HAMILTON-WENTWORTH CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
Sheldon Francis is McMaster's newest sports hall of fame inductee

By Larry Moko

This has been a remarkably eventful year in the life of Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School teacher and head wrestling coach, Sheldon Francis.

It started almost seven months ago when his wife, Alexis Hill-Francis, gave birth to their first child - a boy, Ares.

During that same week, the Bishop Ryan Celtics wrestling squad made history at the Ontario high school level by winning both the girls' team championship and the combined points title at OFSAA.

To top it off, on Saturday, the Bishop Ryan graduate was inducted into the McMaster Athletics Hall of Fame.

"I'm very honoured to be up here with the class of inductees that we have," Francis said during induction ceremonies at the Students Centre, CIBC Hall.

A Hamilton native, Francis captured three consecutive OFSAA gold medals plus a bronze as a high school mat competitor for the Celtics. He's the only BR wrestler, in fact, to win gold three times in the same weight class (77 kilograms).

Francis also brought home two Canadian championship titles plus a gold from the 2001 Canada Summer Games.

"When I first saw Mr. Francis when he was in Grade 9 as a 15-year-old, I remember being struck by his physical appearance," former McMaster Marauders wrestling coach Nick Cipriano said. "He had a physical maturity."

At McMaster, Francis continued to excel, winning two gold medals at the Canadian interuniversity level along with two CIS silver medals and a CIS bronze. He was named the CIS Outstanding Male Wrestler in 2006 and received the R.W. Pugh Fair Play Award in 2005.
In addition, Francis was selected the Ontario conference's Most Outstanding Wrestler in both 2007 and '08.

"Sheldon had the work ethic, desire and commitment," Cipriano said. "And perhaps most important of all, the talent and motivation to succeed at the highest levels of sport.

"He was a phenomenal athlete and team leader. Sheldon was well-liked and respected by everyone. As a head wrestling coach (at Bishop Ryan) he is running the premier wrestling program in the province and possibly the country."

In an emotional induction speech, Francis thanked his mother, his former teammates, Cipriano, and long-time Bishop Ryan assistant wrestling coaches John Di Benedetto and Derm Tilley for their contributions to his development as an athlete.

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