The Golden Bears and Pandas will host their lone meet of 2024 this weekend, taking on the Calgary Dinos in a dual meet on Friday, and the annual Golden Bears Open on Saturday.
The Pandas will also be holding their U SPORTS Championship Banner Ceremony on Friday night. Along with displaying their 2023 national title banner, the Golden Bears will also be celebrating the 22-year wrestling career of three-time U SPORTS gold medalist Michael Asselstine.Â
MEET INFO
Friday, January 12
Dual Meet vs Calgary Dinos
Banner Ceremony - 5:30 p.m. MT
Dual Meet - 6:00 p.m. MT
Saturday, January 13
Golden Bears Open, 9:00 a.m. MT
The Golden Bears and Pandas are coming off an outstanding 2022/23 season which saw both teams capture Canada West titles, and the Pandas win their second U SPORTS Championship at home. Both teams are are poised to repeat as Canada West Champions, and both are working hard to capture U SPORTS titles later this season. The Bears are ranked No. 1 in the nation to open 2024, while the Pandas are ranked fourth.Â
"This year's women's team is in a rebuild," said head coach
Owen Dawkins. "However, we are still in a good position to repeat as Canada West and U SPORTS Champions, led by third-year team captain
Aleah Nickel, fourth-year veteran
Andrea Franko, and third-years
Amy Bell and
Vianne Rouleau."
"This year's Bears team is possibly the best team I have coached in my 18 years as a head coach," continued Dawkins. "We are led by outstanding performers like reigning U SPORTS Champion
Alec Montoya. Also undefeated in the U SPORTS competition this season includes veterans
Taran Goring and
Aidan Stevenson, and team captain
Isaiah Springer. Â Our men's team has also seen the return of
Devan Larkin, who has medaled in all of his U SPORTS competitions so far."Â
Not to be outdone is 2023 U SPORTS Silver Medalist Talon Hird, who has also medaled in all of his competitions this season.Â
Â
