Landmark East ends up ‘08 with team spirit

BY WENDY ELLIOTT

Kings County Register

Wrestling, under the direction of coach Mike Elliott, made an impact on a number of students who graduated from Landmark East School this year.

Reuben Dylewski of Westmount, Que. said his most memorable moment was competing in his first wrestling tournament - even though he didn’t win. He is proud of the fact, by March, he had placed fifth in the toughest weight class at regionals. He enjoyed the learning experience, and being part of a team with friends.

Dylewski, who would like someday to work as a personal trainer, says wrestling taught him about camaraderie.

“It’s not like other team sports. You meet a guy on the mat, and there’s no hard feelings.”

Blayne Baker (this year’s student council president), Bermuda, noted of the matches, “it’s about the struggle, about the pain. It requires all you have - and more.”

Anna DeLong of New German, confessed she feels very passionately now about wrestling.

“I just kind of clicked with it as a team sport.”

She’s proud of her wrestling achievements, placing third at 2007 provincials. She hopes to continue, and perhaps coach.

The third member of her family to graduate from Landmark East, DeLong made a two-hour daily commute by car to school, and had to fit sports in.

Amanda Martins of Bermuda earned a silver wrestling medal at both the regional and provincial levels.

Toronto native Andres Mullerbeck was another medal winner, returning to the school this year for the post-grad program to prepare for university. Wrestling relieved him of a lot of stress, he says. Planning to study physics in the fall, he said he and his teammates had to travel to a church in Canning to find practice space.

Landmark East had 14 students in its graduating class this year: three from Nova Scotia, three from Quebec, three from Ontario, one from B.C., two from Bermuda, one from the U.S. and one from Belgium.