The Cowichan Valley Wrestling Club and Queen Margaret’s School played host to the Vancouver Island High School Wrestling Championships on Feb. 8, welcoming 170 wrestlers from 36 schools across the Island.
The QMS Sports Hall was packed with athletes competing for a coveted spot at the B.C. High School Provincial Championships at the PNE in Vancouver Feb. 20-22.
The competition was fierce, with only the top five boys and top six girls in each category earning qualification for provincials, according to coach and host Nick Zuback.
"It’s incredible to see the growth of wrestling on the Island and throughout the province," Zuback said. "This was the largest number of wrestlers at an Island Championship in over 20 years."
Leading the charge and securing gold medals were QMS athletes: Carter Zuback, Brayden Zuback, and Rose Wu, along with Andrew Grobbelaar (Brentwood), Ross Meiner (Cowichan), and Cassidy Pace (Kelsey). Pace also won the girls' Most Valuable Wrestler award.
Second place finishers included Calvin Steeves (QMS, 41kg); Anthony Grobbelaar (Brentwood, 51kg); Antonio Iannidinardo (Kelsey, 78kg); Lidia Martinez (Quamichan, 47kg); Wish Keirstead (QMS, 51kg); and Kipling Szasz (QMS, 69kg).
Taking the Island bronze were: Jonathan Grobbelaar (Brentwood, 41kg); Zachary Staicesku (QMS, 78kg); and Elyssa Olsen (DCS, 75kg).
Also earning berths to the provincial finals were: Logan King (QMS, fourth, 54kg); Tinaye Joy-Mujuru (QMS, fourth 63kg); Elijah Cote (Ladysmith, fourth, 66kg); Tyler Belanger (Quamichan, fourth, 74kg); Nina Steeves (QMS, fourth, 47kg); Beatrix Klatt (Cowichan, fourth, 69kg); Rheo Loiselle (Quamichan, fifth, 70kg); Sadie Richer (QMS, fifth, 47kg), Rui Wang (QMS, fifth, 60kg); Morgan Elliot (Quamichan, sixth, 57kg); Cole Morrison (QMS, sixth, 63kg); James Elliot (Quamichan, sixth, 74kg); Zoe Brandsma (Quamichan, sixth, 47kg); Clare Boulding (QMS, sixth 51kg); and Sophia Yoon (QMS, sixth, 69kg).
In the team standings, QMS continued its dominance by securing its fourth girls' title, while the QMS boys finished in a strong second place.
QMS also claimed the top spot in combined team points, marking another milestone for the program. Also in the combined division, Quamichan finished ninth, Cowichan 11th, and Kelsey 13th.
The Ed Ashmore Volunteer of the Year Award was awarded to Karen Ward, a Cowichan coach who has been helping out with the CVWC for more than six years.
"She has been a huge part in growing the sport in our elementary schools and our junior club, and she is an amazing person to coach alongside," Zuback said.
