Remembering 11 years of covering the state wrestling finals
It has been quite a ride.
I’ve been with the Dundee High School wrestling team to chronicle its drive to the state team finals every year since 2013.
Since 2013, eleven years of coverage, I have attended and captured photographs of the Monroe and Lenawee County teams in the team state finals.
I have photographed Dundee, Bedford, Jefferson, Hudson and Clinton on the big stage.The atmosphere is amazing.In the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals the teams parade in for the Grand March, carrying their banners as they walk around the mats while spectators scream and root for their teams.
The Queen classic “We are the Champions” is played as they march in.
One of my favorite images of this came in 2018 as Dundee captain Brandon Whitman carried assistant coach Garrett Stevens' baby boy Brady Stevens. Over the years the state finals have been at the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, McGuirk Arena at Central Michigan University and for the past six years at Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo.In my opinion there are no other high school state championships like this for team events. The athletes and spectators are so fired up. The four mats are raised off the ground now at Wings Event Center, as the wrestlers are showcased in four divisions.
One of my memories is of long-time Dundee fan Chris Campbell at the end of the national anthem as all the athletes were on the platforms, Campbell would yell out “Let’s go Dundee.”In the eleven years of attending the state finals, Dundee has nine wins and two losses. There were unbelievable matches with Richmond in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 as Dundee won five.
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In 2013, my first time attending the wrestling team finals to photograph for The Monroe News, I’ll always remember Brendan O’Conner jumping into the arms of coach Tim Roberts as he won the final match at 125 pounds. Dundee won that year 35-26 which set the stage for the years to come.
In 2014, it was Teddy Warren screaming out after he added an explanation point by pinning Anthony Hinojosa of Richmond, as they won the match 34-24.In 2015, was a tough one, the Vikings were leading the match with four weight classes to go. I can remember the image of Tye Thompson who was disappointed after the match knowing he needed a pin at the 215-pound match, but ended up with a decision win 7-1. Richmond won the next three matches to win the state finals with a score of 27-25.In 2016, Dundee only had 17 wrestlers and senior Drew Mandell was out with an injury. But the Vikings had no problems. They beat Remus Chippewa Hills 40-16 at CMU.
In 2017 at CMU was probably the most unfortunate year for the Vikings. The Vikings came from behind to take the lead going into the final match. I remember the close match between McCallister McAvoy of Dundee and Hayden Bastian of Richmond.
It was a battle, with Bastian winning 4-3 in the closing seconds. The team was tied 28-28. A Roberts and the Richmond coach watching the referees and tournament heads going over the different criterias for who will win the match told the story. It went to the eighth criteria of first match points as Richmond got the win.Since that match, the Vikings rolled, winning the state title in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023.
The last time there has been a close final was with Richmond in 2019. Probably my favorite image taken that year was of Roberts letting out a victory cry after the final match where Jonathon White beat Hunter Seguin of Richmond 6-0 for the Vikings to win 26-25. It was unbelievable!During the years of 2018-2022, I was fortunate to see some of the greatest wrestlers in Dundee history, make friends with several and watch these guys from their freshman through senior year. There were many great ones such as Stoney Buell, Tyler and Casey Swiderski, Austin Fietz, Kaden and Cameron Chinavare, Aiden Davis and Braeden Davis.
I will be attending the 2024 state finals for the 12th time. I made many memories and created a lot of friendships.
The most memorable moment is of Coach Tim Roberts with his signature scream raising the championship trophy. He retired in 2022, but the tradition continued at last year's state final, as the new head coaches Garrett Stevens and Nate Hall followed in his footsteps with the scream, which was pretty amazing.These images are a few of my favorite images through the years.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: A Viking journey: 11 years of excellence on the wrestling mat
