Written By BRIAN LOCKHART

In her first year on the mats, Centre Dufferin District High School wrestler, Shannan Armstrong, has already accomplished what many athletes strive for after several years in a sport.

The grade 11 student battled her way through several matches to claim the District 4 / 10 championship on February 13, in Erin, then went on to win at the Central Western Ontario Secondary Schools Association (CWOSSA) competition in Waterloo on February 20.

That earned her the right to compete at the provincial level at OFSSA in Ottawa over three days on March 4,5,6.

Shannan got involved in the sport when a coach suggested she might be good at it.

“The wrestling coach, Mr. Brown, knows that I'm an athletic person and that I can lift a lot and I'm a strong person, and he said ‘why don't you come and wrestle.” Shannan explained.

At first she was hesitant to try a sport with no experience, but she decided to give it a try.

“I practiced with the wrestling team. I didn't start right away, I started a month into it, then went to my first tournament. Other schools have more girls involved.”

With only a couple of girls on the wrestling team Shannon trains working with the guys.

“I was at five tournaments. There was districts, CWOSSA, then OFSAA,” Shannan explained. “I won my district then I won CWOSSA.”

At OFSAA champions from around the province arrive to compete over three days.

“The first day was a weigh-in to make sure everyone was in their weight categories. Then we had to have skin checks. They look at your nails – you have to cut your nails to make sure you won't scratch someone. On Tuesday there was wrestling up to the semi-finals. I went undefeated on the first day then lost in the semi-finals which put me into semis for the bronze medal.”

There was around 30 other competitors in Shannan's weight class from around the province.

Shannon finished in fifth place overall in OFSAA competition.