Following the Marauders basketball team’s 74-67 win against the TMU Bold, they gear up for their next challenge against the Queen’s Gaels
As the McMaster University Marauders continue their Ontario University Athletics playoffs, the air is thick with anticipation.
Coming off a vigorous win against the Toronto Metropolitan University Bold, the team is riding a wave of confidence while maintaining a realistic outlook of the challenges ahead.
The Marauders’ recent victory over TMU began with a rocky start as they fell behind in the early stages of the game. The Bold's aggressive opening led to them securing the first quarter 20-12. However, the resilient mindset within the squad picked up as the game carried on.
Sparked by Nathan Charles' steal and reverse layup, McMaster clawed back, gradually overturning the score through strategic plays and sheer determination.
This win was particularly sweet given the team's journey so far. Facing the departure of some veteran players, the injuries of key players like Ares Culley-Bremner and Brendan Amoyaw and integrating fresh talent have been formidable challenges this year.
"At the beginning of the season, people thought that we weren’t going to win thatt much. We lost a lot of our players [and] our veterans… We really just have to go out there and do what we know we can do," stated Charles.
As attention turns to the upcoming game against Queen's University on Feb. 24, the Marauders know what faces them ahead. Previous encounters have tested their abilities, with the last matchup ending in a 76-67 win for the Gaels. The Gaels’ physicality and focus on dominating the paint present significant obstacles the team will look forward to.
"We know we’re going to have to play physical. Queen’s is one of the better teams. . .I’m going to try and set the tone early so we can hopefully go up in the first and second quarter and keep on building from there," said Charles.
As the team prepares to take on Queen’s, who come into the playoffs with an 11 game winning streak, their strategy aims to match physicality with tenacity, focus on teamwork and maintain the momentum. The playoffs are not just a test of skill but a testament to the Marauders' spirit and resilience.
With their eyes on the prize, the team is ready to give it their all, setting an inspiring example of what it means to compete with heart and hustle.
McMaster men's curling kicked off their season this past November with many invitationals ahead as they look to win big
The McMaster University men's curling season officially started in Guelph on Nov. 11. The Marauders faced three teams in the University of Guelph invitational in their first competition of the season. In their first game they faced off against Wilfrid Laurier University, the 2022-2023 Ontario University Athletics champions.
This challenge at the start of the season was not the only hardship this team has had to endure so far, with many key players leaving the team in their last offseason.
The team's only two returning players this year are Scott McLellan and Daniel Van Veghel. The graduation of Troy Stoner and Thomas Szasz would leave major gaps in the team that the current roster would have to fill.
It's mostly a new team [this year]. A lot of turnover especially in the back end, so you got to just kind of rebuild the entire team. We had a lot of new players.
Benjamin Winchester, second-year player, Marauders men's curling team
With these changes in roster, the team was left to rebuild mostly from scratch, leading to many of the current challenges they're facing this year.
“We didn’t have the greatest start, score wise, but it's been a steady improvement,” said Winchester.
Coming into this season, the team also welcomed in a new head coach. The team's previous head coach was Lori Eddey, an experienced curler who spent time at the national level as a player.
Eddey was replaced this season by Byron Scott, who spent the last seven years coaching at the University of Guelph before leaving to coach the current McMaster team.
Thus far, Scott has proven to be a great fit for the current Marauders' curling team. He consistently emphasizes mindful habits for the current players, who seem to resonate with them quite well.
“[Scott] is big into sports psychology, so he’ll mention a lot of the time pre-game what to be thinking and he’s tried to instill good habits in us. Instead of getting down if we miss a shot, [Scott says to] think "clean slate and just stay steady,"” said Winchester.
Despite some changes to the team dynamic this season, the Marauders have been able to learn and adapt to both each other and their new head coach. They've learned to play off of one another and have been able to see better results.
“We’ve gotten our communication down now. That was one of the big things with a new team; you don’t know how everyone communicates, with hand signals or other little things," said Winchester.
We’ve gotten our communication down now. That was one of the big things with a new team, you don’t know how everyone communicates, with hand signals or other little things.
Benjamin Winchester, second-year player, Marauders men's curling team
This season, the Marauders will hope to capture an OUA title after just falling short of the finals last year. Their loss to Queen's University ended in a 9-2 score.
“Personally, I’d like us to win [an OUA] quarterfinal game. That’s always been the goal... Always a bit more than that, but a quarterfinal game win would be nice,” said Winchester.
Scott and the team's newcomers will hope to make a big name for themselves as the season comes its peak.
In a year of COVID-19 restrictions, student-athletes have found new ways to improve their game during the pandemic
C/O Esra Rakab
In a year where McMaster University sports seasons had to be cancelled and training has become increasingly difficult due to social-distancing restrictions, teams and athletes have had to find new ways to keep improving. Not only are these athletes missing out on the most critical method of improvement — the cancelled games in which they regularly play — but practices have also looked extremely different throughout the school year.
Some teams opted to train via virtual practices, gathering on Zoom to work out together and run drills individually. Others have opted to continue hosting regular in-person practices, simply adhering to the provincial restrictions. That being said, the majority of teams have created a variety of in-between scenarios in their best attempts to keep their athletes on the right track to improvement.
Tyler Pavelic, a middle on the McMaster men’s volleyball team, discussed the differences and difficulties of the in-person practices the team has held this year.
“Training in the pandemic has been pretty tough, especially considering we have to wear masks during the whole practice . . . With the guidelines here in Hamilton, we are only allowed 10 guys at a time, so for a sport like volleyball where you need six-on-six to play, we can’t really do much,” said Pavelic.
"With the guidelines here in Hamilton, we are only allowed 10 guys at a time, so for a sport like volleyball where you need six-on-six to play, we can’t really do much.”
Tyler Pavelic
Practice might be much difficult in the pandemic, but for Pavelic, it’s the missed gameplay that was the biggest punch to the gut.
“[On] gamedays, it’s a great feeling with a lot of fans, loud music . . . It’s just a great experience in every game that everyone looks forward to during the week,” said Pavelic. When asked what he missed most about pre-pandemic sports, the answer was simple: “Just games, games were awesome,” said Pavelic.
Julian Tymochko, a member of Mac's men's baseball team, is another Marauder who spoke about the hardships the pandemic has caused on his team.
“It’s been tough — we haven’t really been able to get any official practices going. The best we could do was have about 10 guys get out, throw a little bit of live batting practice, and get some ground ball work in and all of that. That was during the summer mostly, we really haven’t done much since then,” said Tymochko.
“It’s been tough — we haven’t really been able to get any official practices going. The best we could do was have about 10 guys get out, throw a little bit of live batting practice, and get some ground ball work in and all of that.”
Julian Tymochko
With practices limited, and limitations surrounding indoor practices, Tymochko has found himself improving within the mental/strategy-based aspects of his game from his own home, something many athletes have turned to this past season.
“Something that I’ve been really excited about recently is that college baseball in the states has started up . . . Typically I’ll start my morning watching two or three highlights from the games, like a Vanderbilt-Arkansas game or something like that,” said Tymochko.
Tymochko enjoys watching his American counterparts to analyze how they play the game. He considers each and every move to help improve the way he goes into each game.
“I’m watching those highlights and seeing those pitchers from our age group in North America, how they’re going about their in-game play. Just looking at how they’re playing, considering that they’re the top of the game, they’re the top competition for our age group,” explained Tymochko.
Tymochko, the 2019-2020 Canadian Baseball Guru Cy Young winner, awarded to the league’s best pitcher, has been working extra hard over the offseason, as McMaster Baseball isn’t all he has been training for.
After his Cy Young-winning season, the fifth-year athlete was signed by the Fort McMurray Giants of the Western Canadian Baseball League.
“During the pandemic it was so hard to get a training routine and a good regimen, so I reached out to a trainer via Zoom. For a while I was doing twice a week training sessions with him on Zoom, just getting a good workout,” said Tymochko.
The primary goal Tymochko was going for was finding ways to workout without the typical training equipment offered by McMaster.
“He knew workouts with minimal amounts of equipment that still made me feel a lot stronger, smoother and way more mobile, and I would say that’s what I worked on the most this offseason,” said Tymochko.
The workload Tymochko has undergone similarly resembles what many McMaster athletes have found themselves striving for during the pandemic. With many struggling to find the resources they would’ve had at McMaster, and the limited and potentially cancelled practices, they’ve had to find ways to keep pushing through.
Whether it’s working with a trainer, finding new training methods at home or doing their best to train with their teams despite the restrictions, these student-athletes have found ways to keep getting better, and they’re undoubtedly looking forward to showcasing these new improvements next season.
Matthew Passalent joins SK Zadruga AICH/DOB as his first professional team after his tenure at McMaster
Before stepping on to the court as a member of SK Zadruga AICH/DOB, Matthew Passalent began his volleyball journey in the various volleyball camps hosted by McMaster Athletics & Recreation. As such, he fostered good relationships with the coaches there, so joining the McMaster University men’s volleyball team was not unfamiliar territory for Passalent. He described his transition as very welcoming.
In his first year on the McMaster volleyball team, he followed the guidance of the senior members. He watched many of their games prior to enrolling at McMaster — he looked up to them and modelled his game after them.
“It was awesome to have the opportunity to practice with [the McMaster athletes], watch them play up close and get a good grasp on their mentality,” said Passalent.
[/media-credit] Passalent as a member of the McMaster Men's Volleyball team.
Passalent explained that he received more playing time and entered more of a leadership role as the years progressed. He recalled how during his fourth and fifth years, the rookies looked up to him in a similar way that he looked up to the upper-years during his rookie year.
“It was awesome to have the opportunity to practice with [the McMaster athletes], watch them play up close and get a good grasp on their mentality,” said Passalent.
Aside from playing as outside hitter for the team, his position varied from opposite to outside hitter. He did not receive much playing time during his rookie year; he played a few points at the end of matches. It was not until around his third-year Passalent started for the team.
“We have really good older guys, playing for Team Canada, the junior team, etc . . . It was really hard to crack a starting spot in your first or second year,” said Passalent.
“We have really good older guys, playing for Team Canada, the junior team, etc . . . It was really hard to crack a starting spot in your first or second year,” said Passalent.
Passalent recounts his biggest achievement during his tenure at McMaster was winning the Ontario University Athletics gold medal in his third-year.
“It was a record of winning the OUA championship in six consecutive years. That was my third championship. It's really cool to be a part of the team and a part of history,” said Passalent.
With regards to personal awards, he has the most pride for receiving the OUA West Player of the Year during his fourth-year.
“When my coach told me, I was really shocked because I was injured for most of the year,” said Passalent.
In winter 2019, Passalent and the team participated in the 2019 Can Am Holiday Volleyball Showcase in which teams from the United States and Canada competed against one another. Passalent recollected how this was a major downside in his career, having won no games at the invitational tournament. However, after playing in this tournament, the team bounced back with a major win against Trinity Western University, then the top team in U Sports.
Playing overseas has been quite different on the court for Passalent. He stated how many players come from different parts of the world while learning different techniques.
“I just thought it would be how I was used to in Canada. But we were doing drills I never heard of. It was really fascinating. It's definitely good to learn a lot,” said Passalent.
“I just thought it would be how I was used to in Canada. But we were doing drills I never heard of. It was really fascinating. It's definitely good to learn a lot,” said Passalent.
In fall 2020, Passalent joined SK Zadruga AICH/DOB in Austria to play for his first professional team.
[/media-credit] Passalent as a member of SK Zadruga AICH/DOB.
“It was a completely different vibe. This town I was living in was very small. Everyone knew each other. You can walk to anywhere in town within 15 minutes. Being from such a small town, the team had hardcore, dedicated fans. It felt like a really great atmosphere at the few games I participated in,” said Passalent.
Adapting to this new lifestyle was not as difficult as Passalent thought it would be.
“I found that I had to get into a strict schedule. I feel I had to keep eating and fueling myself, doing it at the right times. It's a grind out there. If you don't take care of your body, it will come back and punish you,” said Passalent.
As the team predominantly spoke English, Passalent did not run into many language barrier issues.
“I found that I had to get into a strict schedule. I feel I had to keep eating and fueling myself, doing it at the right times. It's a grind out there. If you don't take care of your body, it will come back and punish you,” said Passalent.
A typical day for Passalent begins with waking up at 7:30 a.m., eating breakfast and then working out at 8 a.m. Afterwards, he would go grocery shopping to make a bigger breakfast and take a midday nap. Then, he would join the team for lunch followed by recreational activities, such as watching Netflix. Around 6:00 p.m., the team would practice until 8:00 p.m. Lastly, he would cook a large dinner and head to bed.
[/media-credit] Passalent spikes the ball past Dinamo MOSCOW player in their first-round pool match of the CEV 2021 Champions League.
Before Passalent tore his rotator cuff this past October, he participated in four qualifying matches as part of the CEV Champions League for the 2020-2021 season.
“The pool we were in was tough. We were slated as underdogs. We had to play the third-ranked team and number one team in Russia,” said Passalent.
In his first game with the team, Passalent led the team in scoring as they captured a win. Despite this victory, the team lost the rest of their qualification matches. Passalent was only able to play in the first three until his shoulder injury occurred. He states that most likely he will need to get surgery, following a four-five month recovery time.
[/media-credit] Passalent sends the ball over Neftochimik BURGAS in their first-round pool match of the CEV 2021 Champions League.
“Hopefully I see myself still playing volleyball but maybe in a higher-level league like in Italy, France, Germany or Turkey, as they also pay better money,” said Passalent.
While recovering from his injury, Passalent will actively seek out a new contract to head back onto the court, either with SK Zadruga AICH/DOB or a brand new team.
After the cancellation of fall sports, Western Mustangs’ football player, Garrett Holmes, created the CSAA to protect student-athletes.
In early July 2020, U Sports made a controversial decision where they maintained their current eligibility policy of disallowing football athletes older than 25 (born on Sept. 1, 1996 or after) from competing in the 2021-2022 season.
After pressure from athletes and the public, the national association made an exception to their policy, where the 2020-2021 season would not be counted as part of their eligibility, thus allowing athletes to participate after competing five academic years and allowing football athletes older than 25 to compete in games.
Official statement from U SPORTS: pic.twitter.com/k95YqNDxkS
— U SPORTS (@USPORTSca) July 27, 2020
A key voice that resulted in this reversal is the newly-formed Canadian Student-Athlete Association, founded by Garrett Holmes, a fourth-year social sciences student at Western University and back-up quarterback for the Western Mustangs.
“COVID-19 really changed college and university sports forever in Canada unfortunately . . . it’s not about the decisions made in the past, but it’s the future decisions that are going to be made, and when those are made, I think student-athletes should have some input. It’s their future and it’s their careers at stake. I don’t think it's right if they don’t [have] input to what’s happening,” said Holmes.
“COVID-19 really changed college and university sports forever in Canada unfortunately . . . it’s not about the decisions made in the past, but it’s the future decisions that are going to be made, and when those are made, I think student-athletes should have some input. It’s their future and it’s their careers at stake. I don’t think it's right if they don’t [have] input to what’s happening,” said Holmes.
On July 20, the CSAA provided a statement to U Sports asking them to revisit their decision regarding eligibility for the 2021-2022 season and onwards. On July 27, U Sports made the reversal, with the CSAA expressing their gratitude to CEO of U Sports Dick White and U Sports as a whole for their willingness to listen and their consequential decision.
“I think Canada will be in limbo for a while. A bubble is a great idea, but I don’t know how they will fund it. It needs a lot of planning. Even for fall sports, the timing is slipping away . . . the season would have started a few weeks ago for football. I think for spring sports, that’s an option, but they have to start planning now for a bubble. But unfortunately, I don’t think U sports is thinking about that; they’re just pretty set on staying safe. But it’s hard to know what they’re thinking without getting input from student-athletes. It’s just tough,” said Holmes.
“I think Canada will be in limbo for a while. A bubble is a great idea, but I don’t know how they will fund it. It needs a lot of planning. Even for fall sports, the timing is slipping away . . . the season would have started a few weeks ago for football. I think for spring sports, that’s an option, but they have to start planning now for a bubble. But unfortunately, I don’t think U sports is thinking about that; they’re just pretty set on staying safe. But it’s hard to know what they’re thinking without getting input from student-athletes. It’s just tough,” said Holmes.
Outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CSAA has various goals that comprise its mandate to provide student-athletes with a voice.
“Right now, we are reaching out to key people, like Dick White and key organizations and getting their input and providing my input . . . Obviously COVID-19 is the most important topic right now in U Sports and Canadian university athletics, but aside from that, there are so many big issues that aren’t talked about right now, such as sexual harassment and racism. These issues are pushed away because student-athletes don’t know where to go to talk, but now the CSAA is somewhere to go to bring up such issues,” said Holmes.
“Right now, we are reaching out to key people, like Dick White and key organizations and getting their input and providing my input . . . Obviously COVID-19 is the most important topic right now in U Sports and Canadian university athletics, but aside from that, there are so many big issues that aren’t talked about right now, such as sexual harassment and racism. These issues are pushed away because student-athletes don’t know where to go to talk, but now the CSAA is somewhere to go to bring up such issues,” said Holmes.
Holmes also explained that bringing agent representation to student-athletes is an area that the CSAA would like to focus on, providing them with the best student-athlete experience.
“Change is needed. With COVID-19, we are in very strange times. Student-athletes deserve to see the table. It’s their future being altered and to have no input from them is very wrong,” said Holmes.
Despite the governance of the CSAA still being under development, current student-athletes and alumni are encouraged to view the association’s website and reach out to Holmes to discuss the future of the CSAA.
The team now gets its chance to compete for the provincial championship over a full season
Up until the 2016 season, the McMaster University women’s field hockey team competed in exhibition games and tournaments strictly as a club. In 2016, the team entered the Ontario University Athletics tournament still as a club, but not the league; they were allowed to play exhibition games, but could not be involved in the league standings with the other seven teams.
“It’s extremely hard to grow a program when you’re not getting enough of that game experience. All these other teams are playing their whole season but then we show up with maybe a couple of exhibition games of playtime. The rest is just practicing,” said Briana Wice, a fourth-year kinesiology student and current co-president of the team.
“It’s extremely hard to grow a program when you’re not getting enough of that game experience. All these other teams are playing their whole season but then we show up with maybe a couple of exhibition games of playtime. The rest is just practicing,” said Briana Wice, a fourth-year kinesiology student and current co-president of the team.
Now, the team is officially an OUA team, meaning they can participate in the entire league and its entirety of games. There is still limbo on when the season will resume. Regardless, training will commence with fitness programming during virtual Zoom sessions. As tryouts cannot be done right now, members will be recruited as part of the training program and then will have to try out once they are given the green light by the OUA and McMaster. Thus, members will have great conditioning prior to their first interaction on the field.
With regards to how the team functions, the team is a full-year team, playing in both the outdoor (September to October) and indoor (January to March) seasons. The team operates in a similar function to an MSU club, with two co-presidents who manage the administrative and financial responsibilities; they report to their club coordinator in part of the McMaster Athletics department.
Whereas U Sports has coaches who are hired on full-time contracts with a predetermined salary, OUA coaches are recruited as volunteers, sometimes being rewarded with compensation, as Wice explained to us.
“I think another thing is that other teams have conditioning and strengthening trainers that are not their coaches. So we have to plan all the fitness training by ourselves,” said Rebecca Jiang, a third-year health sciences student on the team.
Financially, the team is self-funded either through individual payments or through fundraisers.
“We try to fundraise as much as we can to offset [team costs], so paying to play isn’t a major stressor on our athletes,” said Wice. “The big financial burden is going to be all of the travel costs associated with games for a full outdoor season. So that’s travel for every week. Either taking a bus or reimbursement for gas and parking costs . . . As part of OUA sports, it’s required for us to stay in hotels. So when travelling to McGill [University in Montreal], as it’s in the OUA league, there are big hotel costs with that. Financially, we have done a lot of budgeting. We expect our expenses to double the next year; it’s really the travel and hotel costs that increase the cost of the season,” said Wice.
“The big financial burden is going to be all of the travel costs associated with games for a full outdoor season. So that’s travel for every week. Either taking a bus or reimbursement for gas and parking costs . . . As part of OUA sports, it’s required for us to stay in hotels. So when travelling to McGill [University in Montreal], as it’s in the OUA league, there are big hotel costs with that. Financially, we have done a lot of budgeting. We expect our expenses to double the next year; it’s really the travel and hotel costs that increase the cost of the season,” said Wice.
Despite these challenging logistics, the team has high aspirations for its first full OUA season.
“We’re hoping to place higher than previously in the OUA championship. Another goal is to increase the visibility of McMaster field hockey everywhere . . . A lot of McMaster students and athletes are not aware we have a field hockey team so we hope over the upcoming years, we hope a lot of people learn about us and have a couple of home games to raise awareness,” said Jessica Lim, a third-year software engineering student. The team plans to also conduct community outreach for high school students and give more recognition for the sport in its entirety.
“We’re hoping to place higher than previously in the OUA championship. Another goal is to increase the visibility of McMaster field hockey everywhere . . . A lot of McMaster students and athletes are not aware we have a field hockey team so we hope over the upcoming years, we hope a lot of people learn about us and have a couple of home games to raise awareness,” said Jessica Lim, a third-year software engineering student.
As they now prepare for their first season, while a medal would be wonderful in the short run, the overall movement of field hockey to become a global sport remains the ultimate goal. An official announcement from the team regarding their OUA status will be released in the coming weeks.
In the McMaster Athletics Hall of Fame, there are seven Black athletes, trainers and coaches who have made significant contributions to Marauder history over the years. Whether it was on the field or court or giving support to their team, the Black history of McMaster Athletics is undeniable.
Fast forward to today and there are a number of Black athletes at McMaster today who are also contributing to McMaster history. Although there is not yet an official Marauder Black History Month celebration, this article is the first step in celebrating the Black athletes who have given so much to this organization.
Running back Aidoo started playing for McMaster in 1998 and found immediate success after his first season, when he was named the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Rookie of the Year. Throughout his career, he continued to make Ontario University Athletics history for rushing and scoring. Helping McMaster get to their first-ever OUA Yates Cup Championship in 2000, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the OUA and the MVP of the championship game.
His outstanding talent made him a recipient of a number of awards including the Hec Crighton Award as the most outstanding player in Canada, the Howard Mackie Award as the Male Athlete of the Year in the CIS, the Ivor Wynne Award as McMaster’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2001 and being named a First-Team All-Canadian. Aidoo went on to be drafted into the Canadian Football League by Edmonton, playing for the Eskimos, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argos over the course of his professional career.
Image C/O marauders.ca
Photo from Silhouette Photo Archives
The second-year running back has been an explosive player for the Marauders since arrival in 2017. When an injury cut his rookie year short just after week eight, he had already posted consecutive performances of over 100 yards receiving, and even had 225 all-purpose yards against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues the week before.
Even though his season was cut short, Allin was still named to the OUA All-Rookie Team for his contributions to the team. After recovering from his ACL injury, his return to the field in the 2018 season may not have been reminiscent of his rookie season, but his contributions did play a part in helping the Marauders secure a spot in the playoffs.
Unfortunately, due to a number of reasons on and off the field, Allin and Mac’s playoff run ended after the first round. With a new head coach for the 2019 season, and the possibility of Allin’s predecessor Jordan Lyons leaving for the CFL, the possibilities of what Allin can do for the Marauders in the next few years is something many are excited to see.
It only took one year for Titus Channer to make an impact on the McMaster men’s basketball team. The 1993-1994 OUA Rookie of the Year went on to have a successful Marauder career, full of nation-wide recognition. He was named Second Team All-Canadian in 1994-95 and 1995-96 and received Ontario University Athletics Association Player of the Year, a First Team All-Canadian selection, and the McMaster Athlete of the Year Award twice (1996-1997 and 1997-1998).
The accolades for Channer did not end there, as in his senior year he won the Mike Moser Award as the Canadian University Basketball Player of the Year and the Howard Mackie Award. It did not end there for Channer, as he went on to play professional basketball in Europe and represented the Canadian men’s national basketball team.
Image C/O marauders.ca
David McCulloch, a Hamilton local and Cardinal Newman star, chose to stay home and come to McMaster instead of a number of other offers. Deciding to come to a school who already had a star point guard, Adam Presutti, and wanting to learn from him speaks volumes about McCulloch’s character early on.
Today, the fifth-year senior has turned into the team's leader and star, surpassing 1000 points during his time at McMaster. For the 2017-2018 season he was named OUA Third-Team All-Star and in the summer, he joined Team Toronto with Team Canada’s head coach Roy Rana. A consistent leader on and off the court, McCulloch’s departure this year as he graduates will no doubt be seen in the 2018-2019 season.
With a team mainly comprised of first years and transfer, hopefully, not only his talent but the way he carried himself on and off the court will be the blueprint for the young team. As for McCulloch’s future, whether it is basketball-related or not it, it sure looks bright from here.
Lawrence Holmes found great success during his time here as a Marauder. Winning the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union 61kg three times, it is no surprise that he was also a two-time recipient of the Ivor Wynne Trophy. Holmes was also an international wrestler while attending McMaster, participating in the 1982 Commonwealth Games and the 1984 Olympics, and a two-time World Team member. Holmes was also a three-time Canadian Open Champion winning in 1982, 1983 and 1984. But it did not end there. Following graduation, Holmes continued to compete globally and made another Olympic appearance in 1988.
Image C/O marauders.ca
A newcomer on the scene, Simi Jayeoba is a second-year wrestler. As one of two Black female wrestlers on the team, Jayeoba is in the process of making a name for herself. Jayeoba ranked in the top 10 in Ontario’s 67kg category last year and won silver early on this year at the York University Open. As a Black woman wrestler, her just being able to compete at this level is something worth celebrating. The level I engineering student still has a way to go to for her wrestling career at McMaster but is an exciting prospect to watch along the way. Although there are no Black women in the Marauder Hall of Fame as of yet, it's not too late for Jayeoba to be the first.
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By: John Bauer
The McMaster women’s volleyball team came into the 2015 portion of their season looking to build off of a strong first half, and even stronger National Invitational Tournament in Toronto.
Though it was not always pretty, through the first three games of their January schedule, they have done just that.
The team visited London, Ont. for a match with the Western Mustangs on Jan. 10, in a game where they had to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The team found themselves in an early two-set-to-one hole, and were taken to game point in the fourth set.
“We did not get the start we wanted to in the first set. We adjusted but it came down to the fourth set with Western having game point,” said outside hitter Rebecca Steckle. “We came into our circle and we looked each other in the eye and we knew we were not going to let them have that set. We fought for every point, and came together after each one whether we won or lost it and said to each other ‘the next one is ours’ – every time.”
The result was a convincing comeback in the set, and game, as the Maroon and Grey took the match 17-25, 25-12, 18-25, 30-28, 15-12. Joanna Jedrzejewska and Taylor Brisebois led the scoring with 18.5 and 18 points, respectively.
The team would secure a straight-sets victory in Windsor the next day, then head to Brock on Jan. 17. This game would also go to five sets, but a monster 22.5 points from Jedrzejewska would win the day.
While being taken to five sets by sub-.500 teams is not ideal for an OUA contender like McMaster, the players do not see it as a problem.
“Those were some of the most important games we have played all season,” said Steckle. “These kinds of games are the ones that allow you to learn who you are as a team. They force you to look your teammates in the eye and say to each other ‘we have this, we can do this.’ And we did it.”
Brisebois agreed with that sentiment.
“The five set matches are great learning experiences for us because they push us to the limit and we really have to fight in the end to come out on top. Our assistant coach made a good point the other day l that when it comes down to it we are playing for each other and the fight is in our own hands not anyone else’s.”
Next up for the team are visits from York and Nipissing this weekend. While the team is no doubt hoping for some shorter matches down the stretch, they will not shy away from adversity. In fact, Brisebois welcomes it.
“I’m excited to see what other struggles our team will overcome during the last few games of the season.”
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Dynamic. Innovative. Caring. These three words summarize McMaster for Richard Zazulak. Although best known for designing the iconic Marauders logo, which celebrates its 30th birthday this year, the graphic designer-turned-photographer spent 28 years working at the University and remains a vital part of the McMaster community.
Zazulak attended the Ontario College of Art, graduating in 1968.
“Shortly after that I worked for [...] about a year and a bit in a small advertising company in Hamilton,” he said. “After that I moved to a silk-screen shop that produced a lot of placards and signage for stores.”
Around this time, the university was starting a new department in conjunction with the launch of its medical school. Zazulak was one of four artists hired to illustrate the curriculum.
“The principle of the school at that time was a lot of independent study...We would create graphics, which would turn into slides...It was a new, innovative way of teaching.”
Zazulak spoke fondly of his time in this niche illustration group. His superiors “gave you a project and let you run with it.
They weren’t micro-managers. They recognized [different] people’s expertise and they just let it go. And that built my personality; to be curious; to want to be involved with many things.”
He described himself and his fellow artists as “a group of young, fresh artists in a totally new field.” One of his colleagues was Lynn Johnston, who went on to create the successful cartoon “For Better or For Worse.”
When the group began illustrating medical school instructional materials, they were located in Chedoke Hospital and all their work had to be done “by hand, by ink, by paint.” As time went on, however, their department was moved to the McMaster campus.
“We were poking our noses just about everywhere,” Zazulak said. “We had this unique expertise and weren’t going to say no to anything...Even if we knew nothing about it, we would take it on.” This included the early adoption of digital design techniques.
Although he has worked on countless projects for the university, Zazulak’s favourite project remains the Marauders logo, which he designed with guidance from Ross Tripp of the Athletic Department in 1984.
“It still sort of warms me up,” he admitted. “There’s a sense of pride because of its longevity. I made an attempt to update [the logo] and they...were totally satisfied with it.”
Zazulak retired from his job with the University in 1998 when his wife enrolled in the McMaster medical school and the couple had two young children. During this time, he became seriously interested in photography, a hobby he had been experimenting with since the 1970s. He took a particular interest in sports photography, and regularly attended games at McMaster and in the greater Hamilton community.
“I would buy a ticket to a football game or a hockey game, and I’d be a spectator, but I’d have my camera. And I’d take photos and in turn I’d go to the organizers of the game,” he explained. Eventually he was given media passes in exchange for photographs.
Since then, Zazulak has taken photos that have appeared in a variety of publications. He credits the university with giving him a wide range of opportunities.
“They’ve allowed me to develop my photography when I don’t think anyone else would have. They’ve allowed me to participate and they’ve recognized my contribution as I’ve improved.”
When asked about his proudest moment as an honorary Marauder, Zazulak didn’t hesitate.
“It was when I went to Vancouver as the team photographer when [McMaster] won the Vanier Cup. That experience was quite phenomenal...I always said as I got older and couldn’t play the sports that I would live vicariously through the lens of the camera.”
While that may be true, there is no denying that Zazulak’s body of work has a life of its own.
