Bronze for Hawks wrestler McNaughton at nationals

By Sean Rooney on April 20, 2018.

Medicine Hat News

She’s not even in high school yet but Bailee McNaughton is making a name for herself in national wrestling circles.

The Medicine Hat Hawks grappler took third in her division at the Canadian youth championships in Edmonton this past weekend, even though that meant going up against girls a few years older than her in the under-17 age group.

According to Hawks coach Darren Klein, McNaughton “narrowly lost to an older athlete that had just recently won the ASAA provincials that were hosted right here in the Hat.” Specifically he was referring to Edmonton’s Amy Bell, the 44 kilogram high school champ who wound up second at nationals in the 43 kg event.

Ontario’s Serena Di Benedetto beat Bell for gold.

In all, seven Hawks competed at nationals, with a couple of them falling to some notable opposition.

Dylan Callan won his first match in the under-17 92 kilogram class, but was beat 10-0 by eventual champion Hardit Garcha from the Rustom club in Surrey, B.C.

Bailee’s older brother Nolan McNaughton had a bye to the second round in the under-19 51 kg event, but like Callan was then paired up with the eventual gold medallist. Khaled Alhammoud Aldra of the Schewa club in Winnipeg beat him 12-0 en route to the title. Klein said it was actually an injury that ended Nolan’s match.

Kayen Ivey, also a top-level judo competitor, lost out in the first round of the under-19 71 kg division.

Other competitors whose match results weren’t available via the nationals website were Jay Callan, Ayden Callan and Peter Wackerlin.