VICKSBURG, MI (WTVB) – Coldwater High School’s Nick Buchanan and Bronson’s Ben Modert captured regional wrestling championships Saturday as 12 Branch County wrestlers qualified for the M.H.S.A.A. Individual Finals in two weeks at Detroit’s Ford Field.
Buchanan won the Division Two 171 pound championship at Vicksburg and improved to 40-1 for the season as he scored a 15-5 major decision over Shane Nold of Chelsea in the finals.
Teammate Matt Gipple also wrestled at 171. He came within one victory of advancing to the state finals but lost his second match of the day in the consolation semifinals.
Modert used a third period reversal to score a thrilling 3-2 victory over Schoolcraft’s Caden Sukich in the 119 pound finals at the Mendon Division Four Regional Tournament. Modert will be trying to win a third straight state championship at Ford Field. His record is 49-2 while Sukich is 47-4.
Five Branch County wrestlers finished in second place at the Mendon regionals. Earning runner-up honors were Bronson’s Craig Tappenden (160) and Justin Blankenship (189), Quincy’s Chandler Locke (171) along with Union City’s Bradley Russell (125) and Garrett Iobe (140).
Other Branch County wrestlers who qualified for the state finals were Quincy’s Jacob Reif (4th-103) and Gerl Pish (4th-152), Union City’s Colton Russell (4th-119) and Grady Iobe of Union City (4th-160) and Tekonsha’s Rodrigo Barron (4th-130).
Meanwhile, it was announced during the regional tournament in Mendon that Union City wrestling coach Jason Counterman was the D4 Co-Regional Coach of the Year. Counterman has also earned coach of the year honors in the Big 8 Conference.
