聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Nathen Schmidt of Carlyle who graduated from Gordon F. Kells High School is in his first year of post-secondary at the University of Regina is working towards a Kinesiology Degree and is finding early success on the wrestling mat for the Cougars collegiate team.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 came with an injury to my knee and had to have surgery in September to have my meniscus repaired,鈥� Schmidt explained. 鈥淏ut, I started wrestling and training towards the end of December, right before the Christmas break.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The young man rehabbed his knee and got back into training in time for the wrestling season, which started in January.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hat first week of January we went down to the States to wrestle,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 do super good, but I didn鈥檛 do bad either. I won my first match and lost my next two; but, it was good to be able to compete at that high level and to be back on the mat. It was nice too that we were in the States because although I represented the Cougars the wins and losses didn鈥檛 affect my standings. It was just a good way to get back into it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 From there Schmidt competed in Edmonton where he continued to wrestle well.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 placed fifth in my weight class. I had went two and two, so won two and lost two, but I wrestled some really good guys and lost in close matches. One of the matches was 5-5 and I just lost on criteria and the other match I lost was 4-3. So, I wasn鈥檛 blown out of the water and it was very competitive. That experience gave me some things to work on and from there I just kept training.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 dealt with a few little injuries, a pulled muscle, basically it was just my body getting used to tournamenting at such a high level.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Schmidt competed at a meet in Fraser Valley at the end of January where he lost out in the final, but says he was confident in the way he wrestled.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Then came the Canada West competition, which he had hoped he would work towards winning in his second or third year with the Cougars; but, he was able to obtain this goal in his first year.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 competed at Canada West, our conferences, in the 68 kg event, I usually wrestle in the 65 kg鈥� so I was smaller than most of my competition, but I wrestled really well and won,鈥� Schmidt stated excitedly. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very prestigious and had been a goal of mine to win in the future, I never expected to win it in my first year. First, second, and third place there then qualify for the U Sports Championship, which was held in Sault St. Marie, Ontario.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 wrestled well there although my results don鈥檛 really show it, I lost my three matches and came away in seventh place, but I was the only rookie in my category and I was wrestling against guys that were in their 20s with beards,鈥� Schmidt laughed.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥verall it鈥檚 been such a great experience and I鈥檝e learned a lot already. Each of my losses as well, I can take and work on different things for next year.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢y biggest take away this year was definitely the difference in competing and preparing. In high school I trained hard, but it was really nothing compared to here. I thought I had pushed myself and trained hard, but now I鈥檓 in the best shape of my life 鈥� that鈥檚 including competing in football, martial arts, and when I wrestled in high school.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he coach here is awesome too. He really pushes us and is hard on us as a coach, but he also treats you like family.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Although Schmidt鈥檚 first year with the Cougars is complete he is now participating in club wrestling where he recently competed in Provincials and plans to attend Jr. Nationals in Montreal.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淧rovincials in Saskatoon is basically the U of R versus the U of S,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檒l be a fun competition and a good way to warm up for Nationals.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎 goal of mine since I started to wrestle is still to win Nationals and represent Team Canada, so my plan right now is to compete and see if I can come out ahead.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This goal is within reach after becoming the Junior (19U) 70 kg Provincial Champion and the Senior (19+) 65 kg second place/provincial finalist during the weekend of March 10.
