The majority of the 26 athletes that attended the second annual Seaforth Cup at the Seaforth Armoury in Vancouver on Jan. 27 came home with top-six finishes according to Cowichan Valley Wrestling Club coach Nick Zuback.
“The Valley wrestlers demonstrated exceptional skill in their respective weight classes,” Zuback said. “A number of our wrestlers are hitting their stride at the perfect time, especially with the Island Championships and provincials looming ahead.”
In team standings, QMS emerged as the top-performing school from the Valley, securing sixth place, followed by Frances Kelsey in eighth and Quamichan in 16th out of 40 schools.
Coach Ryan Yewchin lauded the outstanding performance of the Frances Kelsey wrestlers, all four finishing first in their weight classes with an impeccable record of 14-0. Kelsey’s Lyla Boylan, Antonio Iannidinardo, Rei Nagatomi, and Gabriel Carreiro were all victorious.
Boylan in particular, along with Queen Margaret’s School’s Rui Wang emerged as strong competitors on the female side, securing victories in their respective weight classes, according to their coach.
“Their dedication and hard work in practice are clearly reflected in their remarkable results,” coach Karen Ward said. Of the 11 QMS students to compete at the event, Loryn Roberts, Rui Wang and Brayden Zuback all won their weight classes. Lucy Healey was a runner-up while Noah Helmkey and Emma Greenwood placed third. Savanna Screaton and Hikaru Hanoaka placed fourth while Ella Grandison and Billy Maio were fifth. Georgia Armstrong placed sixth.
Roberts and Greenwood went on to compete at the Miri Piri Invitational in Abbotsford on Jan. 28, placing second and third respectively.
Representing Quamichan School, Ross Meiner emerged as a standout, earning the moniker “The Collingwood Killer” by the Collingwood coach after dominating his matches and clinching gold in one of the tournament’s most competitive weight classes. He defeated their top three wrestlers on his way to victory.
Also from Quamichan, James Elliot placed second, while Beatrix Klatt, Rheo Loiselle, and Aoife Mann were third. Tyler Belanger took fifth place in his class.
CVWC wrestlers Ben Cote (Nanaimo) and Elijah Cote (Ladysmith) also placed second and fourth respectively.
The next challenge for the wrestlers was the 41st Alberni Armada Invitational on Feb. 2-3, with more than 500 wrestlers from nearly 100 schools taking part.
Look for those results in a future edition.
Additionally, CVWC captain Jack Pye (Royal Bay) made waves by competing with Team BC at the Lethbridge Open, defeating last year’s PAC West champion to clinch victory in his weight class.
“For a high school student to triumph against much older opponents is truly remarkable,” Zuback said.