Williamston Wrestling News

7/19/02

Summer Heats Up

You may have thought things were quiet on the Wrestling front, but it couldn't be further from the truth. Many of our Hornets have been busy on the mat.

Back in June the Williamston Wrestling Club sponsored a wrestling camp on the mats at the Middle School. Coach Fedewa had over 20 young wrestlers participate.

At the end of June three carloads of wrestlers made the long trip to MSU campus in East Lansing where they participated in the MSU Wrestling Team Competition Camp. They had a great time and improved their skills.

While next years team was at camp, Hornet graduate Andy Simmons was part of Junior Team Michigan, wrestling at the National Junior Duals in Oklahoma. Andy made his return to Greco-Roman competition sparking a talented team to a National Championship. The team's success continued in Freestyle competition where they posted a third place finish after a tough 2 point loss to the eventual champions the Oklahoma Chiggers. Andy posted a perfect 17-0 at the Duals.

Also representing Williamston on the National level was Jeremy Bloom. He was chosen to be on Cadet Team Michigan, 15-16 year olds, to wrestle at the National Cadet Duals in Colorado. While Team Michigan failed to place in Greco, they posted a 6th place finish in Freestyle far surpassing their number 14 seed.

Now it's time for the big one, the largest wrestling tournament in the world. 3500 wrestlers are converging on Fargo, North Dakota for the Asics-Vaughan Junior and Cadet National Championships, and Williamston will be well represented. Andy Simmons is in the 140 pound Junior weight class in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle competition. Andy is a 3-time Junior Freestyle All- American. In Cadet competition, Jeremy Bloom will be at 152 pounds and Tim Grant will be at 171 pounds. Both will compete in Greco and Freestyle competition, and at 140 pounds Devin Young will wrestle Freestyle. I will be traveling to the tournament along with Coaches Simmons and Bloom. I'll try and keep you as up to date as my internet connection allows, but for more results check out http://www.themat.com for brackets along with live audio and video updates.

It's almost time to strap in for a 15 hour drive, I'll be in touch.

Brad

4/30/02

Spring Update

It has been a busy couple of months even though the season is over. Several Williamston Wrestlers have earned honors in the post season.

Andy Simmons has been named to All-Star teams across the country including a trip to the prestigious Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic where his victory help propel the USA team to a win. He was named to the Dream Team of the Michigan Wrestling News and the Lansing State Journal, where he was also named wrestler of the year (more). And most recently Andy was named Michigan Wrestler of the Year and has been nominated for National Wrestler of the Year.

Also named to the Lansing State Journal Dream Team were Casey Hulliberger as a first team selection and Mike Rice as a second team all-area selection (more).

In other action two Hornet Wrestlers have wrestled their way to spots on Cadet Team Michigan. Jeremy Bloom has qualified in Freestyle and Tim Grant qualified in Greco-Roman. Both are looking forward to traveling to Cadet/Junior Nationals at Fargo, N.D. in July.

Next on the schedule for the Williamston Wrestling Club is the 29th annual Golf Scramble on May 19th at Brookshire Inn. Contact GolfOuting@WilliamstonWrestling.com for more information on playing or Brad@WilliamstonWrestling.com for information on sponsorship opportunities.

3/17/02

A Family Affair

Sorry it took so long for me to get an update to you, but if you get the cold/flu thing that is going around you will certainly understand!

The Hornets and their families gathered Tuesday night at the Brookshire Inn to look back at the season and honor their own. As the evening went on everyone who spoke kept reinforcing the same thing. That was that we had become a family and maybe that is the most important thing that we could accomplish on or off the mat.

Sarah Bartig and Brandon Fredley were presented with "The Heart of a Champion" award from the Williamston Wrestling Club for showing us that a big heart is more important as winning every time. Jeremy Bloom was named the Most Improved and Kevin Bisard was presented with the Coach's Choice award. Casey Hulliberger was named the Most Valuable and Andy Simmons took home Outstanding Wrestler honors. Andy also received a plaque for his four years as a Jim Mooney Williamston Classic Champion and another for all of his accomplishments in going 219-0 in his high school career. The team presented the coaches with tokens of their appreciation and the six outgoing seniors presented me with a special plaque. I was blown away! It has been nothing but a pleasure to work with those guys for the last four years and I am grateful to know all of them. Thank you guys!

It was a very special night to end a special year.

3/10/02

Our Champion!

Here are links to wrestling stories from across the state:

http://detnews.com/2002/highschools/0203/09/f06-434880.htm

http://www.freep.com/sports/preps/mick7_20020307.htm

http://www.freep.com/sports/preps/wrest9_20020309.htm

http://www.freep.com/sports/preps/rassle8_20020308.htm

http://detnews.com/2002/highschools/0203/10/d08-437066.htm

http://www.lsj.com/sports/prep/020310_simmons_1a.html

3/10/02

Proud To Be A Hornet!

It was another great Finals for the boys from Williamston. All four of our grapplers made the trip to medal stand last night at The Palace. Kevin Sharp finished in seventh place with a pin of Kip Maher from Brooklyn Columbia Central. Mike Rice battled his way into the Finals before dropping a 5-7 overtime decision to Tyler Lentovich of Shepherd to finish as the runner-up. Casey Hulliberger also advanced to the final match before losing one to undefeated 2-time State Champion Travis Piccard of Allendale. In the highlight of the Finals, Andy Simmons closed out the greatest career in prep wrestling history with a major decision over Curtis Roddy of Montrose for his fourth State Championship, while amassing a new national record of 219-0, breaking brother Nick's mark of 211-0. It was a great tournament!

The Williamston grapplers will gather on Tuesday night to celebrate the season and honor their own. I'll bring you an update on Wednesday.

3/6/02

The Finals!

Well the end is almost here, just one more tournament to go, albeit the biggest of tournaments! The Finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills begin tomorrow at 2:30 PM. Andy Simmons looks to become only the second 4-time undefeated champion in Michigan history entering the tournament with a career record of 215-0. Casey Hulliberger is looking for his second State Championship and Kevin Sharp and Mike Rice are looking to win their first after finishing last year with All-State honors. During the Finals you can track the results at http://www.mhsaa.com . We are competing in Division III with Andy at 140 Lbs., Kevin at 145 Lbs., Casey at 152 Lbs., and Mike at 215 Lbs. I'll update you as soon as I can.

In the Honor Roll Meet last week the Hornets won 5 of 7 for the most winners from any team. Steve Dufrin and Jeremy Bloom both closed out their seasons with victories for the second team. Andy Simmons, Kevin Sharp, and Casey Hulliberger all posted wins for the first team. Devin Young and Mike Rice both fell just short in their matches. Congratulations guys, another day for Williamston to be proud!

2/23/02

Williamston Advances 4

The Hornets moved four on to the Finals at the Palace. Kevin Sharp finished in third place and Mike Rice was the Runner-up. Andy Simmons and Casey Hulliberger were crowned regional champs. Steve Dufrin, Devin Young, and Jeremy Bloom fell just short in their bid to advance. Results are available here.

In his first match today Andy broke the National record for consecutive wins in his first match bringing at 212-0. Then he finished the perfect to push it to 214-0. Congratulations Andy!!!

2/21/02

So Close!

In Regional action at Comstock Park High School the Hornets split with defending State Champions Otsego seven matches each but came up on the short end 27-29. In the other Semi-Final match Wyoming Rogers dropped Allendale 35-32. Then in the Final Otsego moved on to Battle Creek with a 46-28 win over Rogers. The Williamston box score is here.

With his fall over Aaron Howe of Otsego, Andy Simmons tied the all time consecutive win record held by brother Nick at 211-0. Join us at home Saturday for the Individual Regional and watch wrestling history as it happens! Steve Dufrin, Devin Young, Andy Simmons, Kevin Sharp, Casey Hulliberger, Jeremy Bloom, and Mike Rice all compete to move on to the Finals. Whistles at 10:00 AM.

2/16/02

Seven Hornets Advance

Williamston made a strong showing at today's Individual District at home. The Hornets captured three Championships and advanced seven wrestlers to the Regional Tournament next weekend. Andy Simmons, Casey Hulliberger, and Mike Rice got the gold, with Steve Dufrin, Devin Young, and Jeremy Bloom in second and Kevin Sharp in third. They advance to next week's Regional once again Saturday at Williamston High School. Complete Results are available here.

The Hornets take to the mat again on Wednesday in Team Regional action at Comstock Park High School. In the opening match the Hornets face the defending Division III State Champs from Otsego with winner to face the winner of Wyoming Rogers -vs- Allendale. The first match is at 6 PM.

2/14/02

District Champs!

The Hornet Wrestling Team took their fourth consecutive District title tonight at home. In the Semi-Final round Williamston downed Portland, 40-29 and then dropped Perry in the Final 57-22. The box score is here. This advances the Hornets into Regional action next Wednesday at Comstock Park. I'll inform you of the pairings as soon as they are available.

The Hornets face off Saturday in the Individual District Tournament at home, wrestling begins at 10:30 AM.

2/9/02

Hornets Come Up Big

In today's Ingham County League Meet at Perry High School the Hornets came on strong. With 5 League Champions, 1 Runner-up, 1 Third, and 3 Fourth place finishes the Williamston Grapplers were able to capture the league tournament. The Hornets edged the Panthers of DeWitt 159-156 and ahead of the undefeated dual meet champions from Haslett. This pushed Haslett into sole possession of First Place overall and tied the Hornets and the Panthers for second, followed by Fowlerville, Portland, and Perry.

Sarah Bartig, Eric Fann, Kevin Bisard, and Joe Stubblefield finished the day fourth, Devin Young wrestled through from an early loss to finish third, and Steve Dufrin was forced to injury default in his Championship bout to finish second. Kevin Sharp, Casey Hulliberger, Jeremy Bloom, and Mike Rice were all crowned ICL Champions, and as he moved to 205-0 on his prep career, Andy Simmons became only the third wrestler to become a four time ICL Champion. Results are here.

Congratulations Hornets! You make us all very proud.

Join us on Thursday, February 14th at home as we host Portland and Perry for the MHSAA Team District Wrestling Championship. The first match is at 6:00 PM. and then again on Saturday for the Individual District with wrestling at 10:30 AM.

2/7/02

A Heartbreaker!

Williamston lost a heartbreaker tonight at Fowlerville. The Hornets wrestled to a 35-35 tie with the Gladiators and lost the match on the sixth criteria, total match points 83-78. The box score is here.

Saturday is the ICL tournament at Perry, action starts at 11:00 AM.

2/6/02

Simmons Reaches Milestone

With a fall at 1:12 over Kurt Ziegel of Hillsdale, Andy Simmons scored his 200th consecutive career victory in his final regular season home dual meet. He followed this with a 0:39 pin of Chase Kennedy of Brooklyn Columbia Central for number 201. This keeps Andy on pace to eclipse brother Nick's national record for consecutive victories of 211-0. Congratulations Andy!

In team action the Hornets split the pair with a 50 - 29 victory over Hillsdale and a 47 - 25 loss to Brooklyn Columbia Central. This brings the Williamston to 12-11 on the season. results are available here.

The Hornets are back in action Thursday night at Fowlerville in a make-up match from last week, wrestling is at 6:30 PM. Saturday the team travels to Perry for the ICL League meet, whistles are at 11:00 AM.

2/2/02

Getting Better Every Day

The Hornets continued their climb with a strong runner-up finish in the Constantine Invitational today, finishing just five points behind host Constantine. All of the Hornet wrestlers put points on the board including seven who battled into the finals. Steve Dufrin, Devin Young, and Jeremy Bloom finished in second place while a quartet in green took home the gold. Andy Simmons, Kevin Sharp, Casey Hulliberger, and Mike Rice finished atop the podium. Results are available here.

Join us for the final regular home dual meet Tuesday at 6:30 as we honor our moms and dads on parents night.

2/1/02

On The Road

Saturday's Invitational at Constantine is on so the Hornets are going to hit the road this afternoon. Wrestling starts tomorrow at 10 AM.

The Dual with Fowlerville has been rescheduled for next Thursday, February 7th at Fowlerville.

1/13/02

Snowed Out!

Tonight's dual against Fowlerville has been cancelled due to the weather. It has tentatively been rescheduled for next Thursday, watch for details.

As of this afternoon Saturday's Invitational at Constantine is still on, but stay tuned for updates. They have received a good deal of ice and snow as well and will make a final determination tomorrow afternoon.

1/27/02

A Good Day at Quincy

The Hornets continue to improve with a third place finish in the 10 team Quincy Invitational Saturday behind Dundee and Constantine. Five Williamston wrestlers were in the finals bringing home 3 gold medals and 2 silvers. Andy Simmons, Casey Hulliberger, and Mike Rice were the champions with Devin Young and Kevin Sharp in the runner-up slots. Andy took home the award for the most pins in the shortest time and the Outstanding Wrestler award in the lower weights. Casey Hulliberger was the OW in the upper half. Also scoring points for the Hornets were; Steve Dufrin, Brandon Fredley, Jeremy Bloom, Kevin Bisard, and J.P. Stubblefield. Results are available here.

The Green goes back to the mat Thursday night in Fowlerville at 6:30 PM.

1/25/02

Williamston Falls at Home

The Hornets dropped a heartbreaker to league leading Haslett at home last night, 34 - 32. It was a great dual meet but Williamston fell just short in its bid to tie up the ICL. In the second match the Green downed the Panthers of Stockbridge 45-25 to move to 5-9 on the season. Results are available here.

Saturday the Hornets are at the Quincy Invitational, whistles are at 10 AM.

1/20/02

It Was A Classic!

With the top six teams separated by less than 20 points the 2002 Jim Mooney Williamston Classic was one the most competitive in recent memory. Hudson held on to take the Championship followed closely by Belleville, Chelsea, Mason, Plymouth-Salem, and Williamston. There was incredible wrestling all day with some big upsets and several finals matches that will live in Classic history. Complete results are available here.

Williamston had 6 wrestlers advance to the Medal Round. Andy Simmons, Casey Hulliberger, and Big Mike Rice stood atop the awards stand as Jim Mooney Williamston Classic Champions. Kevin Sharp was in the fourth place slot, followed by Steve Dufrin and Jeremy Bloom in sixth. Also scoring points for the Hornets were Devin Young and Kevin Bisard.

The Outstanding Wrestlers for the day both hailed from home. Andy Simmons for the lower weights and Casey Hulliberger for the upper weights.

What a great day of wrestling, an example of why some call it the world's oldest and greatest sport.

The boys in green return to the mat Thursday night at home to face league foe Haslett, followed by a dual with Stockbridge. Wrestling begins at 6:30 pm, see you there.

1/17/02

Hornet Split at Home

The Hornets dropped a close league match to the Panthers of DeWitt tonight at home 31-36 before downing the Aggies of Dansville 54-30. the box score is available here.

Don't forget the Jim Mooney Williamston Classic is Saturday at Williamston High School. Wrestling begins at 8:30 am.

1/13/02

Williamston Continues to Improve

The Williamston Grapplers showed continued improvement throughout the line-up yesterday at Grand Ledge. Andy Simmons was the 140 pound champion with Kevin Sharp and Jeremy Bloom in the runner-up spots. Check out the place winners here.

Also here are the details from Thursday night's quad at home.

The Hornets are back on the mat Thursday night at home with DeWitt and Dansville at 6:30 PM and The Jim Mooney Williamston Classic is Saturday with wrestling starting at 8:30 AM.

1/11/02

Hornets Split at Home

The Hornets split a pair in the home opener last night. They won their league match against Portland, 51-23, then dropped the second to Division 2 powerhouse Lapeer West, 32-47. In the other matches at the quad Lapeer West downed Albion, 66-12, and Albion got the best of Portland 34-30. Box scores will be available by the weekend.

Tomorrow Williamston travels to Grand Ledge High School, wrestling begins at 9:30 am.

1/5/01

Hornets Bring Home Hardware From New Lothrop

Six Hornets advanced to the medal round today at the New Lothrop Invitational. Andy Simmons and Mike Rice brought home the Gold as the 140 and 215 pound champions. Kevin Sharp, Jeremy Bloom, and Casey Hulliberger finished in the third spot, and Steve Dufrin placed sixth. Overall Williamston finished in the fifth spot out of 19 teams. Scores are available here.

Next week there is a Wrestling Club meeting Wednesday night at 7:00 pm at the Middle School. The Home Opener with Portland, Albion, and Lapeer West is Thursday night at the High School at 6:30 pm, and Saturday we travel to the Grand Ledge Invitational at 9:30 am. Please join us!

12/30/01

Happy Holidays From Williamston Wrestling

Williamston To Build On Success

After a year that produced a team that advanced to the Regional Finals and qualified six wrestlers for the Individual Finals, winning three State Championships and All-State honors for two wrestlers, the Hornets hope to build on that success this season. State Champions Andy Simmons and Casey Hulliberger return to lead the Green along with Finals medallists Kevin Sharp and Mike Rice and qualifier Devin Young. Other returning lettermen include; Kevin Bisard, Jeremy Bloom, Steve Dufrin, Eric Fann, and Joe Stubblefield. Take this great group, add some talented underclassmen and the Hornets are poised to make another run at Williamston Wrestling history. Plan on joining us on January 10, 2002 for the home opener. We are going to honor our State Champions from last season and all of the sponsors that make it possible for us to compete at the highest level. We hope to see you there!

Hornets Welcome Coach Fedewa

Adam Fedewa brings a wealth of wrestling knowledge with him to the helm of the Hornets. As a prep wrestler in Portland he was a two-time All-State winner with over 100 career victories. At Olivet College Coach Fedewa was an NCAA qualifier, two time academic All-American, and the Valedictorian of his class. This marks his thirteenth season as a wrestling coach. First at Portland, and more recently in Fowlerville, where he developed a highly successful youth program, Adam has been committed to young wrestlers and that continues here in Williamston. Two night a week following his duties at the high school, Coach moves to the Middle School to guide the WWC program for youth wrestling. For more information on the new Williamston youth wrestling club, please e-mail - Coach@WilliamstonWrestling.com. Welcome to Williamston Coach Fedewa, we think it's going to be a great relationship.

Tournament Time Is Coming

Williamston is known throughout Michigan as a great tournament host. For the past 38 years the Jim Mooney Williamston Classic has been one of the premiere invitational tournaments in the state. Why? Because of you! The family, friends, supporters, alumni, and sponsors of the Hornets always come together to make it happen. In fact we do it all so well Williamston has been selected to host a Team District along with the Individual District and Regional Tournaments. So what that means is that we need your help! From the head-table to the kitchen, from setting-up to cleaning-up, we need volunteers. Please mark your calendars, The Classic - January 19th, Districts - February 16th, and Regionals - February 23rd. You may receive a phone call to help, but if not please contact me at Brad@WilliamstonWrestling.com or 655-3360 to volunteer. With your continued support Williamston will always be a great place to come for Wrestling.

Simmons Streak Continues

It is his year to shine. With an unbeaten mark of 162-0 at the start of the season, Andy Simmons is ready to eclipse some of his brothers records and set a few of his own. Already committed to join Nick as a Spartan at Michigan State, Andy doesn't look much to the future. He just keeps the next match in focus and one opponent at a time has become one of the most successful prep grapplers ever. Come to a match and see history in the making.

State Finals Tickets

The early bird ordering date is drawing close for tickets to the Individual Finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills, March 7-9. I need to have a count by January 6th. Tickets are $35.00 for an all session set. Please e-mail me ( Brad@WilliamstonWrestling.com ) with your orders as soon as possible so we can keep our group together.

Wrestling Club Meeting

The club will meet on Wednesday, January, 9, 2002 at 7:00 at the Middle School. Please join us to get plans together for the Classic.

12/13/01

Hornets leave Ramblers with a Flat

The Green posted a decisive victory tonight over the Ramblers of Perry in the league opener with a 45-25 win. Complete results are here. Saturday, part of the team will be in action at the Lansing Eastern JV Invitational. Look for the whole team to return to action Saturday January 5th at New Lothrop. Check the schedule, as there have been some changes.

12/8/01

3 Hornets Medal in Howell

Three Williamston Grapplers earned spots on the medal stand at the Howell Invitational today. Jeremy Bloom finished fifth with a 4-1 record for the day with his only loss to the eventual champion Nick Ortel of Goodrich. Mike Rice also went 4-1 for the third spot with a semi-final loss to Phil Theil of Traverse City West. And Captain Andy Simmons extended his undefeated prep record to 173-0 with the 140 Pound Championship. Steve Dufrin and Kevin Bisard also posted victories for the Hornets. Also picking up wins in the non-scoring consolation round were Eric Fann and J.P. Stubblefield. Complete tournament results are available at Howell Wrestling.

Thursday will find the Hornets visiting the Ramblers of Perry. Wrestling starts at 6:30.

12/5/01

Williamston Splits at Corunna

The Hornets split a pair tonight at the Corunna Quad. The boys in green drop the first to Corunna 54-15 and the winning the second 51-24 over Bentley. Results are available here.

IMPORTANT - SCHEDULE CHANGE

Saturday December 8, 2001 we will be at the Howell Invitational instead of Novi. Wrestling at Howell begins at 9:00am.

12/2/01

Hornet Have a Tough Day at the Duals

The Hornets opened the new season with a very tough day at The Michigan Duals yesterday competing against the very best teams from across the state. Everyone wrestled hard and there were a lot of encouraging moments but Williamston was unable to come away with a win. Look for much improvement in the weeks to come. Results are available here. We're in action next on Wednesday at the Corunna Quad, wrestling starts at 5:30.

11/21/01

Williamston High School has named Adam Fedewa the new head wrestling coach for the Hornets. Adam is a resident of Williamston who brings a great deal of experience with him to our program. We're looking forward to a great season.

The News