Union City's Iobe and Crance named TDR Athletes of the Week

We are coming right down to the very end of the 2022-23 Winter Sports season here in our area, with only three sports still with teams remaining in the MHSAA postseason.

Last weekend was perhaps the busiest single weekend of prep sports action for the year, with state finals in wrestling and bowling, mixed with regional competitions in gymnastics and swim and dive, not to mention district finals in girls basketball. Branch County had a number of individuals stand out among the many participants from this weekend, a number that included a beavy of state placers and two state champions.

This week’s The Daily Reporter Athlete of the Week as sponsored by ProMedica Coldwater Regional Hospital, Omega Physical Therapy, and Coldwater Chiropractic and Wellness Center are the Union City wrestling duo of Landyn Crance and Grady Iobe.

Crance is being honored after winning his second straight MHSAA Individual State Wrestling championship, this year bringing home the title at 132 pounds after claiming the 125 pound state title last year at Division Four. Crance took down a veritable who’s who of wrestlers at his weight class, including state finalist from last season in Dalton Birchmeier of New Lothrop, pre-tournament favorite Cole Marry of Hudson, and the wrestler who beat him the in the regional finals, Haylen Buell of Martin. The state title match saw Crance avenge his loss in the regional finals to Buell with a second-round pin fall victory.

With his second state championship victory Crance becomes the first two-time state champion in Union City wrestling history and joins his teammate Iobe as the first Charger duo in over 50 years to accomplish the feat. Crance ends his stellar junior season with a record of 40-3.

Also earning TDR Athlete of the Week honors was Union City senior Grady Iobe who secured his first career state title with a victory at 215 pounds on Saturday, bringing home his third straight All-State honor and his first state title.

Iobe was one of the favorites pre-tournament and showed why, rolling through the competition on his way to the state finals where he faced big Daxton Looney of Montrose. Looney had the decided size advantage entering the match, having dropped from heavyweight late in the summer to wrestle at 215, however Iobe had the quickness, hitting single leg takedown after single leg takedown on his way to a dominant 7-0 decision win. With the win Iobe joins the very selective group of state wrestling champions at Union City and finishes his senior season at 35-1 overall.

The Daily Reporter would also like to recognize Bronson wrestlers Perry Lake and Mackenna Webster along with the Coldwater gymnastics duo of Randi Dudek and Charlotte Calhoun on an absolutely big week of prep action.

Congratulations goes out once again to Union City’s Landyn Crance and Grady Iobe, this week’s The Daily Reporter Athletes of the Week as sponsored by ProMedica Coldwater Regional Hospital, Omega Physical Therapy, and Coldwater Chiropractic and Wellness Center.

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Union City's Iobe and Crance named TDR Athletes of the Week