LONDON, Ont. - The Western Mustangs wrestling team has pinned down two top recruits with the commitment of Steven Takahashi (London, Ont.) and Ilya Abelev (Ottawa)

Both national champions at the Juvenile (U18) national championships in May, they are considered among the top recruits in Canada. 

Takahashi, the son of Mustangs coach and former Olympian Ray Takahashi and a student at Catholic Central in London, competes in the 55-kg weight class and was voted the outstanding wrestler at the national Juvenile tournament.

Abelev received same honours in 2009 while training out of Ottawa and now attends Central Elgin Secondary School in St. Thomas, Ont., competing in the 66 kg class.

Both were teammates at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India, where they each won silver medals in their respective weight classes.

“Ilya and Steven will make an immediate impact to our program,” said Ray Takahashi. “Ilya won a university tournament this past year (McMaster Invitational) and Steven defeated this year’s CIS champion at his weight in January."

Abelev and Takahashi have high goals in wrestling but also have placed high aspirations in pursuing their education at Western. Both were accepted in the Advanced Entry Opportunity program for the Ivey School of Business.

Western is able to offer a strong balanced package academically and athletically which appealed to both recruits, Ray Takahashi said. 

The younger Takahashi is scheduled to compete at the Junior (U20) Pan American Championships in Nicaragua on July 10, while Abelev may train in his birth country of Russia, the top wrestling country in the world, in August.

Both Abelev and Steven Takahashi join a list of other top London, Ont., recruits from London-Western including Rishav Ranjit in the 57-kg weight class from Beal Secondary, and Rafael Begazo at 76 kg and Elhame Gashi at 48 kg of Westminster Secondary School. 

Also expected to join the Mustangs is OFSAA champion Kevin Ens at 82 kg of Central Elgin in St. Thomas, Ont. He is coached by wrestling alumnus Gerard Charrette.

Steven Takahashi
- 1st OFSAA in 2010
- 1st Juvenile Nationals (U18) in 2010 and winner of "Outstanding Wrestler Award"
- 1st Commonwealth Youth Championships (Singapore) in Januaray, 2010
- 2nd Commonwealth Youth Games (India) in 2008
- 1st Pan Am Youth Championships in 2008
- 1st Canada Summer Games in 2009
 
Ilya Abelev
- 1st OFSAA in 2010
- 1st Juvenile Nationals (U18) in 2010
- 2nd Commonwealth Youth Games (India) in 2008
- 1st Canada Summer Games in 2009