Team EBCI Wresters include front row (left-right) - Cain Ooccumma and Russell Bigmeat; middle row - Jaron Bradley, Taylor Davis and Tavi Rivera; back row - Coach T.W. Saunooke, Raymond Taylor, and Colby Yanez. (Photo courtesy of T.W. Saunooke)
SUBMITTED By T.W. SAUNOOKE & JACK WALKINGSTICK
MILWAUKEE, Wisc. – After months of practice, Team EBCI competed in the 2011 US Indigenous Games held in Milwaukee on July 10-14. Team EBCI’s wrestling team had a strong showing by bringing home five gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal.
Team EBCI results include:
* Jaron Bradley, Gold Medal, 3-0 in 119-125lb division
* Russell Bigmeat, Gold Medal, 3-0 in 125lb division
* Cain Oocumma, Bronze Medal, 1-2 in 130-135lb division
* Colby Yanez, Gold Medal, 3-0 in 145lb division
* Tavi Rivera, Silver Medal, 2-1 in 171lb division
* Taylor Davis, Gold Medal, 3-0 in 171-189 division
* Raymond Taylor, Gold Medal, 3-0 in 215lb division
“We would like to say congratulations to all of our wrestlers on a job well done,” said T.W. Saunooke, team coach along with Jack Walkingstick. “We represented our nation well, and brought back the only Gold Medals won by Team EBCI any of the sports that competed this year. A special thanks goes to all the parents and grandparents for getting the boys to our two practices a day for the last three weeks. I know it was rough, but it paid off in the end. I would also like to thank Jama Anders, of the Cherokee Life Center, for his commitment to our boys’ success as well.”
– Reporter Scott McKie B.P., One Feather staff, contributed to this report.
