Gold weekend

Sadiku, Taylor win titles at U Sports championships

Ligrit Sadiku and Hannah Taylor capped their 2017-18 seasons with the Brock Badgers wrestling program with national titles during the weekend.

The graduates of Three Oaks Senior High School in Summerside each captured gold medals in their respective classes at the U Sports championships held at Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

Day 1 of the nationals featured pool competition, where the finalists were decided for the championship rounds on Day 2.

Brock University won both the men’s and women’s team titles for the fifth consecutive year at the U Sports championships.

On the first day, Sadiku defeated Jacob Torres of Fraser Valley University by technical superiority 10-0 and the Lakehead University Timberwolves Kevin Leatherdale by technical superiority 11-0.

Sadiku advanced directly to the finals, where he defeated Josh Bodnarchuk of the Saskatchewan Huskies in a 7-2 decision to win the gold medal.

Taylor won three matches on Day 1, defeating Mikki Rowbottom of the Regina Cougars with a pin; Hannah Little of the Guelph Gryphons with a pin at the 25-second mark of the first period, and Laurence Beauregard of the Concordia Stingers by decision 9-0.

Taylor also advanced directly to the finals, where she defeated Alexandria Towns of York University with a 7-4 decision to claim the gold medal.

Sadiku’s brother, Gentrit Sadiku, also qualified for the U Sports national championships. In only his second year of wrestling, he qualified in the highly competitive 90-kilogram division and had a seventh-place finish.