Balfour hunting down his coach
Heading into this weekend’s Canadian senior wrestling championships in Saskatoon, Jevon Balfour has set his sights on coach Marty Calder.
“One more and I am closer to Marty’s record,” said the four-time defending champion, with a smile. “I like being in competition with him, plus it gives me something I can try to achieve more than just winning nationals.”
Calder, who is ultra-competitive at everything from golf to a form of hand ball played prior to the start of wrestling practice, wasn’t taking the bait.
“He may do that but I am not a numbers guy,” he said.
As Balfour warmed up in front of him Wednesday, Calder responded to the 24-year-old Brampton native throwing down the gauntlet.
“I tell you what Jevon. If you get to six or whatever number you are talking, I am going to come back and wrestle at your weight class,” he said. “But it would be a pleasure to have one of our guys win more of those than me. That’s for sure.”
And just to make sure Balfour knows what he was chasing, Calder reminded him of the task at hand.
“I won seven straight national titles and three Olympic trials,” he said. “That’s 10 years in a row.”
Balfour is making his seventh appearance at the senior nationals and is ready to go.
“I had some back issues before but now it feels really good,” he said.
The Brock Wrestling Club member didn’t attend the 2018 world championships because of his injured back.
“With the 2019 world championships, if I had the same issue I would probably go, but it would suck a lot because I couldn’t event get into my stance and being in your stance is one of the most important things in wrestling.”
Balfour wants to take care of business at the Canadian championships this weekend and that will earn him a spot at the Pan Am Games and the world championships. He wants to be the one that goes to the worlds and places top six to guarantee a spot for Canada in his 74-kilogram weight class at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
“I want to know that I did the work instead of someone else doing the work and then I get lucky and take it from them.”
He has made great strides as a wrestler in the last few years.
“It’s my discipline and technique and, when I get in certain situations, knowing when to do what,” he said. “Not panicking and keeping my composure is where I have improved the most.”
Despite his four-pack of national titles, Balfour is still relatively young for a wrestler.
“I don’t feel like I belong in the veteran stage yet but I do feel a difference,” he said. “When I look in the room, I can tell I am about to be the one of the oldest persons.”
As always, he is driven by his quest to be an Olympian.
“I’ve been dreaming about that for too long,” he said, “When I won my first nationals in 2015, I started to think about how close I actually was and ever since then, it has been ‘You are close. Get there.’ ”
At the 2016 Olympics trials, Balfour lost to former Brock wrestler Cleo Ncube
“He was the better wrestler that day,” he said.
Ncube was unable to qualify the spot for Canada at the Rio Games. Calder likes Balfour’s chances at nationals.
“He has some good guys in his weight class, but he has done it for a number of years now and his focus is to get to the Olympics and worlds,” he said. “He is completely capable, but he is going to have to wrestle well and that’s what makes it exciting.
“Lucky for him, he is the top dog in the weight class and I would rather be him than the underdogs.”
Calder has an appreciation for Balfour’s abilities and makeup.
“He’s an amazing talent and a great kid and I look forward to the future with him.”
Brock’s team left Thursday for the national championships.
“It’s a really big weekend and it something I look forward to all year long, Calder said. “It’s exciting for us.”
Brock wrestlers try to prepare to peak at the Canadian championships, but it’s tough for some of the athletes who competed for Brock at the university level.
“The tapering process is a finicky process and it is a little bit personal too, but we maintain the intensity and try to rest and recover,” Calder said.
Brock is bringing 27 athletes to the Canadian championships and Calder is loathe to say how many are legitimate medal contenders.
“The reason why we bring people to nationals is because they are competitive,” he said. “It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work and commitment from the athletes, coaching staff and trainers.”
“We like to wrestle for the big ones and this is one that we prepare for all year round.”
Below are all the Brock wrestlers in action this weekend.
Competing in the freestyle men’s events are Sam Jagas (57 kilograms), Ligrit Sadiku (57 kilograms), Alex Moher (57 kilograms), Cruix Manning (65 kilograms), Chris McIsaac (65 kilograms), Nick Rowe (70 kilograms), Jevon Balfour (74 kilograms), Tyler Rowe (74 kilograms), Ty Bridgewater (74 kilograms), Juwan Burgess (79 kilograms), Pye Clayton (79 kilograms) and Richard DesChatelets Jr. (97 kilograms).
Brock women competing in the freestyle women’s events are Jessie MacDonald (50 kilograms); Diana Weicker (53 kilograms), Kristina McLaren (53 kilograms), Jade Parsons (53 kilograms); Hannah Taylor (57 kilograms), Emily Schaeffer (57 kilograms), Jessica Brouillette (62 kilograms), Olivia Di Bacco (68 kilograms), Shauna Kuebeck (72 kilograms) and Darrion Sterling (72 kilograms).
Competing for Brock in the junior women’s divisions are Samantha Romana (50 kilograms), Jessica Tillmanns (62 kilograms) and Nicole French (72 kilograms). Team Discipline’s Samantha Adams, a Beamsville and District Secondary School student, is also competing at 50 kilograms.
Representing Brock in the junior men’s divisions are Garette Saunders (57 kilograms) and Tejvir Boal (86 kilograms).
