A huge contingent of wrestlers from the Cowichan Valley put up a huge showing at the Campbell River Invitational on Jan. 16.
About 60 athletes from schools throughout the Cowichan Valley made the trek north where they made up nearly a third of the overall attendance, and they had the dominant results to match.
“I was really pleased with all of the kids who wrestled,” Cowichan Valley Wrestling Club head coach Nick Zuback said. “I was happy with their placings and with their manners on the mat and off as well.”
In the team competitions, Queen of Angels School finished first in the junior boys division.
“Last year they were second or third, so to win the team title is a great feat,” Zuback said.
Tansor Elementary was fourth, followed by Lake Cowichan in sixth, Drinkwater in ninth and Frances Kelsey in 10th. Q of A also placed third in the junior girls division, with Drinkwater seventh and Cowichan secondary ninth.
In the senior girls division, Cowichan Secondary placed fourth, Q of A was fifth and CVOLC ended up 19th. Frances Kelsey placed eighth and Q of A ninth in the senior boys class.
Valley wrestlers also posted some impressive individual results, including first-place finishes by Andrea Morrison (Cowichan Secondary) in the senior girls 51-53kg class, Chaas Mearns (Lake Cowichan) in the junior boys 31-34kg, Dylan Battye (Tansor) in the junior boys 35kg, William Rithaler (Q of A) in the junior boys 36-39kg, and Hayley Bye-Pace (Q of A) in the junior girls 55-60kg.
Second-place results went to Talon Hird (Q of A) in the senior boys 44-48kg, Kayden Dorma (Kelsey) in the senior boys 57-62kg, Stephanie Mould (Q of A) in the senior girls 51-53kg, Ashton Combdon (Q of A) in the junior boys 40-43kg, Frazer Wilmot (Q of A) in the junior boys 45-48kg, Owen MacKenzie (Q of A) in the junior boys 50-55kg, Jacob McCluskey (Q of A) in the junior boys 57-58kg, and Charlie Roberts (Q of A) in the junior girls 33-36kg.
Other senior results included Rayne Hankins (CVOLC) placing third in the girls 75-80kg class and Catharine Jimmy (Q of A) finishing fourth in the 57-60kg. In junior girls classes, Kora Paige (Q of A) was fourth and Laura Nguyen (Drinkwater) was fifth in the 39-43kg, Miaya Brownbridge (Cowichan Secondary) was fourth in the 46-51kg, and Chloe Foster (Drinkwater) was fourth in the 55-60kg.
Rounding out the junior boys results were Owen Weld (Q of A), Easton Iverson (Q of A) and Nicholas Rota (Bench) at third, fourth and fifth in the 31-34kg class; Paul Belcourt (Q of A) fifth in the 35kg class, Lyle Samson (Q of A) third in the 36-39kg; Zack Liddle (Tansor), Michael Daniels (Q of A) and Aidan Charlie (Q of A) third, fourth and fifth in the 40-43kg; Christopher Gaw (Kelsey) and Caleb Fraser (Cobble Hill) third and fourth in the 45-48kg; Ben DiLalla (Distance Ed), Damian Blaney (Drinkwater) and Brady Gregson (Tansor) third, fourth and fifth in the 50-55kg; Aidan Dyer-Price (Drinkwater) and Kai Poole (Q of A) in the 52-56kg; and Kalon D’Fantis (Q of A) in the 62-67kg.
A group of 16 elementary wrestlers from the Cowichan Valley also competed in Campbell River, although results were not recorded.
“The sportsmanship and effort were outstanding,” CVWC elementary coach Rick Bryan said.