Andrew Howe, who trains with the Cliff Keen WC in Michigan, will compete this weekend at the Guelph Open in Canada. Larry Slater photo

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The Cliff Keen Wrestling Club will kick off its 2012 schedule at the Guelph Open on Saturday (Nov. 21), sending four representatives to compete in the freestyle tournament, slated for a 9 a.m. start at the University of Guelph's W.F. Mitchell Athletics Centre.

The CKWC contingent will include Jimmy Kennedy at 60kg/132 pounds, Josh Churella at 66kg/145.5 pounds, Andrew Howe at 74kg/163 pounds and Tyrel Todd at 84kg/185 pounds. 

CKWC coaches Andy Hrovat and Ryan Churella will accompany the group.

"We're just looking to get these guys some matches and get them back into competition mode," said Hrovat. "You never want too long of a layoff, and this is a good opportunity for them to make weight and compete all day in a tournament environment. 

"In the way we've structured our training, they've been getting in a lot of situations and flurries and scoring a lot of points. Right now their confidence is high. We want them mentally prepared, because we're expecting to go up to Guelph, compete hard, score a lot points and win. This tournament is just going to keep building their confidence, and we want them to have confidence going into Schultz and to Ukraine."

It will be the first competition for Josh Churella since traveling to Turkey as part of the U.S. World Championship delegation. Churella took third at last summer's World Team Trials and is in his second year on the U.S. national team. He was sidelined for much of the fall with injury.

Howe will make his second trip to Canada in three months after capturing the 74kg title at the Hargobind International in November. Howe split a pair of dual matches against Mongolia and Russia and, most recently, took silver at the Olympic Test Event in London.

Kennedy and Todd also boasted a busy fall competition schedule, capped by an appearance at the Olympic Trials Freestyle Qualifier in Las Vegas, Nev. Kennedy took third place at 60kg to punch his ticket to the 2012 Olympic Trials.

Todd and Mike Poeta (74kg/163 pounds) are scheduled to compete at the Dave Schultz Memorial International next month before joining the rest of the CKWC for a two-week training camp in Ukraine.