A dream Grade 12 year concludes with standout Richmond wrestler Calista Espinosa committing to the University of the Fraser Valley in September.
Espinosa was among 10 athletes Cascades head coach Raj Virdi officially added to his team on Tuesday. Fraser Valley is coming off its most successful season in program history, winning four individual medals at the U Sports National Championships.
“We wanted to bring more numbers onto campus, and this is one of the best recruiting classes we’ve had so far,” Virdi said. “This young group will do well next year. It’s a good, tough group coming in, and several of them have been on national teams, which is great experience.”
Espinosa’s outstanding 2018 season has seen her earn a B.C. high school title, a juvenile (U19) national championship, and a silver medal at the junior nationals.
“Cali is one of the top female wrestling recruits in the country, and we’re lucky to have her,” Virdi said, noting that Espinosa came up through former Cascades coach Arjan Bhullar’s wrestling club in Richmond. “We have a good relationship with her, and we think she’s going to be a huge asset for our team next year.”
Espinosa, who will begin her academic career at UFV in General Studies, said that familiarity with the coaching staff was a big component in her decision to sign with the Cascades.
“One thing I really wanted to focus on was the coaches and my relationship with them, and the training environment,” she said. “I’ve trained with (Cascade standouts) Karla and Ana (Godinez Gonzalez) before, and it’s been good for me.”
The soon-to-be graduate of St. Pat’s Regional Secondary made her Team Canada debut in 2016. After winning gold at the cadet national championships, she went on to win bronze at the Pan American championships in Peru, and she earned a seventh-place finish at the cadet world championships in Tbilisi, Georgia.
