|
High School
Wrestling
Lester
B. wins bevy of medals at high school wrestling championships
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans
Online
 |
|  (L
to r) Lester B. Pearson's Cory Danis, Allan Walsh and Melyssa Holden won
gold medals at the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association wrestling
championships on Thursday. Fred Sherwin/Photo
| |
Gold medals
were few and far between for east end wrestlers on Thursday as only handful of
area athletes managed to make it to the top of the podium at the National Capital
Secondary School Athletic Association wrestling championhips. Allan
Walsh from Lester B. Pearson High School led the way with a gold medal performance
in the 47 kg class. A silver medalist in the recent provincial juvenile championships,
Walsh didn't give up a single point in successfully defending his 47 kg title. The
Grade 11 student is now looking forward to the OFSAA provincial championship,
which are being in Tillsonberg from March 3-5, and possible rematch against Mario
Tran who hails from the GTA. "I
beat him in the third round of the Tournament of Champions two weeks before provincials
and then he beat me in the third round at provincials, so OFSAA will be the rubber
match," says Walsh who also won the Referree's Award at the NCSSAA championships
for demonstrating the best overall qualities of amateur wrestling including sportsmanship
and team work. Walsh
will have a lot of company in Tillsonberg. No fewer than nine Lester B. Pearson
wrestlers qualified for OFSAA including Melyssa Holden who overcame a severe knee
injury in the first round of her first match to win a gold medal. "It
really hurt a lot," said Holden who had to limp to the front of the gym to
receive her prize. The
Grade 11 student first injured her knee playing high school rugby last spring.
It's bothered her off and on ever since, and in her first match it gave out entirely.
It hurt so much she was unable to continue and had to forfeit the match. Fortunately,
because of the limited number of competitors in the 77kg division, it was a round
robin format. Holden
was able to withstand the pain to win her next two matches and earn a berth in
the final where she defeated teammate Shinnaid Geddes who is also in Grade 11. The
age and depth of the the Lester B. Pearson program has head coach Dante Falsetto
grinning from ear to ear. Of the 14 Panthers who medaled at the NCSSAA championships,
only two are graduating from Grade 12 this year, the rest will be coming back
again next year including Cory Danis who won the gold medal in the 44 kg division. Other
Lester B. Pearson wresltlers who earned a medal include Rebecca Damiano, Shannon
Kelly, Sherley Bien-Aime and Angelique Clery who all won silver, and Megan Kelly,
Amy Cloutier. Lorena Naverez, Larn Akanabi, Tom Zakhavov and Jamie Lafrance, who
won bronze.. Other
east end wrestlers who earned a trip to Tillsonberg include Jason Papailidas from
Colonel By who won a silver medal in the 57.5 kg weight division; Alejandra Paguaga
from Samuel Genest, who won a gold medal in the 51 kg division; Elena Torlone
also from Samuel Genest, who won a gold medal in the 64 kg weight division; and
Nicole Curry from Garneau who won a silver medal in the 47.5 kg weight division. (Posted
10:30 a.m., Feb.19) Return
to top Return
to Front Page | 
