OTTAWA – Junior World Championship bronze medallists Ana Godinez and Hunter Lee have been awarded the Junior Wrestlers of the Year for 2019.

In her international debut at the Junior World Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, Godinez defeated Irina Ringaci of Moldova in the 62 kg bronze medal match.

Godinez, now 20, had only gained Canadian citizenship two month prior to the championships after moving to Surrey, B.C., from Mexico when she was 8 years old.

The Burnaby Mountain Wrestler went on to finish 13^th at the Senior World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.

Lee, of Flin Flon, Man., captured his medal with a 4-2 victory over Georgian Miriani Maisuradze in the 86 kg bronze medal final.

The World Championship medal was a first for Lee, who trains with the Saskatoon Wrestling Club. At the 2018 Junior World Championships he finished thirteenth at 92 kg.

In the past, the Wrestler of the Year awards are presenting at the Canadian Championships the following year. Due to safety concerns surrounding the spread of the COVID-19 virus, both Canadian Championship events were cancelled.

On Thursday, Ismail Ayyoub and Serena Di Benedetto were awarded the Cadet Wrestlers of the Year for 2019.