• Related: Chelsea, Ypsilanti, Manchester wrestlers advance to individual state semifinals

AUBURN HILLS -- Saline High School senior Nate O’Sullivan’s first experience at the individual wrestling state championships last year wasn’t a good one, as he failed to win a match.

The start to his second tournament was going much the same way as the senior lost his first match on Thursday.

Three matches into his career at the Palace of Auburn Hills, and O’Sullivan was 0-3.

O’Sullivan turned it all around on Friday, winning both of his matches at on Day 2 of the Division 1 MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals at the Palace of Auburn Hills, earning All-State distinction in the 135 pound weight class. The top eight finishers in each 16-person weight class are considered All-State.

O’Sullivan won by pin and clinched a top-eight finish with a 3-1 decision in the so-called “blood round” on Friday to advance to Saturday’s medal rounds. O’Sullivan said recovering from his 8-4 loss on Thursday was no easy task.

“It was pretty tough, but the key is to not get too high after a win or too low on yourself after a loss,” O’Sullivan said. “I’m just trying to wrestle my best. It’s the last time I get to wear a Saline uniform, so that’s the key. Going all out.”

O’Sullivan will be joined in the medal round by teammate Taylor Ticknor, who after being pinned by defending state champion Lincoln Olson in the championship quarterfinals, pulled out a 4-1 win in the elimination round to earn All-State.

It’s Ticknor’s first trip to the state finals after discipline and injury kept him from the postseason over the past two years, making the win special for Saline coach Scott Powers.

“You get older, you make mistakes, you move on. Just like we all do,” Powers said. “He made mistakes, he moved on and it’s what shows the character he has and the work ethic that he has.”

“It’s just the best feeling I could have as a coach kind of like as a surrogate dad to these boys. To come in here and to see them reach their dreams,” Powers said. “It’s awesome.”

O’Sullivan and Ticknor were two of six Washtnenaw County wrestlers to advance through the consolation brackets to earn All-State status, in addition to the four wrestlers who advance to the championship semifinals.

Pioneer’s Jahi Hilliard (215) and Billy Cobb-Gulley (103) each won blood round matches after losing quarterfinal matches in Division 1 as did Dexter’s Zeke Breuninger (112) in Division 2. Manchester’s Ben Heuser (135) won consecutive matches on Friday in Division 3 after losing his opening round match.

Heuser’s wins were two of four on the day for Manchester, which had five of its six wrestlers lose opening round matches on Thursday.

“We knew coming in with five kids coming in fourth (at regionals) that we’d have our hands full,” said Manchester coach Steve Vlcek said. “I was much happier we had a couple kids win some matches today.”

Manchester moved up from Division 4 to Division 3 this year, but Vlcek doesn’t think the results would have been any different in the lower division.

“People say it’s moving up to Division 3, but no, even in Division 4 we’d still be young and you could see our youth coming through,” Vlcek said.

Blood round losses

In Division 1, Lincoln’s Jordan Markey (130) and Saline’s Alex Cornelius (152) lost their blood round matches. In Division 2, Zaid Abdellatif (285) and Milan’s Ben Fick (171) did as well as did Manchester’s Brian Robert (285) and Brendan Abrigo (103) in Division 3.

Chelsea’s Avery Osentoski (D2, 145) and Manchester’s Chalie Steffens (D3, 112) and Michael Golding (D3, 160) were 0-2 on the weekend.

Peter Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at petercunningham@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.