Wrestling – Marquette Athletics

Wrestling’s Dasan Smith Finishes Second At Regional Meet To Qualify For MHSAA State Finals

February 18, 2023

Three members of the MSHS Wrestling Team traveled to Cadillac this weekend to compete in the 2023 MHSAA Individual Regional Meet on Saturday, 2/18/23.

Competing from Marquette were Brody Caster (157), Luke Mead (165) and Dasan Smith (285).

Both Caster and Mead represented MSHS well going up against tough competition from around the state to conclude successful seasons.

Smith ultimately finished the meet as MHSAA Regional Runner-Up after going 2-1 on the day. His first win came via major decision over Fenton’s Carson Krzeszak (17-2); before claiming a semifinal victory via pinfall over Juan Dominguez of DeWitt. Goodrich’s James Mahon then defeated Smith in the championship round.

Smith’s second place finish at the meet earned him qualifying spots for the MHSAA State Finals that will be held at Ford Field in Detroit on March 3-4.

Wrestling Has Solid Showing At MHSAA Individual Districts; Three Qualify For Regional Meet

February 13, 2023

After finishing as runner-up to Escanaba at last Wednesday’s (2/8/23) MHSAA Team District, the MSHS Wrestling Team traveled to Gaylord High School this past Saturday (2/10/23), to compete in the MHSAA Individual District meet.

As a result of their performance at the district meet, three wrestling student-athletes have now advanced to MHSAA Individual Regionals. Those wrestlers are:

Brody Caster (157) – 4th Place
Luke Mead (165) – 4th Place
Dasan Smith (285) – 3rd Place

In order for a wrestler to qualify for the MHSAA Individual Regional event, he/she must place in the top four of their weight class. The MHSAA Individual Regional Meet is Saturday, 2/18/23, and will again be hosted by Gaylord High School.

Helana Sharp and Luke Mead Selected As January Student-Athletes Of The Month

February 2, 2023

Marquette Senior High School, along with Superiorland Kiwanis, are proud to announce that Helana Sharp (gymnastics) and Luke Mead (wrestling) have been named as the Student-Athletes of the Month for January 2023.

Helana Sharp is a junior at MSHS this year and is in the midst of a standout year as a member of the gymnastics team.

The 2022-23 gymnastics season marks the third that Helana has qualified for the MHSAA Regional Meet on all four events (bars, beam, floor, vault). In the team’s five competitions this season, Helana has seven total event first place finishes and has twice captured first place in all-around competitions (12/7/22, 1/11/23). Cumulatively, Helana has placed in the top 10 in all events this season and has never finished outside of the top four all-around competitors.

With all of the athletics success that Helana has seen this season and in years past, she is equally accomplished in the classroom with a 3.64 cumulative GPA. Her academic success has made her a regular inclusion on the MSHS Honor Roll and member of the National Honor Society.

Outside of school and practice, Helana works as a gymnastics camp coach and serves as a vacation bible school counselor. While still a year away from graduation, Helana’s post-graduation plans are to attend college and continue her education in business with a focus in marketing.

Luke Mead is a Class of 2023 senior and is working through his final season as a member of the MSHS Wrestling Team.

Luke’s athletics participation has been well-rounded with participation in the football (3 years), wrestling (4 years) and baseball (4 years) programs. The 2022-23 wrestling season marks Luke’s fourth as a varsity team competitor and second straight campaign as a team captain.

After finishing the 2021-22 campaign by having qualified for the MHSAA Regional Meet, Luke put in the work to put himself in a position for a successful senior season. That hard work is coming to fruition with three medalist finishes in major tournaments this season, including a 5th place result at the 2022 Marquette Challenge, 3rd place finish at the 2023 U.P. Championships and last weekend’s 4th place honor at the 2023 Northern Michigan Championships.

In the classroom, Luke owns a 3.66 cumulative GPA and has twice earned U.P. All-Academic Honors as well as consistent membership on the MSHS Honor Roll. He is currently dual-enrolled at NMU for an Associate Degree in Advance Fabrication and Welding. Upon completing that program, he intends to continue on to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree with an undecided major at this time.

Wrestling Finishes Eighth And Medals Four At 2023 U.P. Championships

January 23, 2023

The MSHS Wrestling Team hosted the 2023 U.P. Championships on Saturday (January 21). The team competed well on the day, earning a eighth place finish out of the 17 participating schools.

Highlighting the day for MSHS was the performance of junior Dasan Smith as he recorded three victories via pinfall to reach the event finals in the 285 pound weight class to earn U.P. Runner-Up honors.

MSHS had four medalists on the day. Below are those that earned medals as part of the 2023 U.P. Wrestling Championships:

Dasan Smith – U.P. Runner-Up (285)
Luke Mead – 3rd Place (165)
Brody Caster– 4th Place (157)
Hazen Holmes – 5th Place (175)

Also included as part of the event was a special recognition for those wrestling student-athletes named to the 2022-23 U.P. Wrestling All-Academic Team. Criteria for this honor are that recipients be of junior or senior class standing and possess a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher. Senior Luke Mead was the standalone honoree from MSHS to receive this high honor for his achievement in the classroom.

Lastly, history was made at the event when Iron Mountain’s Shayna Hruska was crowned as the first ever female wrestler to win a U.P. Championship when she captured the individual title in the 106 pound weight class.

Team Scores:

Gladstone – 287
Iron Mountain – 183
Escanaba – 133
Kingsford – 130.5
Negaunee – 120
Sault Ste. Marie – 118
Bark River-Harris – 108
Marquette – 86
St. Ignace – 78
Munising – 76
Manistique – 55.5
Ishpeming – 50
Newberry – 49
Gwinn – 32
Menominee – 21
Rudyard – 19
Westwood – 6

Next Up:

The wrestling team will travel to Gaylord next weekend (January 27-28) to compete in the Northern Michigan Championships.

Wrestling Finishes Fifth; Places Four At Ray Mariucci Invitational

January 15, 2023January 15, 2023

The MSHS Varsity Wrestling Team traveled to Kingsford on Saturday, 1/14/23, to compete in the Ray Mariucci Invitational. 12 total schools from the Upper Penninsula and Wisconsin attended the event.

In team scoring, Marquette placed fifth with 88 total points. Crandon won the team title with 215.5 points with Iron Mountain as the runner-up after earning 165 points. Negaunee placed third with 118 points, followed by Escanaba in fourth with 113 points.

Junior Dasan Smith led the way for MSHS after capturing the tournament championship in the 285 pound weight class. Others earning medalist honors were junior Brody Caster finishing in third place at 157 pounds, senior Luke Mead placing third at 165 pounds and senior Brayden Borman finishing in fourth place at 150 pounds.

Team Scores:

Crandon – 215.5
Iron Mountain – 165
Negaunee – 118
Escanaba – 113
Marquette – 88
Bark River-Harris – 76.5
Kingsford – 73
Florence – 62
Munising – 59.5
Ishpeming – 53
Westwood – 46
Gwinn – 44

Medalists From MSHS (places 1st-4th):

Dasan Smith – 1st Place – 285 Pounds
Brody Caster – 3rd Place – 157 Pounds
Luke Mead – 3rd Place – 165 Pounds
Brayden Borman – 4th Place – 150 Pounds

Next Up:

The MSHS Wrestling Team will be back in action on Wednesday, 1/18/23, when they travel to Iron Mountain for a quad meet beginning at 6:00 p.m. EST with the host Mountaineers, Gwinn and Florence (WI).

Varsity Wrestling Has Strong Showing With 4-1 Record At Westwood Super Dual

December 11, 2022

The MSHS Varsity Wrestling Team had its second competition of the week when they took part in the Westwood Super Dual event today (12/10/22). In five total dual matches on the day, Marquette posted a 4-1 record.

Team Dual Results:

Match 1: Marquette 42, Bark River-Harris 26
Match 2: Marquette 54, Ishpeming 12
Match 3: Negaunee 43, Marquette 19
Match 4: Marquette 42, Westwood 24
Match 5: Marquette 48, Gwinn 12

In addition, MSHS wrestlers posted the following records at the event:

Aiden Gentz (132) – 4-1 record
Matthew Brady (138) – 3-2 record
Antanie Villarello (144) – 3-2 record
Trent Sadler (150) – 3-2 record
Brody Caster (157) – 5-0 record
Brayden Borman (165) – 4-1 record
Luke Mead (175) – 4-1 record
Du’Jhan Penegor (190) – 2-3 record
Sam Hollenberger (215) – 3-2 record
Dasan Smith (285) – 4-1 record

The wrestling team will return to action on Tuesday, December 13th, when they travel to Escanaba for a quad meet with Escanaba, Kingsford and Iron Mountain. Meet start time is 6:00 p.m.

Wrestling Splits Matches At Negaunee Triangular

December 9, 2022

The MSHS Varsity Wrestling Team started the 2022-23 season off with a split at a triangular meet hosted by Negaunee High School yesterday (December 8).

Match 1: Marquette 10, Negaunee 60

Match winners against Negaunee were Trent Sadler (150 pounds) and Brody Caster (157 pounds).

Match 2: Marquette 48, Ishpeming 18

Match winners against Ishpeming were Aiden Gentz (132 pounds), Antanie Villarello (138 pounds), Trent Sadler (150 pounds), Brody Caster (165 pounds), Pearce Ross (175 pounds), Du’Jhan Penegor (190 pounds) and Sam Hollenberger (215 pounds).

From Tony Gentz, MSHS Wrestling Head Coach:

“I was very pleased and encouraged with the way that we competed this evening. Today’s meet was the first competition for a decent segment of our roster and, while our inexperience showed in some ways, our potential shined through as well. I look forward to seeing the development of this group as the season progresses.”

Next Up:

The wrestling team will return to action on Saturday, December 10th, when they will compete in the Westwood Super Duals. That event has a 10:00 a.m. start time.

Maria Millado & Wyatt Kuhlman Named 2021-22 MSHS “Athletes of the Year”

June 2, 2022

On Thursday morning (6/2/22), student-athletes honored during the 2021-22 academic year as “Athletes of the Month” were invited to again celebrate their collective and individual accomplishments. Each year, Marquette Senior High School is fortunate to have Superiorland Kiwanis sponsor these monthly events to provide its deserving student-athletes with “Athlete of the Month” awards at recognition ceremonies taking place throughout the academic year.

Although student-athletes are recognized for their accomplishments within one sport during the monthly ceremonies, many go on to participate in subsequent sport seasons and accumulate additional athletics honors. From the group of honorees, two student-athletes were selected as the 2021-22.

MSHS Athletics, along with Superiorland Kiwanis, are proud to announce that Maria Millado (volleyball; girls basketball) and Wyatt Kuhlman (football; wrestling) have been named as the 2021-22 Student-Athletes of the Year.

2021-22 MSHS Female Athlete of the Year – Maria Millado

Sports Participated In: Volleyball, Girls Basketball
Accolades – Team: 2021 GNC Volleyball Champions; 2021-22 GNC Girls Basketball Champions
Accolades – Individual:
- Volleyball: AVCA Best & Brightest Award First Team; All-Region; GNC Player of the Year; Four School Records Set (Most Digs – Season, Most Blocks -Match, Most Blocks – Season, Most Blocks- Career)
- Girls Basketball: All-U.P. First Team; GNC Player of the Year; GNC Defensive Player of the Year
- Other: 2021-22 Michigan Multi-Sport Athlete of the Year – Girls Class A

2021-22 MSHS Male Athlete of the Year – Wyatt Kuhlman

Sports Participated In: Football, Wrestling
Accolades – Team: 2021 U.P. Large School Football “Team of the Year”; 2021 GNC Football Champions
Accolades – Individual:
- Football: Team Captain; All-U.P. “Dream Team”; All-GNC
- Wrestling: Team Captain; U.P. Champion (160 pounds); U.P. “Most Valuable Wrestler”; All-Region; 100 Career Victories

MSHS had a total of 18 student-athletes honored through the “Athlete of the Month” program in 2021-22. The full list of honorees can be found below:

September 2021 – Kelsey Kivi (sideline cheer) & Austin Ridl (football)
October 2021 – Courtney Larson (girls cross country) & Axel Vermaat (boys soccer)
November 2021 – Maria Millado (volleyball) & Carson VanderSchaaf (boys cross country)
December 2021 – Delaney Marchiol (girls swim & dive) & Jacob Garrow (hockey)
January 2022 – Zoe Smith (girls basketball) & Wyatt Kuhlman (wrestling)
February 2022 – Madalyn Stern (girls alpine skiing) & Liam McFarren (boys swim & dive)
March 2022 – Isabella DeMattia (dance team) & David Eberhard (boys basketball)
April 2022 – Isabella Lorens (girls soccer) & Samuel Markey (boys track & field)
May 2022 – Jordan Haynes (softball) & Desmond Mullen (baseball)

Wrestling Competes at MHSAA Individual Districts; Mead, Kuhlman and Ricker Qualify for Regionals

February 14, 2022February 15, 2022

After finishing as runner-up to Petoskey at last Wednesday’s (2/9/22) MHSAA Team District, the MSHS Wrestling Team traveled to Gaylord High School this past Saturday (2/12/22), to compete in the MHSAA Individual District meet.

In order for a wrestler to qualify for the MHSAA Individual Regional event, he/she must place in the top four of their weight class. The MHSAA Individual Regional Meet is Saturday, February 19, and will take place at Fremont High School.

As a result of their performance at the district meet, three Redmen wrestling student-athletes have now advanced to MHSAA Individual Regionals. Those wrestlers are:

Luke Mead (152) – 4th Place
Wyatt Kuhlman (160) – 3rd Place
Chris Ricker (285) – 3rd Place

Congratulations to these three student-athletes and best of luck next Saturday! This meet concludes the competitive season for the remainder of the team.

Zoe Smith and Wyatt Kuhlman Selected As January Student-Athletes of the Month

February 10, 2022

Marquette Senior High School, along with Superiorland Kiwanis, are proud to announce that Zoe Smith (girls basketball) and Wyatt Kuhlman (wrestling) have been named as the Student-Athletes of the Month for January 2022.

Zoe Smith is a senior at MSHS and is leading the MSHS Girls Basketball Team through another successful campaign as a team captain. This season marks Zoe’s third as a member of the Varsity Girls Basketball Team. With a 6-1 record in the Great Northern Conference, the team is headed towards another conference championship that they can claim outright with a win over Kingsford tomorrow (Friday) evening.

On the court this year, Zoe averages 7.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. During the team’s home victory over rival Escanaba on January 11, Zoe poured in 16 points with some phenomenal shooting from the field to lead the group to a big win within the Great Northern Conference.

In addition to participating in the girls basketball program, Zoe also competes as a member of the MSHS Girls Golf Team. She placed ninth at the 2021 MHSAA U.P. Division 1 Golf Finals to earn All-U.P. accolades.

Zoe excels in the classroom as well with a 3.96 cumulative GPA. She is a two-year member of the National Honor Society and four-year member of the student council, where she currently serves as Student Body Vice President. Outside of school, she is employed by Vango’s and volunteers for the Marquette Junior Wildcats Basketball program as well as the Marquette Beautification Committee. Zoe’s post-graduation plans are to attend Central Michigan, Grand Valley or Northern Michigan next year and pursue a degree in the business and/or hospitality fields.

Wyatt Kuhlman is in senior class standing at MSHS and is quickly approaching the end of a stellar four-year career on the MSHS Wrestling Team. After having previously qualified for the MHSAA Finals as a sophomore and being named team captain for the 2021-22 season, Wyatt has been determined to achieve his goals this season. At the 2022 U.P. Wrestling Championships, he claimed the U.P. title in the 160-pound weight class. The championship pinfall was particularly special in that it served as Wyatt’s 100^th career victory. His outstanding performance at the U.P. Championships earned him Most Valuable Wrester honors.

Wyatt’s leadership doesn’t stop on the mat as he was also a team captain on the MSHS Varsity Football team this Fall and helped guide the program to another Great Northern Conference (GNC) crown and MHSAA postseason appearance. At season’s end, Wyatt was named to the All-GNC and All-U.P. “Dream Team” as a Defensive Tackle.

Outside of athletics, Wyatt is a member of the MSHS Wind Ensemble, where he is a 1^st-chair trumpet player and recurring soloist. His hobbies and interests include writing and recording music.

Wyatt is currently dual-enrolled at Northern Michigan University, where he is expected to complete the Industrial Maintenance program in Spring 2023. Additionally, Wyatt plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in either Industrial Engineering or Film Score Composition while looking to continue his wrestling career at the college level.