Two Championships teams will be inducted into the Wrestling Wall of Fame, October 3rd during the Alumni Reunion Dinner, and their coach, Dr. Glynn Leyshon, will be honoured for his outstanding contribution to Western Wrestling.
Both the 1975 and 1979 teams won the OUAA & CIAU championships (now named OUA and CIS).

It was a time when Western Wrestling boasted the strongest wrestling program in Canada. Dr. Leyshon was named 1980 Olympic coach.
Wrestling has a long and outstanding traditiion at Western with records indicating wrestling was contested in the 1930’s.
The Alumni Reunion Dinner will be held October 3, 2009 at London Hall. Reception at 6:30 pm with Dinner at 7:30 pm followed by presentations.

Dr. Glynn Leyshon, past wrestling coach at Western (1960-80) was honoured for his outstanding contribution to Western Wrestling.

Current team members are able to attend the Alumni Reunion Dinner, October 3, thanks to alumnus, Bruce Barran, who competed on the 1979 OUA-CIAU championship team. Bruce, on behalf of Davis Martindale Accountants, has sponsored two tables so that current team members can attend. He thought it would be important for current team members to see the strong tradition of Western Wrestling, and for alumni to meet the current team.

An update of Western Wrestling’s “Changing Lives One Wrestler at a Time” campaign will be announced at the Alumni Reunion Dinner, October 3, 2009. The fund raising campaign is aimed to provide Athletic Financial Awards, Coaching support, and program enhancement for the Western Wrestling Program. Stay tuned for an update.

Katie Patroch placed 5th at the Senior World Championships held in Herning, Denmark, September 24. Katie, competed at 59 kg had a 3-2 win-loss record. Katie defeated Blessing Aburududu of Nigeria by PIN; in her second match she defeated Mei Jia (CHN) 3-0, 1-1, and Ludmila Christea (MDA) 2-0, 2-2 to advance to the repechage bronze medal match. She lost to Poland’s Agata Pietrzyk 0-8, 0-4 in the bracket quarter-finals, who placed 2nd overall, and Ganna Vasylenko (UKR) 0-1, Fall, who placed 3rd. Congratulations on a fine performance at the World Championships.

Saeed Azarbayjani, Western’s High Performance coach, defeated Hassan Madany (Egypt) 1-0, 5-3,  in his first match at World Wrestling Championships in Herning, Denmark.  The Beijing Olympian then lost a close match against Vasil Fedorishyn (UKR), 1-0, 1-1 placing 13th overall.  Fedorishyn was a silver medallist at the Beijing Olympics and lost in the semi-finals to the eventual world champion from Russia in the third round on a clinch. 

Saeed’s peformance indicates he’s competitive with the best in the world.  It also shows how strong wrestling is at the international level. 

Also competing at the Worlds is London-Western’s Katie Patroch who will compete September 24.  Katie competes in the 59 kg women’s division and placed 7th at the 2008 World Championships. Katie is scheduled to face, Blessing Oborundudu (NGR) in her first match.