CHARLEVOIX — Former Charlevoix wrestlers Greg and Jason Whitley promised to buy a portrait when a Rayder finally won a state championship.
The brothers, who own Whitley’s Floor Covering in Charlevoix now have to pony up after Brady Jess and Landon Swanson wiped the floor with their competition at the state finals in early March.
Greg Whitley recalls walking through the halls of other schools during tournaments and seeing banners and plaques for state champion wrestlers. It provided motivation for the young wrestler.
“They were like Gods to me,” Greg said. “I wanted us to have that same experience.”
However, Charlevoix didn’t have any state champions to put on the banners.
Until now.
Jess and Swanson won the school’s first two state championships 20 minutes apart, and now the duo splits the Record-Eagle’s honor as the 2024 Wrestlers of the Year.
That’s where the Whitleys’ promise comes in.
They’ve stayed close to the Rayder wrestler program ever since graduating in the 1980s, and they pledged to coach Mike Hinkle that they’d pay for banners for state champions.
Jess beat White Pigeon senior Caleb Lane, 13-2, in the Division 4 175-pound weight class championship match to conclude his junior season with a 54-1 record. Swanson wrestled two matches later.
“I said, ‘Is Brady going to be on that (banner) by himself, or are you going to join him?’” Hinkle said.
Swanson made the Whitleys spend twice as much money — something they’ll gladly do — with a 9-3 victory over Perry senior Cameron Doody in the 215-pound title match.
“I was nervous,” Swanson said. “(Brady) was dominating the whole match, and there wasn’t much doubt. But I thought about that pressure and was nervous about if I messed up. I could be wrestling the worst kid in the state, and I’d still be nervous.”
Swanson placed fifth last year and Jess third, getting close to those banners. This time around, they made sure.
“It’s been a long time coming, like from 1971, so it’s a big thing for Charlevoix,” Greg Whitley said. “We’ve been waiting for this.”
Whitley met with the two to pick out photos to use for the banners. Of course, both feature the boys getting their hands raised in victory.
“That’ll give other kids some more motivation,” Whitley said. “From now on, kids can look up in the room and see there’s a couple of kids that did it.”
The Rayders had two runners-up in their history, most recently Ken Wojan in 1981. Craig Golovich accomplished the same feat in 1978, the first Rayder to reach the state finals since the team formed as a club in 1971 and became a full-fledged varsity squad a year later.
Greg and Jason Whitley both earned state placements — Greg fourth at 145 pounds in 1982 and Jason fifth six years later. White Floor Covering conveniently is only four blocks away from where Jess and Swanson stood out on the football field as well.
Jess’ 54 victories included 22 wins by pin and another 12 technical falls (leading by at least 15 points at any point to end the match). His only loss was to Cadillac’s Luke Phillips in Traverse City West’s holiday tournament after a week off. Jess beat Phillips in their other three meetings during the season.
Swanson’s 49 wins featured 32 by fall, second in program history behind Cam Alden’s 35 in 2017.
Their similar levels of success shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who knows them. The two are nearly inseparable.
They live about a mile apart and have been friends since birth. Their parents are good friends, and a 2-month-old Landon was actually in attendance for Brady’s birth.
“It’s always the two of them,” said teammate Trevor Streeter, a two-time state placer at 190 pounds. “They’re always together.”
They pole vaulted for the track team for a while, and they were often the last two left at meets.
How long have they been best friends?
“Forever,” they both said simultaneously.
Despite being only two months apart, Brady was a junior this year and Landon a senior. That means they’ll have to split up a bit after this summer.
“It’ll definitely be interesting in the wrestling room,” Brady said. “I’ve practiced with Landon for the last I don’t know how long.”
The two also led Charlevoix to a football playoff win over Traverse City St. Francis, the first time the Rayders beat the Gladiators since 2001.
“For such a small school, it’s crazy we can accomplish some things so big,” Landon said. “It just goes to prove that we’re building a legacy here.”
Jess said the school’s investment in weight room upgrades paid off in some of the school’s recent success in many sports, from baseball to wrestling to football.
“It had a lot to do with the weight room,” Jess said. “We’ll be in there every day. A lot of coaches started getting us in the weight room. That’s helped a lot with the school’s success the last couple years.”
They both started wrestling early in elementary school, and they both wanted to get involved with the varsity team quickly.
“They have tremendous work ethic,” Hinkle said. “They’ve trained consistently with us since sixth grade.”
Hinkle said he was a little worried when the two wanted to come along for the team’s offseason in Ohio.
“We go to a tough team camp,” he said. “I’ve had high schoolers call home and leave. I was a little nervous about taking them so young, but they set the standard and we haven’t had anybody call home since.”
One area where the two diverge a little is in their college plans. Swanson is a preferred walk-on at Central Michigan University at linebacker, while Jess plans on wrestling in college.
With a season left, Jess isn’t wasting any time, either.
He asked the coach when they’d be able to start offseason work, then helped tape the mats back together so they could start a week earlier than Hinkle planned.
Getting a head start for a shot at next year’s Wrestler of the Year.