For the sixth straight year, the Williams Lake Wrestling Club nailed the Elementary Team Championship in Kelowna’s Ogopogo Invitational Tournament, held Jan. 7.
Twenty-two Laketown elementary grapplers stormed onto the mat, and came away with five gold, eight silver, and six bronze medals, in addition to three fourth-place finishes.
Close to 200 athletes competed on four mats during the annual event, including teams from Burnaby, Port Moody, Abbotsford, Vernon, Kamloops, Cochrane, Alberta, and Williams Lake as well as the hometown Kelowna squad.
Grabbing Gold Medals for the Black ‘n Blue were veteran kid-wrestlers Trisha Billy-Elkins, Braeden Haines, and Dakota Sailor. Joining them on the top step of the podium were rookies Craig Charleyboy and Parker Engel off to great starts in their wrestling careers.
Scooping Silver were Jerilyn Billy, Cher Billy-Elkins, Quinesha Bob, April Frank, Jacob Gilpin, Corrine Hance, Ryker Johnny, and Mark Johnson.
Bringing home Bronze were Alexander Eves, Kristin Hance, Faith Johnny, Matt Matheson, Hazel Reuger, and Jolene Sam.
Finishing in fourth place in their weight groups were Conrad Harry, Destiny Johnny, and Ryan Johnson.
Although the Ogopogo Tournament is a combined elementary and high school event, the Black ‘n Blue sent only elementary wrestlers south to the Central Okanagan. Meanwhile, Laketown high school grapplers were taking on the best in the north, at the annual Kelly Road Open, in Prince George. Results to follow in a future Tribune.
Next action for Williams Lake high school wrestlers will be the Western Canada Age Class Tournament next weekend in Kamloops. This is a huge two-day tournament, annually attracting more than 600 competitors.
Meanwhile Williams Lake’s elementary grapplers are gearing up for Smackdown 2011, B.C.’s largest elementary tournament, which will hit the mats on Saturday, Jan. 29, at Columneetza.
More than 200 young athletes are expected to participate.