The Maple Ridge Ramblers wrestling team has won another provincial championship.
MRSS topped the combined girls and boys team standings out more than 100 schools represented in the tournament at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver on Feb. 21 and 22.
Ramblers team captain Agnia Krakovska and Landon Peterson both won provincial gold in their weight classes, and Krakovska also received the honour of top female wrestler at the tournament.
There were six MRSS athletes who got on the podium and contributed points to the win.
A bronze medal went to Linden Sinow-Horton and fourth place finishes by Tyson Deane-Freeman, Captain Sophia Stark and Bella Berner all contributed to the team points total. Teams score points for each member wrestler in the top six.
"What I like about this one, was the combined team effort, by three boys and three girls," said head coach Kevin Menic.
Ridge took a large team – there were 21 wrestlers from MRSS who qualified for provincials.
Menic said Krakovska, who is in Grade 12, was in a class by herself.
"She's unstoppable, she flew through everyone," he said. "Nobody has scored a point on her in the past year."
She had only one point counted against her through five matches. An opponent didn't get the best of her, he said, but was given a caution point, awarded when Krakovska's knee got too close to her opponent's face.
Menic said Krakovska is a technically dominant wrestler.
"And her aggressiveness and her drive is something you can't teach," said the coach. "Her double leg (takedown) is unstoppable."
She is hoping to continue her wrestling career at the university level, and would like to be the latest Rambler to move on to Simon Fraser University. The Maple Ridge program is like a farm team for Red Leafs wrestling. In the past six years, MRSS has sent seven wrestlers there, said Menic.
Peterson is a Grade 9 grappler who missed last year's provincials due to illness, but won three matches by pin in the 38 kg class to take gold.
"He's a soccer player, and he has energy to burn," said Menic. "When the other guy's gassed, he's still good to go, and he's a strong kid too."
A provincial championship was more than Peterson had expected heading into the tournament.
"I was surprised, very happy, and proud," he said. "And my family was proud."
Krakovska will compete at the club nationals in April, and try to qualify for the Canada Summer Games in St. John's, Nfld. on Aug. 8-25.
Last year she competed at the Pan American Wrestling Championships in the Dominican Republic, and finished third. However, this year she will move up from the under-17 age group to under-20, which means she will be up against women competing at the university level.
Menic said next year some of his younger wrestlers should take the next step, and he expects Ramblers to top the podium again.
