Let's Play 2 (or 3, or 4)
February 16, 2012
A few conversations I had at last week's Women In Sports Leadership conference further affirmed a point I've been making for years -- high school athletes, if they'd like, shouldn't hesitate to play multiple sports.
Doing so does not hurt, but might just help their chances at landing that prized college scholarship -- on top of adding another layer to the high school sports experience.
Reaffirming this for me last week was Michigan State softball coach Jacquie Joseph, who spoke on that subject at the WISL conference. She's heading into her 24th season as a head coach at the Division I college level -- so she's been around for some of the evolution of both high school sports specialization and college recruiting. Plus, she coaches a sport that sees its share of athletes playing just that one.
Later, I spoke with a high school coach who leads teams in three sports and also played one at the Division I college level. She's a believer in this as well.
Some of the things I've been told over the years about playing more than one sport:
- It allows an athlete to learn more skills and hone more parts of his or her athleticism.
- Using another range of movement further helps condition an athlete's body and make it more resistant to injury.
- It's hardly rare to see a college football coach watching a prospect's basketball game -- coaches like to see how athleticism transfers across sports, and sometimes will see something from an athlete playing basketball that he didn't show on the football field. (Football and basketball are used in this example, but the same applies to a number of similar situations.)
- Athletes get an opportunity to play whatever they'd like only this once (unless they turn out to be that rare college athlete who takes on more than one sport at that level).
These are hardly new arguments. But they are always worth repeating -- especially when the people frequently making them (college coaches) are the ones single-sport athletes often are trying to impress.
D3 Preview: 2 More Seek Induction Into 4-Time Champs Club
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 3, 2022
No matches draw in more of the Ford Field wrestling crowd than those featuring potential four-time MHSAA Finals champs. And spectators will have multiple opportunities to watch history this weekend in Division 3.
Clinton’s Logan Badge and Dundee’s Casey Swiderski are seeking to become the next four-time title winners, joining a list that has grown to 30 since Mount Pleasant’s Mike Mills became the first in 1979.
With the starting weight 189 pounds, Badge – whose team wrestled in Division 4 his first three seasons before moving into Division 3 this winter – could have a chance to celebrate in the first match of the final round Saturday afternoon.
The Grand March on Friday begins at 10 a.m., with wrestling through semifinals that evening. Wrestling begins again at 9 a.m. Saturday with championship matches at 3:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at Ford Field. All matches will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv, and we’ll talk to all 14 champions in each division for our Second Half coverage published later that evening and overnight. See the MHSAA Wrestling Finals page for more information and to follow results this weekend.
112 Connor Younts, Clinton sophomore (40-7) – Last year’s 103-pound champ in Division 4 won a Regional championship two weeks ago and could run into the top seed in this bracket in the semifinals.
119 Braeden Davis, Dundee junior (37-2) – He’s looking to add a third Finals championship after winning 112 as a sophomore and 103 as a freshman.
130 Kade Chinavare, Dundee junior (32-3) – Last year’s winner at 119 gives this bracket two 2021 champs set up to potentially decide the title. Chinavare also finished third at 112 as a freshman.
130 Zachary Gibson, Lake Odessa Lakewood senior (35-0) – The top seed at this weight won at 125 last year and is a combined 88-1 over the last two. He’s also earned fifth places at 112 and 103 and has a 179-15 career record.
140 Ryker Johnecheck, Williamston senior (34-2) – He’s looking to follow up last year’s undefeated run to the 130 title with his third championship after also winning 125 as a sophomore.
145 Aiden Davis, Dundee junior (39-0) – The top seed at 145 is wrestling for his second title after winning 135 last year and finishing the 125 runner-up as a freshman.
152 Casey Swiderski, Dundee senior (41-0) – His past championships were at 145 last year, 135 in 2020 and 103 in 2019, and he’s bringing a career record of 154-3 into the weekend.
160 Connor Owens, Flint Powers Catholic junior (14-0) – After losing by decision in last season’s 160 championship match, he’s back as the top seed and with that his only defeat since his freshman season when he finished fourth at 140.
189 Logan Badge, Clinton senior (33-5) – He’s seeking his third title at 189 after winning that weight in Division 4 the last two seasons and 215 in Division 4 as a freshman. He'll also no doubt be eager to get back on the mat coming off a rare defeat, to Alma's Jacob Munger during last weekend's Team Semifinals.
285 Levi Harber, Montrose senior (40-4) – The top seed at this weight is returning after finishing runner-up last season, to go with a third place at 215 as a sophomore.
Other 2021 champions: 112 Kade Kluce, Dundee sophomore (37-6, 103 last year); 135 Coy Perry, Clinton sophomore (44-8, 112 in Division 4 last year).
Other 2021 runners-up: 103 Talan Parsons, Ovid-Elsie sophomore (33-1, 103 last year); 119 Gavyn Merchant, Kingsley sophomore (33-3, 112 last year); 119 Connor Busz, Clinton junior (45-2, 112 in Division 4 last year); 125 Zak Shadley, Clinton junior (39-10, 119 in Division 4 last year); 135 Caeleb Ishmael, Coloma senior (43-3, 125 last year); 160 Kent McCombs, Clinton senior (30-2, 145 in Division 4 last year); 171 Randy Pyrzewski, Gladwin senior (46-2, 171 last year).
Additional No. 1 seeds: 112 Easton Moran, Yale senior (48-2); 125 Cameron Chinavare, Dundee sophomore (35-2); 135 Aidan Bernard, Montrose senior (42-1); 171 Randy Pyrzewski, Gladwin senior (46-2); 215 Hunter Huguelet, Gladwin senior (40-1).
Also undefeated: 145 Cody Ueberroth, Saginaw Swan Valley junior (43-0); 160 Nick Marienfeld, Napoleon senior (51-0).
PHOTO Dundee's Casey Swiderski gains control of his opponent during Saturday's Team Semifinal win over Imlay City. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)