Ten OFSAA medals for Niagara wrestlers
Zubin Gatta ended his high school wrestling career in the same way he started it.
After winning an Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations’ gold medal at 38 kilograms in his Grade 9 year at Eden, the Grade 12 student lost two years of OFSAA due to COVID before winning provincial gold again last week in Ottawa in the boys 57.5-kilogram division.
“It was obviously really exciting and a long time coming. I have been training hard all year for it and it was a nice relief,” the 17-year-old Niagara-on-the-Lake resident said. “It was exciting to know that I finished the year off in high school with an undefeated record of 25-0.”
The Brock Wrestling Club member, who recently won his sixth provincial championship, cruised through the competition at OFSAA, allowing only two points against in the whole tournament and winning the gold-medal 11-0 by technical superiority in the second round.
Right after OFSAA ended, Gatta headed to the national championships in Waterloo.
“It was a little bit of a celebration and then it was right back to it,” said Gatta, who is spending March Break in Myrtle Beach.
Unfortunately at nationals, things didn’t go like he had planned or hoped for.
“I got injured 30 seconds into my first match. I popped my elbow out and it was completely backwards,” he said. “It was just a fluke.”
He will be wearing a cast for the next four to six weeks.
Thankfully, last year’s team gold and individual bronze medalist at the Canada Summer Games in Niagara has plenty of time to recover.
“My biggest priority will be getting physio and getting the strength back in the arm,” he said. “I have nothing all summer — no big Canada Games or anything like that — so the next thing will be starting at Brock in September.”
He can’t wait to get started on his post-secondary wrestling career.
“I have been building it up all these years and I have been training with them for two years now. It has been a big part of wrestling for me and I have been looking forward to being on the Brock team,” Gatta said. “They just won the USPORTS title again and it’s cool that I know so many of them on the team and I am so involved already. It will be great to help them keep the legacy going.”
Joining Gatta at the top of the podium was West Niagara’s Kiran Ramburn who won gold in the boys 38-kilogram division.
Garnering silver medals were Centennial’s Matteo Romano (54 kilograms), Blessed Trinity’s Brynn Sartor (57.5 kilograms), Eden’s Charlotte Bowslaugh (64 kilograms) and Blessed Trinity’s Sophia Smerek (77 kilograms).
Earning bronze medals were E.L. Crossley’s Seth Ozog (83 kilograms), Eden’s Akira Grieve (51 kilograms), Blessed Trinity’s Cassie Corbett (67.5 kilograms) and E.L. Crossley’s Ella Andrew (95 kilograms).
Blessed Trinity finished second amongst girls teams.
Other top five results were turned in by: Centennial’s Arianna Romano who was fourth at 41 kilograms; Centennial’s Bianca Romano who was fifth at 47.5 kilograms; and, A.N. Myer’s Ezekiel Ivri who was fifth at 51 kilograms.
