The University of Calgary Dinos Women’s Wrestling team has once again proven its dominance, capping off its season with a Canada West championship title for the third consecutive year and completing its third three-peat in program history.
The Dinos earned their first three-peat crown in 1999-2002 and their second in 2006-2010. The team’s lead assistant coach, Carol Huynh, attributes this accomplishment to their cohesion and team culture.
“At the beginning of the year, we typically meet as a team and talk about expectations and the values that we want to show up in the world with,” said Huynh in an interview with the Gauntlet. “So, it's not just when you're competing on the mats, but how you carry yourself every day. Really emphasizing the importance of those pieces — like respect, respecting ourselves and others and respecting your environment — made a difference in how we carry ourselves and how we want to be as a team.”
An integral part of the team’s success is the veteran athletes who serve as pillars and leaders for their younger peers. Fourth-year Gabriela Cross, fifth-year Maya Johnston and fifth-year Angelina Ellis-Toddington shone after securing championship titles for 56-kg, 53-kg and 68-kg weight classes, respectively.
However, they will no longer suit up in red and gold as they conclude their academic careers.
“We knew this time was coming. They have been taking younger athletes under their wing and showing them how to lead,” said Huynh.
Despite this loss, Huynh says there is no reason to fret. The veterans will remain with the team as club members to train with and mentor the younger roster, keeping the program's momentum alive heading into the next season.
“[We’re] making sure that we're passing on how to create that team culture — not just a winning culture,” said Huynh. “It's not about winning; it's about how we create an environment where we can all thrive.”
Maintaining this dominance is not easy. Beyond the rigorous training, the team also learned to mend their personal differences and build mental fortitude to overcome challenges both on and off the mat.
“We are one team, but we're also individuals,” said Huynh. “People come from different backgrounds — whether it's someone who's moved across the country and is living in residence without family around, versus somebody who's from Calgary and is still living at home.
“Everybody has a different level of challenges on top of being a student-athlete. Trying to be the best that they can be at those two is a really big endeavour.”
Huynh recalled Johnston’s early days on the team during the COVID-19 pandemic and her initial struggles to establish a successful career as a rookie. For Huynh, it’s also about acknowledging the variety of strengths and abilities each member brings that make the team formidable.
“It's a really tough sport. You have coaches in the corner and your teammates cheering for you, but really, it's just you out there against another person that wants to physically control you,” said Huynh.
“You have to put together all the physical, the technical, strategic, mental and emotional components in a very short time frame. A match is a maximum of six minutes long [and] you have to make really tough decisions while you're fatigued and under pressure.”
According to Huynh, these challenges are part of the learning process in wrestling, but the key to recovering from setbacks is resilience — and the results speak for themselves, as six athletes secured podium spots in their respective weight classes.
Johnston was also named the most outstanding wrestler after beating Alberta Panda Julia Daus 10-0 and Saskatchewan Huskie Sierra Mullin 10-2.
The team has already proven to be a formidable force in CanWest wrestling, with 14 championship titles, the most in conference history.
For Huynh, winning and perhaps campaigning for a rare four-peat is not the focus. Instead, she stresses balancing the pressures and expectations looming over the team as it builds a dynasty.
“I didn't want to say it's a winning culture, but it is,” said Huynh. “But we want to focus on the process. And part of the process is focusing on our team culture, which means hard work [and] setting ourselves high standards that we hold ourselves accountable to so we can continue to progress and grow and keep learning and performing at the right time.”
