It’s been a successful return to the mats this season for Cochrane Cowboys wrestler Nolan Maguire.
The 16-year-old captured silver in the male cadet 60 kg division at the National Wrestling Championships.
“It was pretty tough, but I wrestled U19 nationals before, so I was used to competing against people from British Columbia and places like that,” said Maguire. “It was good to get more competition in.”
“I wasn’t expecting to go that far,” he admits. “I was pretty sure I was going to place, but I’m happy I stayed on the main side and got to wrestle for gold.”
It was Nathan Nash, of Team Discipline, of Ancaster, ON.
The performance follows a fourth-place finish at the ASAA provincials for the Grade 10 student, after claiming a CSHSAA city championship earlier in the season.
Maguire was first introduced to wrestling at around age seven, and returned to the sport this season with the Cowboys and St. Timothy High School.
“I didn’t wrestle for three years until this one, and that school season really helped me get back into it,” he said.
Maguire has one more year in cadet competition before moving up to juniors. He expressed interest in wrestling at the university level, but was even more enthusiastic about the idea of coaching.
“I’ve always wanted to coach,” he said. “I think coaching would be pretty cool.”
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While his older brother Brendan and sister Maeve have also found success on the mats, Nolan was the first to try the sport.
“My brother always stuck with it, and he’s now wrestling for the Dinos at the University of Calgary,” he said.
His sister Maeve won silver in the 90 kg division at the ASAA provincial championships, capping off her high school career with a full set of provincial medals—gold, silver, and bronze.