By: Lauren Mason
This weekend, the Clan traveled to Pacific University in Forest Grove Oregon to compete at the annual Mike Clock Open. The men’s and women’s team both competed, and were able to secure medals in almost every weight class.
On both the men’s and the women’s side, Simon Fraser dominated the event. This open had over 15 teams for the men, and about eight for the women as it was an open tournament allowing anyone to compete in it. There were SFU wrestlers winning left and right.
Some standout performances for the men were Tyler McLean, Nishan Randhawa, and Morgan Smith’s first place finishes, Ciaran Ball taking second, and Logan Nelson and Cruz Velasquez finishing off with third. On the women’s side, Abby Lloyd, Dominique Parrish, Nicole Depa, Francesca Giorgio, and Alyvia Fiske came out on top with first-place finishes. Brooklyn Bartelson, Alex Hedrick, and Sara Brinkac all ended up taking second, while Alexia Seal, Lauren Mason, Jenna Garcia, and Livleen Sidhu placed third.
Coach Justina Di Stasio explained that she “thought there was a lot of growth in the transitions from take down to turns with the younger kids on the team.” Also on the women’s side, there were some rule changes, so it was “a good experience having to weigh in, and then having to recover and compete.” Di Stasio then explained how “tournaments like this show us what we are doing well on, and what we need to keep working on in practice.” The Clan will return home with high hopes and aspirations as they continue on in their season.
With the women’s team ranked #1 in the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association, this tournament was a good opportunity to compete and implement the things they have been working on. With a strong team coming in this year, the Clan is working on honing in on and perfecting their skills along with working hard to prove that they really are the best.
The men’s team, coming off of a big win against Northern Idaho College, was able to capitalize on the good things they executed at the dual and relate that here at the Mike Clock Open. With only a few graduating seniors this year, the men’s team looks to wield a strong team this year and in the years to come. Both the men and the women have high calibre wrestlers that help to push each other and create a depth of talent.
Catch the Clan next week as they travel to Spokane Washington to once again prove themselves on the mat. The men will also be competing in the Cardinal Duals on November 18th.
Lauren Mason is a member of the women’s wrestling team.
