Western News, Mar 5th, 2007
Mustang Weekend Update
Athletes of the Week
Male: Steve Ko (Graduate Student, MBA-Ivey, Toronto, ON)
Western Ivey MBA graduate student Steve Ko led the way for the Mustangs men's wrestling contingent at the CIS national championships in Saskatoon, winning a bronze medal in the 72 kg weight class, beating Matt Sparling from Guelph. Earlier in the national tournament, Ko lost a hard fought semi-final match to Jarret Wall from Alberta.
"Steve ended off his university wrestling career on a high note winning his first CIS medal," head coach Ray Takahashi said.
Ko won a silver medal in the 72-kg weight class at the OUA championships.
Female: Laura Skopelianos (Third Year, Kinesiology, London, ON)
Laura Skopelianos placed 3rd beating arch rival Liz Martindale of Brock in the bronze-medal match at the CIS national championships, leading the Mustangs women's squad to an overall team bronze, Western's only team to medal at the CIS level in the 2006-07 season. The third-year kinesiology student is a skilled wrestler making her way up the ladder.
According to head coach Ray Takahashi, she had tough competition throughout the nationals. "But she's a real competitor and does well in tight matches." Skopelianos also defeated Martindale in February in the OUA championship bout helping the Mustangs women to an OUA team gold medal.
Top 3 results
Women' Team 3rd overall
Men's Team 7th overall
3rd 51 kg Laura Skopelianos
3rd 67 kg Jessica Fitzgerald
3rd 72 kg Jessica Belchos
3rd 72 kg Steven Ko
