After not knowing what to expect competing against university-aged girls for the first time, Kellie Galliford did her hometown proud at the Golden Bears Invitational wrestling tournament on Jan. 8, winning a silver medal in her division.
“It was my first university tournament, so I was really nervous about it,” she said.
However, those nerves only lasted a few minutes, as she performed above her own expectations right off the bat.
“I actually went into it expecting to get destroyed, because they all have years and years of experience on me,” she said. “But after I won my first match, I got more confident.”
In her first match, Galliford won the first round by out-pointing her opponent. In the second round of the match, she and her opponent were tied until the last seconds, when Galliford scored the points she needed to win.
Her second match was different in how it played out. She lost the first round, and was trailing in the second round on points. Nevertheless, she didn’t give up and was able to pin her opponent, winning the match.
The third match was the gold-medal match, and a different animal entirely. Up against an opponent eight years her senior, and a coach to boot, Galliford lost both rounds on points, claiming the silver medal.
She said it was a different style of wrestling and attack than at the high school level. At the high school level, the style of wrestling is more ‘go for it’ in terms of attack, whereas the university level is more about setting up your moves and thinking a few steps ahead.
“It’s a lot more frequent movements,” she said. “If you do that, then what do you do after? It’s not just one move, it’s a series of moves.”
She said still plans to attend the U of A on a scholarship and in the meantime, she continues to wrestle with the Edmonton Wrestling club and prepare for her upcoming tournaments..
