About the Foundation
The Grand March Foundation, Inc is a creation of three men integral to the enhancement of Michigan interscholastic wrestling; a former MHSAA Assistant Director, an Individual Final Tournament Manager, and a key Assistant Manager. Combined, they represent more than 125 years of officiating and have worked on more than 60 Final Tournaments. Within the wrestling community, they are well known. The GMF is their attempt to ensure there will be a quality wrestling experience for years to come.
Following the 2022 high school season, Ron Nagy, Bill Bupp, and Scott Strickler considered what they might do to maintain the level of appreciation and quality that have been a hallmark of the modern MHSAA tournament, established in 1989. From that meeting, the seeds of "a foundation" to perpetuate the program sprouted and today, the Grand March Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) corporation, is a reality.
The "modern" Individual and Team Final tournaments were conceived in 1987. Bill Bupp became an Assistant Director with the MHSAA, charged by the Representative Council to create a tournament that featured a true team championship while maintaining the individual component.
During Bupp's tenure, MHSAA wrestling grew, starting with the "One City Tournament" (1988) in Battle Creek and the "Two City Tournament" (1993) featuring Kalamazoo and Battle Creek. In 1998, Detroit's Joe Louis Area hosted the first "One Site" tournament; then, in 2001, the show was moved to The Palace of Auburn Hills and was touted as "the largest high school tournament in the country." Finally, in 2018, Ford Field became the home of the MHSAA Individual Tournament.
Serving as mat officials for the Team and Individual events, Ron Nagy and Scott Strickler have been involved in the modern tournament from the beginning. In 1998 Bupp invited Nagy to direct the "One Site" Joe Louis individual final, and immediately Nagy selected Strickler to assist. Nagy has been the Tournament Manager and Strickler has been the Tournament Coordinator for over 25 years.