Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos. Click the AUDIO buttons to hear comments from Gladstone's Jack Taylor, Coach Ryan Harrenstein, and Negaunee Coach Andy Aiskanien.
GLADSTONE---The Gladstone High School wrestling team rolled to a 60-18 win over the Negaunee Miners in the MHSAA Division Three regional semifinal Thursday night in Gladstone.
The Miners won the first two matches to take a 12-0 lead, but had to forfeit all of the upper-level weight classes due to lack of wrestlers.
Negaunee forfeited four matches, while Gladstone conceded one match.
Gladstone advances to the regional championship match against either West Branch Ogemaw Heights or Kingsley. Those two downstate teams could not make it to Gladstone because the Mackinac Bridge was closed, and they couldn't find anywhere in the Lower Peninsula to play. So, they will both come to Gladstone on Monday to wrestle, with the winner taking on the Braves.
With more bad weather in the forecast, both the Braves and Miners left immediately after Thursday's match to drive to Boyne City, where both have wrestlers competing in the MHSAA regional tournament. The top four finishers in each weight class advance to the individual state finals at Ford Field in Detroit.
Wednesday night's winners:
120 pounds: Evan Askinen (Negaunee)
126 pounds: Gabe Carlson (Gladstone)
132 pounds:Colton Chmurynski (Gladstone)
138: Nick Laird (Gladstone)
144: Tallen Parkinson (Negaunee)
150: Nathan Beauchamp (Gladstone)
157: Nick Proehl (Gladstone)
165: Jack Taylor (Gladstone)
175: Tanner Thorbahn (Gladstone)
