Earning all-state was just the first step, not a guarantee, when making the all-Livingston County wrestling first team.
There were 18 boys and one girl from the county who earned all-state by placing in the top eight during the individual finals at Ford Field, but there’s room for only 14 boys and one girl on the all-county first team. Making the accomplishment even more impressive is that the county has only five wrestling programs and that total was compiled by four teams.
That leaves four all-staters on the second team, putting wrestling right up there with hockey as the most difficult all-county first teams to make.
Bodie Abbey
Hartland, junior
► Accomplishments: Abbey won his second state championship with an 18-3 technical fall at 132 pounds. He was the champ at 113 as a freshman and runner-up at 126 last year. Abbey didn’t lose to a Michigan wrestler, his only loss in a 49-1 season coming 2-1 against an Ohio state champ. Abbey, who has committed to Michigan, has a 150-5 career record.
RELATED: Renewed faith helped Hartland’s Bodie Abbey win state wrestling title after finals loss
Michael Abbey
Hartland, freshman
► Accomplishments: The latest outstanding wrestler in the Abbey family took sixth at 106, a weight class that had three all-staters from the county. He went 37-13, taking second at regionals.
Maggie Buurma
Fowlerville, senior
► Accomplishments: Buurma earned the spot designated for a girl on the first team by becoming the third county girl to win four state championships. She won a 1-0 decision in the 145-pound final against nationally ranked Belicia Manuel of Romeo. Buurma was 3-2 against Manuel and 38-3 on the season.
RELATED: Fowlerville four-time state wrestling champ Maggie Buurma has learned to deal with nerves
Xander Courneya
Brighton, junior
► Accomplishments: Courneya placed fourth in Division 1 at 144 after winning a district championship and placing second at regionals. He finished with a 37-11 record.
Easton Culver
Hartland, senior
► Accomplishments: Culver made all-state for the third time by placing fourth at 138. He was third in his division the previous two years. The four-time state qualifier went 31-6 this season and 120-28 for his career.
Dallas Korponic
Hartland, junior
► Accomplishments: Korponic won his second consecutive state championship with a 1-0 decision over Julius Pacheco of Davison at 150. He moved up three weight classes after winning at 132 last year. Korponic went 50-4 and is 146-18 for his career, earning all-state three times.
RELATED: Hartland state champ Dallas Korponic adjusts to larger weight class after early losses
Dominic Nauss
Brighton, freshman
► Accomplishments: Nauss placed fourth at 165, making him the only freshman all-stater in Division 1 in the five heaviest weight classes and the only ninth-grader to make the top four in the 12 heaviest. He went 47-12, winning districts and taking second at regionals.
Sean O’Keefe
Brighton, senior
► Accomplishments: O’Keefe reached the Division 1 championship match at 215 before losing to three-time champ Connor Bercume of Detroit Catholic Central. He was third at 215 last season. O’Keefe won KLAA, district and regional titles while going 39-3.
RELATED: Brighton’s Sean O’Keefe had to quickly refocus after team’s loss in state semifinals
Layne O’Neil
Fowlerville, junior
► Accomplishments: O’Neil made all-state for the second time, improving from fifth at 190 to third at 215 in Division 2. He won CAAC Red, district and regional championships while going 45-7. His pin in the final match gave Fowlerville a 36-34 victory over Mason in the district final. O’Neil is 132-36 in three seasons.
Brayden Packer
Fowlerville, junior
► Accomplishments: Packer placed fifth in Division 2 at 190, finishing the season 30-11. He won a district championship and took second at regionals and the CAAC Red meet. His late pin was critical in Fowlerville’s comeback victory over Mason in the district final. Packer has an 84-38 career record.
Jase Sensor
Hartland, freshman
► Accomplishments: Sensor finished third in the state at 106 and was the KLAA champion in a loaded weight class. He went 49-7, winning district and regional titles.
Bronson Shinkonis
Brighton, freshman
► Accomplishments: Shinkonis won his first 40 matches of the season before finishing fourth in Division 1 at 113. He had a 50-5 record, matching Korponic for the most victories in the county.
RELATED: Stable of ranked training partners helped Brighton’s Bronson Shinkonis start career unbeaten
Nate Stark
Brighton, senior
► Accomplishments: Stark returned to wrestling this season after two years off and made all-state by placing eighth in Division 1 at 175. He had a 46-9 record, winning KLAA and district championships.
RELATED: Brighton’s Nate Stark finds success in return to ‘hardest sport I’ve ever done’
Kaden Tindall
Brighton, junior
► Accomplishments: Tindall placed sixth in Division 1 at 150. He won district and regional championships while compiling a 45-9 record.
Jameson Wood
Brighton, sophomore
► Accomplishments: Wood made the Division 1 championship match at 106 before losing in overtime to Cyrus Woodberry of Detroit Cass Tech. Wood was a district and regional champion, racking up a 47-3 record.
Second team
Levi Baker, Fowlerville, Sr.
Evan Brown, Hartland, Sr.
Joseph Cappellano, Hartland, Jr.
Brock Foster, Fowlerville, Jr.
Mason Gardner, Brighton, Jr.
Matt Jeffrey, Fowlerville, Sr.
Ashton Jewell, Hartland, Soph.
Sullivan Haas, Brighton, Soph.
Jacob Hodge, Fowlerville, Fr.
Liam O’Neil, Fowlerville, Fr.
Dylan Perkins, Howell, Sr.
Drake Pollins, Brighton, Jr.
Ethan Smith, Brighton, Jr.
Beck Yurkunas, Brighton, Fr.
Honorable mention
Brighton: Alex Salmon (Jr.), Lucas Tindall (Fr.). Fowlerville: Douglas Braidwood (Sr.), Justin Gutierrez (Jr.), Waylon Lamkin (Sr.), Alex Loomis (Soph.), Connor Stankov (Jr.), Gavinn Stankov (Jr.). Hartland: Ty Biggart (Sr.), Colton Lucente (Soph.), Jonah McPherson (Fr.). Howell: Griffin Heeg (Sr.), Ian Laskowski (Jr.), Ryker Newstead (Jr.), Connor Wallace (Sr.). Pinckney: Christian Gregory (Soph.).
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Meet the 2024-25 all-Livingston County wrestling team
Reporting by Bill Khan, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
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