Max Sundquist of Kingsford, third from left, placed second at 175 pounds at the MHSAA Division 3 individual state wrestling finals at Ford Field in Detroit. Also making the podium were Fred Hammond of Otisville LakeVille Memorial, first; Rysten Williams of Allegan, third; Kai Mishler of Lansing Catholic, fourth; Gabriel Erwin of Bronson, fifth; Deryk Klein of Livonia Clarenceville, sixth; and Haegan Hansen of Hart, seventh. (Sports Scene photo)

Three Kingsford High School wrestlers will look to return to the MHSAA state individual finals in 2027 after strong performances Friday and Saturday at Ford Field in Detroit.

“It was a good weekend for Kingsford wrestling,” said Flivvers coach Darren Groleau. “Max Sundquist finished second at 175, Connor White fifth at 285 and Tyler Bray was one win away from the podium at 157.”

All three KHS wrestlers are juniors.

In the Division 3 state finals, Sundquist lost the championship match 2-1 in double overtime to undefeated Fred Hammond of Otisville LakeVille Memorial.

“We knew that it was going to be a battle,” Groleau said. “Max and Fred have history dating back to Max’s freshman year. Hammond hasn’t been challenged all year. So for Max to give him the match that he did was a win. Super proud of him,” he said.

“(Sundquist) is a great wrestler and very strong, so I was trying to keep the pace going in those gut-wrenching overtime periods,” Hammond told MHSAA.com.

White defeated three regional champions on his way to his fifth-place finish. “We knew Connor could make the podium, it was about him finding his confidence,” Groleau said. “He kept getting better day by day week by week. It was so much fun watching him grow into the confident wrestler that he is today.”

Bray “wrestled tough,” Groleau said, going 1-2 and dropping a 5-0 decision to one of the finalists. “Tyler will use this as motivation for next year to make sure he gets on the podium,” Groleau said.