Veteran Jarvis continues heavyweight dominance at Junior / Senior Canadian Wrestling Championships

March 17, 2018

MONTREAL – Korey Jarvis of Guelph Wrestling Club won his fifth national title today at the Junior / Senior Canadian Wrestling Championships.

Jarvis has now won gold at the 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014 and 2013 championships, as well as gold at the 2016 Olympic Trials.

Despite his dominance at 125 kg, Jarvis doesn’t take another title for granted.

“I’m not a young man at all, these guys are always coming up and challenging,” said the 31-year-old. “I had a tough draw today. It doesn’t feel like it’s a given. I always put the pressure on myself. I know if I go out there and perform my best, I know I can’t lose. I just try to wrestle as hard as I can.”

Jarvis was presented with the Outstanding Senior Male Wrestler of the Year after a bronze at the Senior Pan American Championships, gold at Canada Cup and seventh place at the Senior World Championships.

Jarvis, from Elliot Lake, Ont., will be competing at the Commonwealth Games in April in Gold Coast, Australia.

“I’m really excited for my third Commonwealth Games. I’m the returning champion so hopefully I can bring another medal home for Canada.”

Jarvis’ Commonwealth Games teammates Jevon Balfour, Jordie Steen and Alex Moore also won national championships.

Balfour picked up his second consecutive Senior Championships gold medal at 74 kg in a come-from-behind win against Shawn Daye-Finley.

“I feel like I wrestled pretty well. I knew I had good enough conditioning to come back and I did what I needed to do,” said Balfour, of Brock Wrestling Club. “I’m trying to win Commonwealth Games. I came second four years ago, when I was only 19. Now I’m 23, and I’ve got teammates like Korey that believe in me and have been with me since 2014.”

Jordie Steen, competing at 97 kg, won his second consecutive senior national championships gold.

Alex Moore won his first national title at the senior level at 86 kg. The 20-year-old was named 2017 Junior Wrestler of the Year on Friday.

Gracelynn Doogan pinned 2012 Olympian Leah Ferguson to win gold at 76 kg. Doogan, who captured silver at the U23 World Championships in November, came back from down 6-0 before taking control and getting a pin.

Temitope Ogunjimi of Dinos Wrestling Club continued a successful 2018 season with her first senior national championships gold medal at 68 kg. Ogunjimi was named the U SPORTS Wrestler of the Year in February.

At 50 kg, Natasha Kramble of Saskatoon won a bloody match against Jade Dufour of Montreal YMHA. Dufour suffered a cut on the head midway through the match, but returned to battle in

Many of Canada’s top senior women did not attend the tournament, due to a schedule conflict with the Women’s World Cup in Japan.

Michelle Fazzari and Justina Di Stasio were awarded Outstanding Senior Female Wrestler of the Year

Earlier in the evening, Wrestling Canada Lutte inducted referee Lee MacKay into the Hall of Fame. MacKay have been a driving force in Canadian officiating and has officiated at three Olympic Games and 21 consecutive Senior World Championships from 1995 to 2013.

Darthe Capellan of Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club was voted Outstanding Senior Male, and Alexandria Town from York Wrestling Club won the Outstanding Senior Female Award.

Other awards presented include: