By: Graham West
On Feb. 23, Ben Zahra placed silver in the U Sports 76-kilogram wrestling championships, but for Zahra, silver isn’t quite where he wanted to be. Although his performance earned him his fourth Pita Pit Athlete of the Week, the third-year commerce student had aspirations of topping the podium in Calgary.
The second-place finish is the second time Zahra medaled at U Sports, winning bronze last year in a convincing bronze medal match. Even though the tournament just ended, the third-year wrestler is already looking forward to training hard to achieve his goal of finishing first.
“Next year I really want to win U Sport, it’s my big goal,” Zahra said. “I was hoping to do it this year, but I had a really tough competitor from Brock [University] so it didn’t really go as well as I wanted it to, but I’m still ok with a silver. It’s good progression because last year I came third.”
Injuries were something bothering Zahra on his way to capturing silver, making his journey to the podium at the national championships and improve his finish from last year that much more impressive. Battling through the mental and physical limitations of injury made his road to nationals even more difficult.
“This year it was a little different because I was struggling with injuries a little bit, I had a rib injury and a lower back injury that I was dealing with,” Zahra said. “Last year my body felt great, it was really healthy, but this year I had to adjust my practices accordingly because I couldn’t do a lot of stuff everyone else was doing.”
🤼 | RECAP
Ben Zahra bettered his 2018 showing by winning silver, while Connor Quinton claimed bronze at the @usportsca Wrestling Championships in Calgary. #GoMacGo https://t.co/mfaD1TuIHb
— McMaster Marauders (@McMasterSports) February 25, 2019
One of Zahra’s main motivations on the mat is performing well for his team. Even though wrestling is an individual sport, they place as a team based on their combined performances. This plays an important role for when they’re competing, as it increases their support for each other, always being there to cheer each other on and make each other better.
“There’s this team aspect to it where if you win, you contribute to your team's overall total points and then at the end of the tournament, there's a team title for men, women and overall,” Zahra explained. “So when you’re wrestling, it’s in the back of your head and you have a lot of your teammates cheering you on, so you almost do it for them more than yourself.”
“Ultimately, it is an individual sport and you’re wrestling for yourself,” Zahra added. “But it makes the wins that much sweeter when you do it for your team and you help contribute to your team’s score.”
Zahra has been a perennial Pita Pit Athlete of the Week for the Marauder’s after he claimed his fourth title on Feb. 25. Recognizing athletes who have had notable performances every week, Zahra has regularly been named to the spotlight despite being in a sport that does not always get a lot of attention.
“It’s nice to get a free pita out of it, but I don’t really wrestle for that,” Zahra said. “It’s nice to get recognition but it’s not why I do it. I love the sport, it’s something I’ve done my whole life and those little things are nice, but overall I try not to pay too much attention to them.”
Wrestler Ben Zahra and @macwbball guard Sarah Gates are the @PitaPitCanada @mcmasteru Athletes of the Week, after their efforts this past weekend. #GoMacGo
READ ⬇️https://t.co/kThE2cWtX3
— McMaster Marauders (@McMasterSports) February 25, 2019
Zahra knows he does not want his wrestling career to end with university athletics as the star wrestler has his sights set on the Olympics.
“[Club] Nationals this year are in Saskatoon. I’m competing up a weight class which should be good, I’m excited,” Zahra said. “It’s actually the qualifying year for the Olympics… so this year is what gets you on the seating platform for next year’s Olympic trials. It should be a really competitive nationals for us.”
Zahra has been one of McMaster’s best wrestlers during his time here and is well on the path to getting gold at next year’s championships. With possibly a trip to the Olympics in the near future, Zahra will be a name to watch in the Marauders community as he continues to dominate the mat.
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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.
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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: Griffin Marsh
The Ontario University Athletics’ wrestling season is a grueling affair. Opportunities present themselves through October, November and January, eventually building to the OUA Championships in February.
For McMaster wrestler Benjamin Zahra, the season has certainly been taxing, but has resulted in a rewarding season that is worth writing home about.
As Mac Wrestling heads into the OUA Championships this weekend, Zahra is coming off of an OUA Male Athlete of the Week Award at the end of January, and a perfect performance at the Ontario Junior Championships.
Zahra’s performance at the Junior Championships led to a gold medal in the 79 kg category, posting three clean performances, as he did not give up a point all weekend long.
This performance was even more impressive as it was not Zahra’s first gold medal on the season, adding to his 86 kg Senior Championships gold medal in November. Zahra has already established himself as a top athlete, performing at the top of his game in two weight categories, against two different age categories. He is a wrestler who begs more attention.
However, Zahra is not about to rest on his accomplishments anytime soon. There are still key challenges ahead this season and Zahra treats each practice as an opportunity to work on his technique and continually improve.
“My motivation this season has just been to focus on pushing myself as hard as I can in practice to get better,” said Zahra. “I have been able to push aside all the season’s distractions and really focus on trying to get the best performance out of myself in every practice so that I can be in the best condition for competitions.”
Zahra’s athletic ideology reflects a mindset that was also echoed by head wrestling coach, Cleo Ncube.
Coach Ncube, in his first season at McMaster, brings the mentality of the former Olympian he is, instituting a strict and demanding schedule that challenged many members of the team in the early stages of this season.
Zahra took this challenge and ran with it, still constantly checking in with his motivations and drives.
“It’s a sport that forces you to push yourself harder than you ever thought you could push yourself, which can be very hard,” Zahra said. “This makes the flashes of success throughout the season that much more enjoyable.”
“The motivation for me is the joy I get from the sport,” Zahra added. “It’s important for me to find enjoyment in wrestling because in the big picture, that’s why I have always wrestled.”
Even with what Zahra has accomplished up to this point, he is still looking for more, looking beyond this weekend to the National Championships. Still, one of Zahra’s strongest traits seems to be his poise and focus. He clearly has lofty ambitions, but they are all kept in perspective with clear attention being paid to the small things.
“At the start of the year my main goal was to win the junior national championships at the end of year,” said Zahra. “Although I think this is a goal I am capable of achieving, I have really tried not to focus on it too much throughout the season. Instead, I have set goals for myself in practice that I know if I follow will give me the best chance of becoming a national champion.”
This mindset is one strongly advocated for by Ncube. The wrestling team’s head coach regularly emphasizes the importance of personal growth and consistent effort, not simply a focus on results.
Coach Ncube added that this mentality has been paying off dividends in his eyes, having seen dramatic improvements throughout the roster.
“Up to this point the season has been good,” Zahra added, reflecting on the season. “I have had a chance to compete in many of the university open tournaments along with both the senior and junior provincial championships. I have not had much of a chance to reflect on the season because of the busy tournament schedule, but overall I am happy.”
Looking ahead, the OUA Championships are on Feb. 11 and Zahra is focused on another key performance.
“For this upcoming OUA championships my goal is to compete the best I can and hopefully have an excellent performance,” said Zahra. “This is the same goal I have going into every tournament because it is the one thing I am in complete control of.”
This idea of complete control is something that runs through of Zahra’s competitions. It feels like at this stage in his young career he is in control — in control of his regime, in control of his preparation and in control of his game. Week in and week out, he is in charge. This is a McMaster athlete to keep your eye on, this weekend and beyond.
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In high school, the man now in charge of McMaster’s wrestling team called soccer his true passion. So when Cleo Ncube took up wrestling to get stronger during the soccer offseason, he had no idea the sport would take him so far.
Making the provincial team within his first year of wrestling, Ncube also went on to win a Canadian Interuniversity Sport silver medal for Brock University. Soon enough, Ncube was a three-time Senior Canadian Champion, a Pan-Am Games silver medalist and spent nine years on the Canadian National Team. Now, he finds himself as the newest head coach for the McMaster wrestling team.
After retiring from professional wrestling due to injuries, Ncube came to Mac to be a mentor to the team. It was a huge shock to him when he was offered the position of head coach following the retirement of the Nick Cipriano, Mac’s head coach and face of the wrestling program for the past 36 years.
“It’s been a surreal experience in that regard,” said Ncube. “It’s been very interesting but truth be told, it’s been very fulfilling. Each day I’m amazed of how fast the time goes by. It’s been a pleasure working with these kids and to see young minds that have so much hope and are really passionate about something.”
Prior to coming to Hamilton, Ncube had been an assistant coach at Selwyn House, an all-boys high school in Montreal, for several years. Ncube coached several young men who are now current members of the Canadian national team over his tenure there. Although his résumé proves he has what it takes, being the head coach at Mac is something he is still getting used to.
“It’s the first time I had to work with a full team with a men’s program and women’s program, and developing a junior program,” said Ncube.
Another adjustment for Ncube was learning what it takes to run a program at the university level.
“It moves at a different pace than I’m used to,” said Ncube. “I’m used to getting things done without having to go through so many people. So now it’s just adjusting to how they operate, which can be challenging, but it’s an exciting challenge for me.”
Six competitions into the season, Ncube and the McMaster wrestling team have been able to do pretty well and the men’s team is currently sitting at tenth place in the U Sports rankings. With the men’s team winning silver in last year’s Ontario University Athletics Championships the women finishing in fourth place, Ncube’s goal is to continue to help the team grow as a whole and as individuals.
“I believe I have planted the right seeds to really make things flourish properly, but it’s still quite early,” said Ncube. “In terms of individual results, I look at it like I did when I was competing. I’m going to do everything I can do to prepare my athletes to be the best they can. Other than the actual results in and of itself is something we do not know because we have no control over our opponents.”
Current individual standouts amongst the Marauders include first-year wrestlers Olivia Menard, Viduran Thanarajah and Connor Quinton, second-year Benjamin Zahra and fourth-year Jenna Leslie who won an OUA bronze medal in the women’s 59 kg category last season. All of these standouts have really implemented Ncube’s style, focusing on technique and the discipline that is required in order to be successful.
“Overall, I think the team has risen to the occasion and they have really stepped up and are all applying the techniques that they have learned,” said Ncube. “I’m more than proud of what the team has accomplished thus far.”
For the Marauders, the wrestling season is far from over as they still have four more competitions, including the Ontario Junior Provincial Championships and the OUA Championships before they face athletes from across Canada at the U Sports Wrestling Championships on Feb. 23. Under Ncube’s new leadership and competitive drive, Mac’s wrestling team is certainly in the right hands.
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The world of sports is no stranger to near-constant coaching changes, with some teams considering installing a revolving door in the coach’s office. That has not been the case for the McMaster wrestling team as it has been under the watchful eye of coach Nick Cipriano for the last 36 years.
But at the end of the 2016-2017 season that ended with an Ontario University Athletics silver medal finish for the men’s team and fourth place for the women’s team, Cipriano decided to hang up the singlet and left a big pair of shoes to fill for the team’s next head coach.
Enter Cleo Ncube, a Kingston-raised Canadian national team veteran who spent time training with the Montreal Wrestling Club, one of the premier programs in Canada. Ncube is accustomed to being around talented individuals, as the club has produced over a dozen Olympic athletes since its founding.
No matter the pedigree, taking up a head coach’s mantle, especially from someone who has held the title for multiple decades, is never an easy task. But amidst the various changes and adjustments that come with a coaching change, coach Ncube is already off to a great start.
Fourth-year Jenna Leslie, who has wrestled for the women’s team since her first year, noted the considerable changes over the course of this transitional offseason and how Ncube has handled his new role.
“Cleo is a phenomenal coach,” said Leslie. “With a new coach it is always different and getting used to that coaching style definitely takes time. There are some growing pains. He’s still getting used to coaching us, we’re still getting used to a new coach. But he is very patient, very willing to work with everyone on the team — no matter what level they’re at, no matter what their goals are for the season.”
According to the veteran wrestler, who has been wrestling since middle school, coach Ncube’s style is very accommodating and he makes sure to take time to work with each wrestler individually.
“He always says if we are committed he will be there, and he will be there to help us reach whatever goals we have,” Leslie said. “He’s very accommodating and everything that he does is very individualized to the athlete. So when you are in a match and he is telling you to do something, he knows that you know how to do that technique because he has shown you and you’ve worked on it with him. He is very [much there] for the athletes, and wants us to do well. And he’s willing to put in the effort for that.”
This individualized approach has worked to revitalize the wrestling team and has wrestlers excited for the upcoming season. Among the most excited wrestler is Leslie who is coming off an OUA bronze medal in the women’s 59 kg category last season. This year, Leslie has her sights set high: to medal at OUAs again and compete nationally at the U Sports tournament in 2018.
“I had some close matches at OUA, it was one of my best tournaments last season,” explained Leslie. “The one match I lost was against a girl I wrestled two weeks before and she beat me 11-1. At OUAs, she was my first match and I was winning with a minute left and got thrown, but I still want to say it was one of my best matches of the day. That’s the weird thing about the sport: you can lose a match but it can still be better than a match that you won.”
Leslie has a long history with the sport, tracing her early days of wrestling to Grade 8, when a sprightly 90 lb girl was keen to try out for her school’s team. She soon became one of two girls among roughly 20 boys who made up the school team.
Leslie spent most of her career training and wrestling with the boys, but found it to her advantage as they would work to push each other, and the men’s and women’s teams both train together today. According to Leslie, male and female wrestlers have different patterns and tendencies so there are positives in wrestling with both men and women.
Leslie continued to wrestle throughout middle school, dedicating the next five years of her life to the sport. So it was an obvious choice to continue this into a collegiate career.
“When I was applying to university I was like ‘I can’t not wrestle,’” Leslie explained. “I was drawn to Mac for many reasons. I had met girls from the team when I was still in high school so I came down here and trained with them a few times and immediately just felt like this team was such a great fit for me.”
“I knew right away that the team had such a different feel than other schools and other teams I had been around. As soon I was at Mac and training with their team, it just clicked. I knew that the atmosphere and all that was exactly what I was looking for,” she added.
From her dedication to the sport and the time she has spent at McMaster, Leslie easily exemplifies a sense of team unity and camaraderie that is characteristic of this Marauders wrestling team. In a sport that features only individual matches, it is often tough to form a team mindset when you are not fighting to win directly alongside your teammates.
“I just want to wrestle the best that I can and see the team grow, compete and do well as a full team,” said Leslie. “Last year, our women’s team did place better than the last 10 years at OUAs. I hope we can continue to grow on that can continue to be a more competitive team. We have the potential to do it and we have room to grow. With some of the first years coming in and some of the other girls becoming more comfortable and already seeing the amount of improvement from last year to this year, I’m really excited to see how the season goes and see how it plays out.”
At the end of October, the Marauders participated in the Concordia Invitational as their first tournament of the season, sending only members form the women’s team to this smaller event in Quebec. Despite the smaller size, the team encountered a lot of tough matches but were able to place highly.
At the event, rookie Olivia Menard finished second at 48 kilograms, Jenna Leslie placed third in the 59 kg category and rookie Sandra Bay also finished third in the 63 kg category.
The Mac women were able to bring this momentum back home as the team was able to officially kick off the season in a welcoming environment, hosting the annual McMaster Invitational in Burridge Gym. In a tournament that featured over 150 athletes from across 20 university and club teams, the Marauders women’s team finished fifth overall, with the men’s team placing fourth overall.
“I think it is a really good predictor for the rest of the season,” Leslie said. “There were definitely some tough match-ups but the team in general did really well. Everyone wrestled well and the Mac Open is always a good start. I always like how it is the start of the season.”
While the teams missed the podium collectively, several individual Marauders placed highly in their respective weight class. Fourth-year Erik Joy, the 2017 U Sports bronze medallist, came first at 68 kilograms while Ameen Aghamirian also came first in his weight class (100 kg).
The rookie wrestlers also continued to shine as Olivia Menard finished second at 48 kg and Connor Quinton finished second at 65 kg. Rounding out the top finishes for the women’s team, Leslie added another third place finish on the young season, this time in the 55 kilogram category.
Next up, the Marauders will head to the Ryerson Open on Nov. 11, the second last tournament before the Ontario Senior Championships in Kitchener on Nov. 25. After an offseason of changes and new routines, the Mac wrestling team is ready and able to resume their dominance on the Canadian wrestling scene. This sure promises to be an exciting season.
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On Feb. 11, the McMaster wrestling team welcomed teams from across the province at the Ontario University Athletics Championships in Sports Hall.
While OUA teams like Western and Guelph showed promise during the season, it would take a lot for anyone to match the Brock Badgers, who came in as the defending champions and the number one ranked team in the country.
Overall, the hosting Marauders grabbed 12 medals at the event, and will be sending 12 wrestlers to the University of Winnipeg on Feb. 24 to compete in the U Sports Championships.
"Cipriano does a good job in preparing us for the big tournaments. I have full confidence in him and myself that I will be where I want to be in two weeks right before the championships."
Jobanjit Phulka
Fourth year
McMaster wrestling
Leading the way on the men’s side was fourth-year Jobanjit Phulka, who was the lone Marauder to finish first in his weight class. Phulka, wrestling in the 90kg weight class, beat out Clayton Pye from Brock to capture gold, and was a huge contributor to the McMaster men’s team, who placed second overall. Winning gold is special in its own right, but for Phulka, doing so in front of the Maroon and Grey faithful made it even sweeter.
“It’s always nice to compete at home,” Phulka said. “I have competed at Mac before, but this being the OUA Championship was a little more special. Having the home crowd cheering you on adds to the excitement and winning in front of them makes it more special… I’d rather focus on the competition at hand, but being at home is definitely nice.”
Phulka highlighted the efforts of wrestling head coach Nick Cipriano as a key contributor to his success and for the rest of the team.
“Cipriano does a good job in preparing us for the big tournaments,” Phulka said. “I have full confidence in him and myself that I will be where I want to be in two weeks right before the championships.”
The McMaster men’s team came into the championships ranked third in the U Sports top ten rankings, and was always going to have their work cut out for them. The Brock Badgers, the top team in the nation, ran away with the overall gold, having captured eight gold medals out of a possible 11 on the men’s side.
“Brock runs a good program, and it shows in their results,” Phulka said. “They are definitely one of the top teams in most weights, but there were a lot of other great schools like Western and Guelph. We were more focused on the competition as a whole and not really just one team in particular.”
The men’s team managed to place second overall ahead of Western, thanks in large part to the gold medal performance of Phulka. The Marauders found success in most of the weight divisions, with multiple wrestlers – including third-year Robert Smith, rookie Bennet Zahra, and team captain and fifth-year Ahmed Shamiya – all capturing silver in their respective weight classes.
On the women’s side, Monica Wood and Nicole Roach both managed to capture silver medals, while Jenna Leslie and Charlene Forde-Smith finished third. Thanks to their respective podium finishes, all four women will also be travelling to Winnipeg. Overall, the women’s team fell just shy of reaching the podium, finishing fourth, just three points behind Western.
As the team shifts their sights to the U Sports Championships, the Brock Badgers are not the only power house team in front of them. The Marauders will face stiff competition from wrestlers from the University of Alberta, who have been ranked second behind Brock for the majority of the season. The University of Winnipeg – hosts of the tournament – rank fourth, while the University of Calgary rounds out the top five.
With two weeks to prepare for the last tournament of the season, the team will hope to bring their hometown success out west with them.
It is an incredible feeling for varsity athletes to be able to represent their school colours. It is even better when you are able to compete in front of your friends and family.
As is such for the McMaster wrestling team, who closes out the season as the hosts for the Ontario University Athletics Championships on Feb. 11. The Marauders have performed well throughout the 2016/2017 season, with both individual wrestlers and the team finishing on the podium in multiple events.
Heading into the OUA Championships, the men’s team is ranked third in the University Sports top ten rankings behind powerhouses Brock and Alberta, while the women’s team sits ninth after starting the season unranked. Both teams will look to improve on last year’s competition, in which they placed second.
“Brock is the perennial favourite, and for good reason,” head coach Nick Cipriano said. “We’ve been second at the national level for the past two years. For anyone to get close to beating Brock, all the stars need to align.”
Other teams within Ontario will look to make their mark this weekend and look to spoil any homecoming festivities that Marauder athletes may enjoy.
“Within the province, Guelph will be competitive,” Cipriano said. “Same with Lakehead and Western.”
"We've been second at the national level for the past two years. For anyone to get close to beating Brock, all the stars need to align."
Nick Cipriano
Head coach, McMaster wrestling
Hosting the championship at home will have special meaning for fifth-year wrestler and team captain Ahmed Shamiya, who will compete in his final OUA championship in in the 76kg weight class. He is the defending OUA gold medalist and two-time defending Canadian Interuniversity Sports champion in the weight division. A podium finish this weekend will give Shamiya the opportunity to be a three-time U Sports champion.
There is plenty of other talent to look for on the Mac team. Freshman phenom Ben Zahra has enjoyed immediate success this season, having won a gold medal at the Brock University Open on Jan. 14. Third-year Robert Smith has been ranked no. 1 in the 54kg weight class for the year, and should have a great opportunity to make the finals this year.
“There are at least half a dozen wrestlers on the men’s side that I expect to make a big noise in the OUA championships,” Cipriano said. “The same goes for the women’s side; Nicole Roach in particular has been a finalist in the past, and there is no reason she can’t be one again.”
Fifth-year senior Roach has made impressive strides this year, recently winning a silver medal in the 63kg weight class at the Western Open on Jan. 28.
Other wrestlers on the women’s side to look for include fifth-year Monica Wood and second-year Cassandra Rufenach, who both also won silver in their respective weight classes in the most recent wrestling event in Western.
To compete in the U Sports Wrestling Championships at the University of Winnipeg on Feb. 24-26, wrestlers must finish in the top three of their weight class. Cipriano, along with the rest of the team, will rely on their hard work to carry them through, with the added benefit of playing in front of a home crowd.
“We’re looking forward to the championship,” Cipriano said. “The team is looking forward to competing at home in front of their friends and family.”
On a weekend filled with other varsity action, it will be the wrestling mat that will take centre stage.
By: Eamon Hillis
Omar Ahmed, a third-year McMaster varsity wrestler, suffered a hamstring injury at a Guelph wrestling tournament on Jan. 21. Despite pulling out of the event, Ahmed is confident about his status moving forward.
“I should be ready to go for OUA’s,” Ahmed says. “My goal is to win a Gold medal. It is what I have been working for, and it is always my goal at every tournament. That is what I expect of myself, and I always train towards that.”
Ahmed is no stranger to injury. In fact, he just returned from a major wrist injury that kept him out last season, and into the first half of this season. To fix the issue, Ahmed had surgery in April 2016. Since then, his return to form has been exceptional considering the severity of his injury. Ahmed attributes this in part to the support he received at McMaster throughout his rehabilitation process.
“I spent three months in a cast, then three more months in therapy. The resources available here at Mac are great. I attended sessions a few times a week and it really helped me in my recovery,” said Ahmed.
I don't feel I need I need to lead vocally, so I tend to lead by example. I focus on working hard and developing my own ability, ... trying to be a role model in that way.
Omar Ahmed
McMaster men's wrestling
Ahmed was the 2016 Ontario University Athletics champion in the 68kg division, and took silver as a rookie in 2015. Part of what drives Ahmed, whether in competition or in recovering from injury, is his consistent and unyielding work ethic. Coaches and teammates have come to not only admire his exceptional attitude towards work, but also his quiet leadership on the team.
“I don’t feel I need to lead vocally, so I tend to lead by example,” Ahmed says. “I focus on working hard and developing my own ability, and trying to be a role model in that way. When some of my teammates look over and see me putting in extra work, I feel it encourages them to put in extra work too. When a teammate needs help with a technique, I am always willing to help out.”
Ahmed’s return has been important in McMaster’s success throughout the second half of the season. In the most recent University Sports rankings, the Marauder men rank second in the nation behind Brock University. The women are ranked ninth.
The men will look to upset the Brock Badgers on Feb. 11 and recreate their 2015 OUA victory. The Brock Badgers are the 2016 defending men and women’s Porter Trophy winners and have dominated in the Ontario circuit for the past three decades. Brock has taken home 25 of the past 32 men’s and women’s titles, meaning an upset by McMaster would be a remarkable achievement.
