The News

2002 - 2003

3/16/03

Another Season Closes

Well I always have a case of the overs this time of year, but this year it isn't as bad.  You see nothing is really over, with no Seniors on the team, nothing is really over.  It was just a beginning for some great things we're going to accomplish next year.

Monday night the wrestlers and their families gathered to celebrate the season.  Jeff Kane and Dusty Stiffler were named the most improved wrestlers.  Devin Young and Jeremy Bloom were awarded as the Outstanding Wrestlers.  The Takedown Trophy went to Jeremy along with the Most Valuable Wrestler award.  There were lots of memories and talk of things to come.  I think next season is going to be great.

Keep an eye open for updates on the USA wrestling season.  A lot of the guys plan on wrestling through the spring season and qualifying for Team Michigan.  I'll keep you informed.

Also you may want to log onto The Mat next week to track the progress of Nick Simmons and the rest of the MSU Spartans at the NCAA Finals.  Nick was named Big Ten Freshman of he year and is poised to do great things at the Nationals.  The finals can be seen on ESPN next Saturday at 7 PM.

 

3/10/03

 
All-State Honors
 
Two more names are about to be added to the wall of champions in the Hornet wrestling room.  After a long, exciting, challenging, and frustrating tournament Devin Young and Jeremy Bloom came home with All-State Honors.  Devin finished in eighth place at 140 pounds and Jeremy was the runner-up at 160.  While this was short of their goals they join a pretty select club of 54 All-Staters and 23 State Champions at Williamston since 1961.  And best of all they are Juniors, they both get another chance to move up those steps to the top of the podium and to have more of their team there with them. Tomorrow night the team gathers with their families to celebrate the season that was and the ones to come.  I'll give you an update later in the week.

3/4/03

 
It's Go Time !!!
 
Well the season is over in just about 100 hours.  Two Hornets are left and they're ready to go!  Tomorrow night the boys and the coaches head for the Palace and the largest high school wrestling tournament in the country.  Devin Young and Jeremy Bloom will hit the mat on 2:30 Thursday afternoon and try to complete their goals for the season.  I'll try and keep you updated as the action unfolds but I may be occupied shooting pictures.  For continuous updates log on to http://www.mhsaa.com for complete results.  We are in Division 3 with Devin at 140 pounds and Jeremy at 160 pounds.
 
If you are going to join us at the Palace we will be in the very front rows of section 124.  Also there is some construction on the exit ramp to the Palace, here are the directions from MHSAA to avoid the area:
 
Individual Wrestling Traffic Alert

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced that the exit/entrance ramp adjacent to The Palace of Auburn Hills will be closed until late May.

Northbound drivers heading to the Palace (M-24): remain on 1-75 to Joslyn Road exit (Exit 83), turn right on Joslyn Road to Brown Road, then head east on Brown Road to M-24.

Southbound drivers leaving the Palace (M-24): continue south on M-24 to Opdyke Road, continue south on Opdyke Road to University Drive, then left on University Drive (Exit 79) to 1-75.

Northbound traffic leaving the Palace of Auburn Hills and Southbound traffic entering the Palace of Auburn Hills can continue to use Exit 81 adjacent to the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Well like always I hope I see you there!

2/25/03

 
Honored Wrestlers
 
Four of Williamston's grapplers will take to the mat tomorrow night in the Lansing Area Wrestling Officials Honor Roll Meet.  Jeremy Bloom will wrestle for the division 2/3 first team at 160 pounds, with Aaron Hitchcock (112), Bradley Simmons (119), and Devin Young (140) competing for the second team.  Tim Grant was named to the honorable mention team at (152).  Whistles at 6:30 PM at Don Johnson Fieldhouse at Lansing Eastern High School.  See you there!

2/23/03

 
Captains Advance
 
It was a tough day for most of the Hornets in Regional competition on Saturday.  Aaron Hitchcock, Brad Simmons, Tim Grant, and Dusty Stiffler all made a great effort but failed to advance to the State Finals.  However our two Captains did take that next step.  Devin Young advanced to the Regional Final where he dropped one to Adam Curtis of Caro.  And despite a nasty case of strep throat last week Jeremy Bloom also battled to the finals where he lost a close one to Scoier from Pinconning.  They will open the Tournament at the Palace of Auburn Hills of Thursday March 6th at 2:30 PM.
 
Keep an eye open later today or tomorrow and I will let you know who will wrestle in the Honor Roll Meet on Wednesday.
 

2/16/03

A Great Week

The Williamston Wrestlers just finished up a great week.  Thursday night the host Hornets downed the Bath Bees, 59-18, in the District Semi-Finals while the Ramblers of Perry dropped the Raiders of Portland, 51-30 on the other mat.  Then our grapplers show they came to wrestle and won their fifth consecutive District Championship with a 43-21 score over  Perry.  This earns the Hornets a trip to Napoleon on Wednesday for the Team Regional.  Williamston meets perennial power house Dundee in the first match at 6:00 PM, but I think we are ready to wrestle!  The District box scores are here.

In Individual District at home on Saturday Williamston advanced six wrestler to Regional competition next Saturday at Alma.  Aaron Hitchcock was 4th at 112 pounds, Brad Simmons, Tim Grant, and Dusty Stiffler (119, 152, 215) all won their consolation finals to finish 3rd, and Captain Devin Young finished in the Runner-up slot at 140.  Captain Jeremy Bloom won his first district championship at 160 pounds.  The action starts at 10:00 AM next Saturday morning at Alma High School.  Results are available here.

 

2/12/03

Back On-Line!

Well I think I'm back in operation and pretty much up to date. 

Tomorrow night finds the Hornets at home hosting team district action at 6:30 PM.  In the preliminary matches Portland and Perry go at it and the Hornets hope to sting the Bees from Bath.  Then the winners will wrestle for the district title, and a trip to Napoleon on next Thursday for Regionals.

Saturday also finds Williamston at home playing host to the Individual Districts.  Wrestling starts at 10:30 AM.  Hope to see you there.

2/9/03

 
Two Champions
 
Sorry for the lack of updates but I'm still getting the computer back on line.  Should be up to date in a couple of days.
 
At the final ICL tournament in Portland on Saturday  the Hornets sent six grapplers to the medal stand.  Aaron Hitchcock and Jeff Kane finished third,  Brad Simmons and Dusty Stiffler were in second place and team Captains Devin Young and Jeremy Bloom were the final Champions of the ICL at 140 and 160 pounds.  In the forst match of the day Jeremy recorded his 100th career victory for the green.  Congratulations!!!
 
As a team we finished ahead of Fowlerville for the day.
 
Join us Thursday night at 6:00 PM for the Team Districts at home.  In the first round Portland and Perry square off and Williamston meets up with Bath.  Then the winners wrestle for the District title.  See you there!
 

2/2/03

More Weekend Improvement

The Hornets continue to get better on the weekends.  All twelve of the Williamston Grapplers that competed at Constantine on Saturday scored points for the team and six of the twelve placed in the top 3 of the nine team field.  Joe Bloom, Tim Grant, and Dusty Stiffler finished in the third spot,  and Bradley Simmons finished as the runner-up.  Captains Jeremy Bloom and Devin Young both improved on their second place finishes from last season coming home with the gold.  The full results are here.

Thursday night is parents night at home as we entertain Carson City Crystal and Brooklyn Columbia Center.  See you at 6:30 PM.  Also remember there is a Wrestling Club meeting Wednesday night at the Brookshire Inn at 7:00 PM.

1/31/03

Short Again

The Hornets came up on the short end on the scoreboard despite winning on the mat.  Williamston topped Haslett 25-24 in the contested matches but lost 48-25 after giving up 4 forfeits.  The box score is here.

Saturday we wrestle in the Constantine Invitational at 9:30 AM.  Hope to see you there.

1/26/03

 
Getting Better
 
The Hornets had success at Quincy this weekend with wins by almost the entire team.  Medaling were Brad Simmons 3rd at 119, Devin Young 2nd at 140, and Jeremy Bloom the 160 pound champion. Scoring points were: Jeff Kane, Corey Alchin, Joe Bloom, Tim Grant, Dusty Stiffler, and Adam Pease.  The team finished in the middle of the field in 6th place.
 
Thursday takes us to Haslett to finish out the league dual season.
 

1/24/03

Dewitt Prevails

Williamston lost another tough league dual last night in DeWitt.  The Hornets came up on the short end 38-27.  The box score is here.

The grapplers are on the mat again Saturday at the Quincy Invitational.  Wrestling starts at 9:30 AM. Hope to see you there.

 

1/19/03

Hornets Improve at Classic

Williamston sent five wrestlers to the podium at the 40th annual Williamston Classic yesterday.  Bradley Simmons led the team with a runner-up finish at 119 pounds with a 3-1 mark.  Devin Young, Jeremy Bloom, and Dusty Stiffler also went 3-1 on the day for third place medals, and Tim Grant went 4-1 to finish fifth.  Also putting points up for the Hornets was Joe Bloom finishing at 2-2. 

In the team race Mason won the Classic with 188.5 points, followed by Belleville at 166.5, and Shepherd at 156.5.  Williamston finished in the middle of the eighteen team field with 85 points and ninth place. Complete results are available here.

The Coaches named the 135 pound final the Classic Match of the Day won by Mike Goethe of Plymouth Salem.  The Outstanding Wrestler in the lower weights was Shane McKerchie at 112 pounds from Ludington and in the upper weights, Casey Steffen at 152 pounds from Flat Rock took home the honors.  Casey was also recognized for only being the third wrestler to win four Jim Mooney Williamston Classic championships.

Once again it was a Classic.  Thank you to all of the teams, coaches, officials, trainers, and hard working volunteers of the Williamston Wrestling Club who make it an outstanding day.

The Hornets are back on the mat Thursday at DeWitt, whistles at 6:30 PM.

1/17/03

 
Tough Night at Portland
 
The Hornets struggled last night against the Raiders dropping the league meet 40-20.  The box scores will not be available until over the weekend due to preparations for the Classic.
 
And remember the 40th annual Jim Mooney Williamston Classic will begin tomorrow at 8:30 AM at the High School.  Please join us for some top-notch competition.

1/16/03

 
Just a reminder, the Hornets face Portland tonight at Portland.  Whistles at 6:30 PM.  See you there!
 
Also Saturday is the 40th annual Jim Mooney Williamston Classic Wrestling Invitational.  The action starts at 8:30 AM and runs all day.  Join us for some great competition and to pitch-in and help, we'd love to have you.
1/11/03

Two Champions

The Hornets put two wrestlers at the top of the podium Saturday at Grand Ledge.  Bradley Simmons was the 119 Pound champion and Jeremy Bloom was the 160 pound winner. Also placing for Williamston were Devin Young , fourth at 140 pounds, Eric Fann, sixth at 145, and Dusty Stiffler fourth at 215.  Results are here.

Thursday we travel to Portland, wrestling at 6:30.  And remember next Saturday is the 40th annual Jim Mooney Williamston Classic.  Wrestling starts at 8:30 AM.  If you would like to help out please contact me at Brad@WilliamstonWrestling.com .

1/9/03

Ramblers Edge Hornets

The Hornets dropped another close league meet at home tonight, losing to the Ramblers of Perry 38-36.  Williamston won on the mat with 5 victories in 8 contested matches but gave up 4 forfeits to Perry's 2.  The box score is here. 

Williamston is back in action Saturday at 9:30 AM at the Grand Ledge Invitational.  Whistles at 9:30 AM, see you there.

1/5/02

Five Medal at New Lothrop

The Hornets fought their way through a rough day at the New Lothrop Invitational Saturday to finish 11th out of 19 teams.  A strong squad from Caro edged host New Lothrop for the team title followed by Montrose in the third spot.  For Williamston; Brad Simmons fought off an early loss to go 3-1 on the day for fifth place at 119 pounds.  Joe Bloom finished in the sixth spot at 135 with a 2-2 mark.  At 140 pounds Devin Young also went 2-2 for fourth place.  Tim Grant put up a 3-1 record for a 152 pound third place finish and at 160 pounds Jeremy Bloom also went 3-1 to place second after losing a close final to former State Champion and runner-up Goidosik from St. Charles.

The Hornets are back in action Thursday at home against the Ramblers of Perry.  Wrestling at 6:30, see you there.

1/3/02   

 
Happy New Year!
 
I hope everyone's holiday was good.  The team has been hard at work over break and they are ready to get back on the mat.  Tomorrow we are at the New Lothrop Invitational and there will be some great competition there with some of the top schools in divisions 3 and 4.  Whistles are at 10:00 am.  Hope to see you all there.
 

12/22/02

Hornets Continue to Improve

The wrestlers from Williamston nearly won the 1st annual Bridgeport Bearcat Challenge on Saturday.  The Hornets won their pool with victories over Croswell-Lexington, Beaverton, and Bridgeport 'A' and then fell just short in the final, losing to division 1, Midland Dow 41-39.  Going a perfect 4-0 for Williamston were, Brad Simmons, Joe Bloom, Devin Young, Jeremy Bloom, and Dusty Stiffler.  Brad Simmons was also named the Outstanding Wrestler in the lower weights.   Complete results are available here.

Now we're off for a couple of weeks for the holidays, but we are still going to be working hard for our next outing at the New Lothrop Invitational on January 4th.

Happy Holidays to you from the entire Williamston Wrestling Family!

12/19/02
 
Time Change
 
Just a quick note to remind you that we are at the the Bridgeport Bearcat Dual Meet Challenge this Saturday, December 21, 2003.  The matches begin at 9:30 AM.  Note the time change.  To get to Bridgeport: Take I-69 toward Flint then north on I-75 (exit 133) toward Saginaw.  Go to the Bridgeport Exit (144B - Dixie Hwy).  Go west (right) on Dixie Hwy. and the first right is Bearcat Blvd. turn and the school is less than a mile.  It is about 70 miles from home.
 
Also it's time to order tickets for the Individual Sate Finals on March 8-10 at the Palace.  If you are interested contact me before January 4.

12/15/02

Williamston Gets Tough at Howell

The Hornets continue to improve sending 5 wrestlers to the medal stand at the tough Howell Invitational yesterday.  Joe Bloom finished in the sixth spot at 135 pounds after going 3-2 on the day, with Tim Grant putting up a 4-1 mark to finish in fifth place at 152.  At 160 pounds Captain Jeremy Bloom dropped a close semi-final match before going on to finish the day with a win to end up third with a 3-1 record.  Freshman Bradley Simmons wrestled in what might have been the toughest bracket of the day at 119.  He wrestled three tough matches before losing in the finals to junior Nate Smith of Eaton Rapids.  And finally at 140 Captain Devin Young scored his first tournament championship going 4-0 on the day winning in the final, 11-9, over Kevin Peterson of Portage Central.  Also scoring points for the Hornets were Jeff Kane and Adam Pease.  As a team the Hornets scored 94 points and posted an eighth place finish in a seventeen team field.  For complete results visit http://www.howellwrestling.com/.

The Hornets are back in action on Saturday at the Bridgeport Big Red Duals.  Wrestling starts at 10 AM.  To get to Bridgeport take I-69 toward Flint then north on I-75 ( Exit 133 - Saginaw ) to the Bridgeport  ( Exit 144B - Dixie Hwy. )  Go west  ( right) on Dixie Hwy. and the first right is Bearcat Blvd. turn and the school is less than a mile.  It is about 70 miles.  Join us for anther great day.

12/12/02

Hornets Drop League Opener

Williamston dropped a close one at home against Fowlerville in the league opener on Thursday night.  In a spirited match the Hornets won on the mat winning 6 of 11 contested matches but gave up three forfeits to lose the dual 42-30.  The box score is available here.

Saturday the Hornets are in action at the Howell Invitational.  Wrestling starts at 9 AM.  Note this is a change from the printed schedules.

 

12/6/02

 
Williamston Splits at Corunna
 
The Hornets started the new season on a high note defeating Bentley 54 - 18 last night in Corunna before dropping the second match to the hosts 24 - 54.  The team was led by Captains Devin Young and Jeremy Bloom who each had two pins for the night.  Also pinning for the Hornets were Bradley Simmons, Brandon Fredley, Joe Bloom, and Eric Fann.  The box scores are here.
 
We return to action next Thursday with the Ingham County League opener against Fowlerville at home.  Whistles at 6:30, hope you join us for sponsor's night.
 

12/4/02

 
A New Beginning
 
The Hornets open the new season tomorrow at the Corunna Quad along with Leslie and Bentley.  The action starts at 5:30 PM.  Hope to see you there!
 

10/28/02

 It's almost here!

 I bet you all thought I forgot about you!  It has been an awfully long time since I have given you any news about our Hornets.  Well fear not, I'm still here and the news will be flowing.

 Since I last wrote the staff has been hard at work getting ready for the new season.  I have been extra busy in the workshop finishing construction on several improvements for the wrestling room which should be in place by the start of practice, three weeks from today. 

 We have also been at work helping to select a new head coach for the team and will have an announcement very soon.  Coach Fedewa departed to return to his roots in Portland, along with wife Katie and new daughter Ruthy Scarlet. He will teach and coach at Portland High School.

 The next several weeks will bring updates to The Hornets Nest web site as information on the team becomes available.  Until then visit The Locker Room section of the web site where you can download the preliminary schedule for all of our meets and tournaments.

7/31/02

Fargo Fun

Well the boys from Williamston are back from the Cadet and Junior National Championships in Fargo North Dakota.  There were ups and downs but it was all connected by a lot of fun and new experiences.  Tim Grant was winless at the tourney but he did improve with each match and looks forward to next year.  Devin Young competed in only the freestyle cadet championships and finished 1-2.  Still quite an accomplishment at the largest wrestling tournament in the world with nearly 4000 competitors.  Jeremy Bloom wrestled both greco- roman and freestyle posting a 5-4 mark despite a nasty case of strep throat.  Jeremy also competed in the National Cadet Duals in Colorado where he wrestled to a 5-5 record.  Williamston grad Andy Simmons was in the junior division where he finished second in the greco-roman competition and third in freestyle.

After so many days on the road the boys are happy to be at home as are the coaches.  But we're all ready to return next summer.

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.

 

Webmaster@WilliamstonWrestling.com

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