Carlisle Wrestling Club is back in action after the Christmas break. Despite black ice, rutted ice, and newly fallen snow, young wrestlers from West Cumbria, Northumberland and Carlisle's outlying villages accumulated in astonishing numbers in the Currock House Gym for the second Junior Points Night.

Once there, keeping warm was not a problem, as the youngsters, ranging from six to seventeen years of age, wrestled their hearts out. A whole new crop of youngsters has appeared this Winter, but inevitably the more battle-hardened wrestlers came to the top in the competitions.


The crème-de-la-crème was Kieron Miller who won both the six and seven stones competitions, and wrestling up to his big brother, David, in the 8½ stones. In the final of the 7 stones, Thomas Gibson nearly back-heeled him from the standing start, but Miller managed to slip out of the chip and let his man down first. The second fall was much more controlled when Miller won by gaining hold and rushing his man forward and down.

Carlisle Wrestling Club has an old trophy, small, dinted, no plinth, no silver left, which polishes up to a sort of matt grey colour. Despite appearances, this tired lump of metal is of high value, for it is awarded each Points Night to the wrestler judged to have given the best performance of the night as decided by the officials and coaches. This week's general high standard was attested by the nomination of four different wrestlers for the honour, but in the end Kieron Miller was the winner.



One of the other nominees was David Miller who showed a full range of effective techniques, hiping, twisting and outside-clicking in fine style. Jack Brown, too, showed his polished skills in winning three sections. In the Under 15 Years final he hanked newcomer Henry Wainwright for the first fall and then executed a fine combination of hipe and devastating cross-buttock to flatten his opponent.

The girls section of the club is strengthening year by year. Five athletic girls took part in the Points Night. In their own section the spread of ages and weights made the end results inevitable (Katy Brown felled Dawn Gibson in the final) but they also played a full part with the boys in the other competitions. Mixed wrestling is not allowed in the Grass Season, but on the mats in a training environment, the girls thrive.

Carlisle Wrestling Club Second Points Night

-6st 1, K Miller; 2, M Wharton; 3, E Wilson; 4, C Wilson.
-7st 1, K Miller; 2, T Gibson; 3, M Gibson; 4, C Wilson.
-8½st 1, D Miller; 2, K Miller; 3, P Potts; 4, O Burbury.
-10st 1, J Brown; 2, D Gibson; 3, P potts; 4, K Brown.
-Girls 1, K Brown; 2, D Gibson; 3, M Gibson; 4, C Wilson.
-Under 12 Years 1, T Gibson; 2, E Wilson; 3, N Dixon; 4, T Allison.
-Under 15 Years 1, J Brown; 2, H wainwright; 3, T Gibson; 4, K Miller.
-Under 18 Years 1, J Brown; 2, D Miller; 3, P Murray; 4, D Gibson.
-Best performance trophy: Kieron Miller.

Wednesday, 20th January Senior Points Night at Currock House Gym.