Andrew Howe (74kg), Josh Churella (66kg), Tyrel Todd (84kg) and Jimmy Kennedy (60kg) won titles at the 2012 Guelph Open in Canada. Photo courtesy of Cliff Keen WC.

GUELPH, Ontario - The Cliff Keen Wrestling Club went a perfect 4-for-4 at the annual Guelph Open on Saturday (Jan. 21), crowning four individual champions at the University of Guelph's W.F. Mitchell Athletics Centre. With the performance, the New York AC, which is the national club which all four athletes compete for, also took second place in the team standings.

Competing in their first competition of the 2012 schedule, Jimmy Kennedy (60kg/132 pounds), Josh Churella (66kg/145.5 pounds), Andrew Howe (74kg/163 pounds) and Tyrel Todd (84kg/185 pounds) captured gold medals as the CKWC quartet combined for a flawless 15-0 record.

"I was very pleased with the way our team competed," said CKWC coach Andy Hrovat. "This was an important tournament. Our goals are to make the Olympic team, and in order to do that, we need to win at every tournament. It's very important to get wins in and keep the momentum going and the guys are excited for this upcoming trip to Ukraine." 

It was the first competition in five months for Churella, who went 4-0 with a decision victory over Guelph's Ryan Luu in the 66kg final. Churella is in his second year on the U.S. National Team after earning a third-place finish at last year's World Team Trials.

"I felt good," said Churella. "I have been away from competition for awhile, and I was eager to get back. I got my weight down and I was focused on my attacks from the start. I just want to continue to train hard and keep my intensity high. I'm looking forward to having a good training camp over there [in Ukraine], and get ready to compete at my highest level."

Kennedy and Todd both captured the first gold medals of their respective senior-level freestyle careers. Kennedy posted a 3-0 record, earning a decision victory over James Mancini in the 60kg final. He previously defeated Mancini, 6-0, 1-1, 1-0, at the NYAC Holiday Open. Todd went 4-0 in the 84kg division, winning by injury default over Montreal's Matt Miller in the final.

Howe rounded out the CKWC's medalists, posting a 4-0 mark at 74kg with a decision over Guelph's Chris Prickett in the championship final. It was Howe's second gold-medal performance in Canada in three months, adding to a 74kg title at the Hargobind International in November. Howe also claimed silver at the Olympic Test Event in December.

"I'm very confident going into the Ukraine tournament," said Howe. "I feel that I have grown greatly as a freestyle wrestler since August, and I am excited to compete again. From the training camp, I expect to feel the foreign competition and become prepared to be the best in the world when my time comes."

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.

In the women’s division, two members of the USOEC team from Northern Michigan placed fifth in their divisions: Erin Golston (Lake in the Hills, Ill./USOEC) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. and Lilia Gudzyuk (Lake Tapps, Wash./USOEC) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

Golston, a 2011 Junior World bronze medalist, finished with a 2-2 record, including a victory over teammate Ally Somera of the USOEC in the fifth-place match.

Gudzyuk dropped bouts to four Canadian opponents in a five-athlete round-robin at her division.

Note: Guelph Univ. and USA Wrestling contributed to this story.

GUELPH OPEN
At Guelph, Canada, Jan. 21

Men’s freestyle

55 kg/121 lbs.
1 Hergenhien, Jake Brock W.C.
2 Takahashi, Steven UWO
3 Sherbatov, Yoni YMHA
4 Choueke, Gabriel YMHA
5 Gandy, Vaughn Dino's WC
6 Musonza, Gilbert Cattown

60 kg/132 lbs.
1 Kennedy, Jimmy NYAC
2 Mancini, James Montreal
3 Airdrie, Cody Guelph
4 Belanger, Drew U of A
5 Asselstien, Mike U of A
6 Ackerman, Kirk Cattown

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
1 Churella, Josh NYAC
2 Luu, Ryan Guelph
3 Abelev, Ilya UWO
4 Hudson, CJ Brock
5 Rose, Kyle Brock W.C.
6 Manning, Cruiz Guelph

74 kg/163 lbs.
1 Howe, Andrew NYAC
2 Prickett, Chris Guelph
3 Ncube, Cleo Montreal
4 Laverick, Chris Brock W.C.
5 Malloy, Connor Cattown
6 Jagas, Jake Guelph

84 kg/185 lbs.
1 Todd, Tyrel NYAC
2 Miller, Matt Montreal
3 Burk, Alex Dino's WC
4 Steen, Jordan Montreal
5 Brown, Alex NCWC
6 Olver, Daniel Saskatoon

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
1 Latour, Jeremy Guelph
2 Otto, Riley Montreal
3 Rubino, Rob Guelph
4 Morley, Luke LU TWolves

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
1 Jarvis, Corey Guelph
2 Manukov, Ilya Impact
3 Beesla, Gurdeep Montreal
4 Grant, Kyle Guelph

U.S. men’s freestyle results

60 kg/132 lbs. – Jimmy Kennedy, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC), 1st
WIN Mike Asselstein (U of A-Canada)
WIN Kirk Ackerman (Cattown – Canada)
WIN James Mancini (Montreal – Canada)

66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Josh Churella, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC), 1st 
WIN Brian Hutton (Dinos – Canada)
WIN Kevin Iwasa (Guelph – Canada)
WIN Ilya Abelev (UWO – Canada)
WIN Ryan Luu (Guelph – Canada)

74 kg/163 lbs. – Andrew Howe, Cedar Lake, Ind. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC), 1st
WIN Jake Jagas (Guelph – Canada)
WIN Ryan Weiker (Brock WC – Canada)
WIN Cleo Ncube (Montreal – Canada)
WIN Chris Prickett (Guelph – Canada)

84 kg/185 lbs. – Tyrel Todd, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC), 1st
WIN Dan Humphrey (Guelph – Canada)
WIN Kevin Maclellan (Hamilton – Canada)
WIN Alex Burk (Dinos WC – Canada)
WIN Matt Miller (Montreal – Canada), inj. dft

Men Standings
1. Guelph, 65
2. NYAC, 14
3. Brock 35
4. Brock WC 30
5. Montreal, 30

Women’s freestyle results

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
1 Parsons, Jade Brock
2 Prickett, Lindsay Guelph
3 Almeida, Lyndsey U of A
4 Slinn, Jasmine REGINA
5 Golston, Erin USOEC
6 Somera, Ally USOEC

51 kg/112.25 lbs.
1 Brown, Vanessa Saskatoon
2 McDonald, Jessica Brock W.C.
3 Mian, Jasmine Brock
4 Brady, Natalie U of A
5 Parks, Madison Guelph
6 Riopel, Stephanie Brock W.C.

55 kg/121 lbs.
1 Galleys, Jillian Saskatoon
2 Sera, Liz UWO
3 Barry, Brianna UWO
4 Wright, Carly York
5 Kreps, Alexi LU TWolves
6 Ford, Diana Brock

59 kg/130 lbs.
1 Fazzari, Michelle Brock
2 Gerhardt, Amanda BMWC
3 Patroch, Katie London
4 Chicoine, Nikita Concordia
5 Chang, Natasha Brock
6 Cristea, Ludmila MOL

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
1 Bouchard, Justine Dino's WC
2 Kilroy, Alexis Brock W.C.
3 Figueroa, Marlen U of A
4 DAlleva, Larissa UWO
5 Sorrell, Marissa Brock
6 Pranger, Jenny LU TWolves

67 kg/147.5 lbs.
1 Yeats, Dorothy YMHA
2 Herrington, Jamie Guelph
3 Leslie, Allison Guelph
4 McKibben, Lisa REGINA
5 Jehu, Deb Brock
6 Daylor, Kelsey LU TWolves

72 kg/158.5 lbs.
1 Wiebe, Erica Dino's WC
2 Keefe, Veronica Concordia
3 Akuffo, Ohenewa IND
4 Bouchard, Molly U of A
5 Gudzyuk, Lilia USOEC

82 kg/180.5 lbs.
1 Brightwell, Emma Lakehead U
2 Gsell, Kelsey Guelph
3 Riddell, Shelby LU TWolves
4 Beaulieu, Kate LU TWolves

U.S. women’s freestyle results

48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Erin Golston, Lake in the Hills, Ill. (USOEC), 5th
WIN Jasmine Slinn (Regina – Canada)
LOSS Jade Parsons (Brock – Canada)
LOSS Lyndsey Almeida (U of A – Canada)
WIN Ally Sommera (USOEC)

48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Ally Somera, Ewa Beach, Hawaii (USOEC), 6th
WIN Megan Smith (Lakehead U – Canada)
LOSS Lindsay Prickett (Guelph – Canada)
LOSS Jasmine Slinn (Regina – Canada)
LOSS Erin Golston (USOEC)

59 kg/130 lbs. – Alyssa Luna, West Covina, Calif. (USOEC), dnp
WIN Andrea Wakelin (UWO – Canada)
LOSS Natasha Chang (Brock – Canada)
LOSS Nikita Chicoine (Concordia – Canada)

59 kg/130 lbs. – Andrea Orozco, Soledad, Calif. (USOEC), dnp
LOSS Nikita Chicoine (Concordia – Canada)
WIN Sara Pattenaude (UWO – Canada)
LOSS Katie Patroch (London – Canada)

72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Lilia Gudzyuk, Lake Tapps, Wash., (USOEC), 5th
LOSS Erica Wiebe (Dinos – Canada)
LOSS Molly Bouchard (U of A – Canada)
LOSS Ohenewa Akuffo (IND – Canada)
LOSS Veronica Keefe (Concordia – Canada)

Women Standings
1. Brock 32
2. Guelph 26
3. Saskatoon 20
4. Dinos, 19
5. Brock WC 15
6. U of A 15