Cougars capture CIAU wrestling title
Mar. 9, 1998 - Regina Leader-Post
By David Moser
Another national championship banner will be hanging at the University of Regina's Physical Activity Centre.
On Saturday, the Cougars men's wrestling team captured the school's second straight CIAU championship in St. Catharines, Ont.
The Cougars earned 61 points, seven more than the Brock Badgers, who hosted the championships. The Manitoba Bisons were third with 45 points.
"We thought we were fit enough and technically prepared," Regina head coach Leo McGee said. "It came down to doing it at the tournament."
The Cougars were anchored by three wrestlers: Lease Bertram, Fazel Anwar, and Josef Tesar, who won individual titles, earning 10 team points each.
Bertram, who won his first CIAU individual title, placed first in the 68-kilogram division. Anwar, who won an individual title at 57kg last season, captured the 65kg division. Tesar won the 61kg division.
"No one person can win an entire championship," Tesar said. "Everyone contributed."
Scott Schmidt earned a silver medal in the 90kg class. Sean Thompson won a bronze medal at 82kg.
Here's how the team's other five athletes placed (all earning points toward the team title): Mark Fitzpatrick (57kg) and Adrian Gilmore (130kg) were fourth; Jason Kell (76kg) was sixth; and Brett Finell (52kg) and Devin Schneider (72kg) were seventh.
The team's victory was done without team captain and two-time national champion Rob Lang, who suffered a knee injury before the CWUAA-GPAC championships.
The Cougars women's wrestling team placed second at the women's championships.
The team earned 15 points, just three behind first-place Calgary.
Kim Bergey won the 64kg division, Lorna Hattun was third in the 77kg division and Kelly Brock placed fourth in the 58kg class.
