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Matt Gentry won 3-0, 3-0 in the finals to cap off a 2011 Canadian Freestyle Senior National Championship performance in the 74kg weight division. Gentry dominated the event, going the entire tournament without getting scored on. His shutout victory in the championship came over Cleo Ncube, a past World Team member for Canada.
"I was very happy with the way I wrestled," stated Matt. "I thought that I went out and dominated most of the positions. I didn't let up in any of the periods. I ended up winning all of the periods without giving up a point, so I was really happy with my performance."
The title gives Gentry a leg up on making the 2011 Canadian World Team. Evan MacDonald, the 2010 Canadian National Champion who did not compete at the 2011 Canadian Nationals, will face Matt in a special wrestle-off at the 2011 Canadian Cup. MacDonald will now have to beat Gentry twice in a row in order to deny Gentry a spot on the 2011 Canadian World Team. Gentry, a 2008 Olympian, will automatically advance to the finals at the 2012 Olympic Team Trials if he wins a spot on the 2011 World Team.
"I felt very prepared in my wrestling," said Matt, who outscored his three opponents at the tournament by a combined score of 27-0, including one victory by fall. "Since committing to training at Overtime, with the staff and the workout partners I've had, I've felt more prepared than I have in years. I think that was reflected in my performance.
"Just the pressure, I was moving forward, I didn't let anybody close to getting in the match," continued Gentry. "Even when I was winning 4-0, I was still looking to build my lead. I think confidence in my preparation, in the workouts that I've gone through in the last two months getting ready, made me able to go out and execute without fear.
Gentry credited his partners with some of his success.
"I have proven international competitors to wrestle with every day," commented Matt about his partners. "And there is no easy workout, no easy point. When you have to fight for every point in the practice room, it's only going to make you better. I thank Mike Poeta and Jake Herbert a lot for helping me prepare for this tournament.
"I think that this is just the beginning," continued Gentry, moving on to the topic of training at Overtime. "We've only been committed to this training for a few months. I think, moving forward into the future, I'm really excited about what I think we can produce. I think we can produce Olympic and World Champs, right here at Overtime."
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