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It is hard to believe it has been ten years since the idea of holding a pre-season national tournament in Michigan was just getting started. 360 high school wrestlers came to Tecumseh High School for the first ever GFC on October 16th, 2010.
The next year we added Middle School and Elementary Divisions. The year after that the tournament moved to Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek. In 2016 we added the "Varsity" Division, and then in 2018 we moved to Michigan State University.
Here is a rundown of the evolution of the Grappler Fall Classic:
2010 - 360 (HS division only)
2011 - 556 (MS/ELEM divisions added)
2012 - 626 (Moved to Battle Creek)
2013 - 571
2014 - 688
2015 - 702
2016 - 723 (First year of Varsity Division)
2017 - 926
2018 - 931 (First year of Girls Division and First year at Michigan State)
In honor of our 10th year of the GFC, we are breaking down the best champion in each weight class over the last 10 years. There is no real criteria for this, just the best guy at each weight using a variety of different measurement factors. It is amazing some of the talent that has come through Michigan and the Grappler Fall Classic over the last decade!
Without furhter ado, the All-Time GFC Team, Champion of the Champions...
Louie Hayes was one of many big names who were little 98lbers at one point their career. Hayes had big time national freestyle and greco success throughout his career - and still a little man he is 125/133 for University of Virginia where he was a 2018 NCAA Qualifier and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals.
Honorable Mention: Recent Cadet World Team Members Jesse Mendez (Indiana) and Carson Manville (Virginia), among many others.
Rayvon Foley won the GFC his junior and senior years before heading off to Michigan State where he was NCAA Qualifier as a true freshman and then earned All-American honors his sophomore year at 125lbs for the Spartans.
Honorable Mention: NDSU NCAA Qualifier Cam Sykora (Minnesota) and 3x GFC Champ Zac Hall (Michigan) who beat future NCAA Qualifier Cole Weaver (Michigan) in the first GFC finals at 105lbs.
He was the first ever OW at the GFC - Freddie Rodriguez blew through the 112lb division and scored a fall over Florida all-state Alex Uhre in the finals. Rodriguez continued on to have one of the best high school careers in Michigan history, then won two Junior College national titles and was a NCAA Qualifier for SIU-Edwardsville.
Honorable Mention: University of Michigan NCAA Qualifier Kanen Storr (Michigan)
Nic Bouzakis put on a show at the 2018 GFC - out gunning another nationally ranked hammer in Corey Gamet of Michigan, who is not at NDSU. He stuck top 5 in the national rankings all year after the GFC and is a 2x GFC Champ.
Honorable Mention: Cadet World Teamer Carson Manville (Minnesota), Oregon State NCAA Qualifier Jack Hathaway (Iowa), OW Doyle Trout (Nebraska)
Epic finals match here as Parker outlasted Joey Silva of Florida in an overtime grinder. Parker is now at Iowa State where he qualifier for the NCAA Tournament last year.
Honorable Mention: 4x D1 State champ Lincoln Olson (Michigan), NCAA Qualifier Kanen Storr (Michigan).
It was classic Kevon Davenport - close match blown wide open with a big lift mat return right to his back for the fall. Davenport became the first wrestler to win Elementary, MS, and HS GFC titles. He would win another GFC crown two years later and is now a freshman at Nebraska after finishing off one of the best HS careers in Michigan history.
Honorable Mention: 3x State Champ Grant Aronoff (Florida) who is not at Penn, Hathaway (Iowa), Olson (Michigan).
Silva edged Anthony Madrigal of Illinois in a top 10 nationally ranked finals matchup. Madrigal is now at Oklahoma and Silva at the University of Michigan. Silva was ranked #1 in the nation when he won the GFC.
Honorable Mention: Top 5 ranked in the nation Frankie Tal-Shahar (Florida)
4x State Champ Zac Hall was a GFC legend and one of only two guys to ever win the GFC High School division 3x. He was nationally ranked and the guy to beat each year, but kept coming back and putting it on the line. He was also named OW once.
Hartman, who is now at Army West Point, won the GFC twice and won loaded weight classes both times, beating off top 10 nationally ranked guys like Cameron Amine (Michigan) and Brevin Balmaceda (Florida).
Honorable Mention: 2x GFC Champ James Whitaker (Michigan) who is now at University of Virginia, 3x GFC Champ and Penn State NCAA Champ Mark Hall (Minnesota)
Massa pinned and teched his way through the 152lb bracket to win his 2nd GFC title in 2013. Massa was the #1 guy in the country this same year and has went on to earn All-American honors for the Michigan Wolverines - this year is his last go-round in Ann Arbor.
Honorable Mention: Penn State NCAA Champ Mark Hall (Minnesota), 4x State Champ Kevon Davenport (Michigan)
Facundo won GFC titles his freshman and sophomore years with wins over nationally ranked wrestlers in the finals both times. In 2017 he knocked off Kendall Coleman of Illinois and last year he beat Donnell Washington of Indiana. Facundo is a 2x World Bronze medallist and currently is the consensus #1 in the country.
Honorable Mention: Current Univ of Michigan starter Jelani Embree (Michigan), 2x GFC Champ Nick Kiussis (Ohio) who is current starter at West Virginina.
Before Mark Hall was one of the best college wrestlers in the country, winning a NCAA title for Penn State, he won the GFC 3 times, including some of the most anticipated matches the GFC ever saw. In 2013 Hall was #1 in the country when he registered at 171lbs. Alex Marinelli of Ohio (Current NCAA All-American at Iowa) then signed up at 171 to #GETSOME, then top 5 nationally ranked Fox Baldwin of Florida signed up, then you threw in current CMU starter Jordan Atienza (Michigan), former EMU starter Kayne Macallum (Illinois) and other state champs and the weight was loaded. Hall edged Marinelli in the semis and then Baldwin in an epic finals match.
Honorable Mention: 2x GFC Champ Zac Braunagel currently at Univ of Illinois, Ohio State's Elijiah Cleary (Florida).
In the 2nd year of the GFC Kevin Beazley of Detroit Catholic Central won the 189lb title before going on to qualify for 3 NCAA Championships for Old Dominion and Univ of Michigan and claiming All-American honors his junior season.
Honorable Mention: Current Arizona State NCAA Qualifier Kordell Norfleet (Illinois), Current UNC NCAA Qualifier Brandon Whitman (Michigan)
Whitman won 4 state titles and sat in the national polls throughout his prep career - he also nabbed two GFC titles along the way. This past year as a true freshman he was a NCAA Qualifier for UNC and is the tops of the 215lbers ever at the GFC.
Honorable Mention: EMU 2x NCAA Qualifier Gage Hutchison (Michigan), Current University of Michigan 285lber & 2x State Champ Luke Ready (Michigna)
The only nationally ranked big man to win GFC - Villareal won it last year as a junior and the Fresno State commit is coming back this year to defend the title.
