Host Brock Badgers lead the way after Day 1 at CIS wrestling championships

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – The Brock University men’s and women’s wrestling team posted a remarkable 39-3 overall record on Friday in the first day of the Canadian university wrestling championships.

Brock is sending 15-of-18 wrestlers to Saturday’s gold-medal matches.

Ten wrestlers will defend their Canadian Interuniversity Sport individual titles from a year ago. Brock’s Carlene Sluberski, Indira Moores and Jessica Brouillette, along with Alison Carrow (Guelph), Holly Ellsworth-Clark (Calgary), Josh Bodnarchuk (Saskatchewan), Michael Asselstine (Alberta), Ahmed Shamiya (McMaster), Grayson St. Laurent (UNB) and Finn Higgins (Winnipeg) are all in their respective finals.

Asselstine won in the final seconds of two of his matches on Friday. He hopes to become the first male wrestler to be selected as the CIS Most Outstanding wrestler for three consecutive seasons on Saturday.

The Brock women will also look to become the first women’s team to capture five consecutive CIS national titles. Brock (2011-15) and Simon Fraser (2002-06) both raised the banner four consecutive years.

Brock captain, Olivia Di Bacco also closes in on history, as she looks to become the first women’s wrestler to lead her team to five straight CIS national championships.