Two Alberni District Secondary School wrestlers travelled to the high-calibre Miri Piri Invitational in Abbotsford last weekend. The tournament featured some of the top wrestlers from the Lower Mainland and throughout B.C.
ADSS wrestlers Austin Evans and Cullen Hines both have set their sights on the podium at the BC High School Championships at the end of February. As a result their coaches felt it was important that they attend this elite level tournament.
“If you want to be one of the best you have to wrestle with the best,” coach James Messenger said. “There was a tournament on the Island this weekend but we thought it was important for these two wrestlers to travel to Abbotsford.
“Austin is in Grade 12 and Cullen is in Grade 11. They have wrestled and beat most of the wrestlers on the Island. You develop from wrestling different people. You learn from being challenged. That is why we wanted these two senior wrestlers to go to the Abbotsford tournament.”
The extra time and travel paid off. he said. Evans wrestled had four tough matches enroute to claiming silver in the 57 kg weight class. His only loss came to Mark Magano of Killarney.
Hines finished with the bronze medal at 74 kilograms, dropping two matches to two tough opponents from Abbotsford. “Cullen wrestled well but made a couple of costly mistakes in his matches,” he said.
MAT TALK...The Alberni Invitational is this weekend, Feb. 4–5 at the Multiplex.