BC Secondary Schools Wrestling Championship takes place February 24-25

Canadian Olympian Amar Dhesi Photo: Wrestling Canada Michael P. Hall/Michaelphall.ca

What:  the 2023 BC Secondary Schools Wrestling Championship

Who:  Wrestlers from all nine BC School Sports zones

Where:  Pacific Coliseum on Renfrew Street, Vancouver

When:  Friday & Saturday, February 24-25

Finals:  Saturday, February 25, 2-5 p.m.

Tickets:  reserve your entrance to the event via Ticket Leader through their website: (https://www.ticketleader.ca/events/detail/bc-school-sports-wrestling-provincial-championship); or at the box office entrance to the Pacific Coliseum.

 

Interesting Facts:

 

  • 494 qualified athletes – 304 boys, 190 girls
  • Wrestlers from furthest away: Haida Gwaii, Prince Rupert, Bella Coola, and Nelson
  • Wrestlers closest to the venue: Notre Dame Secondary
  • Regions with highest participation at their Zone Qualifier tournament: Vancouver Sea-to-Sky (220), Fraser North (169), Fraser South (111)
  • School with the most qualified boys’ entries: Byrne Creek Secondary with 19
  • School with the most qualified girls’ entries: Maple Ridge Secondary with 12
  • Zones with most seeded wrestlers on the boys’ side of the draw in each weight class (top four): Sea-to-Sky (14-but mostly third and fourth seeds), Fraser South (10–mostly first and second seeds), East Valley (8-mostly first and second seeds)
  • Zones with most seeded wrestlers on the girls’ side of the draw in each weight class (top four): Fraser North (7-mostly first and second seeds), Vancouver Island (5-mostly first and second seeds), Vancouver Sea-to-Sky (3-mostly third and fourth seeds)
  • Schools with the most seeded wrestlers on the boys’ side of the draw: Tamanawis (5-mostly first and second seeds), W.J. Mouat (4-mostly first and second seeds), Carson Graham and Abby Senior (3 each, mostly third and fourth seeds)
  • Schools with the most seeded wrestlers on the girls’ side of the draw: Maple Ridge (4-mostly first and second seeds), Guildford Park and Elphinstone (3 each, one top seed, the others are third and fourth seeds)
  • Five boys to watch for: Micah Calipiz-54 kg (Notre Dame Secondary), Arad Ahangi-57 kg (Carson Graham Secondary), Sartaj Sanghara-74 kg (Khalsa Secondary), Rohit Bal-78 kg (Tamanawis Secondary), Tejvir Dhinsa-84 kg (W.J. Mouat Secondary)
  • Five girls to watch for: Alice Clements-51kg (Elphinstone Secondary), Olivia Rhodes-54 kg (Ucluelet Secondary), Ella Finding-57 kg (Port Moody Secondary), Mera Batha-60 kg (John Oliver Secondary), Marley Jackson-64 kg (Burnaby Mountain Secondary)
  • Schools most likely to compete for the Aggregate Award (combined Boys and Girls points): Maple Ridge Secondary, Elphinstone Secondary, Alberni District Secondary

 

*Canadian Olympians who emerged through the BC High School championship tournament, held for the first time in 1965:

Munich, 1972-Taras Hryb (Oak Bay)

Montreal, 1976-Jim Miller (Delbrook)

Los Angeles, 1984 and Seoul, 1988-Clark Davis (Mt. Douglas)

Los Angeles, 1984 and Seoul, 1988-Chris Rinke (Poco)

Seoul, 1988-Steve Marshall (Poco)

Seoul, 1988-Dan Payne (Poco)

Barcelona, 1992-Tom Petryshen (Guildford Park)

Barcelona, 1992-Greg Edgelow (Vernon)

Atlanta, 1996-Scott Bianco (Norkam)

Atlanta, 1996-Craig Roberts (Smithers)

Atlanta, 1996-Yogi Johl (Tupper)

Sydney, 2000-Cam Johnston (Smithers – represented Australia)

Athens, 2004-Lyndsay Belisle (Hazelton)

Beijing, 2008-Travis Cross (Alberni)

Beijing, 2008 and London, 2012-Carol Huyhn (Hazelton)

London, 2012-Arjun Bhullar (McRoberts)

Tokyo, 2020-Amar Dhesi (Burnaby Central)

 

**Olympic Wrestling referees who first emerged through officiating at the BC High School Championship tournament:  Atlanta, 1996 and Sydney, 2000-Kjeld Brodsgaard; Beijing, 2008-Jim Mitchell.

 

(Submitted)