Thanks to Tom McEvay for the following recap on the 26th Annual Alberni Invitational. Pictures to follow!
26th Wrestling Invitational Lives Up To Billing
The twenty-sixth annual Alberni Invitational Wrestling Tournament lived up to its billing as one of the top wrestling tournaments in Canada. Over 600 hundred wrestlers from 63 different schools competed in the five different age categories at the Invitational on the weekend and the organization was flawless.
“We have an amazing group of volunteers and tremendous community support,” exposed Tournament Co-Chair Tom McEvay, “each year our machine gears up and we seem to be able to put on an even better event. We know that the coaches and wrestlers love coming here. It is a real credit to everyone who helps in some way from our volunteers, to our sponsors, the School District and the City who provide facilities and support. It is a huge amount of work but we all seem to thrive on the knowledge that this is a good thing for our youth, our sport and for the community.”
The 2009 Invitational tournament was actually the 30th year in a row that the Alberni wrestling program has put on a major tournament. There were twenty six Alberni Invitationals and then the local organizers hosted the BC High School Championships four times in 1985, 1998, 2002 and 2008. “Thirty straight years is a long time to be putting on an event of this magnitude,” said McEvay, “if it wasn’t for my co-chairs Darral Clark and Stuart Messenger and our incredible volunteers, we would never be able to do this year after year.”
The Invitational was of course, also a great success on the mats. Thirty nine local wrestlers placed in the top six of their respective age and weight divisions. Nine of those placers were gold medal champions. ADSS senior Michael Cappus led the local contingent as he has all year with an outstanding performance at 74 kg. Cappus not only won the weight class he was also named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Juvenile Male Wrestler an honour he also won a few weeks ago at the Western Canadian Age Class.
“We moved Michael up to 74 kg to be challenged in preparation for the BC’s,” said ADSS coach John McDonald, “ in the final his opponent was bigger and stronger and Michael had to adjust, think and execute his game plan. After being dominated in the first round Michael came back to win round two and then dominate round three and finally win with a pin. He was very deserving of being selected by a vote of coaches as the Most Outstanding Wrestler.”
Cappus was not the only Most Outstanding Wrestler for the local squad. Grade 10 ADSS wrestler Isaiah Taylor equaled that feat in the boys 78 kg Cadet division Taylor has been getting tougher all season as he develops into one of the top young wrestlers in the province. At the Invitational he was dominant throughout. In the final he handily defeated a strong Trent Woida of Terry Fox Secondary.
Isaiah has come on like gang busters this year,” said coach McDonald, “ he is getting physically stronger all the time but more importantly he is really developing his wrestling abilities and he is starting to think like a wrestler. He is only in grade 10 and yet he will be a medal threat at the high school BC’s. He has a great future in this sport.”
Taylor led a strong group of grade 9-10 ADSS wrestlers to the team title in the Cadet Boys division. Teammates Austin Evans and Cullen Hines were also Cadet champions at 54 kg and 66 kg respectively. Evans and Hines are also young wrestlers who have taken some huge steps this season to becoming two of the top young prospects in the province. Alec Delcourt had a tremendous tournament and only lost once to teammate Evans in the final at 54 kg to take a silver. Sky Daoust was fourth at 57 kg Cadet, Norman David was fifth at 57 kg and Dustin Haddad was sixth at 60 kg.
In the Juvenile men’s division ADSS was second overall to returning provincial champions Guildford Park of Surrey. In addition to Cappus’s outstanding performance ADSS grade 11 wrestler Cody McEvay overcame some injuries to win gold at 66 kg. Teammate Kyle Plaunt continued his return rise to provincial prominance with a great performance at 57 kg only losing a close battle in the final to OC Saffar of Guilford. Kraig Doskotch also returned to the medal podium with a strong sliver showing at 51 kg. Senior Christian Hansen finished his Invitational career with a silver at 70 kg. Kastin Whipp was fourth at 90 kg for ADSS.
“ Our guys really stepped up this weekend,” said McDonald, “ Cody’s performance at 66 kg was amazing since he has been forced to completely change his style of wrestling due to two dislocated thumb injuries. Kyle has really made a comeback after a poor grade 11 season. It was great to see Kraig wrestle well since he very capable of a BC medal. I was particularly pleased to see Christian come through with a silver in this his grade 12 year.”
Not to be outdone by her male counterparts, grade 11 ADSS wrestler Savannah Toth showed why she is a reigning provincial and National champion in winning at 64 kg. “We knew the Carson Graham girl would push Savannah in the final,” observed McDonald, “ she controlled Savannah in round one and Savannah, like Michael, listened to us between rounds and made the adjustments necessary to win the match. This coachability is what makes champions.”
Also on the girls side grade 9 ADSS wrestler Brittany Henderson continued her impressive rise with a gold at 47 kg Cadet. Teammate Daley Forbes was a silver medalist at 69 Cadet after a close loss to Taylor Follansbee of Elrose Saskatchewan in the final. Young Remi Wells of Dunn won the gold in the School Girl 35 kg weight. Lauren Barber of Dunn and Rhea Wing of Neill were second at 35 kg and 41 kg school girl.
Dunn’s Brittany Battie (35 kg) and Lee Anne Marshall (63 kg) and Neill’s Hailee Beckett ( 58 kg) were all bronze school age medalists. ADSS’s Brianne Charles was third at 60 kg Cadet. Lyndsey Taylor (41 kg), Michel Kurucz (45 kg), and Danika Bratt (58 kg) all of Dunn were fourth in their school age weights. Jordie Bodnar (Dunn 41 kg), Vanessa Beckett (Neill 51 kg), Lily Campbell (Dunn 54 kg), and Sophie Vanderlee (Dunn 58 kg) were fifth place school girl placers.
One the guys side in the school age division it was Neill’s Austin Jaworski leading the way with a gold medal performance at 60 kg. Teammate Jesse Wagner look great on route to a silver at 35 kg. Brother Jordan Wagner was fourth at 39 kg. Dunn’s Colin Simister (31 kg), Riley Kuxhaus (35 kg), Casey Davidson (47 kg) and Luke Bitter (60 kg) were all fifth in their school boy weight class. Kenny Wale (Dunn 39 kg), Jacob Arcus (Neill 47 kg), Graham Villette (Neill 55 kg) and Russell David (Dunn 45 kg) placed sixth in school boy weights.
In the team standings ADSS was very strong in every division. They won Cadet boys with 70 pts over second place Balmoral (60 pts) and third place Carson Graham (49 pts). Balmoral reversed things in the Cadet girls division finishing with 37 pts to ADSS second place total of 27 pts. Terry Fox was a close third at 26 pts. In the Juvenile division ADSS finished second in boys with 60 pts to Guildford’s first place total of 73 pts and ahead of Maple Ridge’s 44 pts. Carson Graham won the Juvenile girls division over Mouat, Guildford Park and Ucluelet with ADSS fifth. Dunn was third in the School Girl team race behind Phoenix and Balmoral while Neill was fifth in the School Boys and sixth in School Girls. St Thomas Moore won the School Boys division.
In the Open Division North Island College wrestlers did well. Harry Campbell won the gold at 57 kg while Travis Carey was second at 76 kg. The Elementary division was again very popular with over 100 kids in grades 3-5 participating from local schools and number from out of town as well. McEvay was quick to give that credit to local coach Russ Bodnar. “Russ did a wonderful job with the Elementary program the past month,” said McEvay, “the kids had a great time and it was nice to see so many of them come out and get some matches at the Invitational and to experience that whole atmosphere.”
With another successful Invitational in the books the attention for our local wrestlers now turns to the Island Secondary Schools Championships next weekend in Campbell River and the Island 15 and Under in Victoria in two weeks. The Secondary School Championships feature the top grade 8-12 wrestlers vying to qualify for the BC’s at the end of the month at SFU in Burnaby. The 15 and Under gives our younger wrestlers a chance to finish their school season.
Some pictures.....Thanks to Tom for sending them in, and for Les Toth for the great shots.
Cody McEvay works some tough ground technique in the 66 kg Juvenile final
Savannah Toth defeats Megan Figueroa in the 64 Juvenile final
Kyle Plaunt working hard in the 57 kg Juvenile final
Brianne Charles of ADSS on route to a bronze in the cadet 60 kg class
Daley Forbes of ADSS in action at 69 kg cadet
Isaiah Taylor on route to gold at 78 kg cadet
Participants in the popular Elementary Division
Co-Chair Darral Clark and some of the great Invitational volunteers
The ADSS winning Cadet Boys team
Michael Cappus receives his Most Outstanding Wrestler Award from City Councillor Kenn Whiteman
Whew....I'm all blogged out after that! And that was just cutting and pasting and uploading! Congrats again to all the Alberni Wrestling athletes and coaches and volunteers and directors and etc etc etc for another great event!
Hammer
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