WILKIE — Wrestlers in Wilkie are still hopeful that they will be able to compete for their school. Those who are part of the Gorilla Wrestling Factory had one opportunity in December and another was presented for Jan. 29 weekend.
Christ Kent, educator, wrestling coach and co-ordinator of McLurg and Gorilla Factory wrestling says, “Wrestling has been operating under the rules of the 'pause' since the season began. We are allowed to practise but not compete at tournaments. This was imposed by the SHSAA, and wrestling is the only sport to have a 'no tournament' rule. So, the school division pause did not change anything for us."
Kent says the school wrestling team is hopeful regional and provincial competitions will be an option in their season.
Sask. High School Athletics Association oversees high school sports that involves the McLurg wrestling team. While LSSD put a two-week pause on in January, this pause has been in effect since the beginning of the season for wrestling through the SHSAA and was the only sport this restriction was placed on.
Mclurg High School Wrestling and The Gorilla Factory wrestling club are two separate entities with different governing bodies and members.
High school wrestling has not even had a two-month period of tournaments or inter-school competition, so, in essence, there was no pause for high school wrestlers as there was never a “play,” Kent said. Practise and nothing else are all that was allowed.
The Gorilla Factory wrestlers are under the Sask. Amateur Wrestling Association (SAWA) and some of the wrestlers in Wilkie are registered with this provincial sports body. SAWA had one sanctioned tournament in December and there is one in Swift Current on the Jan. 28 weekend.
“Eighteen kids have been coming out to practise,” says Kent.
“As far as how I conduct practices, I must take both mandates and I run the practices based on the strictest mandate from either of the organizations at the time, making sure to follow any changes in the guidelines. It has been hard to navigate,” said Kent
Kent says the wrestlers have adapted.
,“Adapting is what wrestlers do. Nose down, work hard, find a way,” he observes.
“It has been two years and our wrestlers are ready to compete in high school athletics. Hopefully we will have the opportunity to defend our provincial title.”
