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McMaster wrestlers at Canadian Olympic trials
Photo credit Lindsay Franco
It’s a long way from OFSAA to the Olympics, but first-year
McMaster wrestler Jason Buckle will be taking the first step toward
making that journey. Wrestling in the 55 kg weight class, Buckle
will be competing at the 2012 Canadian Wrestling Qualification
Trials being held in Winnipeg, December 15-18, 2011.
This event will serve as the process for selecting those athletes
that will compete for Canada at the 2012 Summer Olympics in
London.
Buckle will be joined at the Canadian trials by senior
Marauder teammates and defending OUA champions Ryan Blake (68 kg)
and Kevin MacLellan (84 kg). McMaster alumnus Sean House will also
be competing in the 84 kg weight class.
A graduate of Hamilton St. Jean de Brebeuf high school, Buckle has
had an outstanding debut season in McMaster Maroon. Last
year’s Ontario (OFSAA) high school champion at 57 kg, Buckle
has already captured gold medals at invitational meets hosted at
McMaster and the University of Toronto. He will be one of the
youngest competitors at the Canadian Trials.
Marauder wrestling coach Nick Cipriano says while Jason is in tough
to garner an Olympic team berth, the trials will be great
experience. “Jason is talented, loves to compete, and is
blessed with an unmatched work ethic,” said Cipriano.
“Sending him to the Trials is essentially reinforcing his
goal of being an Olympian, and taking part this time around is
critically important to his development.”
Coach Cipriano adds that Buckle will be competing this time with
more mature wrestlers, some as much as10 years older than he is.
However, looking ahead to the 2016 Olympic trials, Buckle will
bring this year’s experience and more maturity with him to
the competition and he will be a strong candidate for the Canadian
team.
Detailed information on the Canadian Olympic Trials including
results and webcast links can be found at http://www.cdnwrestlingtrials.com/index.html
McMaster is hosting the 2012 OUA Wrestling Championship on February
10 & 11, 2012 in the Burridge Gymnasium.
The McMaster men’s wrestling team is currently ranked 8th in the latest Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Top-Ten rankings.
Source:
McMaster Sports Info
