Sask. wrestler wins CIS award - Thursday, December 09, 2004
Canadian Press

OTTAWA (CP) -- Wrestler Megan Buydens of the Saskatchewan Huskies and Nicolas Pelletier of the UQTR men's hockey team have been named the CIS athletes of the week.

Buydens, a native of Saskatoon, was named outstanding female wrestler at the Huskie Open after claiming the gold medal in the 70-kilogram weight class.

Pelletier, a forward from Quebec City, had eight points in three outings to help UQTR collect five out of a possible six points.

© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2004

Sask. wrestler wins honours - Tuesday, December 07, 2004
The StarPhoenix

Megan Buydens of the University of Saskatchewan wrestling squad has been named the Canada West female athlete of the week.

Buydens took home a gold medal this past weekend at the Huskie open event in Saskatoon, defeating Ali Bernard of the Regina Cougar's in the third and final round of the 70 Kg final.

For her performance, Buydens was also named women's most outstanding wrestler for the tournament.

Forward Brent Charleton of the Simon Fraser University basketball team was named the Canada West Male Athlete of the Week.

© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2004

Meeting her match: Megan Buydens and Ali Bernard could be bumping into each other a lot - Monday, December 06, 2004
by Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix

University of Saskatchewan Huskies wrestling coach Todd Hinds pounded the air out of the spongy mat as he jumped up and down to celebrate the gold-medal performance of his pupil, Megan Buydens.

Buydens's opponent would have welcomed that kind of freedom.

But Ali Bernard, a U.S. national champion, ran out of answers to Buydens's tenacity Saturday during their 70-kilogram women's final at the Huskie Open.

"We didn't think about all of the things that she had done," Buydens said of Bernard. "It's just what she does now and how to isolate it and break it down so that I could take advantage."

Bernard is a transplanted Minnesotan in her freshman season with the University of Regina Cougars. Her laurels south of the border include the distinction of being TheMat.com's 2004 wrestler of the year.

Bernard won the only previous encounter with Buydens during a tournament at Simon Fraser University earlier this season.

"I was really focused because I wanted to win at home," said Buydens. "It's my ground. I had to show what I was made of."

The grapplers split the first two rounds Saturday before Buydens claimed a 6-0 advantage, thereby ending the third period early.

The Cougar and the Huskie will be fighting like cats and dogs for the foreseeable future, too, as they're bound to meet again at the Canada West conference championships and, in all likelihood, the Canadian Interuniversity Sport finals. Buydens is intent on national gold after settling for silver the past two seasons.

"It's going to be an intra-provincial rivalry now," said Hinds. "It's a testament to the level of women's wrestling that we have in CIS."