News Page
Richard and Romona Balfour: Rising London wrestling stars
The Londoner Online - December 7, 2005
London, Ontario. CANADA
|
The future of London wrestling arrived with few words this past week but an ‘explosive’ performance on the mat.
The local season opened with the London-Western Wrestling Club’s high quality early season tournament at pungent Thames Hall on Western’s campus on Saturday. The event with 351 entries, featured some of the best high school wrestlers in southwestern Ontario, and even some from Quebec. However, two elementary school students had veteran wrestling watchers marvelling at their skill in their first high school tournament.
Thirteen-year-old Richard Balfour won his gold medal match in the cadet boys division (47.5 kilogram) by pin fall in less than 45 seconds. Richard's sister Romona, 14, won a silver medal in the cadet girls’ 44 kilogram weight class.
Accompanied by father Alex Balfour, the two sat quietly between matches, only occasionally teasing each other. Both admitted doing some wrestling in the home, but deny ever breaking any furniture. Richard and Romona seemed slightly out of place among older athletes, until they got on the mat.
“They are very close,” proud dad Alex says.
Veteran wrestling watchers made a point of not missing their matches.
“He's pretty explosive, huh?” asked Western wrestling coach Ray Takahashi with a knowing smile about Richard. “He has a lot of natural ability.”
“One of our problems is finding him enough competition,” says Bill Perkins of the London Western Wrestling Club, who also noted Richard has qualified for the 2006 Ontario Winter Games in Collingwood (March 9-12) where he will again be wrestling older competitors.
After winning his gold medal over Alex Rammeloo of Windsor Riverside, Richard quietly returned to the bench to watch the other members of the London Western Wrestling club. Former national club champion Bo Perkins had to work hard to get Richard to smile.
“Come on, you're having fun too, right?” said Bo. “That's all that matters. There I finally got a smile."
“We took him to a tournament just south of Montreal last year and I think we might have got one word out of him," said Bo's father Bill Perkins.
Richard did talk a little more in an interview. “I've been with the club two years," he said. “I really like wrestling because it's so active. It's really tiring but it's worth it in the end."
----------------------------------------
END ZONE – Veteran LWWC coach Josip Mrkoci marvelled at the continued growth in girl’s high school wrestling. Thirteen years ago, 12 girls competed in wrestling at the OFSAA when it wasn't even a sanctioned event. Finally in 2000, girls had their own wrestling competition.
“Last year at OFSAA, we had 273 girls registered,” Josip says. “At the last wrestling World Cup, only Japan was better than Canada. We're now in the top three in the world in women's wrestling."
Many wrestlers pride themselves on the sport’s anonymous nature. This leads to some of the best T-shirt slogans in all of sports. One such T-shirt at last weekend’s event read: “I do not need a crowd. I do not need cheerleaders. I do not need headlines. I do not need to be on a cereal box. I do not need to explain why I do it. I am a wrestler."
-------------------------------------------
University of Western Ontario London-Western Wrestling Club High School Invitational
December 3, 2005
RESULTS
CADET GIRLS
44 Kg.
1. Rachel Bruijns-Central Elgin S.S.
2. Romona Balfour-London-Western W.C.
3. Lea Lateigne-L’Essor
51 Kg.
1. Olivia Gunnell-Mother Teresa S.S.
2. Natalie St. John -L’Essor
3. Nicole Anderson-L’Essor
4. Andrea Rouleau-Essex
54 Kg.
1. Samantha Duart-L’Essor
2. Shannon Miller-Central Elgin S.S.
57.6 Kg.
1. Shaunessey Hutchinson-Saunders S.S.
2. Karoline Madsen-Matmen W.C.
3. Melissa Tavierne-Windsor W.C.
4. Alana Lesinky-L’Essor
72 Kg.
1.Katherine Hermandez-Mother Teresa S.S.
2. Valarie Sansom-L’Essor
RESULTS
OPEN GIRLS
41 Kg.
1. Sabrina Manbadahur-Kempenfelt Bay
2. Courtney Pitt-Windsor W.C.
3. Danielle Brown-Matmen W.C.
4. Sarah Tweats-Sarnia W.C.
47.5 Kg.
1. Tessa Gallinger-Windsor W.C.
2. Brit Belanger-Sarnia W.C.
3. Samantha Blois-Sarnia W.C.
4. Carleigh Bilyea-Matmen W.C.
51 Kg.
1. Pam Deanike-Team Impact
2. Stephanie Kapran-Riverside W.C.
3. Larissa Scimmi-Sarnia W.C.
54 Kg.
1.Jasmine Mian-Kempenfelt Bay
2. Laura Fenn-Matmen W.C.
3. Emily Ashbourne-Lucas S.S.
4. Adrianne Levadoux-EJL
57.5 Kg.
1. Heather Wray-London-Western W.C.
2. Sarah Baldo-Windsor W.C.
3. Jessica Peasley-Wisconsin W.C.
4. Stephanie O’Hanley-Matmen W.C.
61 Kg.
1. Kelsey Van Sas-London-Western W.C.
2. Amy Mcdonough-L’Essor
3. Jasmine Gunnell-Mother Teresa S.S.
4. Jessica Lovell-Beal S.S.
64 Kg.
1. Sarah Peasley-U.S.A.
2. Ashley Routcliffe-Windsor W.C.
3. Jessica Smith-Riverside W.C.
67.5 Kg.
1. Colleen Hogan-Central Elgin S.S.
2. Anne-Meit Vandenneuwallan-Lord Dorchester S.S.
3. Hilary Horne-Riverside S.S.
4. Jessica Moore-Beal S.S.
83 Kg.
1. Nikki Plummer-Windsor W.C.
2. Amy Granton-Thorold W.C.
TEAM STANDINGS
COMBINED CADET AND OPEN GIRLS:
1. L’ESSOR 39 PT.
2. WINDSOR WRESTLING CLUB 36 PT.
3. LONDON-WESTERN WRESTLING CLUB 27 PT.
3. CENTRAL ELGIN SECONDARY SCHOOL 27 PT