After lukewarm results so far this season, the Queen’s wrestling team stepped it up as hosts of the Queen’s Open last Sunday, finishing fourth out of nine teams on the women’s side, and tying for sixth in a field of nine on the men’s side. Chris Levy won a gold medal on the men’s side, Shannon Mullins won a silver medal, and Shannon Westgarth won a bronze medal on the women’s side.
The medal count was the highest this season for the Gaels. Levy’s medal was the first gold for the men’s team this season in the 55-kilogram division. “[Levy] had his best performance of the year,” teammate Mullins said. “He’s looking really good for [provincials].” Mullins reached the finals in the
women’s 55-kilogram weight class but lost her match to Terri McNutt,the reigning national champion from Western. Shannon Westgarth was the other Gael to win a medal, finishing third in the 63-kilogram weight class. “[Westgarth] was outstanding,” Mullins said. “She wrestled reallywell for us.”
Queen’s was close to winning two more medals. Justin Ma finished fourth in the men’s 55-kilogram category, and Eric Bertrand finished fourth in the men’s heavyweight category. The Gaels are preparing for their next tournament this weekend in Western, where they hope to build on their strong performances last weekend. This tournament is the last competition for the Gaels before the provincial championships on Feb. 17. “It will be a good way for us to see our competition,” Mullins said.
Mullins added that the Gaels are starting to see some positive results from their training. “We’ve really stepped up in practice, and it’s starting to pay off,” she said. “Everyone is wrestling really well, and it was only a matter of time.” With their performances this past weekend, Mullins is optimistic that they can repeat their success at provincials. “Things are finally starting to come together,” she said. “We
have a lot of opportunity to see a lot more success at the end of the season.”
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