Taylor, Keefe win gold medals

At Canadian junior and senior championships

Two Prince Edward Islanders won gold medals at the recent Canadian junior and senior wrestling championships. Hannah Taylor captured top honours and was named the most outstanding female wrestler of the junior championships, and Veronica Keefe captured gold in the senior event. Taylor also competed in the senior championships and earned a silver medal while Ligrit Sadiku earned a bronze medal at the senior competition as well. Gentric Sadiku (juniors) and Trevor Banks (seniors) rounded out the P.E.I. athletes with identical fourth-place finishes.

Taylor, representing the Brock Wrestling Club, competed in the 57-kilogram weight class. In junior action, she had a record of 3-0 (won-lost) and had no points scored against as she posted wins of 11-0, 10-0 and 12-0.

This was Taylor’s sixth national title, and sixth most outstanding female wrestler award. The junior championships were a selection event for the men’s and women’s Canadian national team, with the top finisher nominated to represent Canada at the Pan Am championships and world championships later in 2018.

Taylor is the representative for Canada for both the worlds, which will be held in Trnava, Slovakia, from Sept. 17 to 23, and the Junior Pan Ams.

In the senior championships, Taylor posted a 3-1 record. Her wins were by scores of 9-5, 12-0 and 4-1 while losing 12-1. Keefe’s gold-medal performance came in the 72-kilogram category.

She posted a record of 3-0, winning by 10-0, 11-0 and her final match was won by a pin. Keefe was representing the Montreal YMHA Wrestling Club.

Due to a scheduling conflict with the Female World Cup, there will be a separate World Team Trial in Toronto on June 9. The top two females from the Canadian championships and Canada’s representative in the World Cup will wrestle off for a spot on the world team.

Bronze medal

Ligrit Sadiku, also representing the Brock Wrestling Club, had a very respectable showing, finishing third out of 13 athletes. He went 5-1, winning by scores of 10-0, 10-0, 10-0, 10-0 and 20-7. His lone loss was 8-6.

Ligrit successfully won the True Second Challenge match against the second-place finisher, and is now named an alternate for the world championships Team A.

A True Second wrestle off can occur when the secondand third-place finishers have not wrestled during the tournament. This match can take place if the third-place finisher wishes to challenge for the True Second ranking.

Fourth-place finishers

Gentric Sadiku, representing the Black Bears Wrestling Club in Fredericton, N.B., was fourth out of seven athletes in the 86-kilogram male freestyle event.

This was his first time participating at the Canadian championships, and finished with a record of one win and two losses.

Banks, representing the Montreal YMHA Wrestling Club, had a 2-2 record in 57 kilograms. He won 10-0 and had an injury win while losing 11-0 and 10-0.