Five local wrestlers among top 10 in Ontario

High schools that compete in the Sault Ste. Marie High School Wrestling League have something to brag about these days.

Five local athletes, representing three different schools, have been ranked in the top 10 in the province by the Addidas Wrestling pre-season rankings.

The Central Algoma Secondary School Huskies lead the way with three individuals ranked in the top 10. Jason Chalifoux, is ranked 2nd in the 86 kg weight class and is the highest ranked local athlete.

Chalifoux’s younger brother Kyle broke in to provincial ranking for the first time this year as well. Kyle is ranked 9th at the 77 kg. Weight class. Fellow CASS Husky, Laurel Knowles leads the way for local women wrestlers. Knowles is ranked 4th at 60 kg.

Julie Hewitt, who competes for the Bawating Braves, is currently ranked 6th in the womens 56 kg. division while Dennon Armstrong of the Korah Colts comes into the rankings at #9 in the mens 100 kg. division.

While no local teams are ranked in the top ten in the team rankings, consensus among local coaches is that the rankings mean little and Sault teams will have a strong showing at OFSAA this year.

"All of our kids who are ranked can finish higher than their rankings and I can think of a few wrestlers who are not ranked that will be in the top ten or even top 5 by the end of the year," says Ray Gowlett, coach of the CASS Huskies.

"[The rankings] don’t mean much," adds Trevor Manchester, coach of the Korah Colts. "But they motivate kids to prove that they should be ranked higher or that they should be ranked at all."

The local wrestling season is now underway with next action taking place Saturday, Dec. 2nd at Korah Collegiate where local teams will take on teams from Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Elliot Lake, Blind River, Timmins and London at the North Eastern Ontario Wrestling Championships.

(Submitted to SooToday.com)