DETROIT---Eleven Upper Peninsula wrestlers reached the podium Saturday night after the MHSAA Individual Wrestling state finals wrapped up at Detroit's Ford Field.
There were 22 wrestlers from across the UP competing at Ford Field. The top eight wrestlers in every weight class in the five divisions reach the winner's podium.
The closest the Upper Peninsula came to having a state champion was Kingsford Flivvers junior Max Sundquist, The 175-pounder battled Ortonville-Lakeville senior Fred Hammond before losing a tough 2-1 decision on a tiebreaker.
Sundquist's Kingsford teammate, 285-pounder Connor White, finished fifth in his weight class, giving Kingsford two boys on the podium.
Also in Division Three, Gladstone senior Trevor Thorbahn, one of the favorites in the 190-weight class bracket, won his first two matches on Friday and was wrestling in his state semifinal match when he severely injured his ankle. He had to forfeit that semifinal match, and had to forfeit his two consolation matches, and finished in sixth place.
Thorbahn's Gladstone teammate, Ben Wilson, was fifth in the 215-pound bracket.
Negaunee's Evan Asikainen finished fourth in the 113-pound bracket, and his Miners teammate Derek Potvin made the podium in eighth place in the 106-pound bracket.z
In Division Four, Gwinn's Evan Stachewicz was the highest finisher, finishing third in the 132-pound bracket. North Central's Praxton LaBonte finished fifth at 106 pounds, and Bark River-Harris heavyweight wrestler Charles Walker reached the podium in eighth place.
Two U.P. Girls reached the podium in the 105-pound bracket, and they actually faced each other in a placement match. Maizy Olson of North Central defeated Isla Gomez of Gladstone in the fifth place match. Olson won on a pin in 2:33.
