Provincial Final Tournament Recap - Issue 24

The young men and women of the King’s-Edgehill School wrestling team finished their season by travelling to Antigonish for the Provincial Final Tournament this past weekend. Our team is usually small in number compared to most other teams in the province, so finishing high in the standings can be challenging, given that the nature of the scoring rewards quantity, in addition to quality, of competitors. Nonetheless, our athletes performed admirably and had a strong finish to their season.

We had male and female athletes from the Junior and Senior Schools. They trained over a long season in the wrestling room, in the weight room, and even in the Athletic Centre stairwell to improve their technical skills and conditioning. This was in addition to all their other academic and co-curricular responsibilities. On top of balancing all these commitments, they also had to manage the aches and pains that come with one of the most physical sports there is.

By the time we got to Antigonish, we had fourteen student-athletes ready to wrestle their best matches of the season. The coaches demanded that they do their best, and all of them met that expectation.

Prarthana '29 and Brooklyn '28, despite having never wrestled before this year, finished second and third in their respective divisions.

Ethan '31, one of the youngest students at KES, overcame considerable nervousness to wrestle his best match of the year and finish second.

We were very happy to see Aidan '27 return to the team this year, after having second thoughts about wrestling last year. He led the KES “Big Boys” to win silver in the 110 kg division. He was winning the final match by nine points, but a mistake due to inexperience led to him being pinned. He will be even hungrier next year.

Our team captain, Kenta '27, characterized his season with a rare level of dedication and leadership on and off the mats. He studied the sport, stayed physically fit, and led by setting an excellent example. After making the Nova Scotia provincial team, he finished his season with a strong performance, coming up short in the final against a much more experienced opponent. He is also only in Grade 11 and, like most of our team, he will return next year more seasoned and hungrier.

We would like to thank the many people who helped make the season run smoothly and successfully. Kim Shanks helped much of the planning behind the scenes run seamlessly. Jennie Weisner and her athletic therapy team helped keep our student-athletes healthy. Kim Walsh made several guest-coach appearances and provided continual guidance. Many of the wrestlers’ parents travelled long distances to offer outstanding support at tournaments.

Finally, our wrestlers worked extremely hard in every aspect of the sport and represented King’s-Edgehill School in the dignified and respectful manner we expect of them.