CHAMPIONSHIP TAKEDOWNS
Local wrestlers capture OFSAA gold
Few wrestlers revelled in the goldmedal moment like Sandwich’s Paloma Ducre.
The 17-year-old Ducre stopped to take pictures with fellow competitors and even hoisted one into her arms for a photo after capturing the gold medal in the girls’ 115kg division on Wednesday at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations wrestling championships at the WFCU Centre. “It means a lot,” Ducre said. “My Grade 9 year, I got bronze and I really wanted to get gold each year and I got lower and lower and that had an effect on me emotionally because I really wanted that gold.” She was sixth at OFSAA in the girls’ 83-kg division a year ago, but moved up a weight class this year. “I gained a bit of weight,” Ducre said. “I tried to lose it, but our coaches don’t want me to be unhealthy for wrestling, so they convinced me to do unlimited.”
In the past, Ducre sometimes had to cut weight to get to her weight class, but not having that worry this year actually helped. “It was really tough,” Ducre said. “I guess I’d feel a bit weaker cutting weight. (Now), I’m a lot lighter and building up my muscle.” While she was nervous of how things would play out, she dominated her final match and pinned Trenton’s Johanna DeWitt in the first two minutes for the win. “I was really nervous,” said Ducre, who dedicated her win to her late grandfather, Howard McCurdy. “I’ve wrestled unlimited before just at practice, but I’ve never done it in championship. Winning this year really means a lot.” Ducre wasn’t the only wrestler to find success after changing weight classes. L’Essor’s Virginie Gascon won gold in the girls’ 41-kg division a year ago, but moved up to 47.5-kg and still captured the title on Wednesday.
“I wanted to go to junior nationals and junior provincials and they changed the weight classes,” said the 17-year-old Gascon, who won gold for a third straight year. “The lowest one used to be 44 (kg) and now it’s 50. So, I was like, I might as well go there because that’s what I’m training to be.” Gascon still dominated and won by technical superiority with a 10-0 victory over Mayfield’s Kelyn Young. “It’s my last year, so I was hoping I was going to do well,” said Gascon, who is headed to Concordia University. “I think I finished pretty strong.”
L’Essor swept the 47.5-kg weight class with Gabriel Sementilli winning in the boys division.
“It was fun, but it was hard,” said the 15-year-old Sementilli, who was seeded third going into the tournament. “I had nerves before matches and that usually happens at really big tournaments.” Sementilli also dominated in the gold-medal match by scoring a technical superiority win over Midland St. Theresa’s Logan Smith by a 10-0 score.
“It means a lot,” said Sementilli, who was sixth at OFSAA a year ago. “It’s just a really big accomplishment for me. My goal last year was to medal and this year I finished first.”
Area athletes finished the competition with a total of 10 medals. Sandwich’s Anthony Papia won a silver medal in the boys’ 54-kg division. Riverside’s Kaleigh Prieur also won a silver medal in the girls’ 44-kg division while General Amherst’s Myah Trymbulak also won a silver medal in the girls’ 41-kg division. Vista Academy’s Brooke Fletcher won bronze in the girls’ 47.5-kg division for a second straight year while Sandwich’s Ella Doomaert also won a bronze medal in the girls’ 51-kg division. L’Essor’s Chloe Helbin captured the bronze medal in the girls’ 41-kg division while Sandwich’s Chyanne Wilson won a bronze medal in the girls’ 72-kg division. Sandwich finished the championship third overall in the team standings with L’Essor placing fifth overall.