A total of 10 wrestlers from Petoskey-area advance to Ford Field
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It’s been a busy couple weeks on the wrestling mats for area grapplers.
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Between individual and team district and regional tournaments, weekdays and weekends have been filled putting in the miles trying to get to Ford Field in Detroit.
Now, it’s been decided who will be making that trip for the chance to claim an individual state podium finish.
A total of 10 wrestlers from three programs inside Emmet and Charlevoix Counties will be heading to Ford Field, including five Rayder standouts who got to punch their ticket at home.
Wrestlers needed to place inside the top four of their respective weight class at regionals to qualify for the finals.
All divisions of the MHSAA individual wrestling state championships will be held between Friday and Saturday, March 6-7 at Ford Field in Detroit.
Below are the qualifiers for the state finals.
DIVISION 2
Ella Giallombardo, Jr. Petoskey (100 pounds)
Giallombardo’s day began with a win in the Cadillac hosted regional in a 13-0 decision, but a loss in her next match sent her into the third place bracket.
There, she earned a 2-1 decision, then claimed a third place victory in a 7-4 sudden victory.
Libbi Jacobs, Soph. Petoskey (120 pounds)
Jacobs will join her teammate at the MHSAA girls wrestling championships after also claiming a third place victory in the 120-pound division at regionals.
Jacobs began the day with a 4-0 decision, fell in her next match, then won the final two to earn the third place finish and state finals trip.
DIVISION 3
Korbin Kopenkoskey, Soph. Boyne City (113 pounds)
After dropping his first match of the day, Kopenkoskey went through the pressure cooking third place bracket and came out with a fourth place finish.
He earned a tech fall victory, followed by a 3-1 decision ahead of the third place match.
Finn Dart, Fr. Boyne City (106 pounds)
Dart built on his strong first season within the Boyne City wrestling program with a fourth place finish at 106 pounds.
He fell in the opener, then rebounded for a 14-2 major decision and 13-10 victory, before falling in the third place match.
Kenzee Couturier, Fr. Boyne City (140 pounds)
Couturier pinned her way to the 140-pound championship match before earning a runner up finish at the Cadillac girls regional. Her first two matches of the day came in exhausting pins of 4 minutes, 52 seconds and 5 minutes, 55 seconds.
DIVISION 4
Collin Jess, Soph. Charlevoix (157 pounds)
Jess improved his record to 47-3 on the season with a 3-0 day, earning a pair of tech fall 15-0 victories to begin the bracket at 157 pounds, then claimed a pin victory in four minutes in the championship match, taking down Inland Lakes’ Collin Maves.
Lucas Strahan, Fr. Charlevoix (175 pounds)
Only a freshman, Strahan will head to the state championships behind a runner-up finish at 175 pounds.
He earned a pin victory to begin the day, followed by a sudden victory in the semifinal round.
In the championship match, Strahan then fell to Inland Lakes senior Avery Enos by pin.
Ryan Glass, Jr. Charlevoix (190 pounds)
Glass has been no stranger to success this season, having claimed more than 40 victories and will make his way to state’s on a runner-up finish at 190 pounds.
Glass began regionals with a pin victory in just over a minute, then earned a 9-1 major decision. He then dropped the finals match in an 11-3 major decision.
Sawyer Blaszczyk, Sr. Charlevoix (Hwt)
The record-setting season for Blaszczyk, now 46-2 overall, continues with a regional championship now in the bag as well.
Blaszczyk earned a 53 second pin win to begin regionals, turned in another pin win in the semifinals, then capped the day with an 8-1 decision in the finals match.
Kate Matter, Jr. Charlevoix (125 pounds)
Matter built upon her 23-win season with a runner-up finish during the Cadillac hosted girls regional. She earned a 1:17 pin win to start the day, before a 10-3 decision in the semifinal. She then fell to Alpena’s Haley Stenz, a 29-1 wrestler, in the finals.
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Petoskey, Charlevoix and Boyne City send 10 wrestlers to state finals