Kelowna Secondary School athletes Michael Vallido and Aaron Stapleton each captured gold medals at the Okanagan Zone Wrestling Championships on Saturday at Salmon Arm Secondary School.
Vallido dominated the 74 kg weight class while not allowing one point to be scored against him. He first defeated Justin Bigelow of Valleyview Secondary School by a score of 10-0 in the first period. Vallido’s second match against Jacob Fagrie of Salmon Arm Secondary School also ended in the first period by a score of 12-0. If a wrestler is winning by 10 points or more the match is stopped and ruled a win by technical superiority.
Stapleton took the 63 kg weight class with four consecutive wins. Stapleton pinned his first opponent Kalvin Blasear of Vernon Secondary School in the first period. In his second match he defeated Bryant Lowe of St. Ann’s Academy in Kamloops by a score of 10-0 in the first period.
In his third match against Lochclan Kennedy of Westsyde Secondary School, Stapleton found him self down by a score of 9-4 at the end of the first period. He rallied in the second to end the match in a 12-12 tie. Stapleton was declared the winner by having the most four point moves.
He finished the tournament quickly pinning Amar Kang of Salmon Arm Secondary School in under a minute in the first period.
Both wrestlers have qualified for the 2015 B.C. Secondary Schools Wrestling Championships in Abbotsford’s Ag Rec Building from Feb. 26 to 28.
