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Wrestlers ready to take on world

RYAN PYETTE, Free Press Sports Reporter 2003-07-04

There is no easy path to the Commonwealth wrestling championships at the Western Fair Sports Centre this weekend. Athletes from far-off lands such as India, New Zealand and Nigeria used awesome amounts of air miles just to get here. Many endured security scrutiny. Some competitors, specifically from Pakistan and Bangledesh, were denied Canadian visas and forced to stay home.

Terri McNutt, a 21-year-old Kingston native and University of Western Ontario student, did not have to get on a plane or deal with the federal government to compete here. But since May, she has juggled a summer job at a campground with a daily 90-minute commute to Kingston for wrestling practice.

"My mom thought I was crazy, spending all that (gas) money to get to practice, but I think it was worth it," the third-year nursing student and Ontario University Athletics wrestling champ said.

"This is a great opportunity, a chance to represent Canada and I have never competed against international competition before. I don't know what to expect. Obviously, I know the girls from Canada, but I'm going into the unknown with the wrestlers from the other countries."

Ironically, McNutt's toughest match this week could be against someone she knows very well. She will compete in the 55-kilogram class with Londoner Andrea Ross, a Catholic Central high grad who had a strong rookie season with the powerful University of Calgary program.

"Andrea and Terri could meet in the preliminaries or they could meet in the final," said McNutt's Western and Team Canada coach, Ray Takahashi.

"Andrea beat Terri for bronze at the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) championships (in March), Terri beat her earlier in the year, so they're one-and-one against each other."

McNutt missed competing at Canadian senior nationals this year to spend time with her grandfather, who fell ill one day before she was supposed to fly to Saskatoon.

Ross was selected for next week's international Canada Cup in Guelph, but McNutt still holds hope she will be a late addition to the squad.

"Ray said that there is a way to petition me in, so hopefully that works out," she said.

Ross and McNutt are not the only local wrestlers on the Canadian team. Saunders grad Katie Patroch, now wrestling at Thunder Bay's Lakehead University, is Canada's lone entry in the 59- kg class. She was the bronze medallist in the 61-kg division at the CIS championships this year.

Takahashi is not adding up medals, but he expects the women's team will be well-represented in Sunday's medal round.

"You just don't know what a team like India is going to have," he said, "but the Canadian women are highly ranked in the world, so you have to expect we will do well."

Next summer, women's wrestling will be included in the Olympics for the first time. There will be four weight classes (48 kg, 55 kg, 63 kg, 72 kg) to go with the traditional seven men's divisions.

TEAM CANADA ROSTER

Women: Krista Wells, Kingston, Stephanie Szmiett, Sarnia (48 kg); Teresa Piotrowski, Guelph, Sasha Smith, Thorold (51 kg); Andrea Ross, London, Terri McNutt, Kingston (55 kg); Katie Patroch, London (59 kg); Tara Hedican, Guelph, Amanda Gerhart, Sault Ste. Marie (63 kg); Megan Dolan, Beamsville, Sam Johnson, Guelph (67 kg); Pam Wilson, Ennismore (72 kg). Coach: Ray Takahashi, London. Assistant: Scott Proctor, Mississauga.

EVENT SCHEDULE

Today: Wrestling/coaching symposium, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Catholic Central high school; Weigh-ins, 5 p.m. at Comfort Inn Hotel.

Tomorrow: Championships, sessions 1 to 3, Western Fair Sports Centre.

Sunday: Sessions 4 and 5, medal round, Western Fair Sports Centre

Information: Call 438-7203, ext. 347 or visit http://groups.msn. com/CommonwealthWrestling

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Nigerians to miss wrestling meet

With competitors dwindling, organizers still think the London meet can make money.

RYAN PYETTE, Free Press Sports Reporter 2003-07-05

London's Commonwealth wrestling championships has become an eight-nation event after the Nigerian team ran out of gas this week. In the latest of a series of political mishaps that have plagued the international mat meet, the 15-member Nigerian squad is stuck at home because a nationwide strike to protest rising fuel prices has paralysed most travel in the African country. Talks resumed last night, but it was too late for the grapplers.

"There hasn't been a plane going in or out of Nigeria for a few days, the country is under martial law so the wrestlers are not going anywhere," said Bruce Barran, president of the host London-Western wrestling club. "We're disappointed. They were bringing a big team here."

Local organizers expected 14 countries and about 140 wrestlers to participate in the Commonwealth championships, which begin today at the Western Fair Sports Centre.

But the SARS scare, the federal government nixing visas for some Pakistan and Bangladesh wrestlers and Nigeria's fuel fight has whittled it down to eight countries and about 70 entrants for London's first international wrestling tournament since the Pan Am Olympic qualifiers in 1992.

Commonwealth amateur wrestling association chairperson Josip Mrkoci also said teams from Gambia and Tanzania, which had been longshots to show up, will not compete this weekend.

"There have been a lot of issues that have affected us, from the SARS to the visas and now the strike in Nigeria," he said. "I don't know what we could have done. The wrestling will still be great, but with less competitors, it means that every match will be like a semifinal or final."

Barran, the Commonwealth championships treasurer, felt the tournament still had a chance to generate a profit.

"I think we can, it just won't be as much as we thought we would be with the reduced number of wrestlers," he said.

The event schedule for today and tomorrow's action will not change. However, Barran warned a scheduled three-hour session could wrap up earlier than predicted.

"Organizationally, not much changes, you still need the same number of people for 70 wrestlers as you did for 140," he said. "You still need the same number of referees, the same mat space. We still have enough wrestlers for two pools in four men's categories.

"Plus, with a round-robin format, wrestlers are still going to get five or six matches, which is great."

The two biggest squads are Canada and India. New Zealand sent only one wrestler -- former Olympian Martin Liddle.

"The Indian men brought a superb team, they should win and I expect the Canadian women will be very good, too," Barran said.

After this weekend, many of the wrestlers will move on to Guelph to compete at the Canada Cup tournament.

WRESTLERS TO WATCH

Women

- Tara Hedican, Canada: Guelph wrestler is former world junior champion and No. 1-ranked North American in 63-kilogram weight class.

- Andrea Ross, Canada (55 kg): Londoner and Catholic Central grad was third at Canadian university championships this year.

- Terri McNutt, Canada (55 kg): Western nursing student lost to Ross in bronze medal match at university nationals.

- Katie Patroch, Canada: Londoner and Lakehead university star is the only Canadian woman in the 59-kilogram class.

- Kiran Sihag, India: Racked up six consecutive national titles at the 67-kilogram division.

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