Bishop Ryan prepping for 42nd wrestling tourney

Students at Hamilton’s Bishop Ryan high school are getting ready to host their 42nd wrestling open this week.

It has become so popular that they’re getting a little extra help with their training these days from the man who started this nationally-renowned program, more than four decades ago.

The newly-rebuilt Bishop Ryan high school had almost a hundred students try out for their wrestling program this year, and last week they brought about half of them to their first meet of the season.

Head coach Sheldon Francis reflects on the legacy. “Wrestling really isn’t one of the traditional sports in North America but here at Bishop Ryan it has a long legacy and that all started with Harry Mancini.”

Mancini began the BR wrestling program back in 1969, and even though his teaching years are long behind him, he was asked to come back and help coach some of the up-and-coming grapplers.

“It’s endurance, it’s balance, it’s strength, conditioning and mental toughness, which is probably the key to all sports. You’ll develop it here because it’s one on one.”

When Mancini left the teaching profession back in the late 80s, he passed the program on to John DiBenedetto, who handed over the head coaching reigns to Sheldon Francis three years ago.

“All of them are grads of BR wrestling and as long as they keep passing on these same traditions, the spirit and motivation, why shouldn’t it go on?”

Not only has BR had numerous OFSSA team and individual titles throughout their history, they’ve also graduated a few Olympians, which is why athletes travel from near and far to compete at the Bishop Ryan open.

This friday’s meet promises to be even bigger than the previous 41, with students travelling from 4 different provinces. And what will they find when they get here?

“BR wrestlers are tough.”