Hamilton, ON - The Mustangs Wrestling teams opened their season with a strong showing at the McMaster Invitational in Hamilton on Sunday. The event drew over 250 wrestlers from across Canada and the United States, and the Mustangs made their presence felt.
The women's team led the charge, finishing first overall, while the men's team placed fourth—just one point shy of third. In the combined team standings, Western secured second place, narrowly trailing Brock University by three points.
"We had a solid tournament," said head coach Scott Proctor. "The wrestlers were excited to get on the mats and compete in the first tournament of the season."
Fifth year Master's student and team captain Jonelle Clark dominated the 65kg division, winning her first match 12-0 and pinning her opponent in the final to take gold. Second-year athlete Cyenna Trotman was equally impressive in the 50kg division, going 3-0 with two wins by technical superiority. Cyenna didn't give up a single point throughout the tournament.
First-year Mustang Breanna Trudgeon earned bronze in the 62kg division with a 3-1 record. Second-year wrestler Myah Kyle also picked up bronze in the 72kg division, while medical student Jennifer Nwamadi returned to competition, her first since 2020 when she was an OUA champion and U Sports bronze medallist for the Mustangs, to claim bronze in the 83kg division.
Other top-six finishes for the women included Naila Sherifali Kaddory and Risa Ferrari in fourth, Emmanuela Okeke, Ivy Ludwig, and Elizabeth Paguirigan in fifth, and Allison Accetta and Anoushka Verma in sixth.
On the men's side, fifth-year Master's student Lukas Geske led the way in the 82kg division, winning five matches and conceding only three points on route to a gold medal.
"Lukas was outstanding," said Proctor. "He's a veteran leader and showed great composure and skill throughout the day."
Second-year athlete Luca Roma earned silver in the 90kg division, picking up three wins, including two by technical superiority. Callan Beggs finished fourth and Chayton Valleau placed sixth to round out the men's top performers.
"We had a mix of veterans and rookies competing," Proctor added. "It was a good opportunity to see what some of our new wrestlers could do, and we'll take what we've learned here back into the practice room and focus on areas we need to."
Next up for the Mustangs is the York Open, scheduled for Saturday, November 8
