March 3, 2013
CIS wrestling championship: Badgers pick up women's gold, men's silver
LONDON, Ont. (CIS) – The Brock women and Alberta men captured the team banners at the CIS wrestling championships which concluded on Saturday at Western University, while Concordia’s David Tremblay entered the record books with his fifth individual gold medal in as many seasons.
Championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wrest/index
The Badgers easily repeated as women’s champions finishing with 54 points, nine better than second-place Alberta (45). Calgary (38), Saskatchewan (29) and host Western (29) rounded out the leading quintet. It was the third national title overall for the Brock women, who also triumphed in 2002.
In the men’s competition, Alberta finally returned to the top after a four-decade wait. The Bears, who had claimed three consecutive championships from 1970 to 1972, tallied 52 points to win a thrilling race over Brock (51) and Western (49). Two-time defending champion Concordia (41) settled for fourth place, with Saskatchewan (38) completing the top five.
Brock had athletes in four of eight women’s finals and three of them triumphed, including Jade Parsons, who successfully defended her title at 48 kg, Diana Ford, now a three-time champion at 51 kg, as well as freshman Carlene Sluberski (55 kg). Rebecca Levitt (72 kg) settled for silver, while Natascha Chang (63 kg) and Marissa Sorrel (67 kg) won their bronze-medal matches. Olivia Dibacco (82 kg) also scored points for the champs with a fifth-place finish.
Other female gold medallists included UNB’s Samantha Stewart (59 kg), Concordia’s Linda Morais (63 kg), Regina’s Lisa McKibben (67 kg), Alberta’s Molly Bouchard (72 kg) and Calgary’s Holly Ellsworth-Clark (82 kg).
Stewart was named CIS’ outstanding female wrestler thanks to her 3-0, 4-0 victory over Saskatchewan’s Koren Pitkethly in the 59 kg final. Earlier in the tournament, she had defeated Alberta’s Jamie Bergenstrom 8-0, Calgary’s Jessie Seida 4-1 and 7-0, and Western’s Andrea Wakelin 5-0, 7-0.
On the men’s side, Alberta accomplished a rare feat by capturing the title without winning a single gold medal. The Bears had depth however as they were they only men’s team competing in all 10 weight classes.
Dylan Williams (61 kg), Mike Asselstine (65 kg), Jamie Yurick (82 kg) and Jamie Hoffman (130 kg) all took silver on Saturday for the victors, who also saw Jason Wass (57 kg) finish fourth, Drew Belanger (68 kg) and Daniel Oloumi (90 kg) fifth, Coleman Brinker (76 kg) sixth, and Jay Naicker (54 kg) and Adel Taj (72 kg) seventh.
Brock countered with three gold medal winners, including CJ Hudson (65kg), Javon Balfour (68kg) and Matrixx Ferreiro (76kg), and a pair of third-place finishers in Brian Cowan (54kg) and Zack Falcioni (57kg).
For Western, Steven Takahashi (54 kg) and Ilya Abelev (72 kg) both claimed their third consecutive CIS gold medals. Abelev triumphed in his third division in three seasons, after winning at 65 kg in 2011 and 68 kg a year ago.
The other male individual champions were Tremblay (61 kg), Regina’s Steven Schneider (57 kg), Winnipeg’s Briston Brenton (82 kg), Concordia’s Jordan Steen (90 kg) and Guelph’s John Fitzgerald (130 kg).
Tremblay, a 2012 Olympian, was named outstanding male wrestler for the second time in his career following his win over Alberta’s Williams at 61 kg (7-0, 9-2). He was also honoured in his freshman season in 2009.
A native of Stoney Point, Ont., he became only the fifth wrestler in CIS history – and the third male – to finish his university career with the maximum of five individual gold medals. He prevailed at 61 kg as a rookie and at 57kg the next two seasons, before returning to 61kg last year.
Earlier this weekend, Tremblay beat McMaster’s Jason Buckle 1-2, 5-1 and 7-0, took down Western’s Ethan Smith 6-0, 7-0, and downed Calgary’s Sudeepta Aurka 7-0, 5-0.
Other CIS awards for 2012-13 went to Brock’s Marty Calder (women’s coach), Alberta’s Owen Dawkins (men’s coach), Brock’s Carlene Sluberski (female rookie of the year), Concordia’s Jordan Steen (male rookie of the year), Queen’s Yi Quan and Saskatchewan’s Natasha Kramble, who shared the female community service award, as well as Brock’s Tim Clement and Alberta’s Michael Asselstine, who shared the same award on the men’s side.
NOTES: Former Brock teammates Ryan Weicker (2001-2005) and James Macari (2003-2007) are the only two male wrestlers to have won five CIS individual gold medals... On the women’s side, Calgary’s Gen Haley won five straight gold medals (2007-2011), while Ali Bernard claimed four in four years for Regina (2005-2008) and added a fifth triumph after transferring to Alberta (2010).
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
Women
1. Brock 54 points
2. Alberta 45
3. Calgary 38
4. Saskatchewan 29
5. Western 29
6. Regina 25
7. Lakehead 17
8. Guelph 16
9. UNB 14
10. Concordia 10
11. McMaster 10
12. Winnipeg 6
13. Memorial 4
14. Toronto 3
Men
1. Alberta 52 points
2. Brock 51
3. Western 49
4. Concordia 41
5. Saskatchewan 38
6. McMaster 30
7. UNB 26
8. Regina 24
9. Winnipeg 23
10. Guelph 17
11. Lakehead 16
12. Calgary 15
13. Memorial 4
14. York 2
Source: CIS
Championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wrest/index
The Badgers easily repeated as women’s champions finishing with 54 points, nine better than second-place Alberta (45). Calgary (38), Saskatchewan (29) and host Western (29) rounded out the leading quintet. It was the third national title overall for the Brock women, who also triumphed in 2002.
In the men’s competition, Alberta finally returned to the top after a four-decade wait. The Bears, who had claimed three consecutive championships from 1970 to 1972, tallied 52 points to win a thrilling race over Brock (51) and Western (49). Two-time defending champion Concordia (41) settled for fourth place, with Saskatchewan (38) completing the top five.
Brock had athletes in four of eight women’s finals and three of them triumphed, including Jade Parsons, who successfully defended her title at 48 kg, Diana Ford, now a three-time champion at 51 kg, as well as freshman Carlene Sluberski (55 kg). Rebecca Levitt (72 kg) settled for silver, while Natascha Chang (63 kg) and Marissa Sorrel (67 kg) won their bronze-medal matches. Olivia Dibacco (82 kg) also scored points for the champs with a fifth-place finish.
Other female gold medallists included UNB’s Samantha Stewart (59 kg), Concordia’s Linda Morais (63 kg), Regina’s Lisa McKibben (67 kg), Alberta’s Molly Bouchard (72 kg) and Calgary’s Holly Ellsworth-Clark (82 kg).
Stewart was named CIS’ outstanding female wrestler thanks to her 3-0, 4-0 victory over Saskatchewan’s Koren Pitkethly in the 59 kg final. Earlier in the tournament, she had defeated Alberta’s Jamie Bergenstrom 8-0, Calgary’s Jessie Seida 4-1 and 7-0, and Western’s Andrea Wakelin 5-0, 7-0.
On the men’s side, Alberta accomplished a rare feat by capturing the title without winning a single gold medal. The Bears had depth however as they were they only men’s team competing in all 10 weight classes.
Dylan Williams (61 kg), Mike Asselstine (65 kg), Jamie Yurick (82 kg) and Jamie Hoffman (130 kg) all took silver on Saturday for the victors, who also saw Jason Wass (57 kg) finish fourth, Drew Belanger (68 kg) and Daniel Oloumi (90 kg) fifth, Coleman Brinker (76 kg) sixth, and Jay Naicker (54 kg) and Adel Taj (72 kg) seventh.
Brock countered with three gold medal winners, including CJ Hudson (65kg), Javon Balfour (68kg) and Matrixx Ferreiro (76kg), and a pair of third-place finishers in Brian Cowan (54kg) and Zack Falcioni (57kg).
For Western, Steven Takahashi (54 kg) and Ilya Abelev (72 kg) both claimed their third consecutive CIS gold medals. Abelev triumphed in his third division in three seasons, after winning at 65 kg in 2011 and 68 kg a year ago.
The other male individual champions were Tremblay (61 kg), Regina’s Steven Schneider (57 kg), Winnipeg’s Briston Brenton (82 kg), Concordia’s Jordan Steen (90 kg) and Guelph’s John Fitzgerald (130 kg).
Tremblay, a 2012 Olympian, was named outstanding male wrestler for the second time in his career following his win over Alberta’s Williams at 61 kg (7-0, 9-2). He was also honoured in his freshman season in 2009.
A native of Stoney Point, Ont., he became only the fifth wrestler in CIS history – and the third male – to finish his university career with the maximum of five individual gold medals. He prevailed at 61 kg as a rookie and at 57kg the next two seasons, before returning to 61kg last year.
Earlier this weekend, Tremblay beat McMaster’s Jason Buckle 1-2, 5-1 and 7-0, took down Western’s Ethan Smith 6-0, 7-0, and downed Calgary’s Sudeepta Aurka 7-0, 5-0.
Other CIS awards for 2012-13 went to Brock’s Marty Calder (women’s coach), Alberta’s Owen Dawkins (men’s coach), Brock’s Carlene Sluberski (female rookie of the year), Concordia’s Jordan Steen (male rookie of the year), Queen’s Yi Quan and Saskatchewan’s Natasha Kramble, who shared the female community service award, as well as Brock’s Tim Clement and Alberta’s Michael Asselstine, who shared the same award on the men’s side.
NOTES: Former Brock teammates Ryan Weicker (2001-2005) and James Macari (2003-2007) are the only two male wrestlers to have won five CIS individual gold medals... On the women’s side, Calgary’s Gen Haley won five straight gold medals (2007-2011), while Ali Bernard claimed four in four years for Regina (2005-2008) and added a fifth triumph after transferring to Alberta (2010).
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
Women
1. Brock 54 points
2. Alberta 45
3. Calgary 38
4. Saskatchewan 29
5. Western 29
6. Regina 25
7. Lakehead 17
8. Guelph 16
9. UNB 14
10. Concordia 10
11. McMaster 10
12. Winnipeg 6
13. Memorial 4
14. Toronto 3
Men
1. Alberta 52 points
2. Brock 51
3. Western 49
4. Concordia 41
5. Saskatchewan 38
6. McMaster 30
7. UNB 26
8. Regina 24
9. Winnipeg 23
10. Guelph 17
11. Lakehead 16
12. Calgary 15
13. Memorial 4
14. York 2
Source: CIS
