High 5s: Back again
September 12, 2012
Each week, Second Half recognizes multiple athletes and teams from around the state of Michigan for their accomplishments while participating in MHSAA sports. We'll begin dishing out High 5s again beginning next week.
While larger stories about the honorees will be posted to the site throughout the week, check back in this spot each Wednesday for the full list of our selections, links to their stories and a running list of honorees for the entire season.
Know an athlete or team with a great story? Email editor Geoff Kimmerly at [email protected] and tell him about it. Again, most of our honorees will be recognized for what they do athletically; but we also enjoy telling the state about the great things our athletes are doing in the classroom and their communities.
Dundee's Dominance Reaches Next Level with 8th-Straight Title Run
By
Jeff Chaney
Special for MHSAA.com
February 22, 2025
KALAMAZOO -- Total Domination.
Those are only words to describe the Dundee wrestling team's march through the MHSAA’s Division 3 Team Wrestling Tournament this year.
Dundee won its eighth-straight championship with a 74-0 win over Yale on Saturday at Wings Events Center.
During the entire MHSAA Tournament, the Vikings wrestled seven teams, outscoring them by a combined 537-13. They lost only three individual matches through the whole tournament.
"It is pretty exciting to do this," senior 175 -pounder Kole Katschor said. "We go to the practice room every day to work hard, and it shows. This is pretty cool to see, but we work hard."
Dundee earned its way to the Final by defeating Ogemaw Heights 75-6 in the Quarterfinals and Allegan 72-0 in the Semifinals.
This after downing Milan 82-0 and Ida 76-4 at Districts and Livonia Clarenceville 77-3 and Hazel Park 81-0 at Regionals.
"Our team work ethic makes us," Dundee junior Blake Cosby said. "We go in and out of our practice room every day, and we train harder than anyone else out here. That separates us from everyone else."
With that kind of leadership, it's easy to see why the Vikings have such a strong program from top to bottom.
"Throughout the state tournament, especially at Districts and Regionals, we are able to give our starters some time off," Dundee co-coach Nate Hall said. "They don't have to make weight on Wednesday, we slide up guys and we are able to give some of our starters some rest and some other guys opportunities. We are happy to put those guys in those situations so they are prepared later on."
Katschor, a two-time returning Individual Finals champion, and Cosby, also a returning champ, led a Vikings team this year that has eight wrestlers ranked No. 1 in their respective weight classes.
In the championship match, Dundee won every bout by at least bonus points, including six pins and six technical fall victories.
Katschor and Cosby both won their matches by first-period falls.
"Their kids are very dedicated and put a lot of time in during the whole year," said Yale coach Rob Majcher, whose team finished a successful year with a 32-3 record. "Our kids saw where they need to be. I'm very happy with where we are at. A lot of kids have bought into the program. This was definitely a magical season for them."
And it looks like the magic will continue for Dundee.
The Vikings have three returning champions and a total of 14 wrestlers who qualified for next weekend's Individual Finals.
And the Vikings graduate only one senior, Katschor.
"We lose a good one,:" Cosby said of his teammate. “But our junior class is a stud class."
"From ‘our Finals’ lineup we only lose one senior," said Hall, whose team ended the year with a 23-0 record. "We lose a total of four seniors this year, and their dedication and character is to be sought after. Our junior class, we are junior heavy, and that class may be the toughest class we have had at Dundee."
Click for this weekend’s Division 3 meet summaries.
PHOTOS (Top) Dundee's Braden Broderick (top) takes control of his match at 132 pounds Saturday. (Middle) The Vikings' Mason Katschor (left) gets ahold of Mackey McClelland's foot during their bout at 113. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)