HILLSDALE COUNTY — The final ballot is in, and two standout grapplers will headline Hillsdale County (ISD) postseason wrestling honors for 2026.
Reading junior Isaac Westfall has been selected as the Hillsdale Daily News Choice Wrestling MVP, capping a dominant junior campaign that ended with his second career all‑state finish and a bronze medal at Ford Field. The annual reader‑voted award produced a different top vote‑getter.
Jonesville senior Blake Ryan earned the Reader’s Choice MVP, edging out Hillsdale’s Brody Arnold in the final tally. Reading juniors Reid Westfall and Isaac Westfall earned Honorable Mentions in the Readers’ Choice results.
Daily News Choice MVP: Isaac Westfall
Reading Wrestling – 215 pounds, Division 4
Reading junior Isaac Westfall surpassed milestone after milestone on his way to the all-state podium at Ford Field — his second all-state honor in three seasons.
In addition to multiple first‑place invitational titles, the Reading standout crossed the 100‑win milestone during the Holiday season. He entered the postseason as the Daily News Choice February Athlete of the Month, chasing a return to the state finals after finishing runner‑up last year.
At Ford Field, Westfall opened his tournament with back‑to‑back pins, each in under a minute, powering into the Division 4 semifinals. After dropping a narrow 5‑2 decision, he responded with a 3‑0 win in the medalist rounds, earning a chance to wrestle for third place. He secured the bronze medal with a sudden‑victory thriller over Benzie Central’s Lane Sanchez.
Westfall wrapped his junior year at 49‑2 overall, claiming another Big 8 conference championship, a district title, and a second‑straight regional title in which no opponent scored a single point against him. His dominant February run helped Reading secure its first team district championship since 2017, as Westfall delivered two wins during the district duals.
Reader’s Choice MVP: Blake Ryan
Jonesville Wrestling – 113 pounds, Division 4
Jonesville senior Blake Ryan closed his career with a postseason run defined by toughness, resilience, and steady progression that carried him all the way to the top 12 in Division 4 at Ford Field.
Competing as Jonesville’s lone state qualifier, Ryan fell in his opening championship‑round match but fired back in the consolation bracket with one of the biggest victories of his career — a second‑period pin against Mancelona’s Austin Barnhart to reach the blood round. That win placed him among the final 12 in his weight class.
Ryan came one match short of the medal rounds, falling to Martin’s Jacinto Lopez and concluding his senior season at 35‑13. He reached the state finals by outlasting teammate Briggs Baker in the regional blood round with a 9‑4 decision. Earlier in the postseason, he earned the Cascades Conference championship and finished district runner‑up at 113 pounds.
His season featured a strong mid‑winter push, including eight victories over the Holiday stretch. He also helped lead the Comets to three wins at their home team invitational.
In addition to his Reader’s Choice MVP, he was the runner-up honoree for the Hillsdale Daily News Choice MVP Award.
Reader’s Choice Runner-Up: Brody Arnold
Hillsdale Wrestling – 138 pounds, Division 3
Hillsdale junior Brody Arnold broke through this winter with a postseason performance that carried him to his first career trip to Ford Field.
Arnold entered the state finals following a third‑place finish at districts and a regional runner‑up showing that included a dramatic 13‑12 semifinal win over Delton Kellogg’s Evan Stampfler. His postseason also featured a 22‑9 major decision at regionals and a four‑win district tournament that included two tech falls and a bronze medal.
At Ford Field, Arnold drew Swan Valley’s Javen Gomez in the opening round and fell by 24‑9 tech fall. He was eliminated in the consolation bracket by Central Montcalm’s Sullivan Ryan, ending a 38‑19 junior season.
Throughout the year, Arnold was a key contributor to the Hornets’ lineup. He earned an early‑season Hillsdale Daily News Winter Sports Athlete Award, tallied two tech falls in team district duals, won three matches at the LCAA team tournament, and was a February Athlete of the Month nominee. He returns next season as one of the county’s top contenders for a second trip to Detroit and potentially his first all‑state finish. In addition to his runner-up Reader’s Choice honor, he was an honorable mention Daily News Choice MVP.
Honorable Mention: Reid Westfall
Reading Wrestling – 126 pounds, Division 4
Reading junior Reid Westfall reclaimed his place among the area’s top grapplers this winter, returning to the state finals for the first time since his freshman season.
A multi‑time Winter Sports Athlete Awards nominee, Westfall helped Reading secure its first team district title since 2017 by earning two pinfalls in district duals. His individual postseason push included a Big 8 runner‑up finish, third at districts, and fourth at regionals — a run highlighted by a blood‑round win that clinched his state finals berth.
At Ford Field, Westfall faced a tough opening draw against Manchester’s Sammy Stewart, the Region 15 champion, and fell by 15‑0 technical fall. He rebounded in consolation action with an impressive 13‑3 major decision over St. Louis’ Cole Grollimund to reach the blood round before his tournament ended.
Westfall finished his junior year at 40‑13, earning his second state finals appearance alongside cousin Isaac Westfall, who took third in Division 4 at 215 pounds. A consistent top‑10 ranked wrestler throughout the season, Westfall solidified himself as one of the county’s most reliable competitors heading into his senior year.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Isaac Westfall, Blake Ryan earn Hillsdale County wrestling MVP honors
Reporting by Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News / Hillsdale Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
