By Bruce Campbell
Times Editor
High River Times ” A pair of Highwood Mustang wrestlers are exchanging their graduation gowns for singlets and kimonos.
Conrad Jones and Josh Schug missed the Highwood high school graduation ceremonies June 29 because they are in Japan wrestling with an Alberta team.
Schug and Jones were selected to the team by King of the Mat coach Mike Dunn based in part on their performance at the nationals in St. John’s in April (Schug won the Juvenile Men’s 100-kg Greco-Roman division, while Jones was sixth at 85-kg in the Juvenile Men’s freestyle).
“We will be wrestling against high school teams,” said Jones, who said he will either wrestle at 79 or 82 kg. “I think it will be a fun time — we’ll be learning a lot about the culture.”
He said while he has never wrestled abroad, Jones has heard the Japanese wrestlers are of high caliber.
Schug has first-hand knowledge of wrestling Japanese students.
“There were some Japanese wrestlers at the Stu Hart tournament on New Year’s,” Schug said. “There were only a couple of guys (from Canada) who were able to beat them.”
Schug said the Japanese wrestler he came up against was quick and technically sound.
But the trip to Japan, which will include stops in Tsuruga and Osaka, will also be an educational one.
“It’s also an cultural exchange,” he said.
Schug won’t be able to relax prior to his flight on June 28 — he’s got to wrestle with some school work .
“I’m writing my Social Studies 30 final exam at the hotel right next to the airport before I take off,” Schug said.
Jones hasn’t wrestled since the nationals in St. John’s. However, working on the family farm and working out has kept him sharp.
Schug wrestled in March for the Team Alberta tryouts for the Canada Summer Games.
He made the team and will compete in The Games in August in Regina
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