C/O Travis Nguyen
After over a year and a half break, the athlete of the week features are back.
For the first time since March 2020, the Athletic and Recreational committee has released the athletes of the week spotlight for the week period ending Sept. 19. First year fastpitch player Aliyah Woolcock, and veteran cross country runner Alex Drover have been selected as the week's athletes of the week, racking up impressive statistics for the Marauders over the two categories.
Woolcock impressed overall with her batting average of .875 in her first few games, whilst Drover led his runners and achieved a time of 55:32 with his partner, Caroline Forbes in their 8 km legs.
Speaking to Alex Drover about his achievement, he expressed how surprised he was, as well as how proud he is to be featured in the first athlete of the week spotlight after such a long time.
“To be honest with you, I was a little bit surprised when I got the notification on my phone. I didn't really expect it but I am very proud and honoured to be named as an athlete of the week,” said Drover.
On the subject of the COVID-19 break and how it affected him, Alex made it clear that he was not set back by the break, and that it did not cause a big downfall for him.
“The [COVID-19] break was tough for everyone, that is certain. But personally, as a runner, we were not really affected. I consider myself lucky as we consistently train outside, and practicing did not really get hindered by the break which was really good at the time. It did take some pressure off,” explained Drover.
When speaking to the fastpitch player Aliyah Woolcock, she was also rather surprised by the announcement, but was honoured to be a part of it.
“I was aware that I did really well over the weekend. I was very happy about that, but it’s like I completely forgot about it. One day I got called to the office by my coach and then I was told to go take a picture for the award. . . It was all too quick,” said Woolcock.
Aliyah also did not hide her enthusiasm with the fastpitch team and their chances for this season.
“I am so excited for this team. We are all really motivated and are looking forward to playing every game. I personally think that we have a really strong team and that we have a lot of potential that can be fulfilled. I also do hope that I will play every game and keep up the form from last week, as I want to help the team challenge for the medal this season,” said Woolcock.
The journey does not end there for Woolcock and Drover. Both still have a long season ahead, and have just begun. However, it can be said that both have gone off to perfect individual starts with the athlete of the week accoledate.
The next athlete of the week award is to be announced for the week of Sept. 26.
If you’ve ever read Mac Confessions, you’d know that sometimes students can have a tough time balancing their full-time load, but when you add a couple of hours of practice per day, things can get particularly spicy. Not only do student athletes deal with the typical difficulties of being in university, but they also devote large amounts of time and effort to their teams in order to continue performing at high levels.
However, playing sports at a university level isn’t all work and no play; it has its benefits. Being able to access high-level physical training, connect with teammates and develop a social network early on in university are just some of the perks that come with the lifestyle. Being a part of a university sports team can also develop many life skills, such as understanding commitment, organization, time management and teamwork.
However, playing sports at a university level isn’t all work and no play; it has its benefits. Being able to access high-level physical training, connect with teammates and develop a social network early on in university are just some of the perks that come with the lifestyle. Being a part of a university sports team can also develop many life skills, such as understanding commitment, organization, time management and teamwork.
With that being said, no one can understand the student athlete experience more than, well, the athletes themselves. For that reason, we sat down with Holly Connor, a first year student on the women’s water polo team; Andrew Davies, a second year student on the men’s cross country/track team and Brandon Chong, a fourth year student on the men’s baseball team. They shared how their lives are different from regular students, how they deal with their struggles and what they’ve learned from their experiences.
As a first year student, Holly Connor just went through a major transition from high school to university-level sports.
“At the very beginning of the year when everything was so new, it was difficult, but once you get into the groove of it, it worked out better,” said Connor.
Despite the time management struggles, Connor does not regret her decision to play university-level water polo, as it has its upsides.
“Playing the sport itself helped me in so many different ways. I made so many friends through it, some of my best friends. [Waterpolo] helped me in my health because I was initially very concerned about eating habits and my exercise I’d be able to get while transitioning into university, and it really helped me stay on top of it. It was also really nice to have that outlet to go and relax and not have to think about school all the time,” said Connor.
Athletes like Connor love the opportunity to play their sport and work on their craft. They take on the mentality of getting to go to practice, rather than having to go to practice. Practices and games are a release for athletes like her. Not only do they act as breaks, but they help maintain physical health while in the company of teammates and friends. Chong has had a similar experience as Conner.
“You take your mind off school, you get to hang out with your teammates and play baseball. They always like to have fun, so it gave me a place to take my mind off school. A release for me,” said Chong.
One of the most important parts of a team is of course, its teammates. The bond between the players on the roster is so much deeper than just being on the team together. Relationships that stem from these teams can be extremely helpful for new students coming in.
“A lot of my teammates are in the same program that I’m in, and all took the same classes, so it was really nice to be able to get together and do some work together,” said Connor. “It worked really well having that unit, who I not only spent all my time in the pool, but also spent a lot of time outside, getting to know them.”
“A lot of my teammates are in the same program that I’m in, and all took the same classes, so it was really nice to be able to get together and do some work together,” said Connor. “It worked really well having that unit, who I not only spent all my time in the pool, but also spent a lot of time outside, getting to know them.”
Davies also touched on the academic benefits of having teammates, saying, “There’s definitely some people on that team that are good for advice, who have done it before and are really good role models to follow in school and an athletic sense.”
Being a second year student, Davies has picked the brains of upper year students, which made his transition much easier. Despite not being in the same program as his teammates, Davies still experienced significant benefits from the mentorship provided by his teammates. They helped him transition into university sports, assisting him with the ins and outs of time management.
Time management is critical for student athletes.
“We practice three days a week, then weekends are just double headers each day (during the season), so probably about 24 hours a week maybe. Sometimes you just fall behind because it’s a lot of hours. It’s very hard to balance, but it’s doable,” Chong said.
The support system of coaches and fellow teammates helps ease the struggle of time management.
“I would say to know your schedule and your workload and everything,” said Chong. “If you need help, talk to someone, a teammate, talk to a coach, say that you’re stressed out about something. Let him know, he’ll understand. Just make sure you have a good scheduling system for yourself.”
Chong mentioned that being a part of the team significantly improved his leadership and time management, which are critical life-long skills.
The busiest time of the year for these athletes, of course, is the regular season. Currently, all three athletes are in the midst of their off-season, but that doesn’t mean they have it easy. The off-season grind can be as strenuous as the regular season.
“Practices are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday,” said Connor. “We have to keep up with our diets, and make sure we are eating enough. The off-season is from mid-December to June, and it is the same practice schedule. However, we are less focused on skills that would apply right away, rather long-term techniques. It’s still the same amount of practicing, so it still affects me in similar ways that it did previously, but now I have better abilities to cope with that. In the summer, we have workout programs that we are supposed to do on our own, where we focus on strength and cardio training.”
According to Davis, when it comes to the off-season for cross country and track, things get a little different. Davies has to deal with longer seasons, competing during the majority of the school year, so training intensity stays up there fall and winter terms, meaning he does not get to slow down and take a break from his heavy schedule.
“We have both cross country, and track seasons, we are competing almost the whole school year. We train right from the start of the semester, up until near the last few weeks. We have competitions going throughout the year,” Davies said.
All three athletes feel that although student athlete life can be challenging, the positives outweigh the negatives. Being able to make friends through their team, receive advice from upper years and develop life skills are why they would recommend sports to future students.
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The 2019 U Sports Championship Cross Country Tournament was held last weekend on Nov. 9. Both the men’s and women’s teams travelled to Kingston for the tournament, which is widely regarded as the most important event of the year for cross country. Both teams put as much as they could into this tournament, knowing how important it was. The men’s team managed to place second overall. The first place seat went to the University of Calgary Dinos, who were the defending champions. The women’s team finished 13th.
Team Captain Caroline Forbes led the pack for the Women’s team achieving 27th overall at the tournament. This was an astounding 47 spots ahead of where she finished last year and was awarded the Pink’s Burgers athlete of the week for her accomplishment. Forbes is only a second-year runner yet is one of the team’s most accomplished athletes, she goes to show how in a year or two the women’s team has a great chance of going the distance and medaling at the U Sports Championship. Having such a young team can certainly be challenging, but the sky is the limit for the women’s team.
Leading up to nationals, men’s team veteran runner Max Turek and head coach Paula Schnurr revealed their preparation for the tournament, as well as some team goals.
“Our goal is not to just podium, but win. We left last year hungry for more, and know we have a really good shot this year. We’re fit and ready to roll and are excited to see what we can throw down,” said Turek.
“Our goal is not to just podium, but win. We left last year hungry for more, and know we have a really good shot this year. We’re fit and ready to roll and are excited to see what we can throw down,” said Turek.
Despite not placing first overall, as the team had hoped, their second and 13th place finishes are impressive. Just a week earlier, the men’s team came second and the women’s team placed fifth at the Ontario University Athletics cross country tournament.
“We went into OUAs hoping for the win, but we just didn’t have it that day. We know what went wrong, and where our weaknesses are, and what needs to be done in the future to capitalize and win a title. We still have a lot of confidence going into [nationals], expecting to be able to improve from our third place last year,” said Turek.
The team seems to have reflected on what went wrong at the OUAs and focused on key areas for improvement going into the U Sports Championships.
“After OUAs, our main focus was to just work as a team and concentrate on bringing home a U Sports national title. We wanted to make sure we were well rested going into championships, and be able to execute better than we did at OUAs,” Turek added.
Turek stressed the importance of a U Sports title, which the team came ever so close to, eventually settling for a second place finish. The U Sports championship is the biggest stage for them, as it is the only opportunity to compete at a national level. The team was looking forward to nationals for the entire year, and their eyes had been on the prize.
The men’s team trained specifically for this event over the past year, with all other competitions acting as lead-up to the U Sports tournament. When coach Schnurr was asked about the team’s training regiment and goals, she offered a similar response to Turek.
“After OUAs, our main focus was to just work as a team and concentrate on bringing home a U Sports national title. We wanted to make sure we were well rested going into championships, and be able to execute better than we did at OUAs,” said Schnurr.
“After OUAs, our main focus was to just work as a team and concentrate on bringing home a U Sports national title. We wanted to make sure we were well rested going into championships, and be able to execute better than we did at OUAs,” said Schnurr.
As good as second place is, the team isn’t satisfied. This year was significant for cross country, as both the men’s and women’s teams improved from their last year finishes at U Sports. Last year, the men’s team placed third, and the women’s team placed 15th.
This year, Turek, Alex Drover and Andrew Davies of the men’s team managed to place in the top ten at nationals, placing fifth, sixth and ninth respectively. McMaster was the only university to have three runners in the top 12. Drover and Turek made the All-Canadian first team, and Davies made the All-Canadian second-team, being chosen out of every runner in the country which is an incredible honour. Making an All-Canadian team means that out of all the qualified runners in the country they pick the very best for the first team and then the next best for the second team and so on.
The Marauders put up a strong fight on their way to finishing second and 13th in the most important cross country tournament of the year. It will be exciting to watch the teams next year as they improve and continue to dominate the track.
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Key updates from McMaster sports over the past week
So much happened in McMaster sports over reading week, that catching up on school work might not be the only thing you missed over the break. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the most important things that happened in sports over the break.
The women’s rugby team had an outstanding run. Combining the results of their final two games of the regular season and the quarterfinals of the OUA championship, they outscored their opponents 196-5. In the quarterfinals they beat the Trent University Excalibur women’s team 71-0 to advance to the semifinals, where they ultimately fell to the Guelph University Gryphons. They then won the bronze medal match scoring 41 points to the Brock University Badgers’ three. This year marks the third year in a row where the McMaster women’s rugby team has secured a bronze medal.
Of note, Alissa Zhang, a member of our women’s rugby team, was awarded the Shiels Division Community Service Award for providing great services to our community. The Shiels division is home to five teams in total, including Queen’s University, University of Guelph, Brock University and The University of Western Ontario. Zhang has volunteered with the McMaster Children’s Hospital and at the Rotman Research Institute. She also founded GirlsZone, a program that aims to get young girls into science.
The cross country team held onto their number two ranking in the nation, a ranking that they have held since the start of the month. This was after their recent win at the Bayfront Open where, not only did the team place first but, Marauders Alex Drover and Sergio Raez-Villanueva took home individual gold and bronze medals respectively. The bayfront open provides a preview as to how the team may perform when they host the Ontario University Athletics championship on Oct. 26.
After a seventh place national ranking, the football team dropped to ninth a week later. This was in part due to the Marauders’ loss to the Carleton University Ravens, accounting for their second loss of the season. Their record currently stands at five wins and two losses. In the final game of the regular season, the Marauders beat the University of Waterloo Warriors 31-14. This pushed their record to six wins and two losses, securing a first-round bye in the OUA playoffs, which gives them an advantage as they get a week of extra rest and guaranteed spot in the semi-finals. Their next game is also the OUA semifinals, which will take place on Nov. 2.
On Oct. 19, McMaster honoured six former student-athletes into our hall of fame. The honorees included Lindsey Sutherland, James Pottinger, Jeremy Sparrow, Nicole Pirko and Dan and Mike Pletch. Sutherland was a key piece of the women’s basketball team that won OUA titles in 2006 and 2008. Pottinger led the defence on McMaster’s back to back Yates cup title wins in 2002 and 2003. Not only did he see great success at the university level, but Pottinger was also selected second overall at the 2006 Canadian National Football league draft. Sparrow won a total of 20 medals at the OUA championships, 10 of which were gold. He also collected 10 medals at the national level, three of which were gold, in the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union, which is now referred to as the U sports championships. Pirko is a key symbol of women’s squash at McMaster. She was the first-ever student in school history to win gold at the OUA championships in 1999. Pirko also took home bronze medals at the OUA championships in 1998 and 2001. Finally, identical twins Dan and Mike Pletch were inducted for their efforts on the men’s rugby team. They contributed to four OUA title-winning seasons. Dan was a finalist for the Ivor Wynne award, McMaster’s male athlete of the year award, in 2005 and 2006. Mike won the award in 2007. Their accomplishments didn’t stop there, with both of them playing for Team Canada in the 2007 rugby world cup.
The cornerstone of most championship teams is strong depth and players that can be subbed in who will deliver a great performance. This is especially true for the men’s cross country team, led by veteran runner Sergio Raez-Villanueva. With a bevvy of talented players on the roster, the team’s potential is sky high.
At their first meet of the year in Buffalo, the Marauders sat most of their veteran players to give them rest in preparation for a meet which took place this past weekend on the 21. This allowed many of the younger runners a chance to shine, which they most certainly did.
“Veterans and rookies alike, we always say at the end of the day once you’re on the start line it’s all up to you. Sometimes the veteran doesn’t have a good day but the rookie steps up and really helps. We’ve seen that happen before, never count the rookies out or anyone for that matter. It really comes down to how people are feeling and we help each other as a team and that’s why we’re a team in cross country,” said Raez-Villanueva, star of the cross country team.
Placing second overall at the meet, standout players like the aforementioned Raez-Villanueva, Sam Nusselder and Taylor Cornwall posted the top three finishes for McMaster at the Buffalo meet. All together their depth helped them place second overall and only one point behind the hosts, the University of Buffalo Bulls.
“Sometimes people aren’t having a good day and sometimes where it matters you can’t do it for some reason or another, maybe you’re a little sick but then there’s someone else who can take that charge and what’s nice about this team is that we have that depth that when someone is not feeling that well there’s someone who can take charge and help us get back to the place that we need to be in,” Raez-Villanueva added.
Their depth has gained recognition at the national level as they are ranked first in the country, after previously being ranked third at the start of the season. Even though this is very high praise, it is not something the team chooses to focus on.
“You never want to get too confident with rankings and such we don’t want to get into our heads. Within ourselves we always talk, the rank is just there for show sometimes. Sometimes it’ll tell you you’re doing worse some days better but in the end, we’re always training hard, we’re always putting in our best effort it doesn’t matter what they’re saying out there or what people are predicting,” Raez-Villanueva added.
The marauders look to build off a highly successful season last year where they graced the U sports championship podium for the first time in six years. They also got gold for the first time since 1964 at the Ontario University athletics championships last year. All together the cross country team is looking to repeat and have another historic season this year.
When you are one of seven kids, there are not many activities that are easy for all seven kids to participate. For the Schnurr family, running was the one that worked.
At the age of seven years old, McMaster’s cross-country coach Paula Schnurr found herself in a running club for the first time. Joining the Burlington Running Club, Schnurr soon found out that she was actually quite good at the sport. Fast forward to university, and Schnurr got a spot on McMaster’s cross-country team.
“There's something about running that makes you feel good physically, mentally and emotionally, especially being a part of a team,” said Schnurr. “When I was at McMaster as a varsity athlete, I made lifelong friendships from being part of the team.”
C/O Rick Zazulak
Aside from the forever friends that running gave her, being able to continually challenge herself and the nature of competing is what Schnurr really fell in love with. Her competitive edge led her to make the national team and represent Canada at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics for the 1500m, as well as two World Championships. Schnurr went on to win a silver medal representing Canada at the 1994 Commonwealth Games.
When her time as a runner came to an end, Schnurr turned to coaching. Starting her tenure with McMaster in 2009, her expertise has guided the Marauders to great success. Most recently, the men’s team found success in the 2018 cross-country season, coming in first at the Ontario University Athletics Championship, and third at the U Sports National Championship.
Her team’s triumphs led her to be named the OUA Men's Cross-Country Coach of the Year, making her the first woman to ever win the award, and McMaster’s second recipient of the award ever.
C/O Ian McAlpine
“I was very honoured because it is an award that the coaches vote on,” said Schnurr. “Winning that award is really a reflection of the kind of athletes that are on our team. Because, when your athletes are winning, it makes your coaching look good. So I’m honoured on how lucky we are and that we have a great group of student-athletes.”
The group of men and women she has the honour of coaching are a tight-knit group who often compare themselves to a family rather than a team. For Schnurr and her assistant coach Peter Self, who also happens to be her husband, they can not exactly pinpoint why the student-athletes who join their program all mesh so well together, but they are grateful for a team that enjoys being together on and off the track.
“I guess it's a bit of a reflection on the people that we are. We try to make good decisions on treating people well, and when athletes show up and work well, we're going to reward them by helping them be the best athlete they can be,” said Schnurr. “We feel good that athletes, whether they're winning championships or just making personal times, can walk away after their time here and reflect that they had a great experience while at Mac.”
Although some couples may find it difficult to work together, the two retired professional runners find balance in both their differences and their passion for running.
“I mean, we do disagree on certain things when issues come up, but we have a lot of respect for each other. Pete is very good at making suggestions on how we can change things for the better,” said Schnurr. “He pays attention to more of the details, and I'm more focused on the athletes and managing them. I'm the day-to-day person that they see and interact with, but he's the support.”
Winning such a high honour as Coach of the Year and coming in first provincially and third nationally, the thought of pressure would stay at the back of most people’s minds, but not for Schnurr.
“I don't feel a lot of pressure but I know the men put a lot of the pressure on themselves,” said Schnurr. “ Will there be a bit of pressure next year? Probably, because they are the OUA-defending Champions, but that's okay because the pressure is what makes athletes better.”
Instead of worrying too much about next year, Schnurr and the team’s next focus is the 2019 indoor track season. Unlike the outdoor track season, team goals begin to shift to individual goals. Whether it's running a certain time or making nationals, the men’s team again have top contenders for doing well this season.
“Our women’s team is still young and developing, but it's the men who are looking towards making nationals, as well as our relay teams,” said Schnurr.
Using invitationals like the Don Wright Team Challenge that took place at the Western University this past weekend, and competitions in Michigan and Boston to compete against some of the top American runners, the Marauders are doing whatever it takes to stay sharp. This way, by the end of February for the OUA Championship, and the second week of March for the U Sports National Championships, they will be ready to hit the podium once again.
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After the McMaster men’s cross-country team placed second in the 2017 Ontario University Athletics finals, they knew it was only a matter of time until they knocked the defending OUA champions, the University of Guelph Gryphons, out of the top spot. One year later, they did exactly that. For the first time in 54 years, the men’s team took home the OUA team title.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpcx-SOnZrv/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=13ibuug866eo2
Leading them in this victory was second-year runner Max Turek. The Whitby, ON native came to McMaster last year to study at Mac’s prestigious engineering school, but also to run for head coach Paula Schnurr.
Turek first began running cross-country in the tenth grade, but after recognizing that he had not only the right physique, but the raw talent for running, he began to take it more seriously. His high school success gave him a number of schools to choose from when it was time to decide where he would continue his post-secondary career. Ultimately, it was Schnurr’s family-driven program that caught Turek’s attention.
“It was a tough decision to choose between a few schools, but honestly it came down to the last details,” said Turek. “I really had a great relationship with Paula, and I really enjoyed her coaching style. She's very conservative and focuses on recovery, which is a huge part of my training.”
After seeing this and the team’s really strong depth chart, he knew in the coming years with their number of young talented guys, that they could win an OUA title while he was at McMaster. He would prove to be right.
[spacer height="20px"]Although, even before this year’s title, Turek began to make a name for himself by taking home the 2017 OUA Rookie of the Year award.
“Even though in the first year I was getting used to the transition from high school to university, I still was able to run up with the top runners in the OUA,” said Turek on his previous year’s overall performance. “I think finally, once I got the hang of it coming into the second year, I knew what my strengths and weaknesses were, and that helped me to come out on top.”
Turek winning individual gold not only brought them the 2018 banner, but it also made Marauder history too. He is now the third McMaster men’s runner to win the individual title, along with 1992 winner Dave Lorne and 1964 winner Dave Knox.
Heading into the 10K course, the nerves were there, but Turek knew he was well-rested and as prepared as he could be. During the race, the poor weather conditions ensured the runners take it nice and easy.
“Going into my first 5K, I was feeling pretty good. Even up until 7K,” said Turek. “I could have taken the lead, but I knew that there were some strong kickers on the other teams, so I just sat back and let them do the work until the last hundred metres, when I pulled through at the line and was able to win within the last 5 metres.”
Post race interview with 2018 @OUAsport men's cross country champion Max Turek pic.twitter.com/Xij41JV4T0
— Canadian Running (@CanadianRunning) October 27, 2018
Although Turek may have been the first Marauder to cross the line, it was the team effort that secured the title. Sergio Raez Villanueva secured the seventh position, followed by Alex Drover, who was close behind in eighth and Josh McGillivray who came in 11th place.
“We knew we had to stay together and work with each other to win that title,” said Turek. “The depth on our team is just so incredible, especially with how young we are, and this is just the beginning.”
For Turek, winning the individual gold and dethroning a powerhouse program like Guelph has been an overall humbling experience.
“There's obviously a little bit of doubt that crosses your mind,” said Turek. “But we never had the opportunity to race our strongest seven guys against their strongest seven guys, so we knew we had a very good shot.”
Although he is still on a high, it does not end here. With his eyes on the upcoming U Sports national championships in Kingston on Saturday, Nov. 10, he and the Marauders are not willing to settle for anything less than gold.
“Going into this race, it's not just about making the podium anymore,” said Turek “We're here to win. We’re ready to win and we want it really bad.”
Last year, Turek and the men’s team finished just three points behind third-place Université Laval with an overall score of 90 points. The Gryphons took home the national title, so not only will they be looking for revenge against the Marauders, but also want to defend their title. This can be a lot of pressure for the Marauders as they head into their last race of the season, but for Turek, this is just story of the underdog ready to be written.
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While many of us were “studying” (it’s fine if you didn’t study, no judgement here) this past reading week, many McMaster athletes were busy competing in their last few regular season games. Here are four key things you may have missed during the reading week.
1. The Mac women’s rugby team started their reading week off on fire, defeating the Wilfred Laurier University Golden Hawks 109-0 in their Ontario University Athletics quarter-final playoff game on Oct. 5. Unfortunately for them, their championship dreams came to an end less than a week later, when they played the Queen’s University Gaels. Scoring their first try in the seventh minute, the Gaels pulled away with a 29-24 victory. But the season is not over yet for Mac. They will host the Brock University Badgers for one last game to determine who will win the OUA bronze medal, this Friday night at Ron Joyce Stadium. [spacer height="20px"]
2. The Marauders football team started off their reading week on a good note, finding themselves back in the U Sports top 10 rankings at No. 9, following a three-game winning streak. With the return of running back Justice Allin, the Marauders just managed to pull away with a win against the Gaels on Oct. 5. Their hopes of extending their streak to four weeks came to an end after the University of Waterloo Warriors outlasted them in a 34-16 loss. Up next, their last game of the season will be against the University of Windsor Lancers this Saturday at 1:00 pm.
#OUA FBALL
2nd and long? No problem for @McMasterSports, as Andreas Dueck connects with Tommy Nield for the first down and more to put the visitors up 11-9 over the @WlooWarriors!#WeAreONE | #MACvsWAT pic.twitter.com/uKnzlItpSf
— OUA (@OUAsport) 13 October 2018
3. The McMaster men’s cross-country team entered the national rankings at number two during the break, while the women secured the ninth-place spot. The Marauders hosted the Bayfront Open for the second time during the weekend, and saw success once again. Leading the pack, the men’s team won the team title by a 29-point margin, while the women took home bronze.[spacer height="20px"]
4. Both the men and women’s soccer teams remained dominant during the break. The men beat the Badgers 1-0 on Oct. 6, while the women beat them 2-1. By the end of the game, women’s forward Stephanie Roberts became the province’s fourth-leading scorer, with a total of nine goals, just two behind the OUA-leader, Gaels’ Jenny Wolever. The following weekend, the women were able to tie their match against the Waterloo Warriors 1-1, while the men dominated the Warriors in a 3-1 victory.
Men's Soccer -- The Marauders put three past the Warriors on Alumni Day Saturday, keeping hold of third in the @OUAsport West. #GoMacGo https://t.co/BlAirhYopI
— McMaster Athletics (@McMasterSports) 14 October 2018
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By Graham West
At their most recent cross-country meet, the Western Invitational, Josh McGillivray led the team to a second-overall finish, placing third individually. McGillivray, who led the field for McMaster for the first time in his career, said he treated this race differently than his past competitions, going in with a mindset to start at the front of the pack and staying there.
Top 10 Tuesday -- The Marauders men's cross country team strengthened its hold on the no. 2 spot, while @MacRugby fell to 10 in the @USPORTSca rankings. #GoMacGohttps://t.co/qwikz6mgIy
— McMaster Marauders (@McMasterSports) October 2, 2018
Clearly it worked as he had a career day, enough to get him named Pita Pit Athlete of the Week. He finished the 8 km course in an astonishing 24:20, and McGillivray thinks he will keep this week’s new strategy going forward to see if it will continue to work, but he will not change everything in his race-day preparations.
Cross-country is more of a mental sport than most people would realize, far more than most would consider it to be at first glance. There are so many people you are directly competing with that it can certainly take a toll mentally on a runner, constantly checking what place you are in, al the while to continuing to push yourself.
McGillivray highlighted the fact that with lengthy races, you are constantly pushing yourself to keep running as hard as you can, and this is where a lot of strength and grit comes in. The third-year runner also noted that preparation for cross-country meets is always very thorough. He said that making sure to get a good sleep, not only the night before but two nights before, can be instrumental to his success in addition to eating properly.
Even though you run individually, McGillivray emphasized that cross-country really is a team sport. Although you run by yourself during the races the sense of community really prevails, and that traditional sense of team chemistry is still very present.
For example, several Mac runners who were not even participating in the track meet because they had already run in a previous race came to cheer on their teammates who were competing. McGillivray said this is one of the tightest groups of guys he can remember, which allows them to be their best selves athletically as they continue to push each other.
“I’m surrounded by an incredible group of guys every single day and we kind of suffer through together,” said McGillivray. “We work hard, we all do the workouts. I think it was me on that given day that was leading the team, but I think our team is strong enough and deep enough that on any given day, anyone of us could be at the head of the group”
McGillivray highlighted the importance of staying cool and not overworking oneself, something he credits his coach, Paula Schnurr, for being very good at. He also stressed the importance that even though it can be really easy to go too hard, cross-country nationals is still a month and a half a way so it’s important for the athletes to pace themselves throughout the season.
“I think that the depth of this team, although we have had really deep teams the past few years, we’ve come fourth consecutively in the past five years now at nationals, but this year and the depth of this team is pretty insane,” McGillivray explained.
McGillivray believes that this could be the year the team breaks recent tradition and places on the podium at nationals.
“On any given day, because you have your top five scorers and then your top seven are considered your team because you have two alternates, I don’t think we'll have the same top seven in a consecutive race all season,” McGillivray said.
While there is still a long time before the team transitions to the indoor track season, the start to this year looks promising. With a roster that looks better than ever, a very clear drive and determination to succeed, the men’s cross-country team has nationals in sight and look poised to buck the trend of placing fourth for the past five years.
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On June 13, Sergio Raez Villanueva was one of several Marauders who took to the racetrack at Guelph University for the Speed River Inferno meet. Joining Villanueva was veteran Jeff Tweedle, who won a competitive 1500 metre race, and male rookie of the year Max Turek, who finished as the top junior in the 10,000 metre event.
Turek’s time was good enough to qualify for the International Association of Athletics Federations World U20 Championships in mid-July. However, Turek was not the only Marauder to earn a coveted spot in an upcoming event.
In a day ruled by blustering winds, Mac’s Male Athlete of the Year did not let nature slow him down. Villanueva was the first to cross the finish line in the 10,000 metre race, edging out the 2017 champion Evan Esselink with a time of 30:19.19 to become a Canadian Champion.
“I had it in mind as the goal, with my coach Paula, that we’re going to do [the race] and see how it goes,” Villanueva said. “I went into race and I knew it was going to be a really tactical race just because it was like a hurricane out there. It was really windy on the back stretch, no one really wanted to take [the wind] and risk the fact that you could burn out, getting all that wind for yourself while everybody else behind you can take shelter from that.”
This abrasive weather caused the race to take on a more tactical edge to it than a typical race, so it started off slowly as the runners got a feel for the conditions. Slow starts are not something that Villanueva particularly likes, tending to put him on edge since the race deviates from a more traditional and honest race. But this did not throw the Biology major.
“In those kind of circumstances, it’s like a chess game,” Villanueva explained. “I knew that my biggest opponent I was facing there was Evan Esselink, and I knew that he was planning on making a move of some sort halfway through the race. So it happened at the about the 6K mark, Evan just bolted to the front and put this really massive surge that caught me off guard a bit, and I just decided I got to go with this guy because if I let him go, he is gone.
Villanueva was able to maintain his lead through the finish line, resulting in an exciting finish for the racers and the fans in attendance. Although his goal was just to finish among the top group, Villanueva managed to find his place at the top of the podium.
“A lot of things go through your mind but you just got to trust in yourself,” Villanueva said. “I took the lead and stayed on the lead, and I was concerned [Esselink] was just taking advantage, sheltering from the wind to try to overtake me near the end of the race. I guess this is where the grit and the will comes into play because at that point in the race, it became ‘I can actually try and win this thing’.”
Most runners like to take the opportunity during the spring and summer seasons to take some time off, usually opting for cardiovascular exercises that are not as hard on the body as running. Villanueva, however, will have to delay his down week until after August, with this win earning himself a spot at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships.
“It was like the cherry on top because I thought that was going to be my season,” Villanueva said. “I was honoured to run there and was really excited, and even more excited afterwards when they told me this qualifies me for NACACs, to run the 10,000 metre track event there representing Canada. I’m very honoured and very proud to represent. I will give it my best shot.”
A three-day event that features participants from 31 countries compete in 40 events, the NACAC Championships will occur on Aug. 10-12 at Varsity Stadium in Toronto. Villanueva has deservedly earned himself a spot on Team Canada alongside notable Olympians such as Andre de Grasse.
“I’m really really excited, this one holds a special place” Villanueva explained. “This would be my first senior team representing Canada. I’m really thrilled. I am going to be on the same team as Olympic sprinter Andre de Grasse for example, so I am going to fan-girling on the sideline a little bit. I’m really eager and excited to just learn from them as well.”
In keeping with his genuine and optimistic nature, Villanueva did not even realize he had qualified for this amazing opportunity until someone informed him after his big win.
“This is the funny part of it - I was surprised,” Villanueva said. “I didn’t know you could qualify for it if you won the Canadian Championship. I was so focused on just the Canadian Championship itself I didn’t really think too much ahead of it. So when they told me this right after I won the race, [it was] amazing. This is an awesome opportunity, you know for me, is a very big step forward in my running career. I’ll be super excited to represent Mac in the fall of course. Don’t worry, cross-country is also in my goals as well.”
Taking place at the University of Toronto, the NACACs will not necessarily be run on his home turf, but Villanueva will surely make both Marauders and Canadians proud as he takes yet another major step forward in his burgeoning but already-decorated running career.
