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DOWAGIAC — With a successful first season in the rearview mirror, Southwestern Michigan College Wrestling Coach Todd Hesson is busy on the recruiting trail.

Hesson announced the signing of Mattawan’s Colby Klinger to the recruiting class of 2023 this week.

Klinger is a two-time MHSAA state qualifier. He has a 111-27 overall career record and went 40-5 in the 2023 season. At this year’s MHSAA Division 1 state meet at Ford Field in Detroit, Klinger earned a third-place finish.

“Colby has a lot of enthusiasm and energy for the sport! He is well-coached and will be a great addition to SMC wrestling,” Hesson said.

The Roadrunners first wrestling team in more than 30 years turned some heads by not only winning the Michigan Community College Athletic Association Duals, a team tournament held last December in Muskegon, but also won the school’s first-ever MCCAA conference championship in January in Port Huron.

With a roster consisting entirely of freshmen, Southwestern Michigan College went 5-0 at the team duals and then easily captured the individual tournament.

At the Great Lakes District Tournament, the Roadrunners finished third overall and qualified nine wrestlers for the NJCAA National Championships in Council Bluffs, Iowa in March where it finished 30th.