Roy Millar kept his reign on the B.C. High School wrestling mat with a win over Rick Hansen’s Jobanjit Phulka.
Other than one close match, the Pen High Grade 12 student didn’t have too many problems wrestling his way to back-to-back provincial championships.
Facing Phulka in the 74-kilogram weight category, it was a new challenge for Millar.
“He was quite the lanky guy,” said Millar, who won last year in the 70-KG category. “It was awkward to wrestle him even though I was stronger. It was a bit of a challenge to attack his legs. He’s a good wrestler.”
Millar’s coach Tony Ramsay praised him saying Millar “wrestled extremely well.”
“I was very happy with his performance,” said Ramsay.
Being ranked as the top wrestler, Ramsay said there is added pressure since there is always the possibility of an upset.
“He didn’t let it get to his head and prepared well for his matches,” added Ramsay. “It was nice to see him win the weight class and also named most outstanding wrestler of the tournament.”
To prepare for the championship held in Abbotsford, Millar continued working on his strength and technique. That hasn’t changed since Ramsay began working with Millar at the start of his high school career.
“Physically he’s at university level,” said Ramsay. “The third component is his mental preparation. He’s strong in all areas. I think that is the secret of his success. He has a great attitude and works out in the morning 7 to 8:15 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.”
A lot of those times, it will just be Millar and Ramsay, which the coach said shows great dedication and commitment.
Now up for Millar is nationals in Windsor, Ont. April 8 and 9, and he will focus on cardio. Millar feels his conditioning needs improving to be able to go three rounds.
“Nationals is a higher level,” said Millar, who has two scholarship offers from universities. With that championship six weeks away, Millar feels that’s plenty of time to get his cardio to where he’s happy. Of course, he will still get the right push from Ramsay.
“I try to put him in situations he might find himself in at nationals,” the coach said, adding that staying focused is key because it’s easy to get knocked off. “Last year he placed second. He made a mistake, which he remembers.”