Multiple wrestling champion and medallist Heather Sweezey teaches biology at Thorold Secondary School. She’ll coach the wrestling team this year.
Photo: Petr Cihacek
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Petr Cihacek
Local Sports - Tuesday, September 27, 2005 @ 15:00
After winning multiple medals in national wrestling championships, Heather Sweezey is going to pass her skills and experience on Thorold Secondary School wrestlers.
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Multiple wrestling champion and medallist Heather Sweezey teaches biology at Thorold Secondary School. She’ll coach the wrestling team this year. Photo: Petr Cihacek |
Sweezey is a three-time Canadian university champion and five-time medallist.
“I won bronze in 2001, gold in 2002, 2003 and 2004, and a silver in 2005,” she said. “That was a disappointment. I didn’t wrestle too well in the final.”
Sweezey wrapped up her wrestling career after the last tournament and started teaching science and biology at the high school this month.
She’ll coach the wrestling team once the season starts late October.
She will be replacing Brian Kilroy, who, she said, was a really good coach.
“It’s a good team already,” Sweezey said. “Lots of talented kids. I’ve been coaching in this area for quite a few years and I know all the kids.”
Sweezey is also the provincial female coach for the Canadian under 18 team and a junior development coach for the Niagara Wrestling Club.
She said she’s excited about coaching at TSS.
“A few of our athletes this year will place in OFSA, provincials and nationals,” the coach said. “I have high expectations.”
This season the nationals will take place in Edmonton, Alta.
“This year everybody’s a year older but in the same division so we’ll have some good results.”
She said she would like to see 10 wrestlers to make it to OFSA and place in top six in different categories in the provincials.
“You never know about nationals.”
To prepare for the championships the wrestlers will practise two hours a day five times a week.
Sweezey said she would like more students, especially girls, to join the team this year.
“I would like a team of 30 kids. That would be ideal for me.”
Sweezey kicked off her wrestling career in high school in 1994.
“I started and I loved it,” she said.
In 2000 she went to University of Waterloo but transferred to Brock after two years later because the former university had no wrestling team.
“I missed it so much,” she said. “It’s almost like an addiction. You can’t get away from it.”
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University Worlds - Canadian Women Win 6 Medals
2005-08-15
Womens Team Standings:
Team Scoring
1. Japan, 59 pts.
2. Canada, 54
3. Ukraine, 47
4. United States, 36
5. Belarus, 34
6. Korea, 30
7. Turkey, 25
8. Poland, 24
9. Mongolia, 22
10. Russia, 14
48Kg
Gold Carol Huynh Canada W (7-0) (2-0)
Silver Yuri Funatsu Japan
Bronze Oleksandra Kohut Ukraine
Bronze Sara Fulp-Allen USA
51Kg
Gold Irini Melini Ukraine
Silver Lyndsay Belisle Canada L (1-0) (5-0)
Bronze Mary Kelly USA
Bronze Alena Kareisha Belarus
55Kg
Gold Saori Yoshida Japan
Silver Tonya Verbeek Canada L (1-0) (2-0)
Bronze Marcie Van Dusen USA
Bronze Olha Levkovska Ukraine
59Kg
Gold Ayako Shoda Japan
Silver Justina Barciak Poland
Bronze Breanne Graham Canada W (over Ukraine) (3-0) (1-0)
Bronze Yeon Mi Lee Korea
63Kg
Gold Kaori Icho Japan
Silver Volha Khilko Belarus
Bronze Alaine Berube USA
Bronze Maryem Selloum France
7th or 8th Tara Hedican L (Repachage vs Mongolia) (by fall and is not in the top 10)
67kg
Gold Mami Shinkai Japan
Silver Hatun Muhcu Turkey
Bronze Stephanie Howrun Canada W (over Mongolia) (1-0) (0-1) (1-0)
Bronze Natalia Kysina Russia
72Kg
Gold Ohenawa Akuffo Canada W (1-0) (3-0)
Silver Kateryna Burmastrova Ukraine
Bronze Ayako Murashima Japan
Bronze Agnieszka Weiszczek Poland
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See Tonya Verbeek on CTV News (video)
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