WINNIPEG - The Dinos women's wrestling team successfully defended their conference title this weekend at the Canada West championships, hosted by the University of Winnipeg. On the men's side, the Dinos improved from their fifth-place finish from last year to take the bronze.
After a hard-fought weekend, the Dinos walked away with 13 individual medals.
WOMEN
The Dinos achieved back-to-back conference victories for the first time since 2008-2009. After going undefeated on Friday, the Dinos continued their dominance on Saturday, earning an eight-point victory over the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in the team standings.
Cara Nania (55kg), Tianna Kennett (59kg), Temitope Ogunjimi (63kg) and Holly Ellsworth-Clark (82kg) were the Dinos' top performers over the weekend, all picking up individual gold medals in their weight classes. Nania, Ogunjimi and Ellsworth-Clark also won conference gold medals last year. For Kennett, she earned the Women's Rookie of the Year honours. She follows teammate Ogunjimi who earned the title in 2014.
Other medals for the Dinos came from Kate Richey (51kg) and Cassidy Barnert (67kg), who both took bronze.
Head coach Mitch Ostberg earned back-to-back Canada West Women's Coach of the Year honours for the Dinos' performance this weekend.
MEN
On the men's side, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies provided the weekend's biggest upset, narrowly edging out the University of Alberta Golden Bears for the title. The Huskies triumph – their first since 1986 – prevented the Golden Bears from achieving their fourth Canada West banner in a row. The Dinos took third place in the six-team event, meaning they moved up two spots from last year.
Fourth-year Nick Procter and First-year Callum McNeice were the two gold medal winners for the Dinos. McNeice would join Kennett for the Rookie of the Year honours - just the second time a Dino has won. Spenser Burk took home the honours back in 2011. Connor Hodgins (76kg) earned the Dinos' only silver medal of the weekend, while Roland Yong (57kg), Jon Risto (61kg), Burk (68kg) and Beau Jackson (82kg) all took bronze in their weight classes.
The Dinos won't have long to celebrate their performances this weekend, however. The CIS national championships take place February 26-27 at Brock University, in St. Catharines, Ontario.
MAJOR AWARD WINNERS
Men's Wrestler of the Year: Josh Bodnarchuk (Saskatchewan)
Female Wrestler of the Year: Katie Dutchak (Saskatchewan)
Men's Athlete Community Service Award: Kyle Nguyen (Winnipeg)
Women's Athlete Community Service Award: Silke Svenkeson (Saskatchewan)
Team Results
Women
1. University of Calgary Dinos - 43
2. University of Saskatchewan Huskies - 35
3. University of Alberta Pandas - 34
4. University of Regina Cougars - 33
5. University of Winnipeg Wesmen - 23
6. University of the Fraser Valley Cascades - 2
Individual Results
Women - 48kg
1st - Annie Monteith of U of S Huskies
2nd - Jamie Tersago of U of A Pandas
3rd - Erica Ravelo of U of R Cougars
Women - 51kg
1st - Katie Dutchak of U of S Huskies
2nd - Farah Taj of U of A Pandas
3rd - Kate Richey of U of C Dinos
4th - Amber Wiebe of U of R Cougars
5th - Rachel Alder of U of W Wesmen
Women - 55kg
2nd - Sheina Fisher of U of A Pandas
3rd - Emily Kessler of U of W Wesmen
4th - Silke Svenkeson of U of S Huskies
5th - Chantel Pasion of U of R Cougars
Women - 59kg
2nd - Krystin Paquette of U of A Pandas
3rd - Alyx Paulson of U of S Huskies
4th - Maeghan Wild of U of R Cougars
5th - Pravi Dhaliwal of UFV Cascades
6th - Morgan Hill of U of W Wesmen
Women - 63kg
1st - Temi Ogunjimi of U of C Dinos
2nd - Alisha Kaegi of U of W Wesmen
3rd - Indhyra Helfrich-Linares of U of R Cougars
4th - Sammy Jo Johnson of U of A Pandas
5th - Faye Tuck of U of S Huskies
Women - 67kg
1st - Kayla Brodner of U of R Cougars
2nd - Brandy Perry of U of A Pandas
4th - Audrey Bucher of U of W Wesmen
5th - Laryssa Barry of U of S Huskies
Women - 72kg
1st - Kristine Longeau of U of R Cougars
2nd - Georgina Nelthorpe of U of S Huskies
3rd - Taylor Follensbee of U of W Wesmen
5th - Aislinn McVittie of U of A Pandas
Women - 82kg
2nd - Kiera Prior of U of S Huskies
3rd - Nathalie Turenne of U of W Wesmen
4th - Kelsey Fleury of U of A Pandas
5th - Emily Forester of U of R Cougars
Team Results
Men
1. University of Saskatchewan Huskies - 53
2. University of Alberta Bears - 49
3. University of Calgary Dinos - 45
4. University of Winnipeg Wesmen - 40
5. University of Regina Cougars - 37
6. University of the Fraser Valley Cascades - 2
Individual Results
Men - 54kg
1st - Richard Cux of U of S Huskies
2nd - Steven McCarville of U of A Bears
3rd - Daniel Amberson of U of R Cougars
4th - Brian Keeper of U of W Wesmen
5th - Freddie Aziz of U of C Dinos
Men - 57kg
1st - Josh Bodnarchuk of U of S Huskies
2nd - Melvin Arciaga of U of A Bears
4th - Connor McLachlan of U of R Cougars
5th - Bo Beardy of U of W Wesmen
Men - 61kg
1st - Dylan Williams of U of A Bears
2nd - Nathan Galan of U of S Huskies
3rd - Jon Risto of U of C Dinos
4th - Dylan Kimoto of U of W Wesmen
5th - Sam Dietrich of U of R Cougars
Men - 65kg
2nd - Adel Taj of U of A Bears
3rd - Micheal Vallido of U of W Wesmen
4th - Syed Bukhari of U of S Huskies
Men - 68kg
1st - Michael Asselstine of U of A Bears
2nd - Lucas Hoffert of U of R Cougars
4th - Micah Heide of U of S Huskies
Men - 72kg
1st - Gaelan Malloy of U of R Cougars
2nd - Malcolm Meekins of U of S Huskies
3rd - Brock Munro of U of W Wesmen
5th - Devin Purewal of UFV Cascades
6th - Matthew Kulak of U of A Bears
Men - 76kg
1st - Alexandr Sofronov of U of W Wesmen
3rd - Aidan Mckeage of U of A Bears
4th - Coden Nikbakht of U of S Huskies
5th - Brett Kryger of U of R Cougars
Men - 82kg
1st - Andrew Johnson of U of S Huskies
2nd - Cody Osborn of U of A Bears
4th - Austin Waldron of U of R Cougars
5th - Wade Fry of U of W Wesmen
Men - 90kg
2nd - Noah Bertholet of U of S Huskies
3rd - Sean Belisle of U of R Cougars
4th - Ej Dyer of U of W Wesmen
Men - 100kg
1st - Finn Higgins of U of W Wesmen
2nd - Waylon Decoteau of U of R Cougars
3rd - Liam Graham of U of S Huskies
4th - Parker Vandevelde of U of A Bears
Men - 120kg
1st - Daniel Oloumi of U of A Bears
2nd - Kyle Nguyen of U of W Wesmen
3rd - Jacob Phillips of U of S Huskies
5th - Parker Florell of U of R Cougars
