Westview Secondary is rebuilding its wrestling program with some talented athletes and new coaches, after the COVID-19 interruption.
Teacher Kaitlyn Poirier, former assistant coach to Greg Brock, has stepped up as head coach, assisted by Trisha Monts. The program has had four pre-COVID wrestlers return, plus seven new wrestlers join the team. Three of the new wrestlers are exchange students from Germany, Austria, and Spain.
At the December War on the Floor novice tournament at SFU, Westview wrestlers took home five medals.
One of the team’s new Grade 8 wrestlers Tyson Deane-Freeman was part of Team BC that attended the Jurassic Classic and Dino Cup tournaments Jan. 7 and 8 in Calgary. Deane-Freeman won a gold medal in the individual tournament, and another gold as part of the men’s team in the duals against Alberta and Saskatchewan.
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Deane-Freeman wrestled last weekend at the Western Age Class tournament at the Richmond Olympic Oval under the Trident Wrestling club. He competed in U15 at 42kg and U17 at 45kg weight classes. He battled more experienced wrestlers to win bronze in both weight classes.
Westview is attending the Miri Piri tournament Jan. 29, Port Alberni Feb. 3rd-4th before competing at the zone championships.
“The team is training hard towards their goal to have all team members qualify for provincials,” said Monts.
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