Wesmen Athletics
2011-2012 Men's Wrestling Stories
Wesmen Open Begins This Friday
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
- The first home meet in the history of the University of Winnipeg's
Wrestling program will take place this Friday and Saturday. The
inaugural "Wesmen Open" will take place at Tec Voc High School (1555
Wall Street). The "Club" portion of the tournament will take place place
on Friday followed by the University (CIS) section on Saturday. CIS
schools representing Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, Lakehead, Calgary and
Regina are scheduled to compete.
Results will be posted here when they become available
Wrestling Trials A Success
The
Canadian Qualification Wrestling Trials were held at the Duckworth
Centre from December 15-18, 2011. The trials were used as basis for the
selection of the wrestling team that will represent Canada in the 2012
Summer Olympic Games to be held in London, England.Canadian Wrestling Trials - Full Results
Adrian Bruce Named Head Coach Of Wrestling Program
Monday, May 30, 2011 - The
University of Winnipeg Wesmen is pleased to announce that Adrian Bruce
has been named the first head coach of the newly formed University of
Winnipeg wrestling program. The program will participate in the Canada
West conference of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) league
beginning with the 2011-2012 season this fall.“It is a great day for the sport of wrestling in both Manitoba & Canada, the much anticipated participation of the U of W into the CIS in the sport contributes to the overall health of the sport in all aspects. To be selected to fill such a significant role within the sport and the University of Winnipeg, is both a privilege and an honour.” Stepping into the role of head coach at a school such as the U of W there are big shoes to fill, by association there is an expectation to succeed but at the same time there is the wisdom that it will happen in time.” The success of the existing Wesmen Athletic programs is a direct result of the support received from the University as a community, my philosophy is “If you surround yourself with good people you can’t help but be successful”, by being a part of the Wesmen family I am doing just that” said Bruce.
Bruce joins the Wesmen with over 30 years experience in the sport as a competitor, coach and builder. He is the current President of the Manitoba Amateur Wrestling Association and a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association. Bruce is the current Provincial Head Coach of the Men’s and Women’s Wrestling Teams and will coach Team Manitoba at the 2011 Western Canada Summer Games being held in Kamloops, British Columbia in August. Bruce is the chairperson of the 2012 Canadian Olympic Wrestling Trials Committee. The trials will take place at the University of Winnipeg’s Duckworth Centre this December. An accomplished coach with many awards including Coaching Manitoba’s “Coach of the Month” (November, 2010) and the 2011 recipient of the Dr. Jack Hunt Memorial Award (April 2011), recognizing the developmental Coach of the Year in Manitoba. Bruce was also a finalist for the 2011 Sport Manitoba Male Coach of the Year.
Bruce entered the coaching ranks after a highly successful competitive career where he was a former Canadian National Champion and a five time Saskatchewan Provincial Champion. The native of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan currently resides in Niverville, Manitoba with his wife and two children.
The University plans to not only provide opportunities for student-athletes at the varsity level but also plans to operate a full wrestling club. Together the club and the varsity program will provide a chance for students, staff, public and inner-city youth to participate in regular classes, clinics, Jr. Wesmen programs and competitions.
“The student-athletes in our wrestling program will provide us with even more role models and ambassadors that will represent our University, enhance our athletic programs and give back to the community at large and, in particular, the inner-city community, where wrestling has become a popular sport,” said Athletic Director Doran Reid. “In looking for a leader to guide these new student-athletes, it very quickly became apparent to me that Adrian Bruce has all of the attributes I was looking for. He has the passion, the knowledge and the experience to go along with the fact he is very well connected to the Wrestling community in North America.”
UWinnipeg To Play Host To Olympic Wrestling Trials
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 - The Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association (CAWA) Board of Directors named The University of Winnipeg as the site of the 2012 Olympic Trials for the sport of wrestling. The trials – scheduled for Dec. 15-18, 2011 at the University’s Duckworth Centre – are being co-hosted by the Manitoba Amateur Wrestling Association (MAWA) and The University of Winnipeg.The City of Winnipeg’s bid for the Olympic Trials was a joint effort between MAWA and UWinnipeg with the cooperation and support of Sport Manitoba, Tourism Winnipeg, the City of Winnipeg and the Province of Manitoba. The joint bid beat out other submissions from the cities of Calgary and Toronto.
“Winnipeg is a city with a tremendous history of hosting world-class sporting events,” said Adrian Bruce, MAWA President. “The University of Winnipeg was our partner of choice to host this event, as they have created a legacy of successful athletic programs within an institution that has a well-earned reputation of excellence.”
The four-day event will feature the country’s top male and female wrestlers as they compete for spots on Canada’s Olympic Team. The Duckworth Centre has played host to many important national events in the past, including the CIS National Women’s Basketball Championships and the test event for wrestling for the 1999 Pan-Am Games.
“We’re honored to have been chosen to play host to a prestigious event like the Olympic Trials,” said Doran Reid, UWinnipeg Athletic Director. “Winnipeggers will now have the chance to see in person the athletes that will represent Canada at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. It should be a very exciting event.”
