By TANYA GARCIA | Lansing News Wire

LANSING — Wrestlers from across the state made a stop in the Capitol city to tangle on the wrestling mat for a chance to win the 64th Annual Don Johnson Wrestling Invitational.

Among the 13 teams were the reigning Don Johnson Invitational’s back-to-back Champions St. Johns Redwings. Standing in their way this year were the host team Eastern High Quakers and hometown, Everett High, Lansing Catholic Central and other schools from across the State.

Springport High took the tournament crown defeating the Redwings with a combined score of 198 points to lead all teams in the tournament.

The team scores results are: 1st, Springport High, 198; 2nd St. Johns High, 161; 3rd. Battle Creek Central High, 147.5; 4th Forest Hills Northern High, 147; 5th Catholic Central High ( Grand Rapids) 116; 6th Lake Fenton High, 105; 7th Everett High, 101, 8th Maple Valley High, 97.5; 9th Lincoln Park High, 94; 10th Cass City High, 93.5; 11th Eastern High, 61.5; 12th Lainsburg High, 60.5 13th; Okemos High, 52.0; 14th Lansing Catholic High 41.5.

Of the many champions who emerged from the tournament, Lansing Eastern’s Wrestling Captain Olivia Delacruz finished the day undefeated (3-0) taking home the first place championship in the 130-pound girls division.

“I am very happy to have won the championship in my division at my home team’s tournament,” Delacruz said. “The competition was hard.”

Delacruz defeated three opponents to take the championship in the 130-pound weight class. On her way to winning the division Delacurz defeated Saint Johns’ Olivia Pettigrew, and Lori Morris and Lansing Everett’s Yadira Sandoval-Sotoyo.

Pettirew finished in second and Sandoval-Sotoyo third respectively.

On the individual side more than 100 wrestlers competed in the tournament.

“I’m a big supporter of Olivia Delacruz, I think she is amazing, she comes out with a tenacious style, quick, fast; reminds me of myself. She’s honestly in my opinion better and she just has a work ethic that is slim to none,” said Camryn Jackson, Lansing ISD’s Pattengill Magnet School Dean of Students and former Eastern 2011 State Champion Wrestler.

At this year’s opening of the tournament Lansings Eastern Head Coach, Arnold Pulliam said, the Don Johnson Field House is so big, that the State tournaments were once held there.

Many wrestlers got their taste of the competition on a big stage for their season’s duals and district competition at the Don Johnson Invitational that was held on Saturday December 7, 2024.

There were many tough matches. Lansing Everett’s Antonio Williams went 3-0, and also finished in first place in the 157-weight class. Finishing behind Williams respectively were, 2nd place Sa`Darion Holloway of Lincoln Park HS; 3rd place, Daniel Dysert of Springport High; 4th place, Casey Shelton of Catholic Central High (Grand Rapids); 5th place, Fletcher Whitford of St Johns High and 6th place – Luke Meyer of Forest Hills Northern High.

Who is Don Johnson

Don Johnson was one of Lansing Easterns High School wrestling coaches and most legendary principals at Lansing Eastern High School. Johnson made such a huge impact the school’s Field house was named after him. Johnson has remained one of Lansings most prominent beloved figures, and who left an amazing legacy.

“Don Johnson is one of the most legendary coaches to come through here, literally led the most state championship teams for a while, most state champions to come out of here, so Don Johnson is literally legendary for sure – big time,” Jackson said.

According to the National Wrestlers Hall of Fame, “Don Johnson found plenty of success during his lifetime on the wrestling mat. But being a state champion wrestler and coach barely even touched the surface of what Johnson meant to many in the Lansing area. Johnson is remembered as a defining Eastern High School figure because of his contributions to the Quaker community and beyond.

“He was a tremendous leader and mentor with not only his wrestling prowess and success, but the way he related to the kids,” Eastern grad and longtime wrestling official Sam Davis states on the NWHOF website. “Don Johnson was a no-nonsense principal, he was a no-nonsense coach, but he was a community member and quite a leader. “I remember when he retired, as part of his retirement gift he was given a Jeep. Who makes that kind of impact in a community that they would give them a brand new car as part of his legacy, and then name a field house after him.”

Johnson guided the Quakers to five team state titles from 1948-1957. He also coached more than two dozen individual state champions, according to the National Wrestlers Hall of Fame website.

Many agree that Don Johnson would be very proud of where The Lansing Quakers are today and of the 64th Annual Don Johnson Invitational.

“The Don Johnson Invitational is the longest running Invitational tournament in the state of Michigan and it’s one of the best tournaments in the State,” said Tony Gladstone, former Lansing Eastern wrestling coach.

Tournament Results

Boys 

106 weight class

• 1st Place – Ayden Ringler of Catholic Central HS (Grand Rapids)
• 2nd Place – Dylan Furlo of Forest Hills Northern HS
• 3rd Place – E`Zion Miller of Everett HS
• 4th Place – Joshua Jordan of Springport HS
• 5th Place – Dylan Ping of Okemos HS
• 6th Place – Jeilani Ali of Eastern HS

113 weight class

• 1st Place – Mason Thurber of Springport HS
• 2nd Place – Brody Birchfield of Springport HS
• 3rd Place – Gotti Peralta of Forest Hills Northern HS
• 4th Place – Brenden Knoblauch of Laingsburg HS
• 5th Place – Tristin Begley of Battle Creek-Central HS
• 6th Place – Roman Schliz of Maple Valley HS

120 weight class

• 1st Place – Owen Thomas of Springport HS
• 2nd Place – Shamus O`Hearon of Springport HS
• 3rd Place – Brody Hurley of Catholic Central HS (Grand Rapids)
• 4th Place – Zebulun Brown of Forest Hills Northern HS
• 5th Place – Jameson Halsey of St Johns HS
• 6th Place – Liam Mcdonald of Laingsburg HS

126 weight class

• 1st Place – Collin Andrews of Lake Fenton HS
• 2nd Place – Jacob Potter of Springport HS
• 3rd Place – Marlon Graham of Laingsburg HS
• 4th Place – Davion Garza of Everett HS
• 5th Place – Zayden Moon of Battle Creek-Central HS
• 6th Place – Cayden Root of Eastern HS

132 weight class

• 1st Place – Philip Chamberlain of Forest Hills Northern HS
• 2nd Place – Tevin Crawford of Everett HS
• 3rd Place – Dayton Flores of Battle Creek-Central HS
• 4th Place – Tristan Densmore of St Johns HS
• 5th Place – Alejandro Eno of Eastern HS
• 6th Place – Trenton Hamilton of Springport HS

138 weight class

• 1st Place – Mattis McNally of Catholic Central HS (Grand Rapids)
• 2nd Place – Tyler Riedel of St Johns HS
• 3rd Place – Cellyon Benning of Everett HS
• 4th Place – Jacob Kubiak of Springport HS
• 5th Place – Robert Schilz of Maple Valley HS
• 6th Place – Christian Morgan of Eastern HS

144 weight class

• 1st Place – Christian Garces of Forest Hills Northern HS
• 2nd Place – David Marvin of Lake Fenton HS
• 3rd Place – Avery Bustos of Eastern HS
• 4th Place – Diego Hernandez of Lincoln Park HS
• 5th Place – Tanner Severns of Springport HS
• 6th Place – Charles Sims of Battle Creek-Central HS

150 weight class 

• 1st Place – Mikey Wilson of Catholic Central HS (Grand Rapids)
• 2nd Place – Filip Nowak of Maple Valley HS
• 3rd Place – Ethan Delafosse of Okemos HS
• 4th Place – Carter Jullian of Lake Fenton HS
• 5th Place – Benjamin Hall of Forest Hills Northern HS
• 6th Place – Diego Buendia of Lincoln Park HS

157 weight class 

• 1st Place – Antonio Williams of Everett HS
• 2nd Place – Sa`Darion Holloway of Lincoln Park HS
• 3rd Place – Daniel Dysert of Springport HS
• 4th Place – Casey Shelton of Catholic Central HS (Grand Rapids)
• 5th Place – Fletcher Whitford of St Johns HS
• 6th Place – Luke Meyer of Forest Hills Northern HS

165 weight class 

• 1st Place – Kaden Sizemore of Springport HS
• 2nd Place – Kai Mishler of Lansing Catholic HS
• 3rd Place – Brady Heibeck of St Johns HS
• 4th Place – Joshua Shroll of Battle Creek-Central HS
• 5th Place – Aaron Pietrzak of Cass City HS
• 6th Place – Miles Melton of Lake Fenton HS

175 weight class 

• 1st Place – Brody Briggs of Lake Fenton HS
• 2nd Place – Ethan Harris of Battle Creek-Central HS
• 3rd Place – Jackson Burpee of Maple Valley HS
• 4th Place – Armen MacMillian of Lincoln Park HS
• 5th Place – Nicolas Campos of Forest Hills Northern HS
• 6th Place – Derek Busch of Cass City HS

190 weight class 

• 1st Place – Brody Abendroth of St Johns HS
• 2nd Place – Parker Pisarek of Cass City HS
• 3rd Place – Valorie Risk of Okemos HS
• 4th Place – Devon Thomas of Battle Creek-Central HS
• 5th Place – Tyrese Robinson of Maple Valley HS
• 6th Place – Taliaferro Cook of Okemos HS

215 weight class 

• 1st Place – Gavin Moreno of St Johns HS
• 2nd Place – Abram Matice of St Johns HS
• 3rd Place – Chris Vatter of Cass City HS
• 4th Place – Carter Jeffries of Battle Creek-Central HS
• 5th Place – Jose Mares of Lincoln Park HS
• 6th Place – Vincent Alcaraz of Lincoln Park HS

285 weight class

• 1st Place – Rylan Kruse of Cass City HS
• 2nd Place – Eli Worth of Springport HS
• 3rd Place – Travon Harouna-Maiga of Battle Creek-Central HS
• 4th Place – Joseph Long of Maple Valley HS
• 5th Place – David Magaway of Lansing Catholic HS
• 6th Place – Harvey Montgomery of Laingsburg HS

GIRLS RESULTS

115 weight class 

• 1st Place – Hailey Upthegrove of Cass City HS
• 2nd Place – Haley Prohaska of St Johns HS
• 3rd Place – Corrin Bryant of Eastern HS
• 4th Place – Regan Del Rio of Okemos HS

130 weight class 

• 1st Place – Olivia DeLaCruz of Eastern HS
• 2nd Place – Olivia Pettigrew of St Johns HS
• 3rd Place – Yadira Sandoval-Santoyo of Everett HS
• 4th Place – Lori Morris of St Johns HS

145 weight class 

• 1st Place – Chelsea Roach of Cass City HS
• 2nd Place – Akira Shepherd of Battle Creek-Central HS
• 3rd Place – Marlene Arriaga of Lincoln Park HS
• 4th Place – Sadie Witt of Cass City HS
• 5th Place – Aniya Brown of Okemos HS

Source: www.trackwrestling.com