Five youth wrestlers representing WAMMA Niverville returned from the 2026 Canadian Wrestling Championships in late April, bringing home five medals. Among them was a gold medal for 13-year-old Ryan Unrau, who became Niverville’s first national wrestling champion. The weekend brought quick matches, hard lessons, and genuine community excitement.

Before the tournament, Santa Lucia owner Dean Delorme made Unrau a deal: if he took gold, a giant pizza of his choice would be waiting back home.

Following a final match that lasted fewer than ten seconds and ended with a hip toss and pin, Unrau’s mother, Sherry Unrau, sent the message to Delorme: “Start your oven. Ryan just became the U15 gold medal champion!”

The national championships, held in Grande Prairie, Alberta from April 24–26 followed the Manitoba Winter Games in March, where the group earned two gold medals, two bronzes, and helped South Team place second overall.

Representing Niverville at the Canadian Wrestling Championships were Lilyanne and Benjamin Reuter, Nyles and Noah Fast, and Ryan Unrau, along with their parents and coach Jens Reuter.

While the group celebrated strong results, the tournament also gave the athletes a chance to picture what could come next for them.

Lilyanne Reuter, who earned silver in U17 Greco, came away from the tournament feeling inspired.

“I’ll always remember my Greco finals match because, even though I lost, I was up against one of the best girls in Canada,” says Lilyanne. “She got second at the Pan American Wrestling Championships. I was proud of myself. I lasted longer against her than anyone else in the tournament. And even though I got thrown twice, I just remember thinking, ‘This could be me someday and all of the training I did led up to this.’”

One of the techniques she relied on was the double leg takedown, a move she had spent time practicing leading up to nationals.

“I’ve really been practicing that move,” she adds. “I don’t tend to grab the legs a lot, but I could hear my dad’s voice in the back of my head saying, ‘Grab the legs, grab the legs!’ It paid off every time.”

Despite losing her first freestyle match, Lilyanne is most proud of how she responded afterward, continuing to compete while knowing that another loss would eliminate her from the tournament.

Behind the group’s success, and waiting at every sideline, was coach Jens Reuter, who travelled to nationals alongside the athletes, their families, and his own children.

“Jens is always buzzing around, no matter who is on the mat,” says Sherry Unrau, noting the amount of time and energy he invests into the program and athletes.

“I was very proud to see these kids from a small town in Manitoba rise to the occasion and compete with some of the best in the country,” says Jens. “They all worked very hard to get to where they are.”

For Ryan Unrau, the national title came after narrowly missing placement on the podium last year, where he finished fourth in the U15 75-kilogram division. He credits much of his development to coach Jens Reuter and additional training opportunities in Winnipeg through WAMMA Next Gen.

Looking ahead, Unrau says that one of his goals is to represent Canada internationally through Wrestling Canada programs.

Nationals offers a first glimpse into the scale and intensity of wrestling at the highest levels in Canada for many athletes.

“The biggest difference between wrestling at nationals and tournaments here at home is the level of competition,” says Nyles Fast, who took silver in U15 Freestyle and Greco. “You’re up against the best in Canada, kids from huge clubs. I don’t have many kids my size in Manitoba that are also my age, so it was cool to go up against someone of a higher skill level.”

Benjamin Reuter, who earned a bronze in U15 Greco, was impressed by how efficiently the tournament operated despite the large number of athletes and matches taking place at once. The scale of the national competition, with eight mats operating simultaneously, impressed and delighted him. A tournament of this size—including weigh-ins, corrals, and championship walkouts—was a novel experience and a learning opportunity.

Noah Fast, who earned three wins in his U17 category, says that one of his biggest lessons at nationals came before he even began wrestling.

“One moment I’ll remember is stepping onto the mat and realizing I was wearing the wrong colour singlet,” says Noah. “You only get one minute to change, and unfortunately I didn’t make it in time. I was disqualified from my first match and immediately sent to the B-side bracket. It was a tough lesson to learn, but I’ll never make that mistake again.”

Even considering this setback, Noah was determined to push forward, winning three matches in a row.

Facing setbacks, nerves, and the intensity of competing on national mats, the athletes returned home with more than medals. For many of them, the tournament offered a glimpse into what could come next as they continue training, competing, and setting their sights on conquering even bigger stages in the years ahead.