DETROIT — Ishpeming senior Alaric Martin was the only area wrestler to advance to the second day of the MHSAA individual wrestling state finals held in Detroit over the weekend.

Martin, who wrestled at 215 pounds in the Division 4 tournament, finished in fifth place after compiling a 3-2 record during matches held Friday and Saturday at the Detroit Lions’ Ford Field.

Martin had previously won his individual regional title two weekends earlier in Charlevoix.

At the finals, Martin won his first two matches, each by a single point, as he decisioned Ryan Holland of Carson City-Crystal 1-0 and Elijah Strine of Reading 3-2.

He then lost 5-2 to New Lothrop’s Camden Orr, who went on to win the state title. In fact, Orr’s match against Martin was his closest as he also had two pins and a 14-4 win en route to the championship.

Martin lost again once he entered the consolation bracket, being pinned by eventual third-place finisher Ben Smieska of Leslie at 1:10.

Then in the fifth-place match, Martin won 7-3 over Jack Voll of Clinton.

Nine other area wrestlers also made it to the state finals after top-four finishes in both district and regional tournaments.

Four of those athletes each won a match before being eliminated with their second loss.

Marquette senior Joe Lagrou defeated Ramsy Mutchsler of Lowell 3-2 in his second match at 112 pounds in Division 2, while Negaunee senior Leo Helppi downed Jakob Whitlow of Shelby 8-2 in his first match at 189 in Division 3.

In Division 4, Hematites sophomore Jaeger Wilson dropped Colton Russell of Union City 17-8 in his first match at 119, while Newberry senior Lance Bowler upended Jeremy Wazny of Hemlock 16-6 in his second match at 189.

Wilson was the area’s other regional champion, also in Division 4 at Charlevoix.

Losing their first two matches at states were Marquette sophomore Wyatt Kuhlman at 140 in Division 2, Westwood senior Joe Derocha at 112 in Division 4, Gwinn freshman Xander Luoma at 130 in Division 4, Newberry junior Jacob Gribbell at 160 in Division 4 and Manistique senior Isaac Brewster at 285 in Division 4.

They were among nearly 900 wrestlers competing in four divisions that crowned a total of 56 state champions.

The team tournament, a separate tournament, held its state finals a week earlier in Kalamazoo.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.