Zone 2 wrestlers, including coaches and members of the Cochrane Cowboys, are ready to hit the mats in Grande Prairie, Feb. 16-19.

The team has been training regularly at the SLS Centre in preparation for the first winter games in four years under head coach Ryan MacLean and assistant coach Brendan Maguire.

zone 2 wrestling team

Cowboys on the team are Lucas Hachey, Apollo Doucette. Hastings Hawkes and Jack Edwards. A few other Zone 2 members had to withdraw due to injuries suffered prior to the games.

Coach MacLean has been with the Cochrane Cowboys for three years and is fired up for the games. All of the local wrestlers are making their first appearance.

"It's going to be a fun trip taking the bus to Grande Prairie with all the kids, It's a pretty good experience for them all, plus the wrestling, I always enjoy the wrestling."

He is pleased Maguire has agreed to assist him. 

"We have pretty good chemistry of coaching these kids."

Maguire is no stranger to the winter games. He competed for zone 2 twice, and now will get to see it from a coach's perspective.

"The Alberta Winter Games was such an important memory for me," he says. "It was when I really started like loving the sport of wrestling. I started taking it more seriously after my first winter games."

"I just want to help these young athletes get the same experience as I did and give back to the community that that helped me so much."

The Cochrane Cowboys have a stellar reputation in the wrestling world and has produced many provincial, national and international champions. Right now, they are in the rebuilding stage with many emerging elementary and junior wrestlers and only two high school age wrestlers.

"Right now, we're working at the grassroots level, and getting the elementary and junior high kids excited about wrestling and showing them how fun it is."

Grande Prairie is getting ready to welcome over 2,600 athletes, coaches, managers and technical officials for the games.

Several other Cochrane area athletes are competing.