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Cowichan boasts two provincial champion wrestlers

Cowichan sends 25 athletes to the B.C. High School Wrestling Championships in Vancouver

Queen Margaret’s School student Carter Zuback won gold in the 54kg final at the B.C. High School Wrestling Championships at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver last weekend, leading the way for the 25-athlete strong contingent on the mats.

Zuback was one of 500 wrestlers from across the province at the event and had to face his long-time rival, last year’s provincial champion, who admittedly has had Zuback’s number for the last couple of years.

“Carter proved to the entire province that hard work, determination and a strong belief in his abilities that anything is possible,” said proud dad and QMS head wrestling coach Nick Zuback. “Down by six, Carter caught his opponent and pinned him for his first provincial high school gold and also becoming the first QMS boy to ever win gold.”

Zuback and Cowichan Wrestling Club teammate Rei Nagatomi, who won the girls 69kg weight class for Frances Kelsey, have advanced to the National Wrestling Championships March 23-25 in Vancouver.

“Rei continued to show her athleticism and skill, winning easily against a very highly ranked opponent from the north 10-0,” coach Zuback said. “What was even more astonishing is that Rei did not give up a single point throughout the entire tournament.”

The win made Nagatomi the first female wrestler from Frances Kelsey to become a provincial champion.

Leon Tsuboi (QMS) battled extremely hard in all his matches with a record of 4-1 to make the podium, capturing third place in his weight class while on the girls’ side, Loryn Roberts (QMS) showed “tremendous grit and composure,” Zuback said, after losing a close match to come back on the backside to take home bronze in the 64kg class.

Mason Martin (Quamichan), Elijah Cote (NCS), Cassidy Pace (Frances Kelsey) came fourth in their weight classes.

Sedona Bond (QMS), Emma Greenwood (QMS) and Jordanna Crawford-Starter (Frances Kelsey) all made the podium in fifth position.

Finishing outside of the top six, who also represented their respective Cowichan Valley schools extremely well were Rose Wu (QMS), Rui Wang QMS), Savanna Screaton (QMS), Ripley Fox (QMS), Georgia Armstrong (QMS), Jordan He (QMS), Jake Armstrong (QMS), Jacob Meiner (QMS), Gabe and Ronaldo Carreiro (Frances Kelsey), Ross Meiner (Cowichan), Beatrix Klatt (Quamichan), and Rory Brennan-McCann (Shawnigan).

In the team competition, Frances Kelsey placed third overall in the girl’s division, and 12th in the combined. QMS placed 12th in the girls, seventh in the boys and fifth overall in the province in the combined team results out of 120 schools represented.



Sarah Simpson

About the Author: Sarah Simpson

I started my time with Black Press Media as an intern, before joining the Citizen in the summer of 2004.
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