Brock's Verbeek takes home silver medal

Lights, camera, and ... action.
Canada's recent appearance at the World University Games in Izmir, Turkey, was for most competitors, on the biggest stage they had ever performed. This was not however the case for the Great White North's flag bearer at the Games' Opening Ceremonies, Brock's own, Tonya Verbeek.
"Being able to carry that Canadian flag was just a really cool feeling," Verbeek said. "It was nice to see the sport of women's wrestling represented as well."
Verbeek led the country into the Games, and with it, took home a silver medal to contribute to Canada's highest ever medal count of 12. In just under the span of an hour at the wrestling venue at Yamanlar High School, Verbeek and her teammates took home six medals. This included two gold, two silver and two bronze in the freestyle division.
The venue stood at a standstill when the 28-year-old, who celebrated her birthday just a day before the gold medal match, paired off against Saori Yoshida from Japan. This was the same grappler who had defeated Verbeek in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, handing Verbeek the silver medal and casting her as somewhat of a local and national hero.
Brock's ambassador started off the match defensively, knowing that Yoshida was a clinical tactician and was not going to give away points easily. The score at the end of the first was 1-0 in favour of the Japanese wrestler. Verbeek came out after the break confident that in order to be victorious, she would have to take some calculated risks. Points needed to be scored even if in the process, she would give some away. Unfortunately, Yoshida was too smart on the day, smothering Verbeek and eventually capping a victory via a 2-0 score in the second round.
"With a girl like her, I have to be very defensive," Verbeek said. "I was able to stay in there with her, but I still need to create my offense. I need to be a little bit more confident and know that I can score on her ... I feel a lot better than I did at the Olympics."
Brock's two other competitors, three-time Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) gold medallist, Jamie Macari, and five-time CIS champion, Ryan Weicker, did not fare as well, losing out early in the first day of the wrestling competition.
"I know I didn't wrestle very well," Weicker said. "I got to come and watch the finals, and cheer on the rest of the team and be a spectator for once."
Weicker wrestled in the 66kg freestyle division, losing to the eventual bronze medallist from the country of Georgia.
"The guy who won my weight," Weicker said. "I know I'm competitive with him. I've seen him wrestle, and I know I can compete. I really wish I could have gone back and done better."
Weicker will now take a year off from studies at Brock, but still intends to be actively involved in Brock's wrestling club. He will await next year's Senior Nationals, and the chance to wrestle at the World Championships in the future.
His protg, Macari, wrestled in the 55kg freestyle division, advancing to the classification round, before losing to the bronze medallist from Azerbaijan. Macari has just recently wrestled at the national team training camp. He will try to defend his Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and CIS individual titles this year, and try to secure his team's historic and unprecedented eighth consecutive national championship. A second Senior Nationals win and World Championship will nicely fill the schedule of the rising star.
For all three, the experience and trip to Turkey was both a valuable learning experience and rewarding showing on one of amateur sports' biggest stages.
Don't blink, the fourth act is about to begin, and these athletes are ready for their featured solo.