Great Performance at Nationals!

Junior Senior National Wrestling Championships, St. Catharines (March 16-18, 2012)

Team members, representing London-Western had great results at the Nationals with the Junior men repeating as Greco-Roman team champions, and placing 2nd in the freestyle division.  See below for individual results …

Team results:  

• 1st Junior men’s Greco Roman (GR)
• 2nd Junior men’s Freestyle
• 5th Senior men’s Freestyle

Gold:

• Steven Takahashi – Junior 55 kg
• Ilya Abelev – Junior 66 kg
• Steven Takahashi – Senior 55 kg
• Steven Takahashi – Junior GR 55 kg
• Brian Cowan — Junior GR 50 kg
• Richard Balfour — Junior GR 60 kg

Steven Takahashi put in an outstanding performance at the Nationals defeating Jake Hergenhein (BRO) in an exciting 55 kg Senior final.  Takahashi had an exciting semi-final vs. Aso Palani (BC), who defeated Steven at the Olympic trials (Dec’11).  Above, Steven takes Trevor Banks (Mtl) down with a single leg.

Silver:

• Valerie Ouellette — Junior women’s 44 kg
• Ameed Lakhani — Junior GR 50 kg
• Nolan Deinum — Junior GR 74 kg

Bronze:

• Brian Cowan – Junior 50 kg
• Kevin Ens – Junior 84 kg
• Brianne Barry – Senior women’s 55 kg
• Sammy Hanna — Junior GR 74 kg
•  Brianne Barry secures the arm of Sam Stewart in the 55 kg bronze medal match.  Brianne won the match.

Top Six:

• 4th  Ameed Lakhani – Junior 50 kg
• 4th  Anna McKee – Junior women’s 51 kg
• 4th  Andrea Wakelin – Junior women’s 59 kg
• 4th  Richard Balfour – Junior 60 kg
• 4th  Ethan Smith — Junior GR 60 kg
• 5th  Joe Dashou — Junior GR 60 kg
• 5th  Alyssa Medeiros – Junior women’s 55 kg
• 5th  Ilya Abelev – Senior 66 kg
• 5th  Liz Sera  — Senior women’s 55 kg
• 5th  Larissa D’Alleva – Senior women’s 63 kg
• 6th  Richard Balfour – Senior men’s 60 kg

Larissa D’Alleva scores the takedown 63 kg

Our Juvenile wrestlers performed very well in the Junior division.  Alyssa Medeiros and Anna McKee both placed in the top five and contributed to the team placing.  Congratulations.  Both will compete in the Cadet-Juvenile Championships April 13-15 in Fredericton.