(TORONTO, ON) - U Sports Canada announced Friday the 15 student-athletes who will represent Canada at the 12th FISU world university wrestling championship. The event will be held in Corum, Turkey, Oct. 25-30

Official website: http://www.wuwc2016.com/ 
FISU website: http://www.fisu.net/en

Team Canada is headlined by the UNB’s Samantha Stewart(London, ON) and Alyssa Cleaves(St. Stephen, NB). A two-time U Sports wrestling champion, Stewart won bronze at the 2014 world university championship in the 55kg division, while Cleaves earned gold in the 48kg event at the 2016 CIS Championship, en route to being named women’s outstanding wrestler. 

A pair of Pan American Games medalists are also making the trip to Turkey. Simon Fraser’s Justina Di Stacio(Burnaby, BC) took home a silver medal at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto and Western’s Steven Takahashi(London, ON) captured bronze at the 2011 Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. Takahashi also represented Canada at 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia, along with Concordia’s Jordan Steen. 

More than half the of the roster is made up of national team athletes, in addition to three members of the reigning U Sports champion Brock Badgers.   

Canada won a combined eight medals at the 2014 world university championship and 2013 Universiade.

Don Ryan, president of Wrestling Canada, and head coach of the UNB wrestling team, will serve as Team Leader in Turkey.

He will be joined by two-time Olympian David McKay(1984, 1988), 2008 Olympian and Concordia assistant coach David Zilberman, and Western  assistant David Spinney. Rick Lau rounds out the group as the team’s medical staff. 

Canadian Roster

Name                           University                   Hometown                  Academics

Brianne Barry              York                            London, ON               Economics
Jessica Brouillette        Brock                          North York, ON          Sociology
Allyssa Cleaves            UNB                           Sault Ste Marie, ON    Civil Engineering
Justina Di Stacio          Simon Fraser               Burnaby, BC              English
Veronica Keefe            Concordia                    Summerside, PE         Arts & Science
Linda Morais               Concordia                    Windsor, ON               Arts & Science
Emily Schaefer             Brock                         Sarnia, ON                 Math & Science
Samantha Stewart        UNB                           London, ON               Education
Jevon Balfour               Brock                          Scarborough, ON       Arts
Amarveer Dhesi           Oregon State                Surrey, BC                 Sociology
Jordan Steen                Concordia                    Montreal, QC              Arts & Science
Steven Takahashi         Western                       London, ON                Health Science
Dillon Williams              Durham College          Mississauga, ON          Fire Fighting
Caleb Rutner                Western                      Winnipeg, MB               History
Alexander Thoms         UNB                            Lake Charlotte, NS        Kinesiology

Team Leader: Don Ryan (UNB/Wrestling Canada)
Coaches: David Zilberman (Concordia), David Spinney (Western), David McKay

Medical Staff: Rick Lau