It’s perhaps only fitting the most gripping drama of the B.C. High School Wrestling Championships in Port Alberni unfolded with Chemainus Secondary School’s Hannah Tuplin on the mat in her final year of high school eligibility.
Grade 12 student Tuplin captured the provincial title in the 54-kilogram girls division that eluded her last year with a 7-3 decision over Joclyn Bhatha of Vancouver’s John Oliver Secondary at the Alberni Valley Multiplex. This was an epic battle, so epic it received recognition as the top female bout of the entire tournament, involving more than 500 high school wrestlers.
“She had a nice finish for her Grade 12 year,” said Nick Zuback, one of the coaches handling the competing wrestlers from Cowichan Valley schools at the event. “It’s been eluding her the last two years, she got second.”
Tuplin previously faced Bhatha at the Western Canada Age Class Championships in Abbotsford and won, but both wrestlers knew the rematch was going to be a hard-fought contest.
“I was actually really calm,” said Tuplin, as she recapped the event while back at school Monday. “I was in the zone. I don’t know how I did that. I was in the zone and it was good.”
Bhatha scored the first point before Tuplin got two from going behind. Bhatha’s loose throw put her in the lead again, with Tuplin responding for one from going behind and the match was tied 3-3.
That’s when Tuplin took charge.
“I did a gut wrench, I took a 7-3 lead and then held it the rest of the time,” she noted.
The crowd was obviously into the spirited match and “everyone was counting down the last four or five seconds,” Tuplin pointed out.
After the full six minutes of non-stop action, the provincial title belonged to Tuplin amid great fanfare. She really wanted to make sure to wrestle methodically and it was mission accomplished.
“Go with the flow, don’t push anything and make stupid mistakes,” Tuplin said was her strategy.
Her efforts helped propel Chemainus Secondary into a tie for third place in the girls team standings.
“That was pretty good,” Tuplin remarked. “I don’t think Chemainus has ever had a wrestling title before.”
She’s helped spearhead more interest at the school and two other girls coming up, Emily Reid and Rosie Klatt-Leblanc, also displayed their amazing talents in the competition.
“We did the thing for the P.E., the tutorial,” noted Tuplin. “I think it’s brought up like six students.”
Reid finished second in the 110 kg girls class behind winner Amanda Silveri of St. Thomas More. Reid won by a fall over Trinity Davies of West Vancouver 3:16 into their match, lost by a fall to Silveri after 2:16 and won by a fall at 1:13 against Zeanna Stanley-Jones of Kelly Road Secondary in her three matches.
“Emily had a great tournament,” praised Zuback. “She did a great job and wrestled her best tournament. Next year, she’ll be looking for first, for sure.”
Klatt-Leblanc is another up-and-comer, with a solid third-place result in 75 kg. “She had quite a few matches, a good size category,” noted Zuback.
Klatt-Leblanc took her third-place match over Ashleigh Roy from Maple Ridge after just 26 seconds. Paige Maher of host Alberni District Secondary was the division champion.
Luther Tidder was the lone Chemainus boy in the competition and had a superb showing to finish just outside the top six in boys 130 kg.
“This is his first year, we’re happy about that,” Zuback indicated.
Nationals are up next for Tuplin, Reid and Tidder. Klatt-Leblanc is only in Grade 8 and will be eligible next year.
Cadet (Grades 9-10) and Juvenile (Grades 11-12) nationals take place in Edmonton April 11-14.
“We’ve got a good contingent and hopefully we can bring some medals back from there again,” said Zuback.
Tuplin is certainly up for the challenge.
“I want to win nationals,” she conceded.
Tuplin won gold during both her Cadet years and was third in her first year as a Juvenile.
