University of Guelph wins big at national wrestling championships in Ottawa

The University of Guelph team wrapped up its wrestling season at the national tournament in Ottawa.

The tournament took place March 14-17. Among the winners was junior Nathan Hunyady, who took home first place at 65 kg.

Doug Cox, wrestling coach for the U of G, said Hunyady is now a two-time winner. “He actually did win 65 kilos as well at last year’s junior nationals so that was nice, and then he went down to the Pan-Am Games in Chile.”

Cox added Hunyady had a dominant performance in the finals.

Other medalists included Carius Harbridge, who placed third in the junior men’s 79 kg weight class. Some of the post-secondary school’s younger male wrestlers finished within the top four.

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Overall, Cox said it was a pretty good tournament.

The team has youth on both the men’s and women’s sides, which he said will only benefit them in the future.

“We’re younger, which is great to have a youthful team,” he said. “But you also miss that leadership a little bit and that’s the one thing I think on both the men’s and women’s side that we’re missing. However, another year from now, these people who are doing well now, they’ll step into those roles.”

He said one of the team’s other wrestlers, Tristian Cako, was not on the mats this past tournament. However, Cox had high praise for the 20-year-old.

“Tristan really only lost to Treye Trotman. Treye actually did win the nationals this year, and he was actually MVP there. So, Tristan’s competition has pretty much been him and that’s the only guy he’s been losing to this year at 57 kilos. So he’s right there.”

Cako was one of five Gyphons who medalled at the U Sports national university wrestling championships on March 2 in Guelph.

He finished with a silver medal and the rest were awarded bronze.

Heading into next year, Cox said the goal is for both men and women to finish higher at the OUA and U Sport competitions.

“We had some ups and downs. I think we’re just seeing the end of COVID and the effect of it and hopefully next year is a brand new start for everything,” he said.