Manor’s Micheline Biermann loves wrestling and her dedication to the sport paid off last week when she came home from the Western Canada Summer Games with a bronze medal draped around her neck.
Micheline’s medal is one of 127 won by the 406 Saskatchewan athletes, coaches, managers and mission staff who descended on Wood Buffalo, Alberta, Aug. 7 to 16 for the Summer Games. She earned the bronze by competing with the Saskatchewan female wrestling team from Aug. 9 to 11 at MacDonald Island Park against the best wrestlers from Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
“I think we did actually pretty good getting bronze,” said Micheline, 12, noting having her one-time teacher at Manor School and regular Manor Mustangs Wrestling Club coach Monte McNaughton there with her at the Games to help guide the provincial wrestling team helped her excel.
Micheline, who has wrestled competitively for about three years, helped Team Saskatchewan gain the medal through a 39-14 win over Manitoba Aug. 9 when she defeated Mikwan Dumas 2-0 in 27 seconds in the 43 kilogram division, a 45-5 loss to Alberta later that day where she fell 6-0 in 1:12 to Olivia Mark and finally a 36-17 loss to British Columbia Aug. 10 where Micheline fell 8-0 to Jemina Pascua in 1:50. In overall standings, B.C. took home the gold and Alberta won the silver.
Micheline, who was the youngest member of the Saskatchewan wrestling team, faced Mikwan Dumas again a day later in the individual portion of the tournament, but this time Mikwan gained the upper hand and defeated Micheline 5-0 to leave her in fourth place. However, the individual result didn’t dampen her spirits about participating at the Games.
“It was actually pretty fun having the experience doing something I’ve never done before,” she said.
The Grade 8 student gained that experience by competing in months of competitions to make the team. She said Team Saskatchewan members had to compete against their weight category peers across the province leading up to the Games and every time a new challenger for the spot came up she had to wrestle two victories from them to hold onto her roster position.
“It took a couple of months because one competition was in a month and then you had to wait a couple months,” said Micheline. “Then you had to wrestle again and from that you’d be on the team.”
The first time competitor at the Western Canada Summer Games compared the tournament to a mini-Olympics with all the athletes taking part and the different competitions going on at all times. She said despite the competitive nature of the Games everyone became friends after their matches and the experience of being a member of the 2015 Saskatchewan wrestling team is one to remember.
“Having to be in the Western Canada Summer Games (and) having the chance to be on the team was actually pretty fun.”
Carnduff’s Cody Caldwell, 17, and Estevan’s Carter Kuchinka, 16, also represented the southeast on Team Saskatchewan. Cody earned a bronze medal with the Saskatchewan volleyball team, while Carter took home a bronze with the Team Saskatchewan basketball squad.
