SASKATOON – It was another strong showing for the Calgary Dinos wrestling team over the weekend, traveling to the University of Saskatchewan for two days of action.
The Dinos women won a head-to-head showdown with the Huskies Friday before powering to a team title against a host of squads Saturday. Meanwhile, Calgary’s men’s squad placed tied for third out of 14 teams Saturday.
In Friday’s dual meet with the host Huskies, the women of Calgary dominated. Eve Maxwell-Nikiforuk opened things up with an 11-2 win to set the tone. Ellise Daynes (12-0) and Annika Fines (16-5) also claimed notched convincing wins before Eilidh Wist added to the dominance with a win by fall.
Fred Calingay won the lone men’s match on the day for the Dinos, taking a 12-2 decision.
In Saturday’s Huskie Open, the Dinos women racked up 58 points for the team win – 20 points ahead of Alberta, who finished second. Meanwhile, Calgary’s men tied for third with 27 points. The host Huskies claimed the win with 51 points, while Alberta (30) came in second.
Gabriela Cross (56kg), Fines (59kg), Daynes (68kg) and Wist (72kg) all topped the podium in their respective weight classes. Calgary continued to show off its depth as Ankita Singh (50kg), Maxwell-Nikiforuk (62kg) and Mackenzie Cayer (65kg) all claimed silver medals on the day, while Maya Johnston (53kg) also earned a podium spot by bringing home bronze.
In men’s action, Jack Pye led the way. The rookie earned his way to the gold-medal match in the 100kg weight class and had a barnburner of a final before ultimately settling for the silver medal. Jason Do also finished the day with a silver medal in the 68kg field, while Brantley Saar (82kg) and Joseph De Maio (90kg) just missed the podium with a pair of fourth-place finishes.
Calgary is now off until the New Year when they return to action at home, hosting two days of competition Jan. 3-4 inside the UC Red Gym.
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