Adams heading back to worlds
It has been four years since Sam Adams last represented Canada but that experience should still benefit the Brock wrestler at this October’s under-23 world championships in late October.
“I think it will help on some levels, just preparing for an international tournament and the atmosphere will probably be similar but it is quite an age jump from high school to U23,” the 21-year-old Vineland native said. “It feels like there is going to be a lot more pressure and the level of competition is going to be high but I am excited.”
The Beamsville graduate last represented Canada in Grade 11. She came second at the 2019 Cadet Pan American Championships in Mexico and lost her first match at the Cadet World Championships in Bulgaria.
She punched her ticket to the under-23 worlds by winning three matches at the Canadian trials.
“I was excited, a little nervous and ready to give it my all,” the fourth-year Brock nursing student said of her mindset going into the trials. “I knew that I had a good chance to get results, especially since I am a first-year senior now. Going to seniors, I was ready to wrestle my best but U23s I felt like I might have a shot at winning it.”
She did just that topping the 65-kilogram division by winning the final 5-5 over Angelina Ellis-Toddington of the Dinos Wrestling Club. In ties, the wrestler who scores last wins the match.
“It felt good and a little bit of relief. The girl I went against I wrestled in the senior bronze medal match and she beat me by a tie 7-7. I knew it was going to be a close match but I put everything out there and we ended up getting a tie as well.”
The two-time defending Ontario University Athletics silver medalist at 67 kilograms has no specific placing in mind at the world championships.
“I am just ready to take it match by match and that is often how I take every tournament. I try to focus on one match at a time and wrestle my best. I am going to try and not put too much expectations on myself and trust the process.”
The former Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations champion is happy with the progress she has made.
“There has been a lot of hard work. The sport needs a lot of commitment,” she said, adding she is looking forward to her fourth year at Brock. Her goal is to make the varsity team and go from there.
“They have added some weight classes this year and they have added 65. I wrestle at 65 nationally so I will try to go for that now. My goal is to win OUAs and U SPORTS.”
