Trevor Welzin did not return home from first trip to the national championships empty-handed.
The 15-year-old captured the silver medal in the 69-kg weight class at the cadet/juvenile Canadian championships, which were held earlier this month (April 4-6) in Guelph, Ont.
It also helped Welzin fulfill his goal of finding the podium at the event.
“That was my goal, to come home with a medal,” he said.
Welzin, a Grade 10 student at Brookswood Secondary, wrestles for the Langley United Wrestling Club. The club encompasses students from Brookswood, Langley Secondary, D.W. Poppy and H.D. Stafford.
And the silver is the first time a Langley United wrestler has medalled at nationals.
There were 32 wrestlers in his weight class and Welzin won his first five matches before falling in the gold medal showdown to Ty Bridgwater of the Matmen (Cambridge, Ont.)
This is Weltzin’s third year in the sport and earlier this season, he placed sixth in his class at the B.C. high school wrestling championships.
At that event, all the wrestlers are clumped together, regardless of Grade.
At nationals, they are split into Grades 9/10 and Grades 11/12.
This is his third year in the sport and with his jiu jitsu background — he trains with Steve Hartwig at the Jundokan Langley Karate Dojo — Weltzin thought he would give it a try.
“It is fun, good exercise and challenging,” he said, adding that his goal is to find the podium both at provincials and nationals in 2015.
