February 13, 2014
Team competiton promises to be close at the OUA wrestling championships
HAMILTON, Ont. - Top university wrestlers from across Ontario will be in Toronto this weekend as York University hosts the 2014 OUA wrestling championships. The women’s team from Brock and the Western Mustang men will be on hand to defend their titles in the day-long event. Action takes place on Saturday, February 15 beginning at 10 a.m. at the Tait McKenzie Centre.
The Brock Badgers men’s and women’s wrestling teams are always a force to be reckoned with. Both teams enter the championships ranked No. 1 in the CIS. The Badger men haven’t earned an OUA title since 2010 and are hoping to reclaim top spot this year, while the Badger women have won six straight OUA titles and the previous two CIS championships.
The Brock women will be lead by Jade Parsons and Carlene Sluberski. Parsons, a veteran from Orillia, Ont., is the two-time defending OUA and CIS champion in the 48-kg weight class and was the CIS rookie of the year in 2009. Sluberski, a Fredonia, N.Y. native, is in her second season of OUA competition. Last year she claimed OUA and CIS gold in the 55-kg division en route to being named the OUA and CIS rookie of the year. This year Sluberski will look to drop down and compete for gold in the 51-kg division.
Javon Balfour and Matrixx Ferreira return to the Badgers this year as defending OUA and CIS gold medalists. Balfour will defend his title at 68-kg, while Ferreira, who won last year at 76-kg will make the jump up to 82-kg.
The Western Mustangs enter the OUA championships on the strength of two straight men’s titles, but are currently ranked No. 2 in the CIS poll. Key to the success of the Mustang men is Steven Takahashi. The London, Ont. native is the three-time defending OUA and CIS champion at 54-kg and was the 2011 OUA and CIS rookie of the year. Western will also look for strong showings from veterans Josh Proctor, Kevin Ens and Sam Hanna, as all three earned silver medals at the OUA championships last year.
Western’s women’s team settled for silver at the OUA championships in 2013 and will attempt to knock off Brock this year. The second-ranked team in the CIS, the Mustangs return 2012 OUA gold medalists Larissa D’Alleva and Brianne Barry. The team will also hope for a strong result from rookie Anna McKee, who earned a gold medal at the Brock Open, silver at the Ontario Junior Championships and bronze at Guelph open in preparation for the OUA championships.
The Guelph Gryphons enter the 2014 OUA championships after taking fourth place a year ago in both the men’s and women’s competition. The men’s team enters the championships ranked fourth in the CIS, while the women’s are ranked eighth.
The Guelph women are coming off the strength of a win at the Toronto Open and will rely on elite performances from two-time OUA champion and 2011 OUA rookie of the year Kelsey Gsell and rookie Natassya Lu. Gsell has already claimed gold in the 82-kg classthis year at the Western Duals, while Lu made her presence know in the 48-kg division by winning the Toronto Open.
Three-time defending OUA 130-kg champion John Fitzgerald will return in search of a fourth title and a strong team result for Guelph. Rookie Oren Furman also provides a medal opportunity for the Gryphs. The Bolton, Ont. native claimed gold in the 56-kg weight class at the Brock Open in January and silver at the Toronto Open.
The McMaster men will enter the 2014 OUA Championships ranked eighth in the CIS, led by six wrestlers that made the podium last season. In 2013, McMaster finished second to Western by six points for the OUA banner and the Marauders expect to be in the running for the team title this year.
Jason Buckle was the outstanding wrestler of the 2013 championships and has had another outstanding year with medal-winning performances at meets in Montreal, Brock, Guelph, and Western. He is the defending OUA champion in the 61-kg class.
2013 OUA Rookie of the year Ahmed Shamiya is ready to defend the OUA gold he won in the 57-kg class. He has won medals this season in Montreal, at McMaster, at Western, and at Brock.
For the Marauder women, top medal hopes rest with veterans Alyshia Anderson, Nicole Mazara , Erica D’Angelo, Nicole Roach and Monica Wood, who have all had medal-winning performances over the season. Mazara was the 2013 OUA silver-medalist at 48-kg and Roach took OUA bronze at 59-kg. As a team McMaster will be looking to move up from last year’s 5th-place finish in the overall standings.
The host York Lions have put together a tenacious team that has seen a great deal of success leading up to the OUA championships. Omar Thomas has medaled four times at 90-kg this season, including silver at the Western Open and Brock Open. Greg Pierzchala claimed gold in the 72-kg division at the York Open earlier this year, marking the first Lions gold medal at an event since their return to varsity wrestling in 2012.
York will look for a strong finish from Urshian Khalid in women’s competition. Khalid was the silver medalist at the York Open in the 63-kg division.
The Algoma Thunderbirds will be appearing at the OUA championships for the first time this year. In preparation for the championships, the Thunderbirds have already seen tremendous success. Natasha Doroodian, an OUA rookie and former OFSSA champ, has already earned three medals in the run-up to the championships and represents Algoma’s best chance at an OUA medal.
The Toronto Varsity Blues biggest hope for a medal comes in the form of Grace Bannerman. She was a bronze medalist as a rookie last year in the 72-kg event. Already this season, Bannerman took gold at the McMaster Invitational and silver at the Queen’s Open and York Open.
Wrestling will take place beginning at 10 a.m. at the Tait McKenzie Centre at York University. Championship matches are slated to begin at 3:15 p.m. and medals will be handed out after each gold medal match. The team championship banners and major awards will be distributed following the conclusion of competition.
The Brock Badgers men’s and women’s wrestling teams are always a force to be reckoned with. Both teams enter the championships ranked No. 1 in the CIS. The Badger men haven’t earned an OUA title since 2010 and are hoping to reclaim top spot this year, while the Badger women have won six straight OUA titles and the previous two CIS championships.
The Brock women will be lead by Jade Parsons and Carlene Sluberski. Parsons, a veteran from Orillia, Ont., is the two-time defending OUA and CIS champion in the 48-kg weight class and was the CIS rookie of the year in 2009. Sluberski, a Fredonia, N.Y. native, is in her second season of OUA competition. Last year she claimed OUA and CIS gold in the 55-kg division en route to being named the OUA and CIS rookie of the year. This year Sluberski will look to drop down and compete for gold in the 51-kg division.
Javon Balfour and Matrixx Ferreira return to the Badgers this year as defending OUA and CIS gold medalists. Balfour will defend his title at 68-kg, while Ferreira, who won last year at 76-kg will make the jump up to 82-kg.
The Western Mustangs enter the OUA championships on the strength of two straight men’s titles, but are currently ranked No. 2 in the CIS poll. Key to the success of the Mustang men is Steven Takahashi. The London, Ont. native is the three-time defending OUA and CIS champion at 54-kg and was the 2011 OUA and CIS rookie of the year. Western will also look for strong showings from veterans Josh Proctor, Kevin Ens and Sam Hanna, as all three earned silver medals at the OUA championships last year.
Western’s women’s team settled for silver at the OUA championships in 2013 and will attempt to knock off Brock this year. The second-ranked team in the CIS, the Mustangs return 2012 OUA gold medalists Larissa D’Alleva and Brianne Barry. The team will also hope for a strong result from rookie Anna McKee, who earned a gold medal at the Brock Open, silver at the Ontario Junior Championships and bronze at Guelph open in preparation for the OUA championships.
The Guelph Gryphons enter the 2014 OUA championships after taking fourth place a year ago in both the men’s and women’s competition. The men’s team enters the championships ranked fourth in the CIS, while the women’s are ranked eighth.
The Guelph women are coming off the strength of a win at the Toronto Open and will rely on elite performances from two-time OUA champion and 2011 OUA rookie of the year Kelsey Gsell and rookie Natassya Lu. Gsell has already claimed gold in the 82-kg classthis year at the Western Duals, while Lu made her presence know in the 48-kg division by winning the Toronto Open.
Three-time defending OUA 130-kg champion John Fitzgerald will return in search of a fourth title and a strong team result for Guelph. Rookie Oren Furman also provides a medal opportunity for the Gryphs. The Bolton, Ont. native claimed gold in the 56-kg weight class at the Brock Open in January and silver at the Toronto Open.
The McMaster men will enter the 2014 OUA Championships ranked eighth in the CIS, led by six wrestlers that made the podium last season. In 2013, McMaster finished second to Western by six points for the OUA banner and the Marauders expect to be in the running for the team title this year.
Jason Buckle was the outstanding wrestler of the 2013 championships and has had another outstanding year with medal-winning performances at meets in Montreal, Brock, Guelph, and Western. He is the defending OUA champion in the 61-kg class.
2013 OUA Rookie of the year Ahmed Shamiya is ready to defend the OUA gold he won in the 57-kg class. He has won medals this season in Montreal, at McMaster, at Western, and at Brock.
For the Marauder women, top medal hopes rest with veterans Alyshia Anderson, Nicole Mazara , Erica D’Angelo, Nicole Roach and Monica Wood, who have all had medal-winning performances over the season. Mazara was the 2013 OUA silver-medalist at 48-kg and Roach took OUA bronze at 59-kg. As a team McMaster will be looking to move up from last year’s 5th-place finish in the overall standings.
The host York Lions have put together a tenacious team that has seen a great deal of success leading up to the OUA championships. Omar Thomas has medaled four times at 90-kg this season, including silver at the Western Open and Brock Open. Greg Pierzchala claimed gold in the 72-kg division at the York Open earlier this year, marking the first Lions gold medal at an event since their return to varsity wrestling in 2012.
York will look for a strong finish from Urshian Khalid in women’s competition. Khalid was the silver medalist at the York Open in the 63-kg division.
The Algoma Thunderbirds will be appearing at the OUA championships for the first time this year. In preparation for the championships, the Thunderbirds have already seen tremendous success. Natasha Doroodian, an OUA rookie and former OFSSA champ, has already earned three medals in the run-up to the championships and represents Algoma’s best chance at an OUA medal.
The Toronto Varsity Blues biggest hope for a medal comes in the form of Grace Bannerman. She was a bronze medalist as a rookie last year in the 72-kg event. Already this season, Bannerman took gold at the McMaster Invitational and silver at the Queen’s Open and York Open.
Wrestling will take place beginning at 10 a.m. at the Tait McKenzie Centre at York University. Championship matches are slated to begin at 3:15 p.m. and medals will be handed out after each gold medal match. The team championship banners and major awards will be distributed following the conclusion of competition.
