The Simon Fraser University women’s wrestling team dominated the Cascades Classic, winning five gold medals on Sunday in its final tournament before the Women’s College Wrestling Association national championship, which begins Feb. 12 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Competing against teams from British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, Clan wrestlers won five weight classes at the Envision Athletic Centre.
Freshman Abby Lloyd, ranked No. 6 at 109 pounds won five matches on her way to gold medal at 48 kilograms. Lloyd’s toughest match came against second-place opponent and teammate Darby Huckle, who is ranked No. 4 at 101 pounds. Lloyd edged Huckle 3-2 in their match.
Lloyd and Huckle will compete in different weight classes at the national championship tournament.
Senior Nikkie Brar won gold at 51kg with a major decision over Calgary's Jose Tremblay, sophomore Jen Anderson won all three of her matches at 61kg and freshman Francesca Giorgio won gold at 63 kg.
Brar is ranked sixth in her weight class and Anderson is fourth in the latest WCWA rankings.
Graduate student Bailley Halvorson won at 67kg, while teammate Alyssa Wong finished second. Halvorson is the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 155 pounds,
Freshman Payten Smith placed second at 82 kg. Senior Laura Anderson placed third at 57 kg, losing to Edmonton’s Taj Farah. Anderson was winning against Farah before getting pinned.
At the Dave Schultz Memorial International tournament on Saturday in Colorado Springs, Colorado, SFU alumni won three weight classes and finished fourth in another. Grad assistant coach Justina Di Stasio was champion at 75kg, winning 6-0 over Iris Smith in the final. Alumnus Victoria Anthony defeated former world champion Clarissa Chun 8-0 to capture gold at 48kg. Helen Maroulis earned a 3-2 decision over Sarah Hildebrand in the gold medal match at 55kg.
