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Abbotsford wrestlers storm podium at high school provincials

Abbotsford grapplers excelled at the B.C. high school wrestling championships in Prince George last weekend, combining for 12 medals.

Abbotsford grapplers excelled at the B.C. high school wrestling championships in Prince George last weekend, combining for 12 medals.

Local wrestling prowess was most decisively displayed in the 90-kilogram boys division, where Abbotsford athletes swept the podium.

W.J. Mouat Hawks teammates Nishan Randhawa and Ramandeep "Mickey" Khehira met in the final, with Randhawa – who didn't surrender a single point throughout the tournament – emerging victorious. The bronze medalist was Harjeet Mangat of the Bakerview Centre for Learning.

"Nishan is way ahead of everybody else," Mouat coach Jim Mitchell said. "Mickey was quite a surprise – he wrestled really well over the last couple weeks of the season."

Other Hawks medalists included Amrit Benning, who won the 70 kg division without allowing a point against, and Pravi Dhaliwal, who earned a silver at 60 kg to account for lone Abbotsford medal on the girls side of the competition.

The Mouat boys, the defending B.C. champs, finished second in the aggregate standings to St. Thomas More of Burnaby who racked up 69 points to the Hawks' 53.

Mouat also finished tied for seventh in the girls standings (18 points) and second in the combined aggregate to St. Thomas More (142-71).

"We had a few surprises, a couple disappointments, but we did as well as we cold as a team," Mitchell said. "St. Thomas More had so many kids there."

Among the other local highlights were gold medals from Devon Purewal of the Yale Lions (78 kg) and Jagmeet Klair of Abby Traditional (41 kg).

The Rick Hansen Hurricanes produced a trio of medalists in Justin Gill (silver, 74 kg), Navdeep Toor (silver, 48 kg) and Harman Basran (bronze, 60 kg), while Abby Traditional's Austin Gurm (bronze, 78 kg) and Akash Sund of Eugene Reimer Middle (bronze, 41 kg) also climbed the podium.

Abby Traditional and Hansen tied for sixth in the boys team standings with 33 points apiece.

• On March 15, the University of the Fraser Valley will play host to the B.C. Open Club Wrestling Championships. That event will be followed by a provincial spring break camp, March 16-18 at Mouat.