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Badgers, Pandas earn U SPORTS wrestling banners

U SPORTS Staff

One Brock University dynasty continued, and one ended on Saturday night in the Main Gymnasium on UAlberta campus, as the 2023 Friends of the World Cup of Wrestling Society U SPORTS Championship, presented by the Westin Edmonton concluded.

The Brock University Badger men captured their eighth-straight U SPORTS wrestling title, while the Alberta Pandas captured their second national title in program history, ending the Badgers title run at nine. It is the Pandas first national title since 2011.

The Pandas capped off their championship victory with a bang, as fifth-year Taylor McPherson pinned Saskatchewan Huskie Sierra Mullin in the final match of the event, sending the home Alberta crowd into a frenzy.

“This is what I was working on for the last six/seven years with the team, and to end it with both an individual and team title is all I could have hoped for,” said McPherson.”It was stressful, being the final match. I told myself I needed to wrap things up on a good note, and I knew I needed to win. Not only was I the last match, but it was also the last match of my varsity career. And I ended it on a high with my team.”

McPherson (50kg) was one of three Pandas to earn individual gold on Saturday, joining Katie Mulkay (67kg) and Andrea Franko (72kg). Franko was also awarded the R.W. Pugh Fair Play award, given to the coach or athlete that best exhibits the standards of sportsmanship throughout the tournament.

Alberta also added two individual silver and two bronze medals on Saturday, winning the women’s title by 14 points.

“It was an amazing feeling doing this at home. Winning both Canada West and U SPORTS here on our home turf,” continued McPherson. “To end with both team titles and an individual gold meant so much.”

Brock placed second on the women’s side, followed closely by the McMaster Marauders.

Brock ran away with the men’s title, finishing 14 points ahead of OUA rival McMaster for second. The host Golden Bears placed third.

The Badgers were led by two individual gold medalists, as Carlos Vargas (68kg) and Bobby Narwal (72kg) were both crowned national champions. Brock also added three individual silver medals and one bronze on the men’s side.

“Our guys put the work in, that was the bottom line this weekend. They took on the challenge of being the defending champions, and stepped up and performed all weekend,” said Badgers head coach Marty Calder, who was also named the U SPORTS Men’s Team Coach of the Year. “It was great to be back competing at this event, it was for the athletes.”

 

MAJOR AWARD WINNERS

  • Female Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Year: Mia Friesen - Brock Badgers
  • Male Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Year: Alex Moore - Concordia Stingers
  • Female Rookie of the Year: Serena Di Benedetto - McMaster Marauders
  • Male Rookie of the Year: Treye Trotman - Western Mustangs
  • Female Team Coach of the Year: Owen Dawkins - Alberta Pandas
  • Male Team Coach of the Year: Marty Calder - Brock Badgers
  • Female Student-Athlete Community Service Award: Allison Kuzub - Saskatchewan Huskies
  • Male Student-Athlete Community Service Award: Drake Buechler - Saskatchewan Huskies
  • Female R.W. Pugh Fair Play Award: Andrea Franko - Alberta Pandas
  • Male R.W. Pugh Fair Play Award: Gianni Vecchio - Queen’s Gaels

 

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS

MEN:

1 Brock 65
2 McMaster 51
3 Alberta 48
4 Saskatchewan 46
5 Calgary 39
6 Concordia 39
7 Western 39
8 Lakehead 25
9 Guelph 9
10 Toronto Metro 9
11 Algoma 6
12 New Brunswick 6
13 York 4
14 Queens 1
15 Toronto 1

WOMEN:

1 Alberta 65
2 Brock 51
3 McMaster 47
4 Calgary 46
5 Saskatchewan 43
6 Concordia 32
7 Guelph 22
8 Western 18
9 Lakehead 7
10 Queens 7
11 New Brunswick 6
12 Algoma 3
13 Toronto 0
14 Toronto Metro 0
15 York 0

INDIVIDUAL MEDALISTS


Men:
57 kg

  1. Treye Trotman - Western
  2. Talon Hird - Alberta
  3. Dechlan Papadopoulos - TMU

61 kg

  1. Alec Montoya - Alberta
  2. Drake Buechler - Saskatchewan
  3. Gianluca Fortino - McMaster

65 kg

  1. Daniel Hernandez-Mendoza - Alberta
  2. Hassan Al-Hayawi - Western
  3. Gabe Blanchette - Brock

68 kg

  1. Carlos Vargas - Brock
  2. Cole Sanderson - Saskatchewan
  3. Luken Lawson - McMaster

72 kg

  1. Bobby Narwal - Brock
  2. Brantley Saar - Calgary
  3. Maxwell Meekins - Saskatchewan

76 kg

  1. Connor Church - Concordia
  2. Max Budgey - Brock
  3. Patrick Salvador Guzman - Western

82 kg

  1. Lukas Geske - Western
  2. Jordan Wylie - Brock
  3. Reid Smyth - Saskatchewan

90 kg

  1. Alex Moore - Concordia
  2. Howard Moffat - McMaster
  3. Taran Goring - Alberta

100 kg

  1. Jeremy Poirier - Concordia
  2. Omogbai Asekohme - McMaster
  3. Kyle Price - Algoma

125 kg

  1. Karanveer Mahil - McMaster
  2. Roger Li - Brock
  3. Michael Haskell - Lakehead

 

WOMEN

 50 kg

  1. Taylor McPherson - Alberta
  2. Sierra Mullin - Saskatchewan
  3. Kelyn Young - Guelph

53 kg

  1. SueAnne Harms - Saskatchewan
  2. Serena Di Benedetto - McMaster
  3. Jenna Petryna - Alberta

56 kg

  1. Mia Friesen - Brock
  2. Gabriela Cross - Calgary
  3. Virginie Kaze Gascon - Concordia

59 kg

  1. Amy Bellavia - McMaster
  2. Eve Maxwell - Calgary
  3. Amy Bell - Alberta

63 kg

  1. Laurence Beauregard - Concordia
  2. Aleah Nickel - Alberta
  3. Miki Rowbottom - Calgary

67 kg

  1. Katie Mulkay - Alberta
  2. Amanda Savard - Concordia
  3. Simi Jayeoba - McMaster

72 kg

  1. Andrea Franko - Alberta
  2. Alexia Sherland - Concordia
  3. Vanessa Keefe - Brock

76 kg

  1. Shauna Kuebeck - Brock
  2. Vianne Rouleau - Alberta
  3. Ellise Daynes - Calgary

82 kg

  1. Brianna Fraser - Brock
  2. Myah Phillips - Saskatchewan
  3. Vanessa Fonrose - McMaster