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Lowell captured its 13th consecutive Division 2 team state championship this weekend, defeating Fruitport, New Boston Huron, and Eaton Rapids in a decisive run through the bracket.

The title came in a season that began with outside questions.

After 11-year head coach R.J. Boudro accepted the head coaching position at Grand Valley State University, many around the state wondered whether Lowell’s run would slow. Fellow division two schools hoped it would slow. It didn’t because inside the program, there was no hesitation.

Kyle Slocum was handpicked for the position. Slocum has been part of the Lowell program since 2007. The former Michigan State wrestler compiled a 146-29 collegiate record and was a state champion at Belding and obviously the guy for the job.

While the staff did lose Boudro and assistant Cody Dennis, the remainder of the coaching staff stayed realtively intact. The roster returned experienced leaders throughout the lineup, and the expectation remained unchanged.

Many were eagerly awaiting a Lowell vs. Three Rivers #1 vs. #2 rematch. Three Rivers had the roster that had the best chance against Lowell. Lowell beat the Wildcats 45-22 earlier this year without Stanford University commit Jarrett Smith, but even still there was just that 1% of cautious pessimism that may have snuck into Lowell fans after Three Rivers had a decent showing at regionals.

That pessimism as small as it was went away as #7 Freeland took Three Rivers to the brink, then #6 Eaton Rapids finished the job. In hindsight, Three Rivers was never beating Lowell. The Red Arrows took care of what was in front of them.

Quarterfinals

Cody Foss didn’t have to wrestle a winner take all dual like his brother, Jeff Leach, did in 2019. He took care of business all the same.

Lowell 71, Fruitport 8

The Red Arrows opened with nine falls and a technical fall in a dual that featured plenty of young guys getting mat time in Kalamazoo against an overmatched Fruitport squad.

Gabe Olin (190), Weston McFarland (215), and Braylen Meeuwsen (285) began the dual with three straight pins. Mason Saylor (120), Jarrett Smith (126), Ciro Tapia (138), George Parson (144), Logan Dawson (150), Pistachio Gonzales (157), Elijah Freel (165), and Keith Tett (175) added falls. John Carter McKay earned a 19-4 technical fall at 113.

The dual was effectively decided midway through, with a relaxed Red Arrow team on the 1-seed side of the arena.

Semifinals

Max Bigard locked up a decision at 215 in Lowell’s win over New Boston Huron.

Lowell 55, New Boston Huron 15

Depth defined the semifinal on Saturday at noon against the five-seed New Boston Huron in Lowell’s first ever matchup with the Chiefs.

Logan Dawson opened with a 19-3 technical fall at 144. Cody Foss, Colton Barney, and Trevor Boone followed with three straight pins, each in under a minute. Seth Harvey secured a 17-6 major decision at 175. Dylan Boone and Max Bigard controlled decisions at 190 and 215, and Meeuwsen added a major decision at heavyweight.

Lowell advanced to the finals with control across the lineup.

Finals

Logan Dawson “shoots the arrow” as Lowell dominated #6 Eaton Rapids.

Lowell 62, Eaton Rapids 4

The championship dual unfolded in similar fashion against the upset-minded 6-seed Eaton Rapids. It was a 2015 state championship rematch and it’s fair to say, a team Lowell wrestlers from long ago may still remember all too well. It was Eaton Rapids that beat Lowell in the 1999 team state final, just seven months after longtime Coach Gary Rivers’ death. Of course, the Greyhounds are a well respected program and wrestled as well as they could’ve given the daunting task in front of them.

Dylan Boone opened with an 8-2 decision at 190.

“I feel like Dylan got started off well against Eaton Rapids by upsetting the number five ranked kid,” Slocum said. “Braylen wrestled one of his better matches against Eaton Rapids which kept our hot start going. We got a lot of kids on the stage and everyone’s effort and attitudes were great. It was an all around great weekend for our program.”

McFarland followed with a 13-1 major decision at 215. Meeuwsen won 10-7 at heavyweight. That match by Meeuwsen had coaches ecstatic for Meeuwsen and is a boost of confidence heading into individual state next weekend for the Lowell sophomore. After a loss at 106, the only loss of the dual, Lowell controlled nearly every remaining match.

John Carter McKay won 4-0 at 113. Mason Saylor pinned in 33 seconds at 120 to cap his career in style. For Saylor, the team component stood out as much as the result.

“Honestly the winning is really cool, but the opportunities I get through Lowell wrestling like wrestling at team state and being apart of a tightly nit team is way more special than all the victories,” Saylor said.

Scott Saylor celebrates as his son Mason capped his high school wrestling career in style.

Jarrett Smith followed with a fall at 126, he’ll be a favorite to win his third individual state championship before he heads off to Stanford. Carson Blum secured a 16-13 decision at 132.

Cole Cichocki pinned at 138 and the celebrations were underway. Cichocki did the bow and arrow celebration where he pretends to shoot an arrow. Logan Dawson added a fall at 144 did the same. Cody Foss earned a 20-5 technical fall at 150. Trevor Boone pinned in 48 seconds at 157. Colton Barney added a fall at 165.

Seth Harvey closed the dual with a 15-0 technical fall at 175, also shooting the arrow to cap off the championship dual.

“I am very grateful for the time I have got to spend with my team for over the years,” Harvey said. “This year especially I saw my teammates pushing each other to be better inside and outside of the room, and better each other everyday. I wasn’t nervous approaching States because I knew our hard work, good coaching, discipline, and commitment would pay off, and it did. I couldn’t have asked for things to go any better than they did this year. In the finals I was up for the last match and won with a tech. The audience and my teammates celebrating me made it a moment I will never forget.”

The Greyhounds are interestingly enough one of two schools to have lost to Lowell in different state championships in different sports. Lowell has beaten Eaton Rapids twice in the wrestling team final and once in the bowling state finals. St. Johns is the other school, football and wrestling.

Senior Preston Compton said the support system within the program defined his experience.

“Coming into wrestling freshman year was difficult, but one of the best things that helped me through the years was the support,” Compton said. “The family aspect of wrestling is one of the best things about it. The amount of support you receive from your teammates is unmatched, and the community goes to show how great our program is. I’ll always remember my last year at states because of the crowd and the energy they brought to our great team.”

Members of Lowell Youth Wrestling celebrate number 13 in a row.

There was little drama in the finals in not just division two, but across the board. Lowell, Dundee, Detroit Catholic Central, and Hudson, all won state championships for the fourth straight year.

Team manager Keagan Clark also reflected on the significance of the weekend. Clark and the rest of the managers serve a valuable role for the team, doing the little things like live-tweeting the scores of the dual to keep fans informed, recording matches, helping with equipment.

“These past two years with the Lowell wrestling program and the team has been such an honor,” Clark said. “I’ve learned lessons I will forever carry in life and built bonds with the wrestlers and coaches that I will be able to go back to throughout my whole life. States this past weekend was intense, fun, and I enjoyed seeing these guys achieve the ultimate goal of the season winning their 13th straight team state title and see how much it means to them, the coaches, and this amazing community that always shows up no matter what.”

Lowell will enter next season facing a new challenge. The program graduates Seth Harvey, Logan Dawson, Jarrett Smith, Trevor Boone, and Cody Foss. All five are projected to be among the top wrestlers in their weight classes at the individual state level. Colten Barney and Mason Saylor were also key pieces of the team that’ll walk across the stage in May.

13 championships in a row and 16 overall for the program is an awesome feeling. 14 will be a test, but there’s a locker room full of guys and girls ready to get back at it.