D2 Most Improved Wrestlers

This is a category that we believe to be extremely important. Not every wrestler can be a state champion or even all state. But every wrestler can improve. This comes only with hard work, dedication, discipline, listening to coaches, showing up, off season work, diet and nutrition, weight training etc. Wrestlers who make gigantic improvement do not get there by accident. They have worked for it! We are not looking at in-season improvement in this list. The following is Preps most improved wrestlers from the 2023/2024 season to the 2024/2025 campaign.

106

Caleb Frazier of New Boston Huron wins our most improved award.  He improved from 18-15 a year ago to 38-15 this year with a spot in the blood round in the state championships.  Incredible improvement.  Pilot Swab (Stevensville Lakeshore) deserves special mention as he had a great year last year with a 36-11 record and 5th place finish.  However, this year he ended up 45-7 with a state championship, avenging 2 losses on his way to the top of the podium.  

113

Daniel Allen of Monroe Jefferson wins our most improved.  Allen went from an average win total at 27-23 the previous year to 36-16 and a spot in the blood round at the state.  That is great improvement from junior to senior year.

120

This was a very balanced field with lots of wrestlers making solid improvements.  Prep’s pick is Jack Hayes of Bay City John Glenn.  Hayes was 21-8 the year before but jumped to 32-13 and made it to the blood round at Ford Field.

126

Gavin Stankov of Fowlerville is Prep’s pick for most improved at 126. He was 11-9 the previous year and ended up 45-14 this year and was a regional qualifier.  That is an amazing improvement and correlated with the great improvement of the entire team of Fowlerville.  Stankov, a junior, has another year to make another jump and look for him at Ford Field next year.

132 

This was another very difficult weight to call but ultimately decided on Isaiah Grimmett of Port Huron who improved from 23-18 last year to 33-14 this year.  He was a regional qualifier.  Grimmet, a senior, had a combined record of 8-17 freshman and sophomore years and made improvement every year showing that great determination and resilience that wrestling brings out like nothing else.

138

Caden Banko of New Boston Huron wins our most improved award at 138 and becomes our second Chiefs wrestler to achieve this award and this speaks very well of this final 4 program.  Banko’s freshman year record was 19-11.  This year was 49-14 and was a state qualifier.  Well done Caden!

144

Garret Schihl from Macomb Lutheran North, a senior, with our winner at 144.  He improved from 29-12 a year ago to 48-6 and achieved a 7th place finish at Ford Field.  Outstanding job Mr. Schihl. 

150

Deegan Pike of Cedar Springs is our most improved at 150.  His record was 22-9 as a freshman and he ended up 39-17 this year and qualified for state.  That is outstanding improvement and look for Deegan to be a force in the upcoming years in D2 middleweights.

157

Prep’s Pick for 157 most improved is an easy one.  Jonathan Ford of Bay City John Glenn was a solid 24-11 and as a freshman.  However, he burst upon the scene this year ending with a 41-6 record and a state championship in a loaded 157 field at Ford Field.  Only a sophomore, Ford, is our second pick out of the powerful John Glenn Bobcat program. 

165

Christian Preston of Holly is our clear winner of most improved at 165.  He was 7-8 his junior year but this year he exploded to a 47-9 record and 7th place finish at Ford Field.  Way to go Mr. Preston!  That is an outstanding achievement.

175

Kurt Freling of Mount Pleasant in our pick for the 175 weight class.  He has a very similar story to Preston of Holly although Freling has another year remaining.  Freling was 12-9 as a sophomore and was 40-8 with an 7th place finish as Ford Field.  Side note, he was 13-21 as a 9th grader.  Incredible improvement!

190

Robert Armstrong is Prep’s pick for most improved at 190 and he hails from Dearborn Heights Annapolis.  He was 22-10 as a junior and went 39-4 in this his senior year and lost a very tough one in the blood round at Ford Field.  Phenomenal improvement!

215

Ethan Riggs of Fruitport is the pick for most improved at 215.   He was 21-18 as a junior at Grand Haven but went 37-11 and was a state qualifier this year for the Trojans.  Big jump in wins for the senior!  

285

Our final weight in D2 gives us True Warmbier of Bay City Western as our most improved heavyweight wrestler.  He went 1-2 in each of his freshman and sophomore years before going 22-11 his junior year. He made huge improvement his senior year attaining a 42-13 record and making it to the blood round in the state championships at Ford Field.  Outstanding improvement and resilience from Mr. Warmbier on his wrestling journey.