Four area athletes brought home medals as they wrestled their way to the podium at the Saskatchewan High School Athletic Association's (SHSAA) Provincial Wrestling Championship.
Seventeen-year-old Nathen Schmidt of Carlyle's Gordon F. Kells High School defended 2016's top title, winning provincial gold again this year. Fellow GFK students Dennis Bridge, 17 and Jordan Patriquin, 18, were awarded silver and bronze in their classes. Sixteen-year-old Angela Aalbers from Manor School earned a silver medal. The team was led by Coach Monte McNaughton and Assistant Coach Wendy Marcotte.
“They did well because they listened and worked hard,” says McNaughton. “And having our assistant coach Wendy Marcotte with us this year made a huge difference to the club. It was a great way to end the high school wrestling season.”
“ (Monte) teaches us to approach wrestling one move at a time,” says Angela Aalbers. “We were one of the smallest teams at Provincials and I feel pretty good about getting a banner.”
“I gave a speech at the beginning,” says McNaughton. “I huddled them up and told them: 'Don't think about banners, the podum, wins...Instead, be specific and keep a really narrow focus. You can't get ahead of yourself; then the moment becomes too big.'”
“Every match is hard to win,” says two-time gold medallist Nathen Schmidt. “But Monte taught us that if you do the little things right, then you can start to win. With wrestling, you have no one to blame but yourself. Consistency and hard work will see you succeed. If you train hard and if you have good work habits, you'll see success.”
“I've been here before,” says Schmidt. “So I knew how to handle it and I kept my head in it. But it was really different defending my title. There was a lot more pressure on me - everybody wants to beat the guy who's already been there.”
Schmidt's teammate and three-time Alberta provincial champion, Dennis Bridge earned a Saskatchewan silver medal and says: “I came to Carlyle from Grande Prairie, where I was part of a wrestling group my dad started,” says Bridge. “My dad was my coach and I've been wrestling for a long time. I was three times Alberta provincial champion and I've come in at fourth-place, third-place and last year, second-place at Nationals.”
“I quit wrestling and then we moved to Carlyle,” adds Bridge. “Then I met the group here and it reminded me of a family, so I started again. In Alberta, there's a larger population, so you have more wrestlers at every level, but here it's a different experience, but still really competitive.”
Unlike veterans Schmidt and Bridge, Jordan Patriquin brought home a bronze medal after a mere two months of wrestling.
“I saw wrestling posted on the bulletin board at school, so I thought I'd give it a try,” says Patriquin. “I wanted to step outside my comfort zone – and that meant not wearing a singlet and touching other people,” she laughs.
“So I personally accredit all of my skills to my coaches and my teammates. They help me a lot,” she says. “I wasn't supposed to make it to Provincials, honestly. I've had four tournaments so far - and that includes Regionals and Provincials. The team really is like a family and (coaches) Monte and Wendy are great. Everything I know about wrestling, I owe to them.”
“Provincials were intense,” adds Patriquin. “I normally get nervous in front of a lot of people. But the pressure to win all goes away once it starts. Monte taught us to focus on small (wrestling) moves.”
“I was privileged just to be there. And honestly, I just think of doing the very best I can do.”
Aalbers agrees. The silver medallist says: “I joined the third year that wrestling was offered in Manor. I didn't know if I'd be any good at it or not, but I thought I'd just try it out.”
“Last year, I got first at Regionals, but I didn't place at Provincials,” she says. “At Nationals last year, I was in fifth-place. This year, I got gold at Regionals and at this year's Provincials, I lost out on gold in the final round.”
“Monte taught us to concentrate on one move at a time,” adds Aalbers. “Last year, I think I got overwhelmed and was just focusing on the big picture at the end. But this year, I just broke it down, move by move and match by match.”
“I feel pretty good getting a banner,” she says. “But I'm disappointed I didn't get first. One match made the difference between silver and gold for me.”
“But wrestling has also given me confidence,” says Aalbers. “The first time I ever stepped on a wrestling mat, I had no moves and I was really shy. Now, with more experience, I can walk on the mat confident that I'm ready to wrestle anybody and feel good.”
“Everyone worked hard this year,” says Schmidt. “And our effort really paid off.”
