Men go to mat to capture gold

Tim Switzer, The Leader-Post

PHOTO CREDIT: Don Healy, The Leader-Post: Team Saskatchewan wrestling coaches Ron Gonzales (left) and Jonny Johnson are hoisted by the men's wrestling team after capturing team gold on Wednesday night.

August 18, 2005  Saskatchewan's men's wrestling team started and finished just the way it wanted.

Regina's Kirk Ackerman and Swift Current's Bradley Peters both recorded pins in helping Saskatchewan to a gold medal in the team competition versus Alberta.

Ackerman, wrestling in the lowest weight class at 46 kilograms, said that was part of his game plan.

"I wanted to start out with a big bang, get my team really roared up to go," he said, describing his double leg slam into a pin that gave him the victory. "I felt a lot of pressure but I'm glad to have it turn out the way it did.

"You spend the whole summer and years and years training for this. When it finally comes and you get what you wanted, it's the greatest feeling."

Peters, the team's heaviest wrestler, didn't even have to win his match but iced it for the gold medal anyway, putting the Alberta wrestler into a pinning predicament right off the bat.

"I'd watched him wrestle and it seemed like I could beat him," he said.

Peters' training came in handy again a few seconds later as he deftly avoided a pile-on by his 10 teammates.

"I made sure to duck when I saw them coming high on me," he laughed.

"Huge, huge," said Saskatchewan coach Ron Gonzales of the men's performance. "The boys wanted it really bad and the boys did it. I'm really happy for them. What more can you say? They deserve it, they're strong kids, absolutely elite athletes."

While Alberta came away with silver medals, Ontario defeated B.C. to win the bronze.

While the men were tasting sweet success, the women suffered bitter defeat losing their final match versus B.C. by one point to wind up with the silver.

Ontario took the bronze there as well.

After starting off strong by taking their first four matches, Saskatchewan, seeded first on the women's side, went on to lose five straight, leaving Regina's Samantha McKay needing a pin to win gold.

While she did win the match, her points weren't enough to overcome B.C.

"I was pretty scared but I just talked to myself, said I had it and I just didn't pin her but it felt pretty good," McKay said. "We worked so hard during the summer and I'm glad we even came out in the top two."

Saskatoon's Alyssa Krahn, who recorded Saskatchewan's only pin during the match, didn't see the medal as a silver lining.

"Losing by one point, having it so close just made the loss so much worse," she said. "We trained all summer for it, this is what we wanted. It's kind of all or nothing, to me at least."

Gonzales said in time, it won't seem so tough.

"Being second in the country when they wake up (today) won't feel that bad," he said.

© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2005.