Wrestlers from the Cowichan Valley added more outstanding results to their impressive season in the last meet prior to the Island championships.
More than 60 athletes from the Cowichan Valley Wrestling Club and Queen of Angels School competed at the Campbell River Invitational on Feb. 3, bringing home a huge collection of medals.
“I was very pleased with all of their efforts,” CVWC and Q of A coach Nick Zuback said. “The school kids, the club kids, it was great to see. It’s almost the end of the season, so comparing what they did at the Cougar Invitational [in December] to what they’re doing now, the change and improvement is just amazing.”
Q of A won both the boys and girls middle school standings, and finished second in the junior at the meet that attracted more than 350 wrestlers, including several from Mainland clubs.
“It was great to see our kids stand out,” Zuback said.
Cowichan Secondary’s Stephanie Mould was one of six weight-class winners to compete for the Challenge Belt, a unique feature of the Campbell River meet, taking on the winner of a class two above her own.
“She only lost 8-2 when time ran out,” Zuback noted. “It was great to see her give her best against a girl bigger than her.”
After getting this weekend off, the CVWC will host the Island championships at Chemainus Secondary on Feb. 16 and 17. Weigh-ins will take place on Friday, followed by competition Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wrestlers will be hoping to qualify for provincials in Port Alberni in March.
Local results from the Campbell River Invitational:
Elementary girls
28kg: third - Jolene Sampson (Q of A); 30kg: third - Ruby Degraaf (Q of A); 32kg: first - Sophie Rose (Q of A); 34kg: second - Sedona Bond (Q of A); 37kg: third - Lauren Baker (Cobble Hill)
Elementary boys
24kg: first - Brayden Zuback (Q of A) 28kg: third - Paul Clark (Alex Aitken), third - Ronan McGeachy (Mount Prevost), third - Brody Brennan-McCann (Q of A); 31kg: second - Reece Eckenswiller (Rock City); 33kg: second - Ross Meiner (Alex Aitken), third - Jacob Meiner (Q of A); 37kg: first - Cameron Healey (Bench), second - Tristan de Cunha (Mount Prevost), second - Antonio Iannidinardo (Cobble Hill); 43kg: fourth - Isaac Giles (Q of A); 56kg: first - Jacob Fraser (Cobble Hill)
Middle school girls
40-42kg: first - Cassidy Pace (Q of A), second - Kiara McLeay (Q of A); 45-48kg: first - Emma Powell (Q of A), second - Georgia Bond (Q of A), fourth - Josephine Joseph (Q of A); 52-55kg: first - Paige Eckenswiller (Maple Bay), third - Emily Fetchko (Q of A); 61-62kg, second - Stella Closson (Q of A)
Middle school boys
32-34kg: first - Carter Zuback (Q of A), second - Joaquim Dalton-Periera (Q of A), 37-38kg: first - Rory Brennan-McCann (Q of A); 42-43kg: second - Connor Gregson (Tansor); 50-52 first - Ethan Mellings (Q of A), third - Dylan Weaselhead (Q of A), fourth - Brennan Cerrer (Drinkwater); 52-55kg: third - Griffin MacKenzie (Drinkwater), fourth - Derrick Seward (Q of A); 60-63kg: second - Max Wolf (Q of A), fourth - Max Jimmy (Q of A); 78-84kg: first - Bennett Telfer (Q of A)
Junior girls
47-49kg: first - Laura Nguyen (Cowichan Sec.); 57-60kg: first - Nadja Schwarz (Cowichan Sec.); 73-77kg: first - Rosie Klatt-Leblanc (Chemainus Sec.), third - Alexis Joe (Q of A)
Junior boys
41kg: second - Darren Doherty (Duncan Christian); 45kg: second - Mattias Zachary (Q of A); 48kg: fourth - William Rithaler (Q of A); 51kg: second - Dylan Battye (Q of A), third - Zack Liddle (Cowichan Sec.), fourth Place - Lyle Samson (Q of A); 57kg: first - Ashton Combdon (Q of A); 60kg: second - Aiden Dyer-Price (Q of A), third - Brady Gregson (Cowichan Sec.), fourth - Oliver Clarke (Q of A); 63kg: fourth - Caleb Fraser (Cobble Hill); 110-119kg: first - Luther Tiddler (Chemainus Sec.)
Senior girls
56-58kg: first - Hayley Bye-Pace (Q of A); 64-69kg: first - Stephanie Mould (Cowichan Sec.), third - Miaya Brownbridge (Cowichan Sec.); 83-85kg: third - Elizabeth Reid (Chemainus El.); 88-95kg: first - Emily Reid (Chemainus Sec.), third - Chloe Atkinson (Cowichan Sec.)
Senior boys
51-54kg: second - Talon Hird (Cowichan Sec.); 60kg: fifth - Josh Issac (Kelsey); 66kg: first - Dawson Jory (Cowichan Sec.)