Aidan McKeage of the Cochrane Cowboys Wrestling Club came away with a bronze medal at the national cadet/juvenile wrestling championships in Saskatoon on April 7. The 16-year-old Cochrane High School student was joined by Cowboys teammates, and St. Timothy High School wrestlers, Callum McNeice and Katie-Mae Stockley.
McNeice finished fifth at the national tournament.
“All the wrestlers you face at nationals are elite athletes,” said Cowboys coach James McKeage following a gruelling, snowy drive home from Saskatoon. “Any one of them can win. All our athletes; they didn’t place first but they lost matches to the people who did place first by one point. That’s how close it is at that level.
“We’re very proud of all of them.”
McKeage’s son, Aidan, wrestled in six matches total to claim the bronze. He’s had a busy high-school and club season, wrestling in regional and provincial events leading up to the nationals. The skill level at nationals was just that much higher than any of his previous tournaments this season.
“I’ve seen a couple of kids throughout the year who did well at nationals, but not to the same extent that nationals brought.”
But he didn’t alter his game plan. He just stuck with what got him there.
“I was very strong defensively, as I normally am. I was patient, I scored when I had to.
“You don’t want to leave yourself open to an attack. Most of the guys I faced are quite a lot more built in their upper body than me. That’s not one of my big strengths. They’re a lot stronger, some of the guys are faster. I matched up technically because I’ve wrestled so long.”
And he was quick to serve props to the people who helped get him ready for the level of competition in Saskatoon.
“I just want to make sure I thank my two high-school coaches, Matt Baugh and Earl Binder, for the work they put in through the high-school season to help me achieve my goals at nationals. I also want to thank Vern McNeice for all of his hard work that makes the Cochrane Cowboys possible. And, last but not least, I want to thank my dad who also coached me throughout the year. Without his help and support I would not have been able to achieve many of the things I did this year.”
Cowboys head coach Vern McNeice summed it up:
“Super successful trip. These kids are wrestling against the best kids in the country. We brought home a medal to Cochrane (from national cadet championships) for the first time ever. Katie-Mae wrestled incredibly tough. She won a round and then lost the next round to the gal who got the bronze medal. Callum was eight seconds away from going to the gold-medal match and ended up fifth.
“That’s the way this sport is at this level. It’s that close. It was a great year. The reality is our town has got some super athletes coming out of it.
“And we’re proud of that.”
