BY SCOTT HADDOW
No less than 27 local wrestlers will head to
the OFSAA Championships early next week. Lockerby qualified
nine wrestlers, Chelmsford qualified three, MacDonald Cartier
qualified four, Sudbury Secondary qualified four as well,
Lo-Ellen qualified three, Champlain qualified one and St.
Charles qualified three.
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Champlain wrestler Joey Morin is
one of 27 local wrestlers headed to the OFSAA
Championships. |
The action starts Monday.
Champlain wrestler Joey Morin, who won silver
at NOSSA, is looking to duplicate, or better, his success at
OFSAA.
The 14-year-old has been a surprising rise
through the wrestling ranks. He has only been grappling for
four months, but already has won two silver medals in the
51-kilogram division, one at the city championships and one at
the Northern Ontario championships.
Morin is excited to go to provincials.
"It means a lot to me," said the youngster.
"Not a lot of people make provincials, so it feels good,
especially since I am only in Grade 9. I want to take first or
second. I will have to try really hard to do it."
Morin's coaches, Julie and Danielle Vincent,
feel Morin is ready for the challenge of taking on the best in
the province.
"He doesn't give up...He keeps trying and
he's very strong and quick," said Julie. "OFSAA is really
tough, but I think he will do well."
Morin has made rapid progress since showing
up at his first practice.
"His first practice was on a Monday...We
showed him a few things and he wrestled in his first event on
the Wednesday and won two matches. It was remarkable."
Despite having an overall youth movement
through the ranks of wrestlers in the city scene, the sport is
flourishing.
"Sudbury wrestling, in general, is very
young," said Chelmsford head coach Paul Berthiaume. "We still
have some potential gold medalists in the region, but I think
this season is a rebuilding year and that most of our younger
wrestlers going to OFSSA this season will be gaining the
experience needed for next year's OFSAA. The number of
wrestlers is up this season with Champlain and Lo-Ellen both
adding a wrestling team to their school
sports."
