News and event information for Williams Lake, BC - as it happens.

By LeRae Haynes

Members of the Williams Lake Wrestling Club ‘Black and Blue’ competed this past weekend in Western Age Class tournament in Kamloops. Wrestlers from BC and Alberta took it to the mat at a National seating competition where the top three in the Cadet and Juvenile classes can go to Nationals.

(Williams Lake wrestler Braden Conrod, on the right, brought home a gold medal from the event.)

Although this was a high school tournament, there was a mini tournament for elementary as well. Williams Lake Grade 5 student Alexander Eves fought for a 4th place win in the 36 kgs weight class. He was paired up with former ‘Black and Bluer’ Parker Engle, who lives in Prince George, and who took the gold medal.

One Williams Lake ‘Schoolgirl’ representing the ‘Black and Blue’, and Haleigh Stubitch aka ‘Mighty Mouse’ came in 5th in the 44kg weight class.

The 58kg weight class was intense with 32 competitors. Although ‘Black and Blue’ Austin Haller didn't place in the top 10 he fought hard. Sheldon Samra, also in Cadet, was weighed in at 54kgs. He had 17 in his weight class and took a very respectable 8th place finish.There were two girls in the Cadet division, both with very tough weight classes. Makaela Haller took fifth in the 60kg and Kara Pare fighting her way to a silver medal in 54kgs.

The competition was fierce at this level, and the kids were faced with Provincial and/or National medalists.

Kerry Normand’s weight class was especially difficult. He had three Provincial Medalists and a National champion competing in the 92kgs. He took a very respectable 8th place finish.

Jeremy Thompson weighed in at the bottom of the 72kgs, and the competition was incredible but he fought hard and came in 10th overall. There were 21 wrestlers in the 58kg weight class, with Tyson Rich coming in 10th overall. Conlan Sprickerhoff battled his way to a 7th place finish, having to wrestle six matches to get there

Keenan Taylor, who grew up wrestling with the WLWC, and is now on his way to being a carded National Official, also participated in this tournament. One parent who attended the tournament, Paul Eves, is a new official in the Cariboo region.

One Williams Lake ‘Schoolboy’ (Grade 7-8) wrestler entered the competition. Braden Conrod faced some incredible competition with very tight matchups. He managed a clean sweep bringing home a gold medal in the 53kg weight class.

Braden is a 13-year-old wrestler who has been with ‘Black and Blue’ for seven years. He explained that wrestlers are divided into classes by weight and age: primary and intermediate in elementary school and school boy/school girl, cadet and juvenile on the high school level.

“It was a round-robin tournament and I wrestled three times with three different opponents,” he explained.

He said that what he really likes about wrestling is that it’s an individual sport. “You can represent a team and yet compete as an individual,” he continued. “It’s a great sport that takes stamina, courage and skill.”

One exciting event coming up for the Williams Lake Wrestling Club is Smackdown 2012. It’s an ‘Elementary Wrestling Playday’ tournament that takes place at Columneetza Secondary School on January 28. Registration begins at 9:00am and wrestling begins at 10:00am.

“Smackdown is an amazing fun tournament—it brings everybody together and helps us work together,” Braden said. “Wrestling is such a great way to blow off steam and have fun. It’s the best sport I ever played.”

For more information about the Williams Lake Wrestling Club phone 250-267-7666 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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