CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos women's wrestling team captured a conference title on their home mats Saturday at the Jack Simpson Gym, while the University of Alberta Golden Bears completed a three-peat at the 2024 Canada West Wrestling Championships.

The women's competition was as close as it gets. The final bout at 62 kg went the distance with Calgary's Grace Lew defeating Saskatchewan's Angela Aalberts 13-5 by decision to clinch the 12th women's championship in program history for the Dinos. Calgary (44 points) edged Alberta (42) by two points in the team standings, while Saskatchewan (41) rounded out the podium one point behind the Pandas.

"These wins mean a lot. In my first year we won a team title as well and now to have this full circle is quite emotional as it is my last year," explained Lew. "To be a Dino has been more than just my days as an athlete. I've worked here, my schooling, it is a home and a family and I don't think I can ever replicate that anywhere else."

In addition to Lew, Gabriela Cross topped the podium at 59 kg, while eight other Calgary wrestlers earned silver medals on the women's side.

"Today was up and down, we lost some matches early that I thought would be the difference on a team title but in the end, it is great to win at home and for each of our medallists to win in front of a home crowd. It is a real boost and the kids love it," said Dinos head coach Mitch Ostberg. 

With six individual gold medallists, Alberta (52 points) cruised to a 12-point victory in the men's team standings and have now won the CW banner in six of the last seven years. The Huskies claimed team silver with 40 points, while the Dinos placed third at 38.

Prosper Ademoye (68 kg) and Nicholas Hooper (76 kg) won their weight classes for the Dinos. After the meet, Hooper was named Canada West's male rookie of the year.

"This first year has been a wavey journey, I had a great opening tournament, but I popped my shoulder out and was off the mats for a few months," explained Hooper, who beat both his opponents by 13-2 tech falls. "I'm back now and I'm feeling good. These wins prove to me that even with all the adversity I faced this season and the training I missed I can still execute and it confirms that what I'm doing and what I've done is right."

Both CW Athletes of the Year, Isaiah Springer and Aleah Nickel, came from Alberta. Springer dominated the 82 kg competition with a pair of high-scoring tech falls, while Nickel secured her gold medal at 68 kg with a pin of Calgary's Ellise Daynes.

The top female freshman was Abby Wolff of the Huskies, who landed falls against both of her opponents at 50 kg.

Saskatchewan also won both student-athlete community service awards with Donovan Neudorf and SueAnne Harms earning recognition.

Alberta's Owen Dawkins and Ostberg of Calgary were named the conference's coaches of the year after their banner wins.

While no members of the Lethbridge Pronghorns made it onto the podium in their Canada West debut, the conference's newest program showed well throughout and received warm applauses from their competitors and the crowd after the meet.

Attention now shifts to the U SPORTS National Championships, which will be hosted by the University of Guelph, March 1-2.

FINAL RESULTS

W 50 kg
Abby Wolff, Saskatchewan
Ankita Singh, Calgary
Anna Trieu, Alberta 

W 53 kg
Sierra Mullin, Saskatchewan
Maya Johnston, Calgary
Julia Daus, Alberta

W 56 kg
SueAnne Harms, Saskatchewan
Annika Fines, Calgary
Natasha Ekundayo, Alberta 

W 59 kg
Gabriela Cross, Calgary
Caitlin Clatney, Saskatchewan
Amy Bell, Alberta

W 62 kg
Grace Lew, Calgary
Angela Aalbers, Saskatchewan
Bea Herrera, Alberta 

W 65 kg
Maria Sawiak, Alberta
Angelina Ellis-Toddington, Calgary
Myah Clatney, Saskatchewan
Danya Braun, Lethbridge

W 68 kg
Aleah Nickel, Alberta
Ellise Daynes, Calgary 

W 72 kg
Vianne Rouleau, Alberta
Eilidh Wist, Calgary
Ally McPhee, Saskatchewan 

W 76 kg
Andrea Franko, Alberta
Danyka LaBelle, Calgary
Jenna Patrician, Saskatchewan 

W 83 kg
Myah Phillips, Saskatchewan
Erin Geddie, Calgary
Deanna Eastman, Alberta

M 57 kg
Talon Hird, Alberta
Fred Calingay, Calgary
Abdullah Tausif, Saskatchewan

M 61 kg
Drake Buechler, Saskatchewan
Benjamin Reid, Alberta
Peter Wanderi, Calgary
Kade Powelson, Lethbridge 

M 65 kg
Alec Montoya, Alberta
Donovan Neudorf, Saskatchewan
Brett MacDonald, Calgary

M 68 kg
Prosper Ademoye, Calgary
Devan Larkin, Alberta
Cale Mohan, Saskatchewan 

M 72 kg
Cole Sanderson, Saskatchewan
Elias Wile, Alberta
Shane Richards, Calgary

M 76 kg
Nicholas Hooper, Calgary
Eli Fines, Alberta
Dilon Hammer, Saskatchewan

M 82 kg
Isaiah Springer, Alberta
Judah Authers, Saskatchewan
Brantley Saar, Calgary

M 90 kg
Taran Goring, Alberta
Mohsen Keramati, Saskatchewan
Wesley Smith, Calgary
Ryder Lowry, Lethbridge

M 100 kg
Aidan Stevenson, Alberta
Joseph De Maio, Calgary
Layne Motley, Saskatchewan
Tyler Saruwatari, Lethbridge 

M 125 kg
Thomas Rouseau, Alberta
Owen McGillivery, Saskatchewan
Vincent Palffy, Calgary

AWARD WINNERS

Rookie of the Year – Men

Nicholas Hooper, Calgary (76 kg)

Rookie of the Year – Women

Abby Wolff, Saskatchewan (50 kg) 

Student-Athlete Community Service Award – Men

Donovan Neudorf, Saskatchewan (65 kg)

Student-Athlete Community Service Award – Women

SueAnne Harms, Saskatchewan (56 kg) 

Coach of the Year – Women's Team

Mitch Ostberg, Calgary 

Coach of the Year – Men's Team

Owen Dawkins, Alberta

Outstanding Wrestler – Men

Isaiah Springer, Alberta (82 kg)

Outstanding Wrestler – Women

Aleah Nickel, Alberta (68 kg) 

TEAM STANDINGS

Men
Alberta (52 pts)
Saskatchewan (40 pts)
Calgary (38 pts)
Lethbridge (3 pts)

Women
Calgary (44 pts)
Alberta (42 pts)
Saskatchewan (41 pts)
Lethbridge (1 pt)

-UC-