26 U.P. Wrestlers Headed To Palace; Nine Local

There will be 26 Upper Peninsula wrestlers competeing in the MHSAA Individual State Finals at the Palace of Auburn Hills in two weeks. Nine are from Delta County.

Of the 26 Yoopers headed to the Palace, four are from Division Two, eight are from Division Three, and 14 are from Division Four.

Seven of the eleven Gladstone Braves who qualified for the regionals did enough on Saturday in downstate Kingsley to make it to the Palace. And at Bay City Western High School, two of the Escanaba Eskymos in the regionals there made it to the state finals.

DIVISION THREE AT KINGSLEY: Gladstone 171-pounder Jake Cronick won a Division Three Regional championship by beating Brandon Ayris of Clare via the pin at the 3:07 mark. Also, Gladstone's Josh Kadish made it to the D-3 championship round before losing to Johnny Finney of Midland Bullock Creek, 7-0. Kadish is regional runner-up.

Two Gladstone wrestlers finished third in their weight classes: 112-pounder James Bruce, and 130-pounder Bobby Beauchamp. Three other Gladstone boys finished fourth in their weight classes, and will also go to the Palace: 125-pounder Jared Syverson, 189-pounder Jack Cronick, and heavyweight Tom Bailey.

Menominee's Chris Briar won the 135-pound regional championship and will also advance to the state finals, as a highly-seeded wrestler.

DIVISION TWO AT BAY CITY WESTERN: Escanaba had four boys make it to regionals, and two of them were eliminated early: Sergei LaMarche and Billy Soper.

That left veteran Travis Heller (152) and sophomore Kaleb Rahoi (135). Rahoi won his first match, lost his second, then won his third match on a pin. He lost to Mason Cleaver of Holly, Mich., 7-1, in the third place match. But Rahoi will be at the Palace.

Heller, who was at the Palace last year, won his first two matches on Saturday by scores of 16-0 and 7-4. But in the regional championship against Josh Pennell of St. John's, the downstate boy got the better of Heller, 9-0. Heller was runner-up and advances.

Marquette's Curt Calovecchi (171 pounds) and Sault Ste. Marie's Steven Kymes (140) both finished third in their weight classes and will also wrestle at the Palace.

DIVISION FOUR AT ROGERS CITY: Bark River-Harris 215-pounder Curtis Labadie did not make it to the Palace. He lost his first match, won his second, but lost his third, and did not get into the Final Four. He was the only Bronco to make it to the regionals.

Defending state champion Joe Ostman of St. Ignace won the 215-pound regional title.

Manistique's Cole Gonzalez took fourth place at 140 pounds and will wrestle at the Palace. Mat Gonzalez finished third at 145 pounds and will also wrestle at states.

Other Yoopers to qualify for a trip to the Palace in D-4: Jimmy Spencer of Rudyard at 112 pounds; Jared Gauthier and Alex Edwards of Iron Mountain at 119; Cayleb Winkler of Norway (125); Richard Bentley of St. Ignace (130); Johnathon Wiley of Ishpeming (135); Taylor Bonetti of Norway (152); Shane Aney of Rudyard (160); Galloway Thurston of St. Ignace and Norway's Jacob Rehn at 171 pounds; and heavyweight David Lancour of Westwood.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

12/6	6:00 PM	at Marquette Redmen	55 - 13 (W)

12/6	7:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	75 - 6 (W)

12/13	6:30 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	43 - 21 (W)

1/3	6:00 PM	Norway Knights	69 - 6 (W)

1/3	7:00 PM	Kingsford Flivvers	77 - 0 (W)

1/31	7:00 PM	at Escanaba Eskymos	41 - 19 (W)

2/2	10:00 AM	at Escanaba Eskymos	203 - 223 (L)

2/13	7:00 PM	Grayling Vikings	44 - 25 (W)