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Simmons' streak alive; girls fall in 1st round

March 10, 2000

TOM LANG
FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER

Five wrestlers are trying to make history at Joe Louis Arena.

Two are headed in the right direction. The other three can still pull off a special feat today at the individual state finals.

Williamston junior Nick Simmons won Thursday afternoon at 119 pounds in Division 3 for his 156th consecutive victory. Two more and he'll own the state record at 158 straight, breaking Andy Storr's streak at Goodrich.

Caro senior Phil Millerov, also undefeated (54-0) in Division 3, added another pin to his nation-leading career total of 158. He pinned Ron Tuohey of Center Line in 2:34.

However, the three girls who qualified for the tournament all lost their first-round matches at 103 pounds. If either Davison sophomore Keristen LaBelle, Caledonia freshman Lynde Baltrusaitis or Mason County Central senior Sandra Padron had won, she would have been the first girl to win a match at the MHSAA state wrestling tournament.

The girls will need to win two matches today to earn all-state honors (top eight), and three more Saturday to place as high as third. One more loss, and they're done.

Meanwhile, Simmons doesn't appear fazed at all -- by his streak or the vast atmosphere at the Joe. Of his 156 victories, he said 153 are by pin -- including Thursday's win over junior Aubrey Hunt of New Boston Huron, in 1:40. Simmons has wrestled many times in large arenas across the country.

"I think it may be an advantage for me over the other wrestlers," said Simmons, the two-time defending champ at 112. "The experience certainly helps. I just want to repeat."

As anticipated, the three girls received significant attention Thursday. Baltrusaitis (44-13) was defeated by the closest margin, 10-7, by Ferndale's J. P. Morgan (44-1), No. 1 at 103 in Division 2.

Caledonia coach James Maxim said Baltrusaitis got on top near the end and almost turned Morgan for a near fall, which would have tied the score.

"I wanted to give him a run for his money," Baltrusaitis said. "I'm so happy to be here. My goal was to make my mark in history -- making it as a freshman. I did that and I'm very happy. I'll either win like a champion or lose like a champion. But when it's over, I'll get ready for golf."

LaBelle was defeated, 13-6, by Wyandotte Roosevelt senior Kevin Lilienthal. He went ahead early, 4-2, on a pair of takedowns, followed by escapes by LaBelle. But Lilienthal zipped ahead, 11-3, in the second period.

"I've faced two other girls before, but not her," Lilienthal said. "I didn't let it cross my mind. She's quick, and way stronger that I predicted. She's a very worthy opponent."

Davison coach Roy Hall said of LaBelle (50-11): "The atmosphere here may have gotten to her somewhat -- but it's tough at this level for everyone. She was a little tentative."

Padron (23-10) lost, 7-2, to Ollie Birkenbach (42-10) of state team champion Whittemore-Prescott.

"She got the first takedown, so that was good," Central coach Jack Stibitz said. "She almost got a near fall, then he got ahead, 5-2, and just finished it out."

Thirty wrestlers came into the tournament undefeated, including Grand Ledge heavyweight Andy Iszler (44-0), who beat Peter Stewart of Traverse City Central, 7-4.

Division 1 defending champ Josh Gunterman of Livonia Stevenson remained undefeated at 103 pounds with an 8-0 win over Kyle Greenberg of Portage Central.

"It adds a little bit of pressure," said Gunterman, who came into last year's finals with 10 losses. "Last year I didn't expect anything, but now the pressure to win is greater. Now I don't even want to be scored upon."

Also in Division 1, senior Mitch Hancock (44-0) of Redford Catholic Central won on injury default at 160 while ahead, 15-3, in the third period over a bloodied Adam Backing of Grand Rapids East Kentwood.

Other wrestlers who remain unbeaten include Craig Trombly (42-0) of New Baltimore Anchor Bay at 119; Ryan Nowitzke (45-0) of Monroe at 125; Neil Szuch (42-0) of Carleton Airport at 275; Phil Schafer (55-0) of Mt. Pleasant at 103; and Jim Gotshall (41-0) of Birmingham Seaholm at 125.

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Wrestling: Individual State Tournament
Williamston's Simmons perfect

3/10/2000

David Goricki / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- Williamston junior Nick Simmons pinned his opponent in the first round of the Michigan High School Athletic Association individual state finals Thursday at Joe Louis Arena and is two victories from setting a state record.
Simmons, a junior, improved to 156-0, including 47-0 this season, with a 1:40 pin of New Boston Huron junior Aubrey Hunt at 119 pounds in Division III.
"My goal is to break Andy Storrs' state record," Simmons said.
Storrs won 157 consecutive matches for Goodrich in the 1990s.
Simmons has won 153 matches by pin or technical fall. Nick's younger brother, Andy, pinned Grayling senior Josh Niederer (41-9) at 130 to improve to 49-0, and 106-0 in his two-year career.
All three girls came up short in their matches.
Davison sophomore Keristen LaBelle (50-11), the first girl in Michigan history to win an individual regional title, lost a 13-6 decision to Wyandotte senior Kevin Lilienthal (30-14) at 103 pounds in Division I.
"She was stronger than I predicted," said Lilienthal, who finished fourth in his regional. "She's a worthy opponent, very quick."
Said Davison Coach Roy Hall: "She was a little tentative. She can definitely do better than that. I'm sure the atmosphere got to her."
LaBelle declined to comment.
Caledonia freshman Lynde Baltrusaitis (44-13) gave the most impressive performance among the girls. She lost a 10-7 Division II decision to Ferndale sophomore J.P. Morgan (44-1), the third-ranked wrestler at 103 in the state.
"My goal was to just get here," Baltrusaitis said. "I wanted to give him a run for his money, and I felt I did. I felt I used all my moves to the best of my ability. He was just stronger."
Whittemore-Prescott freshman Ollie Birkenbach (42-10) won a 7-2 decision over Mason County Central senior Sandra Padron (23-10) at 103 in Division IV.
Last year, Detroit Catholic Central senior Mitch Hancock and Novi junior Ryan Churella lost heartbreaking decisions in title matches.
Hancock was leading Brad Anderson of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 6-2, in the third period, but lost an 8-6 decision. Churella led Eric Gervias of Grand Haven, 5-3, with five seconds left before losing 6-5 in double overtime.
But Hancock (47-0) opened this year's tournament with a dominating performance. He led his Division I 160-pound match, 15-3, over East Kentwood senior Adam Backing before Backing quit because of injury default.
"That's the type of performance I wanted," Hancock said. "I wanted to go all-out six minutes and open things up. I want to do the same thing tomorrow."
Hancock could face Anderson (42-1) in a semifinal tonight. Anderson, a two-time state champion, won by technical fall (17-2) over Port Huron junior Nate Edwards.
Churella (51-3) pinned Hancock's teammate, junior Chris Petersen, at 130 in Division I.
A total of 896 wrestlers competed during the first round of what is known as the largest state wrestling tournament in the country.
Thirty wrestlers entered the competition with unbeaten records. The field also had 20 defending champions.
Mt. Pleasant senior Jason Borrelli, a defending champion, improved to 58-0 and extended his winning streak to 85 with a pin of Linden junior Josh Freeman at 130 in Division II.
Borrelli plans to wrestle for his father, Tom, at Central Michigan next season. Jason Borrelli's career record is 206-11.
Manchester senior Jeremiah Tobias is trying to become the sixth wrestler in Michigan history to win four state titles. He pinned Mayville junior Greg Hudie in 41 seconds at 145 in Division III. Martin senior Rick Mena (53-0), a two-time state champion, took 2:39 to pin Clinton sophomore Justin McKinney at 135 in Division IV. Two-time state champion Scott Pushman of Fenton also advanced at 125 in Division II.
Quarterfinal matches begin today at noon.

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Three girls make it to state wrestling finals

MIKE HOUSEHOLDER, Associated Press Writer

DETROIT 3/10/2000

For Lynde Baltrusaitis, competing at the Michigan boys wrestling
championships was twice as nice.

Not only was the freshman from Caledonia High School one of the first ever
female wrestlers at the state finals, she was there
Thursday with her brother. Josh Baltrusaitis, a junior, was participating in
the 145-pound class Division 2 finals.

Lynde Baltrusaitis, along with Davison High School sophomore Keristen
LaBelle and Mason County Central senior Sandra
Padron, competed Thursday at Joe Louis Arena in the 103-pound class.

The girls are three of only four girls ever to qualify for the Michigan High
School Athletic Association boys finals.

Last year, Cynthia Harrold of Saginaw Buena Vista became the first, but
failed to crack the top eight in the Division 3 meet.

Girls have been eligible to compete since the tournament was first held in
1948, MHSAA spokesman John Johnson said
Thursday.

But they only really began competing against boys in the late 1980s or early
1990s, he said.

This season, of the more than 11,000 high school wrestlers, there were 293
girls. And of the 896 wrestlers who qualified for
the finals at Joe Louis, three girls made it.

"It's opening doors for competition. Girls are walking through those doors,"
Johnson said. "Maybe we'll get to the point some
day, where schools will be able to sponsor their own team by gender."

To make the state meet, wrestlers have to qualify at the district and
regional levels. At the finals, 16 wrestlers competed in each
weight class in four separate divisions at the double-elimination
tournament.

In Division 2, Lynde Baltrusaitis (44-12) lost her first match to J.P.
Morgan (43-1), a sophomore from Ferndale High School,
by a score of 10-7.

In Division 1, LaBelle (50-10) lost 13-6 to Kevin Lilienthal (31-14), a
senior from Wyandotte Roosevelt.

In Division 4, Padron (23-9) lost 7-2 to Ollie Birkenbach (41-10), a
freshman from Whittemore-Prescott.

Baltrusaitis said Morgan was simply too strong.

"I did pretty good. He was strong," Baltrusaitis said after the match, which
had to be stopped briefly because she was bleeding
from the mouth. "My arm was so numb."

She said she was listening to advice from her brother, who has competed in
the state finals before.

"He said not to be nervous and give it your best," she said.

Her coach, James Maxim, said Baltrusaitis would have won if she had more
time than the six minutes allotted in the tournament.

"A little more time and she could have done it," he said.