By DAVID COOK
The High School Sports Scene coverage area is a hotbed of wrestling talent. Many local wrestlers go on to excel at the college level. This is a look at how some of the many local wrestling graduates from the area are doing at the collegiate level this year.
Former Lowell standout Gabe Dean has taken his place as one of the premier wrestlers in the country. Dean, a sophomore at Cornell University, is ranked No. 1 in the nation at 184 pounds by InterMat. He recently won his weight class at the prestigious Southern Scuffle and has a 23-2 record as of mid January.
Former Fowlerville heavyweight Adam Coon is off to a big start in his sophomore season at the University of Michigan. Coon is ranked 8th in the country at heavyweight by InterMat. He finished second at the Southern Scuffle and third at the Cliff Keen Invitational.
Taylor Massa, a St. Johns graduate, is another University of Michigan wrestler who is ranked nationally. He is ranked 10th at 165 pounds and had an 11-2 record as of mid January.
Another former Lowell standout, Jackson Morse, is in his senior season at the University of Illinois. Morse is ranked 8th in the country at 165 pounds. A two-time NCAA qualifier, he finished first at the Roadrunner Open this year and third at the Midlands Championships.
Justin Oliver, a Davison alumnus, is making a big impact as a freshman at Central Michigan University. Oliver finished third at 141 pounds at the Michigan State Open this season. He entered mid January with a 17-6 record for the Chippewas.
Roger Wildmo, a Durand graduate, is a junior at Michigan State University. He has double-digit wins for the Spartans this season and was runner-up at the Northern Iowa Open.
Former Holt star Dominick Trevino is off to a strong start with the Olivet College wrestling team. Trevino won the 141-pound title at the Ohio Northern Invitational and is ranked honorable-mention in the Division 3 national rankings.
James Carey, an Ithaca graduate, was named the d3wrestle.com Wrestler of the Week earlier this season. An Alma College senior, Carey became just the second Alma wrestler in program history to earn the honor. “You can’t find a better teammate or more coachable student-athlete than Jimbo,” said Alma College head coach Todd Hibbs. “He has trained for his senior year and is wrestling with confidence, which is a very good combination.” Carey has won over 50 matches during his collegiate career.
Matt Darling, from Ovid-Elsie, is enjoying a solid senior season at Olivet College. Darling placed third at the Ohio Northern Invitational and took third place at the North Central Invitational.
Tyler Keselring, a Greenville graduate, is in his senior season with the Central Michigan University wrestling team. Keselring finished fourth at the Michigan State Open this season at 133 pounds.
Shayne Wireman, a Holt graduate, is off to a strong start at Eastern Michigan University. A sophomore, Wireman took second at the Keystone Classic and has won 11 of his first 13 matches this season. He has won over 30 matches so far in his collegiate career.
Andrew Morse, a junior from Lowell, is enjoying a big season at Northern Illinois. Morse was nominated for MAC Wrestler of the Week after defeating Jarrett Jensen of Northern Iowa, the fourth-ranked 157-pounder, 4-0. Morse ranks third on the team in wins as of mid January with 14.
Kevin Beazley, a Howell native and Detroit Catholic Central graduate, is ranked fourth in the MAC at 197 pounds. A junior at Old Dominion University, Beazley entered mid January with a team-high 19 wins.