The voice on the other end of the phone, as always after a meet, is hoarse. And just a tad weary. But it can’t hide the pride and elation Cochrane Cowboys and Team Canada Cadet wrestling coach Vern McNeice conveys from southern Europe upon the completion of the World Cadet Wrestling Championships on Aug. 30.
Having spent the last week in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, McNeice and 16-year-old wrestling son Connor wrapped up an 11-month wrestling season that began in October on the Cowboys practice mats at Cochrane’s Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre and wrapped up on the World Championship mats in Sarajevo. In between, the father and son were in rooms from Ontario to Mexico, as well as training sessions in Italy and competitions across Canada.
“You know, we are whupped,” coach McNeice chuckles over the phone from Sarajevo. “We are so tired, between the buildup for this, it’s just been wrestling for months. Days in and days out.”
Wrestling for Canada in the 58-kg male category at Sarajevo, Connor McNeice finished fifth in the world in his weight class. Eventual 58-kg silver-medallist Jintaro Yamamoto defeated Connor in the opener before Connor rebounded with a win against Germany’s Adrian Wolny.
In the bronze-medal final, the Grade 10 St. Timothy School student went right at Iran’s Amirhossein Kavousi before dropping a narrow 12-8 decision.
“You’re always disappointed when you don’t win that last one, right?” coach McNeice relates. “But when you look at the big picture, we wrestled two of the top three guys in the world. The Iranian, we dang near beat him. It was close. It was the best match I’ve ever seen Connor wrestle.
“Iranians are one of the top 2-3 countries all the time in the world. Connor took it to him. He initiated almost all the offensive on that.
“When you step back and look at it, what a huge step. He knows now he can compete with those guys.”
With Connor McNeice’s longest, most competitive wrestling season to date now behind him, it’s high time for some well-earned rest and recreation.
“It’s Connor’s birthday today. So we’re heading to Dubrovnik (Croatia),” coach McNeice enthuses.
“We’re going to eat gelatos and swim in the Adriatic Sea for a whole week. He’s going to come back two weight classes heavier.”
And when they get back to Cochrane?
“We aren’t going to do anything for at least a month.”
He dominated guys in Wood Buffalo (Western Canada Summer Games gold Aug. 11).
He beat guys in Guadalajara, Mexico (Pan-Am Wrestling Championship silver July 5).
He whupped ’em all in Fredericton, NB. (Canadian Championships gold, most outstanding Cadet male wrestler at nationals April 12).
And he schooled ’em in his home room (Alberta Open gold at Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre March 7).
In a season crammed with local, regional and national victories for Cochrane Cowboys and St. Timothy School Thunder wrestler Connor McNeice, it was off to the World Cadet Wrestling Championships in Sarajevo, where the world’s best were waiting.
At the top of a “load” cycle and peaking for his toughest meet of the season, McNeice left it all on the mat wrestling for Canada in the 58-kilogram Cadet male freestyle event Aug. 29.
He won one and lost two, finishing fifth in the world. It’s a different room in which the world’s best wrestle.
“We tried to prepare for any situation possible,” the 16-year-old elite wrestler says over the phone from Sarajevo after wrapping up at Worlds. “They have different styles. The Japanese like to shoot from the outside. Germany did the exact opposite, he tried to tie up and tried to control my elbows and use that to his advantage.
“Against Iran, he pushed a lot and took my comfort zone to edge and then did what he had to do.”
The Japanese wrestler, Jintaro Yamamoto, went on to win silver at Worlds and Iran’s Kavousi bronze.
McNeice was truly dicing with, and scoring against, the world’s best.
“It’s different than just wrestling in Canada because there are all different styles around the world,” McNeice relates. “Wrestling across the world you have to adapt.
“It was good. Knowing I can compete with the best in the world is good to know.”
McNeice was one of two Canadians to win a match at Cadet Worlds, and was highest-finishing Canadian in fifth place. This was his second World Championship, his first coming last year in Slovakia where he finished 17th in his weight class.
He is improving.
“It gives me experience and confidence and just kind of helps me with knowing I can compete with the world’s best,” he says. “Knowing what other countries do just helps a lot and gives me experience for the future.
“Canada is progressing as a nation. Getting better. Getting stronger.”
Cochrane Cowboys/Team Canada coach, and Connor’s dad, Vern McNeice, surmises: “There was a time when you’d look at Iran or the United States or Russia and go, ‘Oh, boy. Tough draw.’
“We came here last year and we never won a match as a team. This year we had another fellow make the quarterfinals. Connor did what he did. The rest of the kids I think are on the edge of moving forward.
“It’s an exciting time.”
