Wrestlers mix it up

Riverdale High School in Pierrefonds was the scene last Saturday of the 39th annual Riverdale Invitational High School Wrestling Tournament. About 169 wrestlers from 26 Quebec and Ontario high schools competed. An open category for experienced wrestlers, a novice division for those with no experience at the high-school level, and a separate peewee or elementary school competition was featured. In peewee action, three wrestlers representing Riverdale Wrestling Club captured medals, including Jing Eng-Michel and Matthew Carroll who captured gold and silver respectively in the 63-pound category and Luke Cholmski, who won silver in the 119-pound category. In novice competition, Anthony Pirocacos (John Rennie High School) and Vincent Demarinis (John Rennie) won gold and silver respectively in the 90-pound category while Dylan Flesjzon (Beaconsfield high School) captured silver in the 130-pound category. Meanwhile, Jesse Langlois (BHS) won bronze in the 140- pound category, Alex Lauzon (BHS) silver in the 175- pound class and Alex Baxter (BHS) bronze in the heavyweight division. In the open boys’ competition, Joel Lanni (John Rennie) won gold in the 132-pound category while Kris Pirocacos (John Rennie) earned bronze in the 140-pound class.



Balde wins silver

He’s been described as a definite Olympic hopeful, and at last week’s BMO Canadian figure skating championships in Halifax, Pierrefonds resident Elladj Balde showed why. Balde, a member of the Pierrefonds Figure Skating Club (PFSC) who was born in Moscow before moving to the West Island with his family at the age of two, captured a silver medal in the junior men’s category. Balde had graduated a level after winning silver last year in men’s novice and gold two years ago in pre-novice. Elsewhere at nationals, Karine Bouchard (PFSC) and Daniel Eden (Town of Mount Royal FSC) finished 13th in junior pairs, Ariane Emard Lauzon (St. Jerome Inc. CPA) and Dylan Fieldhouse (PFSC) 16th in junior dance while Lauren Brown (PFSC) and Jonathan Pelletier (St. Eustache CPA) wound up 10th in senior dance.



Fournier in Turin

Ile Bizard native Karl Fournier finds himself in Turin, Italy this week, part of the Canadian men’s hockey team competing at the 23rd Winter Universiade. Fournier, a former member of the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League Lac St. Louis Lions who went on to enjoy a solid career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Acadie-Bathurst Titans, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and Lewiston Maineiacs before enrolling at the Université de Moncton last year, scored a goal and added a pair of assists during Canada’s 14-0 drubbing of Korea on Sunday. The victory gave Canada a 2-0 record in round-robin play, after defeating the United States 5-0 last Friday. In that game, Fournier registered a goal and two assists.