The Maple Ridge Ramblers had five medallists and a second-place overall team finish out of 130 schools competing at the BC Secondary Schools 2024 Wrestling Championship, held on Feb. 24 in Vancouver.
Team captain Ashton Senko led the way, as she won a gold medal in the 60 kg final, was named the most outstanding female wrestler, and won for the most outstanding match for the championship match.
The Ramblers tied for first in the girls team title. Also winning gold was Grade 11 Agnia Kravoska in the 57 kg class, Tatyana Lagrange won bronze in 64 kg class, and Zahara Adomi took fifth and scored team points in the 75 kg class.
On the boys side, Ramblers Tyson Deane-Freeman (51 kg), and Linden Sinow-Horton (90kg) both won bronze. Fourth place went to Colby Van’t Hullenaar, who also had the chance to compete for a medal.
Senko is one of five Grade 12 wrestlers who will be leaving the team next year, and she will be missed.
“Her commitment to the sport and her hard work make her an excellent wrestler. She goes to all of our practices and helps run them,” said coach Kevin Menic.
Senko also won gold last year at the provincials, and took silver the year prior.
She cruised through most of the provincial tournament, then had a tough final match against Natalie Wojciechowski of Guildford, who is her teammate in club wrestling.
“We know each other very well,” she said, “So we had to switch up our styles for the final match.”
In that most outstanding match, they were tied 4-4, until Senko threw her opponent to take a lead. The Surrey girl injured her nose and was bleeding, but it was the last 30 seconds of the match and they continued fighting, despite being both covered in blood.
“At the end of the match, the other girl was desperate and came into Ashton who proceeded to throw her again,” said Menic.
Senko knew she would be in the running for Most Outstanding Wrestler, but still “did a little happy dance,” when she learned she had won it.
Next she will attend the Canadian Wrestling Championships in Mississauga, Ontario in April, and hopes to earn a spot on the junior national team this spring.
Next year, Senko plans to wrestle at the university level. She is talking with Simon Fraser University, where many former Rustlers have been recruited, but is also being pursued by other schools.
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