The New Westminster wrestling team didn`t require a huge bus when it hit the B.C. High School championships last week.
But it sure packed the trunk when it came to the return trip home.
Led by medalists Connor Pattison, T.J. Cordoviz, Yanni Angelopoulos and Sammy Sidhu, New West emerged with the most points among boys wrestling teams, knocking off much larger programs in the process.
“It was a big surprise,” said coach Gord Sturrock. “Our goal was top-10 but the stars were aligned.”
Pattison, a tight end and linebacker with the Hyacks senior football team this past fall, captured the crown jewel in the boys’ 90-kilogram division, besting Abbotsford Traditional’s Tanjot Kahlon 14-10 for gold.
"It was a little scary, getting behind 8-0," remarked Pattison of the final. "I just had to forget that and come back, and I did."
That victory was also the deciding factor that lifted New West past Abby Traditional for the overall boys title.
“It came down to that one match, and (Pattison) had beaten the No. 1 seed in the quarterfinals by 10 points,” recalled Sturrock. “He was unseeded but was well-prepared for (the final). You couldn’t say it wasn’t in the cards, because he deserved it.”
Pattison erased the 8-0 deficit with a four-point throw and a leg takedown. The underdog capped it with a cradle hold to pin his opponent and the gold.
Being unseeded entering the meet likely played to his benefit, Pattison said.
"I knew I was better than what I was seeded, or not seeded. It made me want to prove them wrong all the more," he said. Giving him more confidence heading into the final was how he won the quarterfinal against the top seed.
"I just blew him out of the water. It felt really good."
It was Pattison's third trip to the provincials, with last year's fifth-place showing now a distant memory. Also put in the rearview mirror was a recent tournament result that Pattison labelled as "pretty rough," but which he turned into motivation.
"I used that to get ready. For me, I consider myself a pretty good athlete but in wrestling that doesn't take you very far. What I've worked on was my technique and strength, and that was the difference."
With just 11 wrestlers making the trip, Sturrock was confident that he’d see some strong results, but whether they’d result in top-4 finishes was another matter.
Instead, he got four of them.
Cordoviz placed second in the boys 45kg final, edged out by Queen of Angels Grade 8 grappler Talon Hird, and improved on last year’s third-place result. Picking up well-deserved bronze medals were Grade 10s Angelopoulos, in the 110kg division, and Sidhu, in the 74kg competition.
Placing sixth in the heavyweight class was Isaiah James.
The St. Thomas More Knights team, meanwhile, captured the overall aggregate team title after dominating the girls division for a third straight year.
The won the girls title by a margin of 16 points, and were 12-points better than Pinetree for the combined boys-girls title.
“When I sit back and think about it, it’s quite crazy,” said coach Doug Corbett, noting that STM draws its teams from a student body population of just over 600, while a number of schools nearly double that.
While the Knights brought home no gold medals, they returned with a handful of medals and nearly every wrestler placed.
“Not everyone had their best last match but a lot had their best tournament,” he added.
Coming home with medals were sisters Caileen and Ciara Corbett and Amanda Silveri, and on the boys side Joel Calica.
Caileen Corbett, a Grade 11 in the 43kg division, was going for her second gold but settled for silver after losing to Karah Bulaqui of St. Thomas Aquinas.
“It was her second match and she just lost by points,” remarked Doug Corbett, the coach and a proud father. “Caileen almost had her, she had her on her back but couldn’t pin her.”
Ciara, in her final high school wrestling tournament, also collected a silver in 51kg – her third straight.
“(Ciara) met a girl she never faced before (Victoria Seal of Heritage Park),” remarked the coach. “You know when you get to the final everyone’s very good, and you have to bring your ‘A’ game.”
In her prevous three matches en route to the final, the elder Corbett sister had blanked her opposition.
Silveri, meanwhile, dominated the heavyweight division until the final, where Dover Bay’s Kaylee Cyr pulled out the victory.
Gabriella Bellini, in 60kg, and Vanessa Lloyd, in 57kg, registered fourth-place finishes, while Gabi Chavez (47kg), Dominika Maludzinski (75kg) and Clara Scaglione (43kg) placed fifth in their respective divisions.
Coach Corbett noted that Lloyd’s result was a matter of pure perseverance.
“She had the best tournament of her young career,” he said. “(Lloyd) bought in to the whole program, put in the work and it showed over her seven matches.”
Calica would place second in the boys 48kg class, finishing second to Reimer’s Ravdeep Toor.
Tate Friesen (41kg) and Sam Steele (78kg) posted sixth-place results in their respective weight classes.
Burnaby Central’s Sara Brinkac produced the area’s other gold medal, following up last month’s zone title with the win in the girls 60kg division, beating Elphinstone’s Scout Stipec in the final.
“Sara just dominated, she dominated her weight class and was extremely focused. She won her final so quickly,” recalled Central coach Gianni Buono. “It was over in like 40 seconds, she pinned her. It was like I couldn’t believe how quickly it was over.”
The Grade 11 Brinkac has adjusted well after moving up from the 56kg class, where she failed to place a year ago. Buono said her determination and preparation set the framework for a weekend where no opponent could score a point against her.
“It’s just tenacity. Sara is tenacious and such a hard working. She never gives up. She’s a real determined athlete – I remember when she went into the ring telling her to have fun; she answered back ‘I have fun when I win.’”
Burnaby Central’s Sylvia Ly placed sixth in 54kg, while Ansel Hait stood fourth overall in the boys 90kg division. Burnaby South's Alex Fediaev stood fifth overall in his 66kg event.
