Academies come together
Last updated 08:29, Friday, 02 May 2008
THE smallest wrestling academy, Milnthorpe, brought together some of the best and keenest of young wrestlers from the other three academies in Cumbria.
Near neighbour Kendal supplied the first winner when Sam Wilson, the son of their head coach, John Wilson, showed great finesse and maturity in the Under 10 Years when he leg-up buttocked twice to win the final.
Approximately two hours later his dad felled Douglas Parsons to win the All Weights final. John Wilson is a notoriously good buttocker, but he never felt the need to resort to that ultimate weapon.
Instead he simply bided his time until an opponent made a false move, when he would strike with ruthless efficiency and minimal effort, with a twist here and a nudge there.
In between those two finals William Atkinson of Kendal felled Isaac Hammond, a good Milnthorpe prospect in the final of the Under-12 Years.
At last, in the Under-15 Years, the local academy struck gold when Jimmy Hall felled Carlisle's Joe Thompson in a three fall final.
Hall struck first with a backover twist. Thompson answered with something similar as Hall tried to cross-buttock.
The crowd settled down for the decider in this closely fought contest, only to miss it if they blinked as Hall took Thompson off his feet with an outside stroke.
Sam Wilkinson scarcely knows which academy he represents for he attends both Kendal and Milnthorpe. Last September he raised his game by wrestling with previously unseen flair and vigour at the Westmorland Show. He showed some of that class at Milnthorpe, controlling his opponents, from the outset, before flinging them forward off his hip.
He won the Under-18 Years final against Joe Thompson doing just that and continued with unchecked against Craig Naylor in the senior 13 stones final.
Last of all, in the All Weights two Milnthorpe lads shone. Douglas Parsons and Stuart Mason had little chance against John Wilson, the eventual winner, but they showed real ability to reach the prize-money in a well fought All Weights competition.
The first holds of the new Grass Season will be at Carlisle Airport when Hethersgill Vintage Society stages its annual rally.
Results
Milnthorpe Academy Open Night
Under-10 Years: 1, S Wilson; 2, Joe Wilson;
Under-12 Years: 1, W Atkinson; 2, I Hammond; 3, B Fox.
Under-15 Years: 1, J Hall; 2, J Thompson; 3, P Murray.
Under-18 Years: 1, S Wilkinson; 2, J Thompson; 3, D Parsons.
13st: 1, S Wilkinson; 2, C Naylor; 3, J Thompson.
All Weights: 1, J Wilson; 2, D Parsons; 3, S Mason.
Dates
Sunday May 4 - 12.30pm - Hethersgill Vintage Society, Carlisle Airport - U12/U15/U18/121/2/AW
Sunday May 11 - Eden Valley Vintage Rally, Dalemain.
