Centennial Grad Wins Third CIAU Freestyle Wrestling Title

Coach has high praise for Badger co-captain

By Bill Sawchik Tribune Staff/ST. CATHERINES

Total dedication - those were the words Nick Ugoalah's coach used describe his wrestler after the Brock University student won his third CIAU freestyle wrestling championship Saturday.

Ugoalah, a Welland Centennial graduate captured the championship by defeating Manitoba's Frank Deer 9-0 in the 82 kilogram class.

"The City of Welland can be very proud of Nick Ugoalah," said Richard Deschatelets, the Brock coach who built the St. Catharines school into a wrestling powerhouse. "Nick is an outstanding individual. He's very talented. He's explosive on the mat, quick and very tough to score on. An opponent has to have some really effective moves to score. Nick will shutout just about everybody."

When all was said and done Saturday, Ugoalah and his Badger teammates had combined to win their second consecutive CIAU freestyle wrestling championship.

Nick Ugoalah of Brock University, red, takes down Frank Deer of the University of Manitoba during their 82 kg. match at Brock in St. Catharines on Saturday. Ugoalah won the match 9-0. Left, Ugoalah receives the gold medal and gives a wave to the crowd./TRIBUNE PHOTOS KEVIN ARGUE

"Nick wasn't an OFSAA champion or anything like that coming in here," Deschatelets said. "He was fairly raw. I saw a lot of talent, but it takes a lot more than talent."

"We redshirted him the first year because we didn't think he was ready for this level of competition, but from his first practice on, he has done nothing but improve. He has an outstanding attitude. He's a co-captain and there's no question, he possesses the leadership traits a coach looks for. He's been a joy to work with."

Deschatelets says making the Olympic team in the year 2,000 would be Ugoalah's next logical wrestling goal. On the academic side, Ugoalah already has a general arts degree from Brock and is working on a second in computers. "We would need to sit down and see what he wants," Deschatelets said of a possible bid to make the Olympic team. "It's a real commitment, and he would have to take it one step at a time, but 1 will encourage and help him in any way I can."

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