Featherston Wrestling Club’s Lucas Sargent, left, Jackson Sargent, Nate George and Wairangi Sargent holding their certificates from the South Island championships. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
WRESTLING
CHRIS COGDALE
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It’s been a golden 10 days for Featherston Wrestling Club.
The club’s young wrestlers came away with 10 gold medals from the North Island championships on June 15, and then hauled in four golds from last weekend’s South Island championships.
The North Island championships were hosted by the Tawa and Waikanae Wrestling Clubs in Otaki, and it was the first time in 20 years that the championships have been held in the lower North Island.
Featherston sent a large squad of 16 wrestlers and 15 of them came home with medals.
Gold medals were won in the Under-10 age group by Wairangi Sargent [under 30kg], Macy Sargent [under 39kg], Mali Liumaihetau [under 28kg] and Willow McDonald [under 33kg].
It was a great debut for McDonald, who also won a silver medal in the under 39kg class.
Featherston Wrestling Club president Warren Hart said McDonald’s double medal win was difficult to achieve.
“It’s incredibly hard, it’s all weight-based, so if you’re going to wrestle up, you’re giving away a huge weight advantage to your opponent, so for her to do well in another class, she’s doing pretty well.”
Nate George [under 34kg], Jackson Sargent [under 63kg], Lucas Sargent [under 41kg], and Tommy Read [under 30kg] won gold medals in the 10-13 age group.
George narrowly missed winning the most technical wrestler of the tournament award.
Silver medals at the North Island championships went to Angus Reid [under 38kg], Spencer Telford [under 58kg] and Dion Liumaihetau [under 54kg], all in the 10-13 age group.
Bronze medal winners were Pepa Liumaihetau [under 28kg], Carlo Isaac [under 44kg], and Seb Hopkins [under 48kg].
Wairangi Sargent, George, Jackson Sargent and Lucas Sargent all backed up to win gold medals at the South Island championships in Timaru.
Lucas Sargent also stepped up a weight category and won a silver medal in the under 41kg category.
Hart said the results showed that the club was going from strength to strength
“Based on the North Island championship results from last year to this year, there’s been a massive jump.”
“Incredibly for Featherston, we have one of the largest membership rates in the country, and although there are declining numbers nationwide, we’re still pulling about 90 to 100 people to our club nights.”
The next major events for the club are the national club championships in Dunedin in September, and then the national championships in Hamilton in October.
The club won six medals, including three golds, and won the Best Presented Club award at last year’s national championships. They were the overall team winners of the 10-13 age group at the national club championships.
The club also won the Junior Sports Team, and Club of the Year, categories at the Wairarapa Times-Age Sports Awards.
