Big haul for locals at Canadian Junior Nationals

Ontario weightlifters took 6 medals in total at the 2008 Junior National Weightlifting Championships in Lake Country B.C. on the weekend. The medal haul which included, one gold, four silver and one bronze, was courtesy the athletes of one club – the Norsemen/Valkyries of North Bay.

In the first session of the day North Bay’s Andrew Uyeda took a silver medal in the 62 kilo class with lifts of 77 kgs in the snatch and 90 in the clean and jerk. The gold went to Francois Chenier of Quebec, while Brett Burdz of Manitoba was awarded the bronze. In the 69 kilo class, Arek Biedrzyki of the Toronto totaled 180 for fourth .

Session two featured the lighter female classes 48, 53 and 58 kilos. Valkyries star Courtney Simkins lifting in the 58’s started strong in the snatch with a best mark of 55 kilos. Sittting in second going into the clean and jerk, she started at what is usually an easy weight of 68 kilos. Unfortunately, Courtney missed three straight attempts and was eliminated from the competition. Annie Monique of Quebec was the eventual winner.

The third lifting session featured the hotly contested male 77 and 85 kilo divisions. Ontario’s representative in the 77 class was Norsemen Mat Fraser, a native of Burlington Vermont who has dual citizenship and trains every summer in North Bay. Fraser broke all his personal records by hoisting 115 in the snatch and 141 in the clean and jerk for a total of 256 kilos. For his efforts he was awarded the silver medal. The gold went to Paul Dumais of Quebec with a 270 total. Gurneet Gosal of B.C. won bronze with 209.

David Staniszewski of the Norsemen picked up a bronze medal in the 85’s. The grade 12 West Ferris student made 95 kilos in the snatch and 115 in the clean and jerk for a total of 210. Dan Marineau of Quebec and Samirdeep Virk of B.C. finished ahead of Staniszewski.

Ontario’s top ranked female junior, Kayla Turner of the Valkyries, joined teammate Tiana Walt of Belleville in the 63 kilo division. Turner put up 63 in the snatch and 73 in the clean and jerk for 136 kilos in the total and another silver medal. Snim Sangera of B.C and Walt both totaled 121, but the bronze was awarded to Sangera by virtue of a lighter bodyweight. Valerie Lefebvre of Montreal was the gold medalist.

Contestants in the heavier male divisions, 94, 105 and +105 kilos, lifted in the final session of the contest. Both A.J. Wendover and Kirt Trahan put on a fine show finishing with the gold and silver respectively in the +105 class. Trahan made 95 kilos on his first attempt in the snatch and then missed 100 twice. In the clean and jerk Kirt made no mistakes, putting up lifts of 120, 125 and 130 to place ahead of the bronze medalist Andrew Van Wysenberghe of Manitoba.

Meanwhile, Norsemen A.J. Wendover made lifts of 120 in the snatch and 145 in the clean and jerk to claim Ontario’s only gold medal of the championship. Wendover, a first year Laurier University student and member of the Golden Hawks football squad, was the silver medalist at last years Junior Nationals.

Submitted to BayToday.ca