Ryan Myrfield in action earlier this season.

The fourth-year Huskies captain won his third national gold medal Feb. 24 and 25 at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont. after defeating Concordia University’s Scott Schiller in the men’s 72-kilogram final.

Myrfield won the same weight category last season and, in 2008-09, he won the 68-kilogram title as a rookie with the Huskies. He did not compete in 2009-10 due to injury.

“I put in a lot of hard work this year and it’s really showing that it’s paid off,” said Myrfield, who was honoured by the Canada West with the R.W. Pugh Fair Play Award for his outstanding sportsmanship at the tournament.

For him, the award signifies not only his hard work on the mat, but also that his strong ability to lead has not gone unnoticed.

“It just really lets me know that I’ve been a role model for the team and that other people have noticed that,” he said.

“He’s so strong and can prove that at every nationals he goes to,” added Myrfield’s teammate on the women’s squad, Koren Pitkethly. “I think he inspires everyone on our team with the way he can stay focused and so determined.”

Myrfield was happy with his team’s showing on the weekend, as the young Huskies men finished seventh of the 12 competing schools.

“It’s kind of a rebuilding year after losing some of our top veterans last year, but everyone came up very strong. We had a really good showing,” said Myrfield. “All the rookies stepped up and gave everything they had while our seniors all placed high and got points for the team.”

Fourth-year Landon Squires, who received the Student Athlete Community Service Award for his work with numerous youth organizations throughout Saskatoon, was the only other Huskie to medal. He won silver in the 90-kilogram category.

On the women’s side, the Huskies put up their strongest showing ever — a third place finish.

Led by Pitkethly, who won silver in the 59-kilogram class for the second-straight year, Saskatchewan finished with four medal performances.

Fourth-year Natasha Kramble, rookie Hannah Franson and third-year Kathleen Kent each took bronze in the 48-, 55- and 63-kilogram categories, respectively.

“I was super proud of our girls. They left it all out on the mat and they couldn’t have done any better,” said Pitkethly, unable to hide her own disappointment at not winning gold.

“I was very proud of myself with how I wrestled and for making it to the finals, but it was a heartbreak not being able to actually win,” she said.

Pitkethly will have one more year to win the gold as she will enter her fifth-year of CIS eligibility next season.

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file photo: Josh Schaefer/Huskie Athletics