St. Catharines, ON - The Western Wrestling team opened their second term with an impressive showing at the Brock Open on Saturday, January 10th, finishing third overall in the combined team standings. The men led the charge with a strong third-place finish, while the women narrowly missed the podium, placing fourth—just three points short of third. Simon Fraser University topped the overall standings, but the Mustangs made their presence felt throughout the competition. Head Coach Scott Proctor was pleased with the team's return to action, noting that "it was a solid start to the second term" and that the group "showed they were ready to compete."
On the men's side, the story of the day was the continued dominance of Lukas Geske. The Master's of Kinesiology student captured his third gold medal of the season in as many tournaments, finishing the event with a 4–0 record, each win coming by technical superiority. Across his matches, Geske outscored opponents 46–5, showing once again why he has been one of the most consistent and imposing competitors this year. Proctor praised his performance, saying, "Lukas is having a great season. He's competing with confidence, staying disciplined, and putting up dominant performances every time he steps on the mat."
Joining him at the top of the podium was teammate Charlie Ortencio, who earned his first gold medal of the season. Matching Geske's undefeated 4–0 record, Ortencio also won all of his matches by technical superiority and outscored his opponents 44–4. Proctor was excited to see him breakthrough, remarking, "It's really good to see Charlie wrestling well. He's been working hard to refine the small details, and today it paid off." The men added two bronze medals as well, with Lucas Mella and Zachary Ortencio each wrestling their way onto the podium. Rounding out the top-six finishes were Leo Kitabmala in fifth and Callan Beggs in sixth.
The women's team delivered a similarly competitive performance, highlighted by two silver medals. Second-year wrestler Cyenna Trotman continued her outstanding season with another podium finish, earning her fourth medal in four tournaments. Alongside her, Jonelle Clarke claimed silver as well, marking her fifth medal of the season and reinforcing her status as one of the most consistent performers in the Mustangs lineup. Proctor noted the reliability of his top women, saying, "Jonelle and Cyenna continue to show tremendous consistency. They're doing the right things day after day, making small improvements, and the results speak for themselves." Jennifer Nwamadi added a bronze medal for Western, while Myah Kyle and Samantha Acierto also contributed valuable placements, finishing fourth and sixth respectively. Seeing the depth of contribution, Proctor emphasized that "progress is coming across the team" and encouraged the athletes to "keep working hard, doing the right things, and making small improvements."
The Mustangs now turn their attention to their home meet next Sunday, January 18th, at Alumni Hall, where wrestling begins at 9 a.m. Admission is free, and Proctor hopes to see strong support in the stands, noting how much the athletes enjoy competing at home and how meaningful that environment can be as the season ramps up.
