Montague sophomore Emma Pendell wins the Wildcats’ first state wrestling title since 1989 with her 2-1, tie-breaking victory over East Jackson senior Isabel Worthing in the 140-pound championship match Saturday, March 5, 2022, at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. (Scott DeCamp | CatchMark)
DETROIT — Twenty-eight wrestlers represented West Michigan Conference schools in the Michigan High School Athletic Association individual state finals Friday and Saturday (March 4-5, 2022) at Ford Field.
Three of them came home state champions, one was runner-up and eight others finished in the top eight to earn the right to be called all-state.
Whitehall’s Ira Jenkins, Montague’s Emma Pendell and Mason County Central’s Andrew Quinn all captured state championships.
For Jenkins, it was his second straight unbeaten season.
Meanwhile, Pendell is the first girls wrestler for Montague to capture a state title and she’s also the first Wildcat to win a wrestling state championship since 1989.
For Quinn, it was his first state championship. He’s the fifth in Mason County Central wrestling history to accomplish the feat.
Here is a roundup for each conference school with at least one all-stater over the weekend:
WHITEHALL
Photos by Scott DeCamp | CatchMark
Ira Jenkins, senior, 285 pounds: State champion in Division 2
Max Brown, senior, 145 pounds: Third place in Division 2
Shane Cook, junior, 215 pounds: Third place in Division 2