Ramona Balfour and Olivia Gunnell competed in the highly rated German Grand Prix Wrestling tournament in Dormagen, Germany, May 22, 23.  Balfour (44 kg) placed 7th while Gunnell placed 8th at 59 kg.

44 kg

• Gold – Nadezda Fedorova (Russia)
• Silver – Tabatha Grunewald (France)
• Bronze – Lina Myreeva (Russia)
• Bronze – Katharina Baumgartner (Germany)
• 5th – Bettina Kruppke (Germany)
• 5th – Jane Schmieder (Thüringen)
• 7th – Ramona Balfour (Canada)
• 8th – Agata Lagozna (Czarny Bor – Poland)
• 9th – Jasmin van Berkum (Nordrhein-Westfalen – Germany)

59 kg

• Gold – Evelina Gryvik (Sweden)
• Silver – Margarita Fatkulina (Russia)
• Bronze – Zhargalma Tsyrenova (Russia)
• Bronze – Alena Filipava (Belarus)
• 5th – Fabienne Wittenwiler (Switzerland)
• 5th – Laura Raffler (Austria)
• 7th – Christiane Knittel (Germany)
• 8th – Olivia Gunnell (Canada)
• 9th – Ramona Ballas (Nordrhein-Westfalen – Germany)
• 10th – Irina Petrova (Latvia)

(Atatürk Sports Hall, Ankara, Turkey.)

Olivia Gunnell and Brianne Barry both won Gold medals at the Junior International “Champions” tournament in Ankara, Turkey.  Ramona Balfour placed  5th.  Details are forthcoming.

55 kg:

• 1.  Brianne Barry (Canada)
• 2.  Günay İsmailova (Azerbaijan)
• 3.  Leyla Ertaç (Turkey)
• 3.  Martina Riegler (Austria)

59 kg:

• 1.  Olivia Gunnell (Canada)
• 2.  Laura Raffle ( Austria)
• 3.  Emine Cutting (Turkey)
• 3.   Niyetova Gulffaras (Kazakhstan)

Overall Team results WOMEN

1. TÜRKİYE: 67 POINTS
2. CANADA: 65 POINTS
3. KAZAKISTAN: 60 Points

Congratulations to Ramona, Olivia and Brianne!

Three members of the London-Western Wrestling Club representing the Junior National Women’s Program are enroute to Europe, May 11, 2010.  Ramona Balfour (44 kg), Brianne Barry (55 kg) and Olivia Gunnell (59 kg) will compete in the “International Juniors Champions Tournament” May 14, 15, in Ankara, Turkey.  Ramona and Brianne will compete on May 14 while Olivia a day later on May 15.

All three members won gold in their respective divisions at the Junior National Championships, March, 2010.  

London-Western Coach, Dave Spinney was selected as head coach of the Junior National Women’s Program, while London-Western’s High Performance Coach, Saeed Azarbayjani was selected as Assistant to the Junior National Men’s Program.  The men’s team will also compete in Ankara. 

The following week, the women’s team will train in Germany and compete in the highly rated Grand Prix of Germany, 13th International “Hans-von-Zons”-Tournament, May 22, 23.  The men’s team will also travel to Germany but will compete in a series of dual-meets in different cities.

Western Wrestling’s Golf Tournament is Monday July 5, 2010 at Greenhills Golf Club.  Alumni, London-Western team members and friends of wrestling are invited to attend.  For more information click on the Golf Tournament link or visit:  www.westernconnect.ca/wrestlinggolf