Hard Work Pays Off For Wrestling Club

Dawid Alberts and Clark Alexander from Moose Jaw Square Off

By Chris Olfert - Moose Jaw Kinsmen Wrestling Club

The Moose Jaw Kinsmen Wrestling Club headed to the Queen City this weekend, where more than 280 athletes from across the province participated in the 2019 SAWA Freshie to Bantam Provincials tournament, held at A.E. Riffel High School.

Rose Alexander Defeats A Weyburn Competitor

Rose Alexander (in the grey shirt) Grapples During a Hard Fought Match

The local club sent 33 wrestlers, with 29 wrestlers bringing home medals including, 13 gold, 7 silver and 9 bronze. The club also finished second place in team points.

Carter Connolly (right) Grappling in a Match

Coach Chris Kell said the strong results are the result of the continued effort that the kids put in over the season.

Moose Jaw’s Wrestling Club Had A Large Contingent

“We had some kids that really took some big strides this year in terms of development and it obviously showed in the results today” said Kell.

Coach Chris Olfert added that the level of commitment that these kids put in, particularly over the last few weeks really paid off.

Quinton Vanbocquestal and Rose Alexander Warm Up Under the Close Eye of Coach Kyle Alexander

“I couldn’t be prouder of how hard the kids worked down the stretch, they left it all out on the mats today, it was great to see,” Olfert said.

Coach Kyle Alexander added that he wasn’t surprised at the outcome.

“I’m not really that surprised at the results”, said Alexander, “our kids just wanted it more and they simply outworked their opponents all day”.

Coach Lee Cushway mentioned that the future looks bright for the Moose Jaw club.

“We’ve got a great group of kids and coaches and we only have one wrestler moving up to high school next year, so we’re really looking forward to seeing these kids taking it to another level next season,” Cushway said.

The club still has a handful of wrestlers that will continue to train over the next few weeks as they compete for spots on team Saskatchewan for the Western Canada Summer Games, which will be held in Swift Current, Saskatchewan from August 8-19.

Migael Alberts (right) Tries To Put a Hold On An Opponent

Kayde Kell, Chris Kell and Coach Lee Kushway

See the Moose Jaw Results Below:

Charlie Bohn (left) and Riley Hill (center) Receive Their Medals

From l - r Payton Kell, Carter Connolly, Brady Ross, Kayde Kell and Kayce Owens

From l - r Kayce Owens, Carter Connolly, Kayde Kell, Brady Ross, Payton Kell, Kingston Usher and Jeremy Dyck