A Williams Lake wrestler is now a two-time national champion.
Fifteen-year-old Tyleen Scaiano of 150 Mile House, a wrestler with the Lake City Falcons who also trains out of Burnaby’s Coast Wrestling Academy, grappled her way to a gold medal April 14 in the under-17, 49-kilogram division at the 2018 Canada Lutte Wrestling Nationals in Edmonton, Alta. at the University of Alberta’s Butterdome.
Scaiano joined just under 600 wrestlers representing 63 clubs from across Canada at the event.
The win makes it back-to-back national championships for Scaiano, who started wrestling six years ago when she was in Grade 5.
“They were good matches,” Scaiano said. “It’s a lot of dedication and hard work, but very rewarding.”
Scaiano trains close to seven days a week back home in Williams Lake, and also takes trips to Burnaby’s Coast Wrestling Academy to train throughout the year.
At nationals, Scaiano won her first match 10-0 then, after being behind with 43 seconds left, pulled off a double leg shot to win her second match, 9-6.
It was smooth sailing from then on out as Scaiano pinned her opponent in her third match to reach the final, where she again won 10-0 to secure the national title.
On Sunday, April l5 Scaiano stepped up a division to compete in the 2018 Canada Lutte Trials in the U17/U19 division in the 49-kilogram class.
There, she had a tough first match against the U19 gold medalist at nationals the day prior, where she was defeated, 6-3.
Match two saw Scaiano win 10-0, before bouncing back for a nail-biter against her first opponent where she fell 10-8.
Asked what she enjoys about wrestling, Scaiano said meeting new people, and the competition.
“It’s all you on that mat,” she said. “When you do well it definitely pays off.”
Earlier in the season, Scaiano was named the most outstanding female wrestler at the North Zone Championships in Prince George.
She also competed in her first-ever U.S. tournament facing experienced competition at the 2018 Northwest Regionals in Tumwater, WA., and brought home a silver medal.
Scaiano said heading into the summer, she plans to continue training for upcoming wrestling camps on the Coast, and to possibly take on a few more tournaments throughout the spring and summer.
The Lake City Falcons wrestling team, meanwhile, is slated to kickoff again this coming November, with its season running until March at the Lake City Secondary School Columneetza Campus.
Anyone interested in joining the team can inquire at the school.
