After just over 15 years of no wrestling program in Hazelton, home of Olympic wrestlers Carol Huynh and Lyndsay Abdou (Belisle), the wrestling program (Hazelton Amateur Wrestling Club) has made a significant come back this year.
In the summer of 2018 former wrestlers Jennifer Zyp, Tim Sullivan, Chuck Hayden, and Tom Lee set out on a mission to resurrect the wrestling program with the help of BC Wrestling, Lyndsay Abdou, iSPARC (Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council), and the principles/teachers of Hazelton Secondary School.
By October there was an introduction to wrestling clinic run by Lyndsay and Gord (of BC Wrestling) for youth interested in the sport, and a coaches clinic was also run to get our coaches trained up to par in the realm of wrestling.
With a little over a month under the belts of the coaches and athletes, they hit the road for their first tournament in Vanderhoof on Dec. 8. Nine wrestlers in total from elementary and secondary wrestled with all their might; six came home with medals and three came home with ribbons!
We are very proud of the coaches, athletes, and the supporters. Way to go Hazelton Spartans!
–Submitted
