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Overall OFSAA Team Champions - Lambton County CVI - SWOSSAA

Lambton County Collegiate wins Girls and Overall ( combined girls and boys) Team Title at :

2004 ONTARIO HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS ( March 1-3 )

By Dr. Glynn Leyshon & Josip Mrkoci

Windsor, Ontario, Canada ... March 4, 2004 ...

OFSAA Girls wrestling - photos

St. Denis Hall at the University of Windsor saw the biggest high school wrestling meet in Canada on ten wrestling mats, completed on Mar.3. Nearly 800 grapplers, including 350 girls squared off to decide the bragging rights for the year. The females competing in 13 weight categories vied for the team title which was won by Lambton County Collegiate and Vocational School with 160 points, coached by Marty Leeson a former wrestler and a grad of University of Western Ontario; their closest rival was Orillia CVI with 136. Lambton had one gold medallist, 2 silver and bronze as well as other wrestlers placing in top six while Orillia had three golds. Marty Leeson's daughter Kristen wrestling at 67.5 kg won a bronze medal which helped the team to win the Girl's team title.

Orillia had an outstanding performance from Randi Miller at 57.5 Kg who won her fourth straight title. She is coached by Butch Roach and Bob Parsons, both outstanding former Ontario wrestlers in their own right. Other gold medal winners for Orillia were, Stephanie Toffen at 47.5kg. and Amy Fazackerley at 51 kg. All three girls , Randi, Stephanie and Amy (gold medal winners) live on the same street in Orillia.

Other ladies to watch are Emma Brightwell who, although in grade nine, won her 72 Kg. division. It could be her inheritance for she is the daughter of Wayne Brightwell a former member of Canada's national team and a Commonwealth Games gold medallist. Another grappler with potential is Melanie Beiler,who did not place but comported herself well in her first competition. She is the daughter of Egon Beiler, University of Western Ontario grad, a three time Olympian, Pan-Am and Commonwealth gold medallist at 62 Kg .

The quality of girl's wrestling at this annual event continues to climb. Many were the awe-struck comments from spectators who witnessed not only advanced techniques but inherent toughness as well. Pinning situations which at one time would have been conceded now were fought to the bitter end. It is a tribute to the dedicated coaches and to the receptiveness of the girls that the females have advanced so far so quickly.

One of the toughest (?)bouts for Lambton coach Marty Leeson was unlimited class. It featured two Lambton County Collegiate wrestlers, Katie Woodfinden and Jehna Palermino. Katie prevailed over her team mate and coach Leeson could sit in the corner and relax knowing he had this weight class sewn up.

L'Essor high school of Windsor finished in ninth place with 56 points but their lone title holder, Ginette Tremblay, was unusual; her father was the coach. Not only did Dave Tremblay coach his daughter to a gold medal, he did the same with Dave Jr. his son.Two gold medals, one male and one female in the same family in the same meet and both coached by their father! It was a first.

The combined boys/girls title was taken by Lambton County Colligiate on the basis that they placed first in girls division and third in boys division with whopping 276 points compared to second place Hagersville with 191. Lambton had the balance in that they had one first place, two second places and one third place finish in the girl's division counting for the winning team whereas Hagersville had only a fourth place finish in the girl's division

Marty Leeson is no stranger to winning OFSAA girls wrestling championships, he accomplished this feat in 2001 when he coached at Lambton Central H.S. His school won the team title. It has taken Marty two years at a new school to build a competitive team and win 2004 OFSAA wrestling championships.

The year 2001 was the first year that the girls wrestling was accepted as a formal OFSAA sport competition. Girls wrestling was being run as a wrestling festival from 1993 with the backing and support of Ontario Amateur Wrestling Association . Women's wrestling has had a phenomenal growth in Ontario for the past 10 years. Women’s wrestling will be included on 2004 Athens Olympic Games Program for the first time . This exposure at the Olympics should give women’s wrestling a further boost for participation and growth at Ontario high school level and across Canada.

2004 OFSAA Championships - RESULTS

Overall Team Standings (Boys and Girls Combined)

1. Lambton County CVI SWOSSAA 276

2. Hagersville S.S. SOSSA 191

3. Port Credit S.S. ROPSSAA 148

4. Orillia District CVI GBSSA 144

5. Beamsville DHS SOSSA 134

6. Centennial CVI CWOSSA 132

7. Banting Memorial NOSSA 101

8. L’Essor E.S. SWOSSAA 101

9. Heart Lake S.S. ROPSSAA 98

10. Riverside S.S. SWOSSAA 87

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Girls Division

Team Standings

1. Lambton County CVI -SWOSSAA -160

2. Orillia District CVI -GBSSA -136

3. Port Credit S.S. -ROPSSAA -105

4. Banting Memorial - NOSSA - 89

5. Centennial CVI -CWOSSA - 78

6. Beamsville DHS -SOSSA - 65

7. St. Joe’s -SWOSSAA - 62

8. Saunders S.S. -WOSSA - 61

9. L’Essor E.S. -SWOSSAA - 56

10. Renfrew C.I. -EOSSAA - 53

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Individual Girl's Standings

41 Kg.

1. Hailey Dermott -Banting GBSSA

2. Teena Lalonde -MacDonald Cartier NOSSA

3. Tessa Gallagher -Riverside SWOSSAA

4. Courtney Pitti -St. Joe’s SWOSSAA

5. Sara Klompmaker -North Hastings COSSA

6. Mapleine Quizon -Newtonbrook TDSSAA

44 Kg.

1. Alyssa Unwin -Chelmsford NOSSA

2. Mary Mitchell -North Middlesex WOSSAA

3. Renilda deDios -St. Augustine ROPSSAA

4. Julie Hewwitt -Sir James Dunn NOSSA

5. Danielle Tremaine -St. James CWOSSA

6. Jill Kennedy -Stamford SOSSA

47.5 Kg.

1. Stephanie Toffen -Orillia District GBSSA

2. Jen Nguyen Port -Credit ROPSSAA

3. Krystal Hutton -Kernahan Park SOSSA

4. Lisa Foster -Hagersville SOSSA

5. Alexandra Denvir -Port Credit ROPSSAA

6. Laura Feen -White Oaks GHAC

51 Kg.

1. Amy Fazackerley -Orillia District GBSSA

2. Randa Markos -St. Joe’s SWOSSAA

3. Eve Boyce -East Northumberland COSSA

4. Emily Filmore -Beamsville SOSSA

5. Karen Schiller -L’Essor SWOSSAA

6. Sarah Silva -Sir James Dunn NOSSA

54 Kg.

1. Ginnette Tremblay -L’Essor SWOSSAA

2. Tricia Roulston -Riverside SWOSSAA

3. Jen Beedham -Brampton Centennial ROPSSAA

4. Sarah Nash -Laura Secord SOSSA

5. Chelseau Osbourne -Heart Lake ROPSSAA

6. Elise Gillette -Bethune TDSSAA

57.5 Kg.

1. Randi Miller -Orillia District GBSSA

2. Lindsay Rebernik -Cawthra ROPSSAA

3. Sophie Mancini -Port Credit ROPSSAA

4. Amy Whitehead -LCVI COSSA

5. Jen Thompson -Centennial COSSA

6. Kelly Mckinven -Beamsille SOSSA

61 Kg.

1. Tasha Eady -Renfrew CI EOSSAA

2. Kim Noakes -North Park CWOSSA

3. Carly Wright -Orillia District GBSSA

4. Christina Reader -Port Perry LOSSA

5. Leah Dougherty -Renfrew CI EOSSAA

6. Sarah Couloube -LaJeunesse SWOSSAA

64 Kg.

1. Lauren Radoja -Saunders WOSSAA

2. Malissa Bryan -Ascension ROPSSAA

3. Sarah Kleinendorst -Beamsville SOSSA

4. Steph DeVries -Centre Wellington CWOSSA

5. Andrea Harding -Holy Cross EOSSAA

6. Dawn Croke -Chelmsford NOSSA

67.5

1. Katrina Pitawanakwat -Centennial CVI CWOSSA

2. Seren Martin -Huron Park WOSSAA

3. Kirsten Leeson -LCCVI SWOSSAA

4. Danielle Seguin -St. Ignatius NWOSSAA

5. Chelsey Livingston -Thorold SOSSA

6. Amanda Krolicki -Ressurection CWOSSA

72 Kg.

1. Emma Brightwell -Centennial CVI CWOSSA

2. Tabatha Vanerp -LCCVI SWOSSAA

3. Kalyn Salmon -Saunders WOSSAA

4. Allison Lesway -Arnprior EOSSAA

5. Jelisa St. Peter -Fenlon Falls COSSA

6. Alexandra Dresser -Banting GBSSA

77 Kg.

1. Marissa Brown -Sudbury NOSSA

2. Jocelyn Dresser -Banting GBSSA

3. Virgilia Burke Inn -GBSSA

4. Sarah Langstaff -LCCVI SWOSSAA

5. Buffy Ainsworth -East Northumberland COSSA

6. Caitlin Hughes -McKinnon Park SOSSA

84 Kg.

1. Ellie Travis Port -Credit ROPSSAA

2. Tabitha Stavrou -Stamford SOSSA

3. Nikita Thorausch -Clarke Road WOSSAA

4. Chatele O’Sullivan -St. Francis Xavier ROPSSAA

5. Liz McDonough -Laura Secord SOSSA

6. Pamela Christie -LCCVI SWOSSAA

Heavyweight

1. Katie Woodfinden -LCCVI SWOSSAA

2. Jehna Palermino -LCCVI SWOSSAA

3. Jen Reath -Clarke Road WOSSAA

4. Mireille Boufardd -Sudbury NOSSA

5. Lydia Fortney -Beamsville SOSSA

6. Marie Dunkel -Forest Heights CWOSSA

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OFSAA Girls wrestling - photos