TRI-CITY AREA — There will be no shortage of talent on display this Friday and Saturday when a total of eight area grapplers will test their skills at the individual wrestling state finals at Detroit’s Ford Field.
Imlay City will have five representatives participating Friday at the Division 3 state finals.
At 113 pounds, Tanner Land (37-12) opens tournament action versus Gladstone’s Drew Hansen (38-1).
The victor of that clash squares off versus the winner of a battle between Hartford’s Erneston Rodarte (42-5) and Freeland’s Joseph Klopf (30-12).
At 120 pounds, Christopher Galiana (48-10) begins his tournament stint versus Big Rapids counterpart Brett Root (35-10).
The winner of that battle meets the survivor of an encounter between Three Rivers’ Talan Flowers (45-4) and Lakewood’s Ashton Clark (46-6).
At 132 pounds, Dominic D’Ambrosio (53-3) starts tournament action versus Hart’s Trayce Tate (26-3).
The victor of that clash squares off versus the winner of a battle between Grand Rapid Catholic Central’s Michael Wilson (29-3) and Brandywine’s Drake Heath (37-11).
At 150 pounds, Anthony D’Ambrosio (46-6) opens his tournament stint versus Durand’s Drew Alward (38-14).
The winner of that battle meets the survivor of an encounter between Chippewa Hills’ Jon Koepf (33-4) and Corunna’s Deklan Davis (47-6).
At 215 pounds, Latham Perry (43-11) starts tournament action versus Williamston’s Luke Chambers (35-10),
The victor of that clash squares off versus the winner of a battle between Lakewood’s Joel Simon (47-0) and Tawas’ Max Herrick (44-9).
Capac will have one representative competing in the Division 4 state finals.
At 106 pounds, Tyler McKenney (33-10) opens tournament action versus Benzie Central’s Dayne Gillison (28-14).
The winner of that bout meets the survivor between Martin’s Logan Gilbert (42-4) and St. Louis foe Owen Fogel (20-5).
The state finals will also see Capac’s Cierra Helzer and Ava Klink see how they fare against the state’s best.
It will be Michigan’s second-ever sanctioned state finals for the girls in the sport.
Helzer (10-7) starts 105-pound action Friday against Ovid Elsie’s Ava Juhas (20-23)
The winner of that clash meets the victor of a bout between Grandville’s Beyonkah Rincones (12-2) and Eisenhower’s Anna Pontzious (21-16).
Klink (7-17) will begin her tournament path at 155 pounds Friday against Southgate Anderson’s Brooklyn Sage (4-0).
The victor of that clash will square off versus the survivor of a match pitting Pine River’s Lillian Pylman (18-13) against Gull Lake’s Sophie Mattioli (4-3).
Kevin Kissane
Kevin Kissane has been covering high school sports for the Tri-City Times since 1985. When not standing on a field or court with his camera and notepad, he enjoys golf, travel and family. Kevin is a 1980 graduate of Capac High School, and is also a grad of St. Clair Community College and earned a degree in journalism from Central Michigan University.
