Jeff Chaney
Sports Scene
There have been 16 wrestlers in the state of Michigan who have had the talent, good fortune, and a little luck to win four individual state championships.
Two more could be added to the record books this year.
Fowlerville heavyweight Adam Coon is looking for his fourth title, as is St. Johns 145-pounder Ben Whitford.
Coon won all his titles in Michigan, while Whitford won his first two in the state of Illinois before transferring to St. Johns and winning his first Michigan title last year.
Coon said it would be an honor to be No. 17.
He would be the 17th if he makes the finals and wins, as the 285-pound weight class is the first weight class to wrestle at the state finals, to be held at The Palace of Auburn Hills February 28 through March 2.
“There is a select few people that have done it, and that would be huge if I did it because there are so few,” Coon said. “It would be an honor to be in the record book with those wrestlers – a huge honor.”
The first to accomplish the feat was Mt. Pleasant’s Mike Mills, who won his last title in 1979. The last to do it was Whitford’s St. Johns teammate, Taylor Massa, who did it last year.
In between have been such dominant wrestlers as Michael Murdoch of Montrose, Nick and Andy Simmons of Williamston, Roger Kish of Lapeer West, and Brent Metcalf of Davison.
The complete list of four-time winners and their weight classes is shown below, and both Coon and Whitford look good to add their names to that list. Coon is currently 51-0 and has pinned all of his opponents. He has not wrestled past the second period and has not been taken down all year – an accomplishment he is just as driven to achieve as being a four-timer.
“I don’t want to jinx that one,” Coon said. “My sophomore year, I had a take down against me in the semifinals, last year I got caught in a headlock at regionals. Knock on wood, I haven’t had one yet this year.”
Whitford has been just as dominant. He is currently 30-0, and in regional competition he won one of his matches by technical fall and the other two by fall.
Coon’s coach and father, Dan Coon, says it’s been an easy formula for success for his son.
“He’s ready to work hard every day,” Dan Coon said. “Not very often does he take practice time off. And he’s not too good not to take the coaching. We have a slogan in our practice room ‘Little things make the biggest difference,’ and he works on the little things.”
As for the pressure of going for four?
“I just roll with the punches,” Adam Coon said. “I’ve been lucky enough not to have an injury – I have to say the cards are falling in my favor. But I can’t take anything for granted. There is pressure to get that fourth state title, but I have to look at it, that three titles are great, and getting that fourth would be great, too.”
Adam Coon almost can’t remember what a loss feels like. He is 208-3 for his career, and those three losses came during his freshman season.
“You have to put in the hard work in,” Adam Coon said. “A lot of training has to be done. It’s a mental grind at this point. I’ve always have had goals in mind, and you just have to keep attacking them to achieve them.”
Four-Time MHSAA Champions
Mike Mills, Mt. Pleasant—98-112-132-138 (1976-79)
Gregory Elie, Escanaba—98-105-112-119 (1980-83)
Robert Mariucci, Iron Mountain—112-126-145-155 (1981-84)
Michael Murdoch, Montrose—119-132-145-145 (1983-86)
Larry Raether, Iron Mountain — 112-119-132-132 (1984-87)
Brandon Chesher, Adrian 112-125-134-145 (1993-96)
Jeremiah Tobias, Manchester — 125-130-135-145 (1997-00)
Nick Simmons, Williamston — 103-103-119-119 (1998-01)
Andy Simmons, Williamston — 112-130-135-140 (1999-02)
Roger Kish, Lapeer West — 160-171-189-189 (2000-03)
Joe Mendez, Lowell —103-112-130-135 (2002-05)
Brent Metcalf, Davison —130-140-145-145 (2002-05)
Justin Zeerip, Hesperia —125-145-152-160 (2004-07)
Mark Weber, Goodrich – 103-112-125-135 (2005-08)
Kyle Waldo, Rockford – 103-103-112-119 (2006-09)
Taylor Massa, St. Johns – 145-152-160-171 (2009-12)