LONDON, Ontario – King College Women's Wrestling traveling across international lines to the Canadian province of Ontario to participate in one of the host nation's most cherished tournaments, the Harry Geris Memorial International Women's Wrestling Duals. 

The tournament was an all-day event that took place on Saturday, Nov. 19, where King displayed brilliance on the mats to take the gold medal with an undefeated performance against some of North America's best in the sport.
 
The Tornado opened the tournament with a steep challenge, facing off against the reigning Canadian National champions, the University of Alberta, in their first match. King defeated the Pandas by a score of 22-13, in one of King's most competitive matches of the year. No. 1 Emily Martin began the dual with a win by a decisive win by decision but the team win was solidified by Kayla Brendlinger (Slippery Rock, Penn.), Julie Salata (Canton, Mich.), Sarah Hildebrandt (Granger, Ill.) and Alli Ragan (Carbondale, Ill.) winning consecutive bouts to close out the match. Brendlinger and Salata each won by pinning their opponent in the first period while Hildebrandt and Ragan each won by decision. Ragan shut out her opponent, 3-0 and 2-0. King defeated the defending National Champions, 22-13, to advance them in pool play.

King handled their next two opponents in pool play with ease, defeating nationally-ranked Lindenwood University, 26-9, followed by a 34-2 victory over McMaster University. Over the two duals, King recorded five pins, two by Lorrie Ramos and another pair by Brendlinger.

After advancing out of pool play and placed into the semifinal round, the Tornado paired up with host school Western Ontario University who finished runner up in a separate pool. King handled Western Ontario, 27-4, with the Tornado winning all but one bout in the matchup. Emily Martin, Lorrie Ramos and Alli Ragan all recorded pins over their opponents and all within 90 seconds of the start of the bout.

King advanced to the championship round to meet No. 3 Simon Fraser University, who King narrowly defeated 22-20 in their dual on Oct. 9. King and Simon Fraser traded win through the first four bouts with all matches being won by decision. King ran away with the team victory by winning the final four bouts with the backend coming through in a big way. Hildebrandt, Salata, Brendlinger and Ragan won in consecutive matches to help the Tornado to a 23-9 win and the tournament championship.

Alli Ragan, Sam Klingel, Emily Martin and Kayla Brendlinger all went undefeated in the day's events. Ragan was also named Most Outstanding American Wrestler after tournament's end.

The Tornado improve to 14-1 in dual meets this season after posting a 5-0 record on Saturday. In their 14 wins this season, they have outscored the competition 487-94.

The Harry Geris Women's Wrestling Duals features the top women's wrestling teams from Canada and the United States. The event is named after Harry Geris, a London wrestling icon who was a former coach with the University of Western Ontario and the London-Western wrestling program.

This is the fourth annual Harry Geris Memorial Women's Wrestling Duals and is the first time that the competition will be held in his hometown of London, Ontario. Geris coached with the Western Mustangs and its affiliated club, the London-Western Wrestling Club before passing away suddenly of heart failure in 2008.

Geris was a three-time wrestling Olympian for Canada. He was inducted into Wrestling Canada's Hall of Fame and the USA Junior College Hall of Fame as well as London Sports Hall of Fame. He was a U.S. Junior College champion while wrestling at Joliet Junior College (Ill.) and a NCAA All-American while at Oklahoma State University in the early 1970s.

King will rest for the duration of the month and return to the mats on Dec. 3 for the Cumberland Duals, held in Williamsburg, Kentucky. It will be their last meet prior to the team's preparation for the U.S. Senior Nationals (Dec. 17) and the NWCA National Duals (Dec. 17), held at King College.

KING, 22 vs. University of Alberta, 13
48kg - E. Martin (King) win by dec. Lyndsay (UofA) 6-0, 5-1
82kg - Bello (UovA) win by fall over Mattes (King) :36
51kg - Klingel (King) dec Brady (UofA) 1-1, 1-1
72kg - Bouchard (UofA) fall over Ramos (King) 1:26
55kg - Brendlinger (King) fall over Fuzzari (UofA) 1:50
67kg - Salata (King) fall over Kelly (UofA) 0-1, 1-0, Fall :30
59kg - Hildebrandt (King) dec Thomas (UofA) 1-0, 0-1, 1-0
63kg - Ragan (King) dec Figeruoa (UofA) 3-0, 2-0

King 26 vs. Lindenwood 9
48kg - E. Martin (King) forf
82kg - Ramos (King) fall over Ruth (LW) 1:54
51kg - Klingel (King) dec Walker (LW) 0-1, 3-2, 6-1
72kg - David (LW) dec Mattes (King) 6-0, 9-2
55kg - Hildebrandt (King) dec Caldera (LW) 1-0, 2-1
67kg - Kusse (LW) dec Salata (King) 2-1, 4-1
59kg - Brendlinger (King) fall over Yanez (LW) 1:08
63kg - Ragan (King) dec Shannon (LW) 3-0, 4-0

KING 34 vs. McMaster 2
48kg - T. Perez (King) fall over Fung (McM)
82kg - Mattes (King) for
51kg - Bartosch (King) dec Mazara (McM) 6-0, 6-3
72kg - Ramos (King) fall over Anderson (McM) 1-0, Fall 1:20
55kg - Brendlinger (King) fall over Lee (McM) 1:30
67kg - Salata (King) dec Shaver (McM0 0-4, 6-0, 3-1
59kg - S. Martin (King) dec Dugan (McM) 2-0, 6-0
63kg - Ragan (King) Fall over Angelo (McM) 6-0, Fall :30

KING, 27 vs. University of Western Ontario 4
48kg - E. Martin (King) fall over Gash (UWO) 1:20
82kg - Mattes (King) dec Riddell (UWO) 0-2, 2-1, 1-0
51kg - Klingel (King) dec Oulletle (UWO) 2-0, 4-0
72kg - Ramos (King) fall over Varallo (UWO) 1:07
55kg - Barry (UWO) dec Hildebrandt (King) 4-0, 3-0
67kg - Salata (King) dec Williams (UWO) 2-0, 3-0
59kg - Brendlinger (King) dec Wakelin (UWO) 8-0, 3-0
63kg - Ragan (King) fall over D'Alleva (UWO) 1:09

KING 23 vs. Simon Fraser 9
48kg - E. Martin (King) dec Ivanoff (SFU) 6-0, 4-2
82kg - Greening (SFU) dec Mattes (King) 2-0, 1-0
51kg - Klingel (King) dec Brar (SFU) 3-1, 2-1
72kg - Distasio (SFU) dec Ramos (King) 1-0, 2-1
55kg - Hildebrandt (King) dec Wilson (SFU) 5-0, 3-0
67kg - Salata (King) fall over Morrison (SFU) 3-3, 1:20
59kg - Brendlinger (King) dec Gordon (SFU) 0-1, 6-1, 4-4
63kg - Ragan (King) fall over Halborson (SFU) 8-0, Fall :37