By Journal Sports Staff

AUBURN HILLS — One area wrestler still has his state championship hopes alive at the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Championships being held this weekend at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Tanner Gonzalez of Manistique won his second straight match in Division 4 at 160 pounds on Friday to reach the semifinals without a blemish, according to information from the MHSAA website, www.mhsaa.com.

The Emeralds’ senior defeated senior Michael Nuyen of Decatur 8-5 in the winner’s bracket quarterfinals to reach the penultimate match against Carlos Garza of Hart.

The semifinals were set to begin at 7 p.m. Friday, but with nearly 200 wrestlers across the four divisions still alive, his match might not have started near that time.

Gonzalez, who finished sixth in the D4 160-pound class at the state finals last year with a 3-3 record, was 44-0 entering the weekend, while Garza was 42-9.

Gonzalez is guaranteed sixth even if he doesn’t win another match, but a win tonight would put him in the championship round scheduled to start at 4:45 p.m. today.

Only one other area wrestler, Kevin Roberts of Gwinn, made it through Friday afternoon still alive in the consolation bracket. The Modeltowners’ senior wrestles in Division 4 at 189 pounds and entered the event with a 42-9 record.

But he lost on Friday in the winner’s bracket quarterfinals to Tylor Grames of Hudson, 14-2, before knocking off Tyler Labadie of Bark River-Harris 7-3 in the consolation bracket.

Next up this morning was a match against senior Mason Rife of Webberville, who entered the weekend at 34-5.

Roberts is guaranteed no worse than eighth place and could move up to third with three wins this morning.

Here is a synopsis of the other eight area wrestlers at the finals after each was eliminated on Friday. They are listed with their school, year in school and weight division, followed by their Friday matches:

DIVISION 2

Beau Caster, Marquette, sr. 160 — winner’s bracket quarterfinals, lost to Lucas McFarland, DeWitt, 1:11; consolation bracket 2nd round, lost to Jajuan Lovejoy, Warren Woods-Tower, 6-4.

DIVISION 3

Michael Pizziola, Negaunee, sr. 285 — consolation bracket 1st round, defeated Brandon Blair, Corunna, 6-4; consolation bracket 2nd round, lost to Lucas Prater, Howard City Tri County, 4-2.

DIVISION 4

Alex Henry, Newberry, jr. 160 — consolation bracket 1st round, defeated Austin Wendling, New Lothrop, 1:16; consolation bracket 2nd round, lost to Michael Nuyen, Decatur, 3:41.

Louie Berry, Manistique, sr. 140 — consolation bracket 1st round, defeated Andy Faith, Westland Lutheran, 9-5; consolation bracket 2nd round, lost to Easton Maus, Concord, 6-1.

Sam Gilles, Westwood, soph., 215 — consolation bracket 1st round, lost to Charlie Depp, Manchester, 6-3.

Ethan Parsons, Gwinn, fresh., 103 — consolation bracket 1st round, lost to Logan Wolford, New Lothrop, 0:27.

Nick Miles, Munising, jr., 125 — consolation bracket 1st round, lost to Austin Rios, St. Louis, 6-3.

Zach McGowan, Munising, sr., 119 — consolation bracket 1st round, lost to Ryan Wehner, Bad Axe, 6-3.

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