Alberni Valley Wrestling Club recently sent nine talented wrestlers to the 2025 U17 and U19 Canadian Wrestling Championships held in Calgary, Alberta from April 25-27. For six of these athletes, it was their first taste of national championship competition, and they rose to the occasion "brilliantly," say their coaches.
Wrestlers maintained a rigorous training schedule and participated in various competitions to prepare for this prestigious event. Coach Travis Cross expressed his pride in the team's commitment and preparation, which ultimately led to them bringing home some hardware and proving to be competitive overall. "Their dedication and hard work truly paid off, as evidenced by the impressive results they achieved," Cross said.
Here are the results for Alberni wrestlers:
- U19 Freestyle 53 kg: Danika Currie - 6th place
- U19 Greco 57 kg: Janna Hiltz - 2nd place
- U19 Greco 53 kg: Danika Currie - 4th place
- U17 Greco 48 kg: Kane Olsen - 3rd place
- U17 Greco 48 kg: Nolan Cross - 4th place
Alberni's girls' team ranked ninth out of 24 teams in the U19 Greco women category. Additionally, other wrestlers who competed included Rain Olsen (60 kg), Jackson Price (66 kg), Seth Romeril (66 kg), Gavin Fong (71 kg) and Andrei Makofka (80 kg).
"It's worth noting that our group of wrestlers is quite young, with no Grade 12 participants, which makes the potential for the coming years incredibly exciting," said coach Richelle McKenzie. "Of course, achieving higher success will require a high degree of commitment and effort, but we are confident that our athletes are up to the challenge."
McKenzie achieved Tier I Pairing Clinician. This accomplishment is the highest level in Canada and allows her to participate as a top official at the Olympic trials and U Sports Championships—a significant milestone.
"We are immensely proud of our wrestlers and clinician for their outstanding achievements and look forward to even greater success in the future," Cross said.
Alberni Wrestling will take a bit of a break from the season, which wrapped up with an awards ceremony on April 30. Student athletes were recognized for their the academic, athletic and social achievements.
