A pair of Foothills Falcons rookies qualified for the provincial high school wrestling championships.
However, a miscue has the veteran on the team not making the trip to the Alberta finals this weekend in Calgary.
Grade 11 student Raegan Green finished third in the 47kg girls weight division while Grade 10 student Jake Bernier-Palmer finished fifth at 65kg at the rural provincial high school wrestling championships in Lethbridge Feb. 28-29.
The soft-spoken Bernier-Palmer showed some aggression in turning in what he called his strongest performance of the year at rurals.
“I was being told to be more aggressive on the mat and I started to do that,” Bernier-Palmer said.
He got off to a slow start losing his match on points. He was keyed up for the second-tilt — a loss and it would likely be “two and a view” for the young wrestler.
“I found the opportunity and I dumped my opponent and I was able to pin him,” Bernier-Palmer said.
He wasn’t able to keep the momentum going as he was defeated in his third match. That meant he had to wrestle for fifth-place — the final position to qualify for provincials.
“I was really fired up, I was going to be more aggressive,” he said. “And then I won by default because the other guy was sick. I was disappointed. I will take moving on to provincials, but it would have been better to wrestle."
He said he was confident he would have won the match.
He’s pumped to be going to the big dance this weekend — something he calls a learning experience.
“I’m excited and surprised,” Bernier-Palmer said. “This is my first year and I didn’t want to set my expectations too high.
“I hope to do well, but there are people more experienced than I am… I have learned to be more confident.”
Green finished third at rural provincials.
“I felt I fought hard, but it was mostly a toss that got me,” Green said. “I felt like I did okay.”
She went 0-2 at rurals but was able to advance to provincials. She would like to win a match at provincials.
Grade 12 student Jordan Alsip, 70kg, had an impressive first match at rurals, pinning her opponent in less than 40 seconds.
However, in her second match she was disqualified from the tournament due to an illegal move.
Ashlynne Scovoranski, said Green and Bernier-Palmer as first year wrestlers will be in tough at provincials.
“For two rookies, to go to provincials that is pretty special,” Scovoranski said, who won a silver medal at 70kg when the provincial championships were held at the Comp in 2012. “If they go out there and win a match among the best wrestlers in Alberta that will be something.”
She said it will be learning experience for both wrestlers.
The provincial championships are March 13-14 at Crescent Heights High School in Calgary.
