HAMILTON-WENTWORTH CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
Catholic high school wrestling championship produces big finishes

By Larry Moko

The 2023 Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic high school wrestling championships Thursday marked the last time Claudia Landry will compete on the mats at Bishop Ryan.

Her career in the sport, however, could just be beginning.

The five-year Celtics veteran has already been successful at the provincial and national levels. Next month, after the junior national trials in Waterloo, she'll announce her decision about which university athletic program's offer to accept.

"Claudia is going to do great things in the sport," Bishop Ryan coach Sheldon Francis said. "She has excelled. We're excited for her, but sad to see her leave."

Landry won two 89-kilo matches during her final appearance at Bishop Ryan.

"It was a fun, positive atmosphere," Landry said. "I was able to take a couple of different attacks which was really cool."

Eight-one wrestlers took part in the annual HWCDSB championships. The top-three finishers in each weight class advance to the Golden Horseshoe Athletic Conference championships on Friday, Feb. 24 at Milton's Craig Kielburger Secondary School.

"In Grade 9 I thought this looks like fun,'" Landry said of her wrestling involvement. "Low and behold I came fourth at OFSAA and surprised a lot of people including myself. Then, after Grade 10 (an OFSAA silver medal win) I thought I wanted to go somewhere with the sport."

At that point several years ago she competed at the 115-kg weight class.

"I had to make a lifestyle change if I wanted to wrestle at the next level," she said. "I was able to get down to 83 kilos by working hard and training hard."

Landry captured a Canada Summer Games gold medal last summer in Niagara. She has also taken top honours at provincial and national age-group classifications.

Although COVID-19 shut down wrestling competitions for two years, Landry still trained in her basement and practised shadow wrestling -- "There wasn't a person in front of me but I was kind of pretending."

When workouts were allowed to open back up, Landry trained with partner Alecsandra Vlad of St. Thomas More and attended various university team practices.

"I've come back this year to hopefully get the OFSAA title," Landry said.

Bishop Ryan won the boys' team, girls' team and overall team championships. St. Thomas More placed second in all three and St. Jean de Brebeuf came third in each. St. Mary and Cathedral were also represented.

Francis said a highlight of the competition came in the girls' 61 kg division where U19 provincial champion Baylee Bettencourt of Cathedral faced provincial U17 champion Taylor Engelen of Bishop Ryan.

"They had a great match and Taylor ended up winning," the veteran Celtics coach said.

Girls' champions: 41kg - Hailey Jolly, More; 44 kg -Olivia DeGiorgi, Brebeuf; 47.5 kg - Gabrielle La Bercasio, More; 51 kg - Katarina Schafer, BR; 54 kg - Maria Oses Lobo, Brebeuf; 57.5 kg - Shelby Vanderlip, BR; 61 kg - Taylor Engelen, BR; 64 kg - Ella De Almeida, BR; 67.5 kg - Allegresse Matukala Nkosi, More; 72 kg - Alecsandra Vlad, More; 83 kg - Emma Wilkins, St. Mary; 89 kg - Claudia Landry, BR; 95 kg - Jennifer DeMedeiros, More; 115 kg - Deanna Rawn, BR.

Boys' champions: 44 kg - Anthony Canuto, Brebeuf; 47.5 kg - Jadan Ascencio-Arriola, BR; 51 kg - Gabriel Giannini, BR; 54 kg - Malcolm Daly, St. Mary; 57.5 kg - Brady Mines, BR; 61 kg - Omar Albarmawi, Brebeuf; 64 kg - Osama Alhariri, Brebeuf; 67.5 kg - Mohammad Hussein, More; 72 kg - Yousef Al-Udayli, More; 77 kg - Owen Monaghan, More; 83 kg - Daniel Benvenga, BR; 89 kg - Jayden Harrison, Brebeuf; 95 kg - Luca Capretta, More; 130 kg - Aiden Nedelko-Payne, BR.