of thing. He’s long. I struggled to get to his legs, and he’s easily going to grab mine. I think it just comes down to pace.

“As a freshman, I never really thought I’d get to this point. This year, it was really like, ‘Wow, I can do it.’ To get it done and beat a good kid, it’s a dream come true.”

Saginaw United’s Michael Baldwin, top, takes Oxford’s Luke Johnson to the mat at 175 pounds.

175

Champion: Michael Baldwin, Saginaw United, Sr. (33-2)
Decision, 7-6 (UTB), over Luke Johnson, Oxford, Sr. (45-4)

After splitting their matches in the District and Regional Finals, Baldwin and Johnson put on a classic Saturday night.

Baldwin won on a technical point, as Johnson grabbed his singlet in a last-gasp move during the ultimate tiebreaker period. 

“It’s unreal,” Baldwin said. “My family’s here, it feels like half of my city is here. It’s like we did it, we finally did it. It’s the first year with the new school, I’m the first-ever state champ. I set the standard, doing the right things, leaving it all out on the mat. I want another kid to come through and do the same thing.”

Johnson had forced overtime with a third-period takedown, and held off a Baldwin attempt at the buzzer.

190

Champion: Lee Krueger, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (41-8)
Major Decision, 11-0, over Thomas Jaynes, Romeo, Jr. (53-7)

Krueger has watched as so many Catholic Central wrestlers have won Finals titles, so to join that group was a special moment.

“It’s surreal,” he said. “Four years I’ve been here and watched guys I’ve looked up to do it, and now it’s finally my time and I did it. It’s completely surreal. As a freshman I was like a JV, borderline varsity guy, but my coaches and my teammates pushed me all the way up to where I am now.”

Krueger broke open what was a tight match with a takedown and nearfall late in the second period to take an 8-0 lead into the third.

215

Champion: Connor Bercume, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (48-0)
Major Decision, 10-2, over Sean O’Keefe, Brighton, Sr. (38-2)

Bercume closed out his illustrious Catholic Central career with a third Finals title. He also helped the Shamrocks win the past three Division 1 team titles.

“It feels pretty awesome,” he said. “I can’t believe how blessed I am to be part of this team for four years and have all these great teammates. I just feel really honored to be part of such a great program with such a great legacy.”

The Harvard-bound senior scored three takedowns in the first period to blow the match open, and controlled O’Keefe over the final four minutes to win title No. 3.

285

Champion: Logan Tollison, Grand Ledge, Jr. (45-0)
Decision, 8-1, over Anton Barynas, Jenison, Sr. (35-5)

After finishing as runner-up at 215 a year ago, Tollison had offseason surgery on his shoulder.

Those setbacks set up an incredible comeback, and he finished off an unbeaten season Saturday with his first Finals title.

“I’ve worked hard this season, so I deserved it, I think,” he said. “I was really driven, especially since I had to take six months off after I had shoulder surgery, so I had to really get after it when I got back.”

Tollison led 2-0 heading into the third period against Barynas, who was the runner-up at 285 a year ago. But the Grand Ledge junior scored a pair of takedowns in the final two minutes to pull away for the victory.

Click for full results.

PHOTOS (Top) Roseville’s Jay’Den Williams, right, locks the legs of Temperance Bedford’s Zach Miracle during their championship match at 165 pounds Saturday. (Middle) Saginaw United’s Michael Baldwin, top, takes Oxford’s Luke Johnson to the mat at 175 pounds. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)