Stampeders dominate wrestling mat 

  Conference overall team champs led by most outstanding Bole and Owen Dale

  February 17, 2024

By Rob J. Ross

ST. THOMAS - Dominate on the mat were the Parkside Stampeders.

Eight individual gold medalists led Parkside to the overall team title, at the Thames Valley Region Athletics (TVRA) Charrette conference wrestling championships, February 16 at East Elgin Secondary school.

The Stampeders won the boys team title and placed third in the girls division.

Stampeders Owen Dale and Haevyn Bole, were named male and female most outstanding wrestlers of the meet.

Fifteen Stampeders are moving on to WOSSAA, the regional championships, February 22 at Medway high school in Arva.

"The awards reflect on how hard we've been working this year," Dale said. "The majority of the team is at practice four days a week, some six, seven practices a week."

Dale (67.5-kg), Bole (female 54-kg), Tyler Dale (72), Ryan Nash (61), Ezekiel Hayhoe (54), Merrick Rollins (83), Jeremy Anderson (57.5) and Gabe Forsyth (130) won individual gold.

Abagail Combs (83), Zoey Astley-Duncan (67.5) and Hannah Anderson (54), all placed second in their respective female divisions.

Mandy Penner (female 51), Tobias Stock (77), Matt Coleman (89) and Ethan Gauthier (67.5), all move on.

Owen Dale held off Saunders' Chris McIntosh, 8-7 in the 67.5 gold final, for his first conference title, finishing with a 4-0 record, in the largest weight class of the meet, with 16 competitors.

"It was a close match," Owen said. "I had a nice standing double where I got to stand up with him and as soon as I stood up, I heard a big roar from the crowd and that gave me the confidence to hold on to the lead and finish the match off."

A year ago McIntosh was the meet's most outstanding male wrestler and defeated Owen in the semifinals.

Avenging that loss and earning an award that his older brother Tyler, an OFSAA champ, doesn't have in the trophy case, makes the award voted on by the coaches, extra special for this year's most outstanding male wrestler.

"Tyler didn't win this award last year, so it's one thing I got on him," said Owen, grinning. "It feels good to have it, because it's nice to get recognized and the team winning overall with all the work that we put in. It's a good feeling."

Owen competed at OFSAA last year and it's hoping for a return to the high school provincial championships. Two from each weight class at WOSSAA advance to OFSAA, this year March 5-6 in Stoney Creek.

"That's definitely the goal," Owen said.

Being named most outstanding female wrestler came as a surprise to Haevyn Bole.

That's because Bole, only in Grade 10, just started wrestling this season.

"I was shocked," said Bole, who pinned her first two opponents. "It's pretty awesome and I'm very grateful, especially since all of the coaches voted on it. I'm hoping that it was mix of team spirit and the success of doing well in of my matches."

Bole had to defeat Parkside teammate Hannah Anderson in the female 54-kg gold match.

"I had no ideal what to expect. I had only watched wrestling before. I never knew how awesome some of the wrestlers were just in St. Thomas," Bole said. "I did a couple of practices at Joe's but I didn't want to take any time away from jiu jitsu. But the team is so great here, it wasn't taking away, it was learning something different."

Bole does have a background in martial arts, competing in jiu-jitsu, had to adjust to the differences of the two sports.

"First off, not falling on my back, because in jiu-jitsu you can fall to your back," Bole said. "Other than that, I would say getting inside control and being able to move people around and set up my takedown rather then just shooting right away."

Wrestling has helped her jiu-jitsu.

"Getting people to the ground," Bole said. "My jiu jitsu top game is pretty good and my only problem was not being able to take people down."

Bole, a two time provincial champion and multiple gold medalist in jiu-jitsu, now eyes making it to the same level in wrestling.

"I hope that I can make it to OFSAA. We'll see. Top two. I'm going to give it all I got."

Led by Parkside, all Elgin country schools fared well at conference. There were two conference meets,

The Central Elgin Titans finished fifth overall, followed by the St. Joe's Rams, in sixth.

Four gold medalists, Alex Vandeernault (female 57.5-kg), Kendelle Scott (female 83), Ray Boone (89) and Logan Finzgar (47.5), lead a team of 13 Titans to WOSSAA.

Natasha Smith (female 57.5), Kailey Beauchamp (female 61), Ivey Ludwig (female 72), Blake Trevors (54), Bryson Ferguson (61), Daniel Ludwig (64), Devon Berehulka (64), Kolton Hayhoe (95) and Dollan Brown (130).

Helen King (female 72-kg) and Cecilja Meglic (female 51) won gold for St. Joe's.

Rams' Juan Lucas Triana (61), Christian Cano (47.5), Hannah King (female 51), Ariel McCallum (female 47.5), all move on to WOSSAA.

East Elgin Eagles Ally Burr took gold in the female 83-kg division.

Eagles' Carlos Foese (89) and Ella Jones (female 83), will join Burr at WOSSAA.

The Charrette conference was one of two TVRA championships, along with the Michienzi conference, that occurred at Medway.

London Banting took the Michienzi overall team title.

Banting's Marley Weis (64-kg) and Clarke Road's Delsin Solomon (89-kg), are the Michienzi female and male most outstanding wrestlers.

TVRA Charrette Conference results

        rob@hometownplay.ca

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