Brock University wrestling coach Marty Calder discusses the national championships coming here in March.
Special to Bullet News
The Brock University Wrestling Club will be hosting the 2012 Junior and Senior National Wrestling Championships March 16-18 at Brock University. This is the first time that Brock has hosted the Junior and Senior National Championships since 1996.
“The Brock wrestling program is one of the top in the country,” said Brock Director of Athletics Robert Hilson during a news conference Tuesday. “In school history we have captured 45 championships including 30 (Ontario) and 15 (Canadian) titles.
“I am extremely pleased that we have the top junior and senior wrestlers coming to Niagara to compete. Fans will have the opportunity to see many up and coming national team members as well as two-time Olympic medalist Tonya Verbeek in her final home event before the 2012 Olympics in England.”
Brock head coach Marty Calder said fans will be able to observe the best wrestlers in the country.
“(They) will be competing for a world championship berth,” said Calder. “It will be a very exciting event to be a part of. Canada continues to excel in wrestling at the international level and 2012 is a big year with the Olympic Games in England just six months away.”
The Junior National Championships will take place on Friday, March 16 with the preliminaries scheduled for 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The finals are from 4-6 pm. The Senior National Championships will take place on Saturday, March 17 with the preliminaries scheduled for 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The gold medal matches are from 6:15-8:30 p.m.
“Looking forward to a great nationals to be held in St. Catharines, Ontario,” said CAWA Domestic Development Manager Clint Kingsbury. “The CAWA in conjunction with Brock are bringing the best of the best wrestlers from around the nation to compete. With the rich tradition of wrestling at Brock and the city, I believe the sport will be supported greatly by the host, community and the fans.”
Wrestlers to watch from the Brock Wrestling Club are Verbeek, Jessica MacDonald, Michelle Fazzari, Jade Parsons, Ryan Weicker, Jake Hergenhein, CJ Hudson, Chris Laverick and others.
The winners from the junior nationals will qualify for the 2012 junior world championships, which will take place Sept. 4-9 in Pattaya, Thailand. The senior women’s national champions will qualify for the 2012 Senior Women’s World Championships being held in Strathcona County, Alberta Sept. 27-29.
Tickets for the finals are $10 for Adults, $5 for Students & Seniors and Children Under 10 Free. All preliminary matches are free.
