Alberni wrestlers performed to expectations at the annual War on the Floor Wrestling Tournament at Burnaby Central Secondary this weekend. The local program took a strong group over for the Grade 9/10 and 11/12 Novice events on Friday and the Elite category on Saturday and they didn’t disappoint.

Alberni wrestlers captured eight gold, four silvers and five bronze medals and had another three wrestlers place in the top six at this very prestigious mainland event. ADSS boys walked away with the team title in a commanding fashion, defeating second place WJ Mouat by a score of 82-41 in the Elite Boys division. ADSS girls came in second behind STM by a score of 27-18. Unfortunately, team results for the Novice Tournament were not available at press time.

“It was great to see the success all of our wrestlers had,” said ADSS head coach John McDonald. “Winning the tournament was a total team effort. We had several less experienced kids step up and prove that they can compete at an elite level.”

In Friday’s Novice competition, Mackenzie Boudreau (69g), Miranda Barker (84kg) and Bobby McKenzie (38kg) went undefeated to claim gold medals. Winning silver medals were Landyn Clayton (74kg) and Mason Bodnar (90kg) while Anna Frost (54kg) and Scott Coulthart (90kg) walked away with bronze medals. Rounding out the top 6 placers for the Alberni was Prateesh Giri (63kg).

“There were a lot of highlights on Friday,” said Coach Russ Bodnar. “Several of our wrestlers came and challenged themselves and they showed a lot of grit. Kids like Miranda Barker and Anna Frost showed they’re ready to step up and be contenders as we head into the heart of the season.”

Saturday morning wrestlers weighed in to compete in the War On the Floor Elite Tournament. The Elite Tournament is always a highly competitive tournament, featuring some of the best wrestlers in Western Canada.

Alberni had a number of very strong performances. The Armada were led by the dominating gold medal performances of Aaron Badovinac (74kg), Bobby McKenzie (38kg), Paige Maher (75kg), Mackenzie Boudreau (69kg) and Miranda Barker (84kg). Bringing home silver medals were Owen Spencer (63kg) and Jayce Clayton (90kg) and winning bronze medals were Ravi Manhas (48kg) and Seth Price (57kg). Placing 5th were Anna Frost (54kg) and Scott Coulthart while placing 6th was Mason Bodnar (90kg).

“Our team looked strong at all weights today,” said coach Chris Bodnar. “Our wrestlers were able to implement some of the technical things we have worked on in the past months. Our fitness and conditioning are right where they need to be.”

The War on the Floor is an important tournament, as the results will factor into seeding athletes for the provincial tournament. The competition is also an opportunity for athletes to be seen by University coaches. As a result of their successes this weekend, some of the ADSS wrestlers have been invited to an international competition in Bremerton, Washington and to provincial training sessions at Simon Fraser University over the Christmas break.

Some wrestlers will likely head to Christmas camps in the lower mainland and the Island in preparation for a very busy January and February leading into the Provincial championships, which will be hosted in Port Alberni March 1-3.

Alberni Valley News