Two Cochrane high school athletes have medalled at the ASAA wrestling provincials.
Cochrane High's grade 11 athlete Alyssa Nasrollahi topped the female 44kg event after winning gold at ASAA rural wrestling championship by default.
Winning silver last year in grade 10 left her hungry to top her field and she worked hard to perfect her techniques.
"It feels amazing, especially all the hard work I put into it," she says. "It feels like it all paid off."
She overcame Emma Taylor, of Vimy Ridge Academy, in the final.
Nasrollahi was introduced to the sport at another high school last year and continued with the Cobras after her family moved to Cochrane.
"I always wanted to do a sport but I never liked any of the other ones. I joined a school wrestling team to try it out and I ended up really liking it."
She also trains and competes with the Calgary Jr. Dinos.
The St. Timothy High School had three wrestlers advance to provincials and placed second overall among 1A high schools.
Maeve Maguire won silver in the 90 kg event, rounding out her high school career with three provincial medals. She has earned a full complement of gold, silver, and bronze medals.
Maguire lost to eventual gold medallist Austyn Labelle, of St. Francis, in her second bout before rebounding against Lindsey LeBlanc, of Beaumont, to claim silver.
Gold medallist Labelle, of Calgary, originally trained with the Cochrane Cowboys along with her sisters before moving to a Calgary club a couple of seasons ago.
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GALLERY: Three St. Tim's wrestlers advance to ASAA provincials
Nolan Maguire placed fourth in the 59 kg. event in his first appearance at provincials.
Julia Hooper also competed for St. Tim's.
Plenty of wrestling to come
The high school season may be over, but there's plenty of wrestling ahead for members of the Cochrane Cowboys. They are holding their annual tournament on Mar. 29 and several of their wrestlers will be competing at the Alberta Open on Apr. 5 in Edmonton.
The national championships are being hosted by the 7 Chiefs Sportsplex and Jim Starlight Centre in the Tsuut’ina Nation from Apr. 25 to 27.