Pinetree secondary’s Jacqueline Lew dominated the 51 kg weight class as she took first place at the B.C. Wrestling Association’s high school provincial finals in Salmon Arm last week.
The Grade 12 student defeated Andrea Morris of Cowichan secondary to win gold in the event with a performance that also earned her a most outstanding athlete award at the tournament.
It was the third time Lew has taken home the top prize at the provincials, a streak that started when she was in Grade 10 — the same year she was named Coquitlam Sports Hall of Fame’s outstanding female athlete of the year.
With the win, Lew will now head to Saint Catharines, Ont., where she will compete in the junior national championship, before defending her national title at the juvenile national championship in Windsor, Ont, in April.
Lew is also expected to head to Winnipeg in June for the Canada Summer Games.
She was not the only Pinetree athlete to take home gold at last weekend’s provincial tournament.
Kye Mills defeated Ryan Hicks of Maple Ridge to win first place in the boys 51 kg category, while Daniel Chernetski took silver in the 60 kg boys event. Gabriel Velasquez, also of Pinetree, took sixth in 90 kg boys.
In the girls 75 kg category, Keish Nagoir from Port Coquitlam’s Riverside secondary took bronze, while teammate Ryann McCready took sixth in the 54 kg category.
Other competitors include Centennial athletes Emilee Lai, who snared silver in the girls 40 kg and Chris Katsiantis, who finished fifth in the 66 kg boys category. Meanwhile, teammate Sara Diaz took sixth in girls 64 kg, Brittney O’Donaghey took fifth in girls 69 kg and Lauren Kazak took fourth in girls 90 kg.
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