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Donnie Corby of Cros-Lex captured the Division 3, 140 pound State championship at the MHSAA Individual State Finals over the weekend. He completed a 57-0 season with his 6-5 victory over Jake Jeske of Saginaw Swan Valley in the title match Saturday evening at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

In the meantime, Marlette's Jon Hayward, the defending Division 4, 119 pound State champ, fought his way back to the finals, but settled for second with a 10-0 loss to Allen Krupp of New Lothrop.

Corby, the Pioneer senior, fulfilled a year-long objective on Saturday when he built up a 5-0 lead over Jeske (57-4) and used an escape point at the end to earn the win in the title match to become the first State wrestling champion in Cros-Lex history.

"After it was tied, I knew I could hold him off and pull out the win. It's unbelievable," said Corby on Monday morning being the State champion. His unbeaten season was inspired from his loss in the State finals a year ago and it capped off a great four-year career. "This morning when I got up, I said, ÔWow, it's over'."

Corby added, "There was a lot of pressure this year. It was my senior year and I wanted to do my best."

The competition started on Friday night for Corby with an opening round, 10-6, decision over B. J. Fitzgerald of Allendale. On Saturday, he whipped Brent Hubbard of Alma, 12-0, in the quarterfinals and topped Huston Harrison of Coloma, 3-1, in the semis.

Then came the long wait for the title match on Saturday.

"He had to sit around all day and that adds to the whole pressure-cooker idea," noted Joe Lilly, Cros-Lex coach. "We knew he wouldn't wrestle until about 8 p.m., so we had him there for the Grand March (4:30 p.m.) and sent him back to the hotel room to try to relax. I know he didn't relax too much but I think it was better than sitting there watching and getting too nervous."

Lilly said Corby's season was simply well deserved. "This was a major accomplishment. He met his two goals Ð going undefeated and winning a State championship. It's nice to see a good, hard working kid reach his goals."

Lilly also said there was a large contingence of Cros-Lex fans on hand for Corby's final match of his high school career. The support added to the celebration.

Corby said, "I was kind of surprised (with all the people). I had a lot friends and family there supporting me. That felt pretty good."

Corby is not done wrestling just yet. He will compete in the Senior Nationals in Virginia Beach, Virginia, later this month. The top high school, wrestlers from around the country will be on hand.

He also is likely to continue wrestling at the collegiate level. Corby, who has a 3.81 GPA, has Brown University, in the Ivy League, and Central Michigan University, one of top-rated programs, on the top of his list.

Hayward 2nd

If it weren't for knee, ankle, shoulder and rib problems, Jon Hayward would have been completely healthy by the end of his 119 pound title match in Division 4 Saturday night. The Raider senior was going after his second straight State title in the weight class but could not match the efforts of Krupp (57-2) in the finals. Hayward had been bothered with a knee problem off and on this season, was getting over a rib injury, and then suffered a partial shoulder separation in a match Saturday morning. He held together, though, to win the three matches up to final meeting with Krupp.

"On (Jon's) first shot he had at Krupp, (Krupp) grabbed his leg and you could hear him pop his ankle and knee, and he got reversed on that," Coach Cal Hayward said. "But, I didn't realize he was hurt at the time, and not until he limped off the mat.

"He was a little upset that he didn't win", said Coach Hayward, also Jon's father. "But, I knew he gave everything he had left."

In his four-year wrestling career, Hayward finished with a school-record 206 victories. He was 50-6 this season.

In his first round on Thursday night, Hayward disposed of Josh Duncan of Munising, 7-0. On Friday morning, he had a tough battle with highly regarded Cevin Walker. In the middle of the match, he strained his shoulder but then came back to notch a 4-2 decision. Later, in the semis, he avenged his Regional loss to Jacob Eagen of Springport with a 4-0 victory.

Palleschi takes 3rd

Another Cros-Lex Pioneer had a great weekend tournament. Senior Adam Palleschi (49-3) had been a State-qualifier the last two seasons, but had yet to win a match there. That changed in a hurry as he dominated his opening 215 pound match on Friday, posting a 14-0 major decision over Colt Miller of Chippewa Hills. He went on to win again in the quarterfinals, lost in the semifinals, and then bounced back for two more victories, including his 2-1 win over Jeff Beebe of Allendale for the third place medal.

"His main goal was to be on the podium and the big thing was to win his first match at State," said Coach Lilly. "The nice thing is he went out and got that first match the way he did. That got some excitement going that said he could do this."

The narrow win over Beebe avenged one of Palleschi's losses at State a year ago and also was his 100th career win. In the quarterfinals, his 3-1 win over Drew Staley of Dowagiac avenged his other setback at State a year ago. In the semis, he was edged, 5-4, by unbeaten Joel Vallier of Gladstone. He then reached the consolation finals against Beebe by overwhelming Corunna's Scott Robbins on a technical fall at 3:03. In the 215 pound championship match, Vallier lost to defending champ, Jimmy Rowe. It was Rowe, of Dundee, who handed Palleschi his only other losses of the season.

Jordan Hayward finished 4th

In a talent-laden 140 pound weight class in Division 4, Marlette's Jordan Hayward went 4-2 for the weekend to take home the fourth place medal. It was the third straight season that Hayward (55-7) has medaled at State, each in a different weight class.

The Raider junior opened with a 7-3 win over Jesse Sexton of Clinton but then lost a heart-breaker in the quarterfinals, 6-5, in overtime, to Martin's Steve Mena (60-3, eventual State runner-up). To reach the consolation finals, he defeated Jeremy Peterson (Kent City, 8-3), Josh Gauthier (Iron Mountain, 15-4), and Jon Hatfield (Pittsford, 7-2).

In the match for third and fourth place, Curtis Huntoon (51-3) of Ithaca nipped Hayward, 3-1.

"I didn't know if he would be able to go on after the match with Mena," said Coach Hayward, who praised the effort. "He literally crawled off the mat. I wasn't sure he's have enough energy for his next match. But, he did."

Sanson only other medal winner

Senior Andre Sanson of Brown City was competing in his fourth consecutive State Finals. The veteran Green Devil wrestler finished eighth in Division 4's 135 pound weight class, securing a medal for the second year in a row. He lost in the opening round, 6-5, to J. Jessup of Clare and then secured a medal with triumphs over Eric Wolf of Hudson, tech. fall in 4:36, and Eric (42-9). In the match for seventh and eighth place, he met Jessup again, this time losing on a pin in the second period.

Sandusky's Bernie Marx and Marlette's Joel Swenson also competed at The Palace, but both lost there first two matches.

Marx, a junior, moved up to 152 pounds in Division 4 this year, after qualifying in lower weight classes the previous two years. After losing in his first match, 5-3, to Cody Livermore of Munising, Marx (40-6) saw his tournament end with an 8-6, overtime, loss to Chris Cochran of Climax-Scotts.

Meanwhile, Swenson, a senior 145-pounder, was making his first appearance at the State Finals. In his very first match, he faced Brandon Zeerip (61-1) of Hesperia, who went on to win the championship. He lost on a tech fall, 19-4, at 5:44. He was then eliminated from medal contention with a 14-4 loss to Justin Gordon of Fife Lake.