DETROIT — Brady Jess and Landon Swanson were born only three months apart.
They made Charlevoix history less than an hour apart, as the pair won Charlevoix’s first state championships in school history.
“That was awesome to get those wins,” said Swanson, a Central Michigan University football commit. “We’ve been best friends since basically birth, so it was awesome to share that moment with him.”
Jess officially won Charlevoix’s first state title with a 13-2 major decision in the Division 3 175-pound weight class championship final over White Pigeon senior Caleb Lane. Jess finished his junior season with a 54-1 record after winning district and regional titles.
Swanson won by 9-3 decision over Perry senior Cameron Doody, who had lost only four times in over 50 matches this season. With three takedowns and a three-point nearfall, Swanson said he felt in control when the match started.
Beforehand, that was another deal.
Waiting hours for his championship match led to some stress.
“The nerves were crazy,” Swanson said. “They were my biggest opponent, really. I knew I could get the kid and that I had a better shot than him.”
Northern Michigan produced five individual state wrestling champions in Saturday’s final round of the individual state championships at Ford Field in Detroit.
Gaylord junior Sunni LaFond led northern Michigan girls wrestlers with a championship effort at 115 pounds.
She won by 13-9 decision over Grand Haven junior Gracey Barry. LaFond finished her junior season with a 30-6 record after winning her first three matches at states by pin.
Five other girls wrestlers placed in the top eight of their classes to earn all-state honors, with Benzie Central’s Cambrie Lawrence (21-2) finishing fourth at 130 pounds, Traverse City West’s Anna Beers (15-8) eighth at 130 and fellow Titan Abigayle Dahl (17-14) seventh at 235, Manistee’s Ava Pike (16-10) eighth at 100, and Manton’s Makalaya Gowell (22-10) fifth at 155.
Two other Blue Devils claimed state championships, and the Bensinger brothers almost pulled off twin titles in Division 2. Sophomore Jaron Bensinger fell in a 7-1 126-pound title match against Birmingham Brother Rice’s Ricardo Saenz. Bensinger finished the season 38-2.
His older brother, Ty Bensinger, claimed the 190-pound championship, with 157-pounder Zane Willobee winning the crown in that weight class for three GHS state champs on the day in coach Jerry LaJoie’s final season.
Willobee won via decision over Clio sophomore D’Marion Erlenbeck in the 157 title bout to close the season with a 29-3 mark.
Ty Bensinger won by disqualification in the 190-pound final over Goodrich’s previously unbeaten Easton Phipps. Bensinger, a Northwood University football commit, ended the season with a perfect 38-0 record after Phipps was disqualified for an illegal slam that left Bensinger unable to finish the match because he didn’t pass concussion protocols.
He said he was feeling better later in the day but still had a headache.
“It was cool to go with (Jaron) in the finals,” Ty said. “It feels good, but not exactly the way I wanted.”
Traverse City West sophomore Matthew Quigley fell in the Division 1 113-pound title tilt with Detroit Catholic Central sophomore Wyatt Lees. Quigley closes out his freshman season with a 46-4 record.
Traverse City Central sophomore Grady Rousse placed eighth at 150 pounds to earn all-state honors, winning two matches at the finals.
Cadillac 165-pounder Luke Phillips placed eighth in Division 2, closing out his junior campaign with a 44-12 mark.
In Division 3, Kingsley put three wrestlers on the medal stand, led by a third-place finish by senior Max Goethals at 190 pounds. He won a 7-1 decision in the third-place match after a 6-5 decision to get there, ending the season 29-4. Grayling’s Jake Huspen took seventh in the same weight class, claiming a 10-8 decision over Grass Lake’s Jack Reid to earn seventh place and all-state honors with a 43-7 record.
The Stags had two medalists at 132 pounds, as Gavyn Merchant closed out his career with a 20-2 season and a fourth-place finish that gives him four all-state finishes. Jon Pearson placed sixth, as the senior finished with a 30-12 mark.
Traverse City St. Francis senior Tyler Sheeran went 2-1 Saturday, picking up an early pin of Imlay City’s Tanner Land, followed by a major decision over Mason County Central’s Hunter Sanford in his second match to get to the third-place match. Sheeran finished his senior campaign 42-10.
Grayling senior Logan Malonen (51-3) took third at heavyweight with a 2:41 pin of Richmond’s Matthew Misch in the consolation final. Malonen won three matches by fall to get to the third-place match.
Benzie Central continued its stellar season with six Division 4 state placers, including 138-pound runner-up Jacob Gillison. Hudson senior Cole Marry won a 5-0 decision in the title match, with Gillison capping his senior campaign with a 46-9 mark.
Dayne Gillison placed sixth at 113 pounds, closing out an excellent sophomore season in which he posted a 39-12 record.
Tyrone Brouillet took sixth at 157 pounds, with Lane Sanchez (215) and Dalton Geetings (150) placing seventh, and Nathan Higgins (132) eighth for the Huskies. Brouillet finished the season 41-20, Sanchez 40-15, Geetings 38-18, and Higgins 20-13.
Charlevoix had two more state placers after Jess and Swanson, with Trevor Streeter (44-8) taking seventh at 190 and Ben Matter (25-10) at 215 with an eighth-place showing.