DETROIT — Charlevoix senior Sawyer Blaszczyk stamped his name into wrestling glory as he won the 285-pound championship behind an incredible MHSAA D4 individual wrestling state championship run.
“It was surreal,” Blaszczyk said. “Like nothing I’ve ever felt in my life, just the stadium going crazy because I didn’t realize at the time, but we were the only match going on, and everybody’s watching us, and the stadium went crazy when I won … it’s just been a surreal moment.”
Blaszczyk is crowned a state champion after a thrilling three-overtime win over Hesperia senior Noah Walker, 5-2, to upset the No. 1 seed.
“I knew he had one specific movie he wanted to do,” Balszczyk said. “He wanted to hit me in a slide by and just use all his weight against me. I was just preparing, using my speed and working angles on him, trying to tire him out. I kept telling myself all day, and my parents, my coaches, and everybody around me: ‘It’s just another match. I just got to go out there, wrestle my match.’”
In the second overtime, Walker threw Blaszczyk in what was deemed a penalty to take a 2-1 lead before Walker found an escape to tie it with 12 seconds remaining. Walker earned another penalty in the third, then Blaszczyk hit a reversal to win the state championship.
“I knew all I had to do was get out,” Balszczyk said. “I heard his coaches say ‘you got to cut him and take him down. Just don’t give him your leg in your head.’ I reacted to that. He tried to put me in a cradle. I defended that and kept my head up so he couldn’t do anything. He put me in a front headlock, and he tried to roll me. Eventually, he just rolled straight to his back, and I just got on top of him, and I won.”
The state championship is the third in Charlevoix school history to follow in the footsteps of Charlevoix graduates Brady Jess and Landon Swanson two years ago.
Blaszczyk avenged a 2025 loss to Brock Woodhouse of Marcellus with a 2-1 semifinal decision Friday.
He cruised through the first two rounds of competition 7-0 and 11-2 to advance to the semifinal.
“Winning it all on my last match as a Rayder, it was just amazing,” Blaszczyk said. “I couldn’t ask for a better way to end my career here.”
Gaylord’s Willobee wins 2nd D2 state crown
Zane Willobee didn’t win his regional, but came away with a state championship.
The Gaylord senior finished the season 44-1 after taking third in regionals, suffering his only loss of the year in the semifinals.
Willobee defeated D’Marion Erlenbeck (52-3) 4-3 in a rematch of the 2024 state finals at 157 pounds. Erlenbeck won a 7-3 decision in regionals against the Blue Devils senior.
Willobee came from outside the top four seeds to win the 157-pound title as a sophomore and finished runner-up at 165 a year ago.
Willobee won his opening match by 20-5 technical fall, then his second by 19-4 tech and pounched his finals ticket with a 13-3 semifinal win over Paw Paw’s Kholby Armijo.
West’s Quigley finishes 2nd in D1
Traverse City West junior Matthew Quigley ended his junior campaign with a runner-up finish in the 120-pound D1 state championship in a close match to Layne Martin of Rockford, 19-4.
“I just have to be in a better position and work on small things and better technique,” Quigley said. “He was hitting the same move, and I didn’t have many counters.”
Quigley and Martin sparred in the first round before Martin had three takedowns in the second period to take a commanding lead.
The second-place finish caps off a historic junior season for Quigley with a 51-1 overall record this season. Quigley has quickly garnered many records for the Titans with one year remaining.
“It takes a lot and you have to be committed,” he said.
Quigley earned two first-round wins over Detroit Catholic Central and Grand Ledge before defeating Saline to advance to the state championship match.
The junior said he’s hungry to get back in the gym as a two-time state finalist for his senior year.
Crompton finishes 2nd in girls division
Frankfort senior Isabella Crompton wrestled every match you possibly could.
The 115-pound senior phenom fell in the championship match, 17-1, after a dominating tournament performance.
Crompton earned a 3-0 first-round win. She moved on to a dominating quarterfinal match, 10-0, and a semifinal, 18-8.
Crompton finishes her senior season with a 45-1 record.
Rousse finishes third in D1
Traverse City Central senior Grady Rousse took the third place championship at 165 pounds with a 6-3 win over Joseph Cappellano, capping off a remarkable state tournament run.
“I wanted to make all of it count,” Rousse said. “Sometimes it doesn’t go your way, and I was just trying to make the best of it.”
Rousse won his first match 7-0 before scoring 25 points in his second match. The senior would fall in the semifinal to Novi 8-5.
Rousse won in the consolation semifinal 11-6 over Clarkston before claiming the third place championship.
“It was really good to go out and end my career with a bang,” Rousse said.
BOYS DIVISION 2
Payton Sampson, Cadillac, Jr., 157, 42-5
Sampson had a great start to the tournament, winning his first two matches 4-2 and 9-5. The junior would fall in the semifinal 9-3 and move to the consolation bracket. Sampson lost in the consolation semifinal 9-1, before winning the fifth-place match 4-1, with a clutch escape and takedown in the third period.
Westyn Haslett, Cadillac, Sr., 144, 48-4
Haslett started 1-1 overall, then picked up two huge wins to weave his way through the field and into the fifth-place match. Haslett won to finish top five, 9-0, to finish a remarkable tournament run.
Shawn Paszkowski, Cadillac, Sr., 285, 39-10
Paszkowski lost his first match but won his next two by decision in the consolation rounds. He lost his fourth match but still earned a spot in the seventh-place contest, where Paszkowski lost 9-1 to Niles to place eighth.
Kieran Beach, Gaylord, Jr., 150, 32-6
Beach lost his first match 10-4, before winning his second 7-4. The junior would bow out of the tournament in his third match, 7-2.
Parker Rood, Cadillac, Sr., 285, 17-6
Rood would lose in the first round 6-5 before falling in the consolation round 6-2 to finish his Vikings career.
BOYS DIVISION 3
Colton Goethals, Kingsley, Sr., 215, 28-8
Goethals won his first-round match 7-2 before a quarterfinal loss to Dundee 2-1. Goethals won round two 4-1 and round three 2-1. The senior would lose in the consolation semifinals 4-1. Goethals would finish in sixth place in a close 4-3 loss in the fifth-place match.
Colten Sherman, Kingsley, Fr., 120, 30-7
Sherman won his first match 16-3 before falling to Dundee 19-4 in the quarterfinal. Sherman would win his next match 4-0 before ending his freshman season with a 9-5 loss to Armada. Sherman would fall in the seventh place match, 3-2, to place eighth in the state.
Finn Dart, Boyne City, Fr., 106, 26-16
Dart took a first round loss 19-2, then won a 10-9 decision that led to a 3-0 loss in consolation round two.
Korbin Kopenkoskey, Boyne City, So., 113, 32-6
Kopenkoskey fell in both of his matches, 15-10 and 13-1, to finish his sophomore season.
Alex Moore, Grayling, Sr., 126, 45-5
Moore finished his career for the Vikings with a 1-2 tournament record, including a 5-2 second-round win.
Isaiah Cosgrove, Kingsley, Sr., 175, 22-10
Cosgrove lost both of his matches to finish his senior season with 22 victories.
Dayton Joseph, Grayling, Jr., 190, 38-8
After losing his first match, Joseph would win his second 18-2. The junior would fall in round two, 6-0.
BOYS DIVISION 4
Lane Sanchez, Benzie Central, Sr., 215, 50-1
Sanchez finished his Husky career on a bright note, winning matches 7-1 and 7-5, before losing in the semifinal. Sanchez wouldn’t stop as he won in the consolation semifinal 7-5. Sanchez would finish his career with a fourth-place finish in 215 pounds in a 6-3 loss in the third-place match.
Gus Carper, Inland Lakes, Jr., 138, 38-6
Carper won two matches 11-4 and 8-7 before falling in the semifinal round 18-2. Carper would win in the consolation semifinal 3-0 before finishing his junior season in fourth place.
Mike Clingan, Mancelona, Jr., 106, 46-7
After losing his first match, Clingan went on to win four in a row to claim a fourth-place finish Saturday at Ford Field.
Mason Childs, Benzie Central, Sr., 132, 27-9
Childs had an impressive tournament, winning 10-8 in the first round and then 9-3 in the quarterfinals before falling 6-1 in the semifinals. Childs would lose in the consolation semifinal and fifth-place match to finish his career with a sixth-place state championship performance.
Gavin Woodcox, Mancelona, Sr., 285, 33-20
Woodcox lost his first match 3-0, won his second 4-5, then lost the third round 3-0.
Austin Barnhart, Mancelona, Jr., 113, 23-9
Barnhart went 0-2 to finish out his junior season.
James Layman, Inland Lakes, Sr., 120, 36-10
Layman finished his career for the Bulldogs with a 1-2 record at the state championships.
David Wenkel, Benzie Central, So., 126, 33-19
Wenkel went 0-2 to finish his sophomore season.
Gunnar Hanel, Inland Lakes, Fr., 126, 39-7
Hanel went 0-2 to close out his freshman season.
Theodore Parzych, Mancelona, Sr., 138, 45-7
Parzych won his first match in a highly-contested match, before falling in the quarter final 20-5 and in the next consolation round 4-2.
Caden Sheehan, Glen Lake, Sr., 144, 29-7
Caden Sheehan lost his first bout, then won in the consolation round one 7-0. The senior eventually fell in the blood round, 5-4.
Gavin Sheehan, Glen Lake, Fr., 144, 21-16
Gavin Sheehan fell in the first round 3-0 and then in the second 19-0.
Dayne Gillison, Benzie Central, Sr., 144, 49-5
Gillison finishes a remarkable Husky career and tournament run with a fifth-place finish after losing his first match 12-2 against Fulton.
Abraham Feeney, Glen Lake, Jr., 150, 30-15
Feeney lost both of his matches to end his career as a Laker with a 30-win senior season.
Gage Corliss, McBain, Fr., 157, 39-17
Corliss went 0-2 on the day to end his freshman season.
Collin Maves, Inland Lakes, Jr., 157, 25-9
Maves recovered after a first-round loss to finish his junior season with a 16-1 win in his first consolation match before an injury default the next round.
Collin Jess, Charlevoix, So., 157, 47-3
Jess won his first match before falling in the quarterfinal and consolation round.
Avery Enos, Inland Lakes, Sr., 175, 29-7
Enos went 0-2 to finish his career with the Bulldogs with a 29-win senior campaign.
Lucas Strahan, Charlevoix, Fr., 175, 25-25
Strahan went 0-2 to finish his freshman season.
Ryan Glass, Charlevoix, Jr., 190, 43-8
Glass lost his first match before winning in the first round of the consolation bracket 8-1. Glass then lost in round two, 10-3.
Wyatt Zuiderveen, McBain, Sr., 215, 44-3
The senior won his first match in an intense 12-9 battle before falling 5-0 in the quarterfinals.
Zuiderveen would get his momentum back, going on a four-match win streak to finish by taking the fifth-place bout with a 10-8 win. Zuiderveen brought the win home with a reversal, near fall and takedown in the third period.
Hunter Stuck, Mancelona, Jr., 215, 37-14
Stuck went 0-2 to finish his junior season with 37 wins.
Riley Buchler, Johannesburg-Lewiston, Sr., 215, 21-15
Buchler went 0-2 to finish his career for the Cardinals, winning 21 matches as a senior.
GIRLS
Alexandra Moeser, TC West, Jr., 145, 21-4
Moeser recovered from a first round 11-1 loss before winning her second match 12-5. She would move on from consolation round two, but would meet her match in round three 13-9. Moeser advanced to the seventh-place match and lost 3-0 Saturday to place eighth in the state.
Alexia Brandt, Forest Area, Jr., 170, 27-7
Brandt won her first match 3-2 before falling in the quarterfinals and being sent to the consolation bracket, 12-3. Brandt would advance all the way to the fifth-place match after a 2-1 win.
Abigayle Dahl, TC West, Sr., 235, 10-3
Dahl fell in both of her matches, 7-4 and 6-0.
Ella Giallombardo, Petoskey, Jr., 100, 20-5
Giallombardo narrowly lost in the first round Friday, 6-4, which sent her to the consolation round, where she lost 9-1 to Utica Eisenhower.
Chloe Malone, Grayling, Fr., 110, 23-4
Malone lost her first match 14-10 before surviving in the blood round against South Haven 11-3.
Malone fell in the consolation round two to Holt 12-1.
Molly Wright, Grayling, Jr., 115, 26-5
Wright got out to a hot start with a take down and near fall in the third period to defeat Hamilton in an 11-8 decision.
Wright would turn around and face a tough second-round opponent, losing 3-0 to Westland John Glenn. Wright would fall in the consolation second round in a high-scoring affair to Gibraltar Carlson, 23-14.
Libby Jacobs, Petoskey, So., 120, 18-4
Jacobs won her first match against Bangor 5-0 before losing to Springport in the quarterfinal, going to the consolation bracket Saturday where she lost 5-0 to Novi.
Katherine Matter, Charlevoix, Jr., 125, 23-8
Matter fell in the first round 21-7 and then in the first consolation round 11-4.
Kenzee Couturier, Boyne City, Fr., 140, 10-7
Couturier overcame a 6-1 first-round loss to win in the first consolation bracket 10-8 over Holt, where the freshman won the match with a takedown and near fall in the third period. Couturier would fall in the next consolation round, 7-4.