The Algoma Thunderbirds wrestling team delivered a solid showing at the Pat Bolger Open hosted by TMU over the November 8th to 10th weekend, with standout performances across both men’s and women’s divisions.
Acknowledging the accomplishments of the team, Head Coach Trevor Manchester notes, “The Algoma wrestlers had a strong showing at the Pat Bolger Open. After a successful weekend at McMaster where we placed 4th overall, we were able to keep the progress going and finished in 5th. We had some ups and downs, taking home multiple medals. This week we have really focused on correcting some positions and capitalizing on our opponents mistakes.”
In the men’s 76kg category, Anthony Nighbor battled his way to a 2nd-place finish. Nighbor had an impressive start to the tournament, pinning Aidan Gresik (U of Alberta) in just 1:11 during the quarterfinals. He followed up with another dominant win in the semifinals, securing a fall over Juwan Burgess (Team Impact WC) in just 36 seconds. Nighbor’s run was halted in the final, where Caius Harbridge (K-Bay WC) claimed the title with a 10-0 tech fall victory over the Algoma athlete.
In the men’s 125kg category, Jace Anderson secured 3rd place despite battling through an injury. Anderson suffered a 4-0 decision loss to Bjorn Nelson (U of Alberta) in the opening round but bounced back with a victory over Gabriel Kadar (Team Impact WC), winning by fall in 2:02. Unfortunately, Anderson’s injury forced him to default in his final bout against Anthony Fonte (Guelph University), earning him a hard-fought podium finish.
On the women’s side, Becca Gutteridge stole the spotlight with a commanding performance in the 59kg category, capturing 1st place. Gutteridge pinned both of her opponents on her way to the title, defeating Taylor Englen (Jr. Marauders) in 4:56 and Grace Wilson (Lakehead University) in just 1:32.
In the women’s 83kg division, Lilah Fraser earned a strong 2nd-place finish. Fraser opened her tournament by pinning Risa Ferrari (Western University) in 2:18, and later won by fall over teammate Nevaeh Pine in under a minute. Though Fraser dropped a close 10-7 decision to Megann Nkenglack (McMaster University), she secured her silver medal after an injury default win against Jennifer DeMedeiros (McMaster University).
Kira Buck also climbed the podium, placing 3rd in the women’s 72kg division. Buck faced tough competition early on, falling by tech fall to both Myla Lawson (Lakehead University) and Marthe LaPlante-Brady (Kingston WC), but she rebounded with a decisive fall victory over Mantej Cheema (Toronto Metro U) in 2:00 to secure the bronze.
Rebecca Vann showcased resilience in the women’s 50kg category, securing 5th place. After a tough loss to Kelyn Young (Guelph University) in the quarterfinals, Vann regrouped with a win by fall over Erin Corrado (York University). Though she lost by tech fall to Emma Chartres (Team Impact WC), Vann capped off her day with a dominant pin over Heidi Halcrow (Lakehead University) in just 1:25.
Source: Algoma Thunderbird Athletics
