Concordia Stingers Wrestling Preview: New Blood

Stingers Seek To Bolster Experienced Roster

SportsPatrick Mocella — Published September 6, 2016

This was a challenge that Concordia Assistant Wrestling Coach David Zilberman had on his hands. This season, the team looks to bolster its ranks.

“I think our wrestlers competed really well individually,” Zilberman said. “As a team, we did well with just half of a team.”

Only six of the possible 11 slots were filled on the men’s side and the women were worse off, only comprising two of the total eight wrestlers on the roster.

New blood is not only in order for the squad. Luckily for the team, new recruits from Vanier College—which doubles as their training ground—are coming in this season to flesh out the roster.

One of these new recruits is Kyle Price, an Economics student originally from Timmins, Ontario. A few years ago Price’s high school hosted a wrestling camp that Concordia’s team attended. It peaked Price’s interest and when he made a visit to the university, the deal was sealed.

“I liked the feeling that I got in the room, it’s not like anybody is trying to hurt you,” said Price. “It’s pure technique, try to become the best you can.”

Where other schools would throw you to the sharks, Price likes the fostering atmosphere of Concordia’s team.

That’s not saying that it’s a walk in the park. The training may be tough, but Canadian Interuniversity Sport All-Canadian wrestler Vincent De Marinis says to Price and the other new recruits to stick with it.
“Listen to the coaches,” De Marinis said.

De Marinis points to Jade Dufour who, in her rookie year with the team, snagged a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships.

For some of the roster, mental conditioning can be the toughest part of the game. Even upon entering her fifth year with the team, Linda Morais admits that’s her biggest fight.

“That’s the toughest thing for me, so we’ve really been working on getting my mind through it more than anything,” Morais said.

While the CIS Championship is on her mind, Morais is looking even further as she and three other Concordia wrestlers look for gold at the World University Championships in October.

Even whilst being an individual sport, the Concordia wrestling team is united by a single goal: to be the best they can be and achieve excellence. Perhaps this time, they can do it with a full deck.