A record contingent of 12 athletes will represent the Cowichan Valley Wrestling Club at the national championships early next month.
The determined dozen have been training eagerly since the provincial championships in February for a shot at national glory and a chance to wrestle for the Canadian team. The Cowichan crew will leave on April 3 for the championships that run April 5-7 in Fredericton, N.B.
As part of their preparations, they sent seven wrestlers to Centralia, Washington last weekend as part of an Island contingent at the massive Twin City 3-Style Classic. The biggest meet the CVWC has ever taken part in, the event included more than 950 wrestlers from western Canada and the western U.S., competing on 16 mats.
Undaunted by the atmosphere and having to compete in unfamiliar wrestling styles, the CVWC athletes were up to the challenge.
“The kids actually performed really well,” CVWC head coach Nick Zuback said.
The first day featured Greco-Roman wrestling, which the Cowichan Valley wrestlers typically only take part in once at the national championships. Still, Stephanie Mould and Talon Hird collected third-place finishes, and Ashton Combdon was fourth in his division.
The second day featured freestyle wrestling, which the Cowichan athletes are used to. Four-time B.C. champion Hird beat the Washington state champ to win gold in his division, while Mould also finished first, and Hayley Bye-Pace was fourth.
Finally, on the third day, the Cowichan wrestlers made their first attempt at folkstyle, the wrestling format used in U.S. colleges. Fortunately, assistant coach Ryan Yewchin was familiar with folkstyle from his time competing for Simon Fraser University, and had led the team through a couple of practices. Cassidy Pace managed a second-place finish, Mould placed third, and Hird, Ashton Combdon and Hayley Bye-Pace were all fourth to wrap up a busy three days.
“Some of our kids had more than 10 matches on the weekend,” Zuback pointed out.
Hird, Combdon, Mould and Bye-Pace will be joined at nationals by CVWC teammates Dawson Jory, Dylan Battye, Charlie Roberts, Luther Tidder, Aidan Dyer-Price, Chloe Foster, Nadja Schwarz and Miaya Brownbridge. The national championships include the FILA trials, from which the first-place finisher will go to the World Championships and the second-place finisher will go to the Pan American championships. CVWC wrestlers Maegan Kuruvita and Hannah Tuplin have earned national-team spots in previous years.
“It would be great to see a couple of kids make the Canadian team,” Zuback commented.
Prior to nationals, the club has a big fundraiser this Saturday at the Brass Bell Pub in Crofton, including burgers, beers and an auction with items donated by several Cowichan Valley businesses.
