Tianna Kennett, 16, Manor's wrestling princess struck again last weekend when she guaranteed her spot for the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) Cadet Pan AmericanChampionships set to be held in Brazil later this month.
Kennett competed at the 2014 ASICS Cadet / Juvenile Canadian Wrestling Championships on April 4 - 6 in Guelph, ON. The competition was held at the University of Guelph and is the event where the FILA cadet national team who will represent Canada is selected. The team will represent the country at several upcoming international competitions leading up to the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. Kennett won bronze in the U17 juvenile women's 52kg category and managed to place first at the FILA cadet trials acquiring a total of 18 points.
This win makes her the top 16-year-old female wrestler in Canada and Kennett said she feels good about the win but after placing second in the qualifying trials last year she said she knew what it took to accomplish her goals.
"This year was a push to do even better so I was really happy to have that in our sights and knowing what we needed to do to qualify and get first," she said.
Her wins over the weekend come on the heels of a successful high school season after winning SHSAA provincial Wrestling Championship at 56kg with a 19-0 record. She also took gold at the Saskatchewan Amateur Wrestling Association (SAWA) provincial championship at 52kg in Regina last year. Though Kennett has been on a winning streak she said the competition last weekend wasn't without its challenges.
"It's three days of really high competition and especially with the third day being the most weightedI think that was the hardest thing - knowing you have to not just wrestle for three days but you also have to absolutely put your best foot forward on the third day," she said.
Her father Brian Kennett who was in Guelph with her said the family is very proud of her and that she's working really hard with her coach.
"Hard work pays off, she has put in a high level of dedication and just saying 'I want to try to achieve' [she] puts in the effort to match. We're just so proud of her, she gave it her best effort and all she had and she is successful," he said.
Her coach Monte McNaughton said winning bronze and placing first at the trials is an indication of how much work she has put into accomplishing her objective.
"We put in hours and she writes down everything she eats during the day and she writes down all her workouts, her weight that day and it is just us," he said.
"She's not on a team with 30 kidspeople may look at that like an advantage but she puts in the work that it takes to get to this level. It's not a fluke."
McNaughton said she has become a world class elite athlete now and no longer a normal high school student.
Tianna Kennett will now prepare for Brazil which is fast approaching as she is set to leave the country in less than three weeks. If successful at the games, Kennett will get the opportunity to represent Canada in August at the Youth Olympic Games in China as well as participate in a European tour in June.
