ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Cliff Keen Wrestling Club will kick off its 2013 schedule at the Guelph Open on Sunday (Jan. 20), sending three representatives to compete in the freestyle tournament, slated for a 9 a.m. start at the University of Guelph’s W.F. Mitchell Athletics Centre.
The CKWC contingent will include Jimmy Kennedy at 60kg/132 pounds, Kellen Russell at 66kg/145.5 pounds and Kyle Massey at 120kg/264 pounds.
CKWC coach Andy Hrovat will accompany the group.
“We’ve had a long layoff,” said Hrovat. “Most of our guys didn’t do what they wanted at our last tournament, so they’ve really been working on their transition and their freestyle techniques and tactics. Guelph is a close tournament for us, and it’s a great opportunity for them to get their weight down for the first time this year, get several matches in and get us ready for more international competition. It’s a great starting tournament for the new year.”
Kennedy returns to the Guelph Open as the defending champion at 60kg, posting a 3-0 record last year with a 2-1, 2-0 decision victory over James Mancini in the championship final. He will look to build on his breakthrough fall season in which he competed at the University World Championships before claiming his first international medal with a bronze effort at Russia’s Kadyrov Cup and capturing 60kg gold at the NYAC Holiday Open.
Russell and Massey made their official CKWC senior-level debuts at the NYAC tournament, both falling just short of placing, and will appear in their first international competition at Guelph.
CKWC’s Tyrel Todd, who won the Guelph Open 84kg title in 2012, will miss this year’s event due to a recent minor injury. He will join Kennedy, Russell and Massey at next week’s USA Wrestling National Team training camp in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Last year at the Guelph Open, the Cliff Keen Wrestling contingent posted a flawless 15-0 record, sacrificing just one total period and two points, en route to four individual titles and second place in the team standings. Josh Churella (66kg) and Andrew Howe (74kg) joined Kennedy and Todd in winning their respective weight classes.
