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Whitehall Edges Fruitport for GMAA Title in Thriller; Strong Performances Across County at City Tournament

The Greater Muskegon Athletic Association (GMAA) “City Tournament” delivered a packed day of high-level wrestling Saturday, featuring 12 teams and a team race that came down to the final bouts. When the dust settled, Whitehall captured the championship with 206 points, narrowly holding off Fruitport (202) for a four-point victory.

Behind the top two, Reeths-Puffer placed third with 173.5, followed by Muskegon (126.5) and Montague (106) rounding out the top five. The rest of the standings included Mona Shores (91), Orchard View (74.5), Holton (73), Ravenna (51), Oakridge (35), Muskegon Catholic (29), and North Muskegon (18).

Whitehall Wins Tight Team Race

Whitehall secured its team title with a combination of champions and crucial placements across the lineup. The Vikings crowned two individual champions:

  • Isaac O’Boyle (126) – won the finals 8-5 and sealed the team title in a pressure moment
  • Liam Leeke (165) – captured the 165-pound championship

Whitehall also piled up valuable points with multiple finalists and placers, including runner-up finishes and key backside wins that proved decisive in a four-point team margin.

Fruitport Produces Four Champions, Finishes a Strong Second

Fruitport made its run at the title with four individual champions, powering the Trojans to 202 points, just four shy of first.

Fruitport’s champions:

  • Austin Jacobs (106)
  • Zach Aardema (132)
  • Murphy Lengkeek (138) – won a dramatic overtime final, 4-1
  • Cooper Lengkeek (157) – pinned his way through the bracket and repeated as champion

Fruitport also got big points from several high placers, including runner-up finishes at 190 and 215, and additional top-four results that kept the team race close into the final rounds.

Reeths-Puffer: Freshman Landon Learn Wins 113 Title; Rockets Take Third

Reeths-Puffer put together an impressive team performance to finish third overall with 173.5 points, thanks to a mix of a championship run and a wave of podium finishes across the lineup.

The headliner was freshman Landon Learn, who captured his first GMAA individual championship at 113 pounds. As the top seed, Learn advanced straight to the semifinals, where he pinned Whitehall’s Blake Wallace in the second period. He followed that with another statement win in the finals, pinning Holton’s Kole Nichols—a state-ranked wrestler—in the first period. Learn remains 29-0 on the season.

Reeths-Puffer also had a runner-up finish from Travis Henderson (120), who went 2-1 and dropped a close 4-3 decision in the finals to Mona Shores’ Mario Curiel.

The Rockets added a huge batch of team points with seven third-place finishers (all 3-1 on the day):

  • Braxton VanHohenstein (106)
  • Max Knowlton (126) (returning for his first competition this season after injury)
  • Cory Judd (132)
  • Hunter Eek (144)
  • Tanner Cowles (150)
  • Aiden Neal (165)
  • Andrew Corradin (175)

R-P also placed Devin Welch (215) in fourth.

Rockets Girls Also Make Noise

In the girls competition, Reeths-Puffer crowned a champion as Sidney Shackelford won her division with a 2-0 day, scoring wins by pin and technical fall.

Brooklyn Colson also turned in a strong tournament, going 3-1 to finish runner-up in her weight class.

Montague Battles Through Lineup Gaps, Takes Fifth

Montague’s Wildcats turned in an impressive effort despite competing with four empty weight classes, finishing fifth in the 12-team field.

Montague was led by two repeat GMAA champions from 2025:

  • Fletcher Thommen (150) – remained undefeated and won the title match 8-5
  • Isaac French (190) – produced one of the day’s biggest highlights, earning a dramatic pin in the finals while trailing late

Additional Wildcat standouts:

  • Gavyn Maddox (144) – runner-up after a comeback semifinal win
  • Michael Jones (165) – fourth place
  • Maverick Osborne (285) – fourth place

Montague coach Kris Maddox praised the tournament’s quality and also highlighted Fruitport’s rise, noting the Trojans “are building a great program” after their runner-up finish.

North Muskegon Wrestles Tough vs Bigger Schools

North Muskegon took on larger programs across the county and came away with multiple placers:

  • Kelsie VanderVelde – 1st
  • Audra Allen – 2nd
  • Addison Chase – 2nd
  • Hudsyn Fielstra – 2nd
  • Jaden Reagan – 3rd
  • Will Bahorski – 4th

The Norse also picked up match wins from Reed Cutler, Mackenzie Crawford, and AJ Darnell, showing depth and fight throughout the day.

A Milestone: First-Ever GMAA Girls City Championships

Saturday also marked a major step forward for the sport locally, as the GMAA hosted its first girls city championships alongside the boys tournament.

Montague’s Zaniya Meza made history by becoming one of the first-ever GMAA girls champions, while teammate Alex Dugan went 2-2 on the day in a strong all-around performance.

Across the county, the inaugural girls event featured champions from multiple programs, showcasing rapid growth and strong competition in the young varsity sport.

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