07/18/2026
Thunder Bay Wrestlers Spend Summer Chasing Excellence Around the Globe
While many students are enjoying a well-earned summer break, some of Thunder Bay’s top young wrestlers are logging thousands of kilometres in pursuit of excellence.
From Brazil and Japan to Hong Kong, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin and Ohio, athletes from the Lakehead Wrestling Club and Lakehead University Wrestling program are spending their summer testing themselves against elite competition while gaining invaluable international experience.
The summer began with strong performances at the Canadian Senior and U23 Wrestling Championships in Niagara Falls. Mike Zale battled his way to a fifth-place finish in the Senior Men’s 70-kilogram division, while Owen Dale earned fifth place in the U23 National Championships, continuing the club’s tradition of producing nationally competitive athletes.
One of the summer’s biggest highlights belonged to St. Patrick High School graduate Mylie Baccari. The future Lakehead University nursing student earned the opportunity to represent Canada at the Pan American Wrestling Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 9–11. Wrestling against many of the top athletes in the Western Hemisphere, Baccari finished an impressive fifth overall.
Her summer is only getting busier. On July 25, Baccari departs for Japan to participate in an elite international training camp before continuing on to compete in Hong Kong, providing another valuable opportunity to gain experience against world-class opposition.
Closer to home, another group of Thunder Bay wrestlers has been making its mark across North America.
St. Patrick graduate Mac Mithrush, who will join the Lakehead University Thunderwolves this fall, captured a gold medal at the NUWAY Rumble in Sandusky, Ohio. Following the tournament, Mithrush and Hammarskjold High School’s Merric BeauParlant travelled to Sarnia for the Team Ontario High Performance Camp, hosted by Lambton College and Ontario Amateur Wrestling’s High Performance program.
The camp was led by one of Canada’s most accomplished wrestlers, Gia Sissaouri of Montreal, the 1996 Olympic silver medallist and 2001 World Champion. Training under an athlete of Sissaouri’s calibre provided an exceptional learning opportunity for two of Northwestern Ontario’s brightest young wrestlers.
Earlier this summer, Hammarskjold Vikings standouts Maddy Jose and Corinne Baxter travelled to Iowa City to attend the renowned Hawkeye Wrestling Camp at the University of Iowa. The intensive camp featured instruction from several Olympic and World Championship medallists, exposing athletes to some of the highest-level coaching available anywhere in the sport.
Meanwhile, St. Ignatius Falcons wrestlers Ava Hay and Maddy Blain spent July 8–13 at the prestigious Purler Women’s Wrestling Camp in Moscow Mills, Missouri. The nationally recognized camp brought together elite female wrestlers from across the United States for twice-daily training sessions, advanced technical instruction and countless live wrestling matches.
The summer schedule continues later this month when Lakehead University wrestlers Haley Florell and Jakob Wildscutt travel to River Falls, Wisconsin, for the Victory Wrestling Academy High Performance Camp from July 20–31. They will be joined during the second week by incoming Thunderwolves recruit Mac Mithrush, as well as Merric BeauParlant and Maddy Blain, giving Lakehead wrestlers another opportunity to train alongside elite athletes from across North America.
The remarkable number of athletes competing and training at national and international events speaks to the continued growth of wrestling in Thunder Bay.
Lakehead Wrestling Club, in partnership with Lakehead University Wrestling, has built a development system that encourages athletes to pursue opportunities far beyond Northwestern Ontario. Through the support of internationally and nationally certified coaches, financial assistance from the club, and the tireless efforts of parents and volunteers, local wrestlers continue to gain experiences that prepare them to compete with the very best.
“Our goal has always been to provide athletes with opportunities to grow—not only by competing, but by learning from the best coaches and wrestlers in the world,” said Lakehead Wrestling Club President Rory Thompson. “These experiences expose our athletes to different styles, different cultures and different levels of wrestling that simply can’t be replicated at home. We’re incredibly proud of every athlete who has embraced these opportunities, and equally grateful to our coaching staff, volunteers, parents and supporters who help make these experiences possible.”
As the summer continues, Thunder Bay’s wrestlers will keep representing their community on mats across North America and around the world—bringing home not only medals, but the knowledge and experience that will continue to elevate wrestling in Northwestern Ontario.
