(supplied)

Algoma Wrestler receives Top Honour in as Sportsperson of the Year

 Algoma Thunderbirds’ wrestler Natasha Doroodian added another trophy to her already impressive collection last night. Doroodian earned the H. P. Broughton Award and bragging rights as Sportsperson of the Year in Sault Ste. Marie at the 59th annual Rotary Sports Awards, as voted on by the local sports media. Doroodian beat out two local hockey teams, the Soo Greyhounds and the Soo Thunderbirds for the title.

“Being the recipient of such a prestigious award brings me great pride and honour. There are some really big names on that trophy and I haven’t competed at the Olympics or even won a national title (yet). I can promise you that there are much bigger things to come and every day I will strive to live up to those names,” said Doroodian after the banquet.

In only her second season with the Thunderbirds, Doroodian has become the most decorated student-athlete in the history of Algoma University. In the 63-kilogrram weight class, she holds a total of six medals to her name, including one gold, four silver, and a bronze, as well as an OUA Championship Silver, and CIS Championship Silver. Her performance on the mats in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons earned her the title as Algoma University’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year. In her first year with the Thunderbirds, she placed fourth at nationals, and fifth at the provincial level, making her the first-ever Algoma Thunderbird to compete at a Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship.

Her steady improvement on the mats and dedication has also garnered her much attention from the sports community, making her an Olympic hopeful for 2020. She has four years to prep for the Olympic trials.

Doroodian is a graduate of Korah Collegiate and Vocational School and is currently studying Law and Justice, maintaining Dean’s List status. She has also been named an OUA Second Team All-Star and an Academic All Canadian.

She is coached by Head Coach Trevor Manchester, who has been her coach since she entered the sport of wrestling in Grade 9. Doroodian is committed to wrestling and completes an intensive training schedule weekly, which includes four morning and four evening practices, weight lifting, cardio, and conditioning training, and closely monitoring caloric intake.

“I am so blessed to have such an amazing support system backing me up. I wear the Thunderbird logo with great pride… I think it is most important to acknowledge that behind every successful athlete, is a coach who believed in them, pushed them and sacrificed a lot for their success. Trevor Manchester has played a huge role in making me not only the athlete that I am today, but also the person I am when I’m not on the mat. For eight years now he has stood in my corner and supported my endeavours and I cannot begin to thank him enough, nor could I imagine having any other person as my coach.”

Competition at the awards dinner was tough. Doroodian was pitted against two local hockey teams. The Soo Greyhounds finished in the Number 1 spot in the Canadian Hockey League’s top-10 ranking and had the best finish in the Ontario Hockey League regular season, posting a 54-12-0-2 record. The Soo Thunderbirds were the 2014-15 Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League and Dudley Hewitt Cup Champions.

Algoma University and the Algoma University Thunderbirds Varsity Athletics Program would like to congratulate Natasha Doroodian on her coveted title and wish her the best of luck in the upcoming season.

—