Cochrane Cowboys alumnus Nick Hooper and Annika Fines of the Calgary Dinos have retained their spots on the Canadian national junior wrestling team and are preparing for two major international competitions.
For the second consecutive year, 19-year-old Hooper won the 74-kilogram event in junior men’s wrestling at nationals, held over the weekend at Clare Drake Arena on the University of Alberta campus in Edmonton. He was also named the junior men’s most outstanding wrestler for his performance.
Hooper faced Joshua Lundin of the University of Alberta Golden Bears in the final.
“I never wrestled him in a tournament, but I grew up doing camps with him, so he was a very familiar opponent,” said Hooper. “It was good to have an all-Alberta final for nationals.”
Annika Fines, a Calgary athlete who trained with the Cowboys at a young age, is also returning to the national team after winning the 57-kg category.
Both athletes are coming off gold-medal performances at the Canada West and U Sports championships.
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Their victories have earned them spots on the international stage this summer. The Pan-American Championship will take place in Peru in mid-July, followed by the World Championship in Bulgaria in August.
Hooper’s success may make him a marked man among his peers, but he embraces the challenge.
“It’s an exciting thing. I’m always looking for new competition and people to improve the sport, so we look better together on the world stage,” he said.
Hooper will move up to the U23 age group next season. His long-term dream is to represent Canada at the Olympics.
“That’s the goal. That’s where I want to find myself in these next two or three cycles.”
Both athletes will return to the Dinos wrestling program in the fall.