Hanover-Horton High School wrestler Danni Swihart, top, demonstrates a move against her sister, Drew, during a clinic last week at HHHS. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.
By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports
(January 1, 2023 8:00 AM) It has been a while since Hanover-Horton High School wrestler Danni Swihart was apprehensive heading onto a mat.
But the returning state champion was a bit nervous before training nearly two dozen elementary school aged students last week during Christmas vacation clinic.
Her sister, Drew, and other members of the Comets’ team helped herd the soon-to-be high school wrestlers at the clinic last week.
The HHHS senior must have been pleasantly surprised when there were more than one-third of the wrestling participants were girls.
Swihart became the first Michigan high school female wrestler to sign with a Division 1 college program. In November she signed a scholarship offer to wrestle at the University of Iowa – a powerhouse in men’s wrestling. She will be part of the inaugural class of female wrestlers at Iowa.
“Iowa is one of those schools that offer my (pre-veterinarian) program,” Swihart said of her decision. “Not a lot of smaller schools offer what I need for education.
The nearly 4.0 student built her reputation as a wrestler by winning a Michigan High School Athletic Association state title last March and being a member of Team Michigan during the off season.
Team Michigan will be traveling to India in mid-March for a 10-day training session.
Swihart would love to make the trip with her teammates. She conducted the wrestling clinic in hopes of raising money for the trip. Swihart is also accepting pop cans and money for donations, offering private wrestling lessons, and refereeing in her spare time to earn money.
The senior is 12-1 so far this season, wrestling in dual, conference, and all-girl tournaments or matches.
“I am hoping to continue the momentum built up so far (in her career),” Swihart said. “I have transferred my focus from wrestling guys to the girls’ side of things.”
Swihart will be busy from now until mid-March trying to earn enough money for the trip. Anyone interested in helping the cause can email Leighannswihart@gmail.com.
Top area wrestlers in Jackson County
106 pounds
Nathan Ostrosky Columbia Central 13-3
Thomas Fall Northwest 11-2
Cayley Britton Vandercook Lake 1-4
113 pounds
Stephen Hertzfeld East Jackson 13-3
Trevor Morehouse Jackson 10-1
Carter Mikolajcyzk Michigan Center 10-3
Cameron Beach Northwest 8-0
Owen Thomas Springport 6-4
Trenton Mosley Hanover-Horton 5-2
Dallas Swaenepoel Vandercook Lake 4-3
120 pounds
A.J. Fielder Hanover-Horton 16-0
Aiden Bocanegra Napoleon 10-1
Ashton Bristow Michigan Center 9-5
Kaden Beach Northwest 7-0
Christian Millican Columbia Central 7-2
Drew Swihart Hanover-Horton 4-1
126 pounds
David Fielder Hanover-Horton 14-2
David Becker Springport 13-1
Wesley Edie Grass Lake 8-0
Jeff Miller Northwest 8-0
Jordan Cromwell Columbia Central 7-2
Emily Guthrie Grass Lake 5-1
Elijah Crist Western 5-8
132 pounds
Blaine Anspaugh Northwest 10-3
Caden Bayer Jackson 9-3
Kayla Winget East Jackson 8-12
Mason Floros Hanover-Horton 5-5
Gavin Berkeypile Hanover-Horton 3-3
138 pounds
Danni Swihart Hanover-Horton 12-1
Gage Race Northwest 8-1
Collin Thompson Concord 7-3
Justice Payne Grass Lake 4-3
144 pounds
Owen St. Andre Western 10-4
Chase Caudill Springport 7-4
Sierra Tovar Jackson 7-3
Gabriel Hoover Jackson 5-1
150 pounds
Jadion Range Jackson 6-3
Gavin Beach Northwest 6-2
Tucker McDowell Hanover-Horton 3-6
157 pounds
Clayton Clark East Jackson 14-2
Rylinn Hale Springport 12-4
Josh Frailey Jr. Hanover-Horton 11-2
Braden Gariety Northwest 7-1
Mason Roth Napoleon 6-1
Luke Guthrie Grass Lake 4-4
165 pounds
Blake Short Michigan Center 10-3
Zach Bamm Napoleon 9-4
Zach Jacobs Northwest 8-0
Adam Carlson Western 7-6
Owen Zink Lumen Christi 3-7
175 pounds
Brady Warner Napoleon 12-2
Chase Short Michigan Center 9-4
James Nurkka Northwest 4-3
Alexander White Western 2-5
190 pounds
Bart Laretz Napoleon 12-1
Bella Huston Columbia Central 7-1
Wyatt Ashworth Hanover-Horton 2-3
Carter Dietz Western 1-8
215 pounds
Adam Haselius, Northwest 13-0
Dylan Boone Columbia Central 6-3
Reed Matthews Hanover-Horton 6-7
Jack Reid Grass Lake 5-2
Malik Monroe Jackson 5-4
Gaven Teller Hanover-Horton 4-3
285 pounds
Eli Worth Springport 4-9
Zach Sussex Northwest 2-4
Coaches were asked to send records of each of their wrestlers with at least five matches this season. Records for individual wrestlers were figured for those teams not sending results using www.Trackwrestling.com.
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