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Cowichan Valley wrestlers combine for eight provincial podium finishes

Stephanie Mould and Emily Reid cap off high school careers with silver
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Cowichan Secondary’s Miaya Brownbridge competes in a match at the provincial wrestling championships. (Raylene Pace photo)

Wrestlers from the Cowichan Valley had another outstanding showing at the provincial high school championships in Langley earlier this week.

Cowichan Valley Wrestling Club athletes combined to collect one gold medal, two silvers and one bronze, along with four other top-six podium finishes.

SEE RELATED: Cow High wrestler Talon Hird captures fourth provincial title

“It was a pretty decent weekend,” CVWC head coach Nick Zuback said. “We had pretty good results. We had a few matches that could have gone a little better our way, but that’s why we wrestle. That’s why we compete.”

Cowichan Secondary’s Talon Hird won his fourth consecutive provincial title, taking gold in the 54kg boys class to put himself in an elite group. (See the story on this page for more about Hird’s victory.)

Stephanie Mould, another Cowichan Secondary wrestler, capped off her high school career with a silver medal in the 64kg girls class. Mould came back from a 4-0 deficit in the final match to make it 4-2 and fought to the final buzzer.

“She didn’t get the result she wanted,” Zuback commented. “But you can definitely say she left it all on the mat.”

It was Mould’s second consecutive silver medal at provincials. While there was, understandably, some initial disappointment, she didn’t dwell on it, Zuback said.

“She knows wrestling isn’t stopping at her high school career,” the coach explained. “She will continue to wrestle next year, wherever she chooses to go.”

Also taking silver was Emily Reid of Chemainus Secondary, who came second in the 110kg girls class. This was a tough season for Reid, but Zuback talked her into making a push for provincials in her Grade 12 year.

“I was able to convince her and she thanked me later,” Zuback said. “Silver was very rewarding for her.”

A defending provincial champion, Queen of Angels wrestler Charlie Roberts moved up two weight classes from last year, a significant jump, and won bronze in the girls 47kg class.

“She wrestled well,” Zuback said. “I think it was her second match she lost 11-9 and ended up on the back side of the draw, but she battled back to get bronze, which is fantastic for a Grade 9. She has three more years, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see her on top of the podium again.”

Cowichan Secondary’s Hayley Bye-Pace placed fourth in the 57kg girls class in her Grade 11 year.

“We were pegging her to be in the final, but a couple of mistakes cost her,” Zuback noted. “She still made the bronze medal match on the B side, and she made a little mistake there. I know she takes those as learning opportunities; next time she won’t make the same mistake.”

Miaya Brownbridge, also a Grade 11 wrestler from Cow High, placed fifth in the 60kg girls class.

“She went out winning with her hand raised, which was good for her,” Zuback said. “The matches she did lose were very close. She has another year, and I don’t see why she can’t win a provincial title.”

Queen of Angels’ Joaquim Dalton-Pereira finished fifth in the boys 38kg class in his first year of eligibility for provincials and his first year of serious competitive wrestling. The wrestler he beat for the Island title ended up winning the provincial title, so Dalton-Pereira knew his was right in the mix.

“All the matches were close,” Zuback said. “The ones he lost were neck-and-neck. He pulled off the win for fifth overall.”

Quamichan’s Chloe Foster placed sixth in the 75kg girls class in her Grade 9 year, wrestling mostly against older and more-experienced athletes.

“I can see her winning a provincial title well before she hits Grade 12,” Zuback said.

The CVWC qualified 21 wrestlers for provincials, although only 19 competed, as one didn’t make weight and another had to sit out when he came down with ringworm.

“All of the wrestlers that did compete represented the Cowichan Valley and their high schools very well,” Zuback said. “The ones who didn’t make the podium got to see what the big show looks like and what they need to do to win or to make the podium.”

The club plans to send 11 wrestlers to nationals in April, and will also send a team to the Twin City 3-Style Classic in Centralia, Washington.