As the McMaster wrestling team kicks off the winter end of the 2024-2025 season, they head to St. Catharines for the Brock Open
The 2024 portion of the competitive season was exciting and productive for the Marauders wrestling team, having competed in four competitions in total. The 2025 portion of this year's season includes three competitions. The first took place in St. Catharines on Jan. 11, 2025, ahead of the coveted Ontario University Athletics championships, which will take place from Feb. 7 to 9, 2025.
The remainder of the team’s season includes three competitions, beginning in St. Catharines on Jan. 11, ahead of the coveted Ontario University championships, which will take place from Feb. 7 to 9, 2025.
The Marauder’s first competition of the season was the McMaster Open on Nov. 3, 2024. The women’s team was able to capture first place overall, while the men’s team finished fourth, securing a first place finish.
With a solid start to their season, the Marauders went on to compete in the Toronto Metropolitan University Open on Nov. 2, 2024. This competition saw both teams finish just one place lower than before, with the women’s team finishing second and the men’s team finishing fifth for an overall fifth place finish.
The Marauders then competed in the York Open on Nov. 16, 2024, where they landed an overall eighth place finish. Finally, the Marauders took on the University of Toronto Open on Nov. 30 to end the year. They finished third overall in the meet.
To begin the new year, the McMaster team competed in the Brock Open on Jan. 11. They finished second overall with 59 total points. Third year wrestler, Senuki Dasanayaka claimed McMaster's athlete of the week after a standout showing at the open, picking up 10 team points for the Marauders.
For the remaining meets, the Marauders wrestling team is packed with veteran wrestlers, including former USport Wrestler of the Year Serena Di Benedetto on the women’s side. The men’s team includes former USport Male Most Outstanding Wrestler, Gregory McNeil.
The Marauder team is packed with veteran wrestlers, including former USport Wrestler of the Year Serena Di Benedetto on the women’s side. The men’s team includes former USport Male Most Outstanding Wrestler, Gregory McNeil.
With veteran leaders on both the women’s and men’s side, the upcoming Brock Open will be a chance to begin this campaign on a high note, and find a maintainable level for their coming competitions.
A slow start to the baseball season highlights key areas of improvement for the Marauders men baseball team
The season is underway for Marauders men’s baseball, with the maroon and grey team having played both the University of Guelph Gryphons and the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks in a two-game series.
The team has failed to win a single game in these four games; however, the scores in these matches have mostly been close.
In the first game against the Gryphons on Sept. 9, the Marauders only lost by one run, with a final result of 4-5. The following match saw the Marauders lose by larger margins with a score of 0-8.
A more recent matchup against Laurier on Sept. 10 saw the Marauders lose by a single run again by a score of 1-2. The subsequent match-up against the Golden Hawks finished with another loss of 6-10.
With these scores, it appears as though the issue lies in the Marauders defensive game, with their ability to limit runs and opposing offenses being vital in games to come.
With these scores, it appears as though the issue lies in the Marauders defensive game, with their ability to limit runs and opposing offenses being vital in games to come.
In terms of their focus for defensive improvements, better pitching may be the answer. For instance, in their second match-up against Guelph, the Marauders allowed 14 hits compared to only two hits allowed by the Gryphons.
Their lack of good defensive play especially shows against teams like Guelph, who boast great players on the defensive end. This was shown in both games, as the Gryphons kept the Marauders to only ten hits for the entire series.
On the offensive end, the Marauders seem to be in decent shape, shown by closer scores to Laurier with plenty of runs to the Marauders. Shortstop Anthony Polowick was a key contributor to this end, hitting a double and scoring in the lone run in the team’s match-up against Laurier.
On the offensive end, the Marauders seem to be in decent shape, shown by closer scores to Laurier with plenty of runs to the Marauders.
If the Marauders can clean up defensively, they will likely be more competitive in games to come. If not, their current record is likely to hold.
As we begin the new school year, women's volleyball, men's soccer, wrestling, cross country and men's volleyball are the teams to keep a close eye on
The 2022-2023 year of sports at McMaster University was one to remember. With championship wins, great individual performances and numerous events packed with fans, there is plenty to be proud of. As we look ahead to the upcoming year, here are teams you should be sure to keep your eye on.
Women’s Volleyball
The 2022-2023 season for McMaster’s women volleyball team ended prematurely with close loss to York University in the Ontario University Athletics quarterfinals.
Next season, the team will look to turn things around. A number of returning OUA all-star veterans will look to lead the team to greater heights. Notable players include Sullie Sundara, who hopes to continue a run of great form after a second commanding season, and Hayley Brooks, the team’s defensive minded libero.
With newly appointed head coach Nathan Janzen leading the squad, this Marauders team will be one to look out for. Janzen leads the Canadian youth national volleyball team and has previously served as an assistant for the Marauders women’s volleyball team. He will likely have his sights set on capturing a national title, especially with the Marauders hosting this year's U Sports national tournament.
Men’s Soccer
Last season saw the men’s soccer team capture a historic OUA title. After this previous success for the team, they will be looking to continue their impressive form this coming year.
Next year’s roster will miss Miles Green, who led the team in total goals scored, and Ahmad Mansour, the team’s dominant centre-back. However, quality remains in the squad, with key returning players such as Gianluca Spadafora, the team’s captain and OUA second-team all-star, and Ethan Cagalj, an OUA second-team all-star goalkeeper.
Another change to the team’s head coach will be another challenge for the Marauders this season though. Interim head coach Tristan Joyce will be looking to prove himself in the coming season. Joyce is a former Marauder men’s soccer player who graduated from the program in 2021.
Wrestling
Both the men and women’s wrestling teams continually impress and the Marauders consistently found themselves on top of the podium in the 2022-2023 season.
Serena Di Benedetto on the women’s team had a phenomenal first season where she went undefeated, medaled gold in the OUA finals and finished in second at U Sports Nationals. As she goes into her second year, she will be one to watch closely.
On the men’s side, first-year Karanveer Mahil also showed well in his rookie season. Mahil topped the podium numerous times throughout the year and medalled silver in the OUA finals. At U Sports Nationals, Mahil earned himself gold to cap off an impressive first season.
After an impressive regular season for the team, four Marauder wrestlers and head coach Ahmed Shamiya went on to represent Canada at the Pan Am Games. At the event, Mahil and Di Benedetto both earned medals and they will certainly be looking to continue to their successes this coming winter.
Cross Country
This team had plenty to be proud of in the 2022-2023 season. On the men’s side, Max Turek, Andrew Davies and Alex Drover helped in creating a historic year for their team. Turek won gold at both the OUA finals and the U Sports Nationals, with Davies and Drover finishing just behind him in both competitions.
The women’s team came up with impressive results throughout the year as well. Second-year Rosalyn Barrett placed third in OUA Championships and thirtieth at U Sports nationals. Hannah Goodjohn, a fourth-year, placed eleventh in the OUAs after a consistent season for the Marauders.
Head coach Paula Schnurr also earned her own accolade throughout the season by winning OUA coach of the year. As she heads into the new season, she will look to fill the holes left by her graduated runners, including Turek and Davies.
Men's Volleyball
After a dominant past season which saw the team capture the provincial banner, the men’s volleyball team is consistently one of McMaster’s top teams.
Sam Cooper dominated with 47 kills over the last season. His departure to the Polish professional league will leave a hole in the team, one hopefully that a younger player may fill.
Maxime Gratton also dominated the year with 109 kills. He will be looking to improve upon his past season and combine with veteran Peter Rugosi after two years of experience.
Last year’s heartbreaking loss in the U Sports semifinals will have the team hungry for more, with new head coach Brad Douwes looking to fill the gaps and step into the massive shoes left by former head coach Dave Preston.
With the 2022-2023 season finished and five key seniors graduating, the women's basketball team are able to reflect on their previous season’s accomplishments and share where they hope to go next
The start of the 2022-2023 season saw the McMaster University women’s basketball team struggle. They conceded two losses and seemed to struggle in finishing out games.
As the season rolled along, the team began to pick up form. They took big wins against big teams and showed their commanding nature against teams such as the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks and Nippising Lakers with blow-out wins.
“Overall it was such a great season working with this team, there are so many great vets and so many great younger players. We were so cohesive, and we were so hungry to achieve the same goals,” said Arianne Soriano, a senior point guard.
“Overall it was such a great season working with this team, there are so many great vets and so many great younger players. We were so cohesive, and we were so hungry to achieve the same goals,”
Arianne Soriano, Senior Point Guard
The team managed to finish the season with a 17 win and six loss record and were able to finish first in the Ontario University Athletics’ central division. With a first round bye-week, the Marauders faced the Guelph Gryphons in the Critelli Cup quarter finals.
After losing to the Gryphons early in their season, the Marauders looked to show their improved run of form in the quarterfinals. Facing off for a second time, this time with home court advantage, the Marauders would need to push full throttle to get a win.
The Marauders won the game with a score of 70-63 and were spurred onto this victory with many Marauder players stepping up. Big name players such as Sarah Gates and Jenna Button lead the team in scoring, while Arianne Soriano led in rebounds.
The win over Guelph led the team to face off against the Carleton Ravens, this time facing their opponent on the road. Having lost to the Ravens in just the second game of their season, the Marauders knew this game would be a tough matchup.
“We started preparing to play against Carelton as soon as possible, as soon as we knew we were facing them,” explained Soriano.
“This has been a long journey, but it's been an amazing one, and I cherish every moment I spend with my team,”
Arianne Soriano, Senior Point Guard
The Marauders ultimately lost to the Ravens, ending their playoff run. The Ravens were able to mount a lead early, finishing the first quarter nine points above the Marauders. Despite a huge third quarter push, the Marauders were unable to complete a comeback and the game ended 69-55 in favor of the Ravens, who would go on to win the OUA championship, and who just advanced to the U Sports national championship game as of Mar. 11.
“It felt like we were a bit nervous and weren’t as confident in ourselves in the offensive we can run. Defensive wise we were able to get as many stops as we could, we just weren’t getting our shots in,” said Soriano.
With the Marauders season ending in an unfortunate way, the graduation of five seniors packs an extra punch. Sarah Gates — the 2022-2023 national women’s player of the year — Clare Sharkey, Arianne Soriano, Pietra Kamstra and Mia Spadafora are the five seniors planning on graduating. Four of the five were members of the 2018-2019 national championship team.
“This has been a long journey, but it's been an amazing one, and I cherish every moment I spend with my team,” explained Soriano.
All five play vital roles within the team, and their departure in the next year will change the shape of the team drastically.
Despite falling short of the Cartelli Cup, two seniors were recognized by the OUA. Sarah Gates earned the OUA’s Most Valuable Player title and Arianne Soriano earned the Joy Bellinger award, highlighting outstanding service to the sport and to university athletics.
“The award would be nothing without my teammates and the environment I have around me, they empower me so much to want to do more in the Mac community whether it's on the team or off the team,” said Soriano.
The Marauders will look to rebuild coming into next season and will certainly learn from veteran players who have come before them. Maintaining the standard set by the highly successful graduating class leaves a tall task ahead.
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.
Many of us don’t need to be reminded that there’s only a few days left before exam season starts, but we might need a reminder to make time for a nice home cooked meal. It’s easy to turn to buying lunch or dinner when you’re tight on time during these next few weeks, but there are ways to make cooking an enjoyable experience while relieving some stress too.
The Sil staff have compiled their favourite recipes that are easy to make, especially when you’re short on time. We encourage you to try them out, change up the ingredients and most importantly, take the time to take care of yourself this season.
Shared by Sasha Dhesi (Managing Editor)
Pasta is a staple batch recipe since it’s fairly easy, delicious and lasts the whole work week. While most people don’t have time to make homemade pasta, students don’t have to rely on jarred sauces and compromise their time.
Making a sauce at home can seem challenging, but simple recipes like this one are great for students low on time and on a budget.
I adapted this recipe from Bon Appetit’s Bucatini with Butter-Roasted Tomato Sauce. I replaced a few of the more expensive ingredients with more accessible, easier kept items that make more sense for students to keep around in the house. The recipe should make about four servings and take about 40 minutes, but only 20 of those minutes are active! This is a great recipe to make while studying at home — just pop the sauce into the oven and you’ll have a great sauce in no time!
Shared by Hannah Walters-Vida (Features Reporter)
In an effort to describe how good this soup is, the most a room full of Sil writers could come up with is “warm, warm soup, it hugs you from the inside”. Pretty much everyone in the office will agree that this is a great recipe for soup. I typically double the recipe and freeze the soup in mason jars for when I need a quick, filling meal.
This recipe is originally by Jennifer Segal and I made a few modifications to make it vegan friendly. This recipe yields 8 servings and takes about 45 minutes to make, but most of the time is spent letting the soup simmer. This soup can stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months, so it’s worth the investment in time. Just make sure to pop it into the fridge the day before wanting to reheat it!
Shared by Razan Samara (Arts & Culture Editor)
This is my go-to recipe for dinner with friends and potlucks. It also makes for a perfect side dish alongside lunch or dinner, I personally think it pairs really well with chicken tawook tacos and panko-breaded fish. This recipe yields about 3-4 servings and was inspired by Cookie and Kate.
Over the past couple of weeks I’ve found myself become quite reliant on this recipe. It requires minimal effort, which means I can throw a whole batch together pretty quickly the night before my early morning commutes. This recipe has filling ingredients, can easily travel and can be modified to meet your taste preferences. I encourage you to keep things new and interesting with every rendition of the dish!
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
After bringing home the provincial silver medal last year, McMaster’s women’s volleyball team missed the Ontario University Athletics playoffs for the first time since 2003-2004. At the end of last season, a large part of the team’s veteran players decided to move on from the program, leaving an obvious hole that needed to be filled.
Jessie Nairn, a third-year commerce student, suddenly found herself as one of the more veteran players on a young squad in a new starting position. One of the youngest players on the court a season prior, Nairn took some time to wrap her head around her new role.
“It was definitely a big change, but I think I'm starting to really enjoy the role of being a leader on the team, and we're definitely really starting to try understand what our new culture is,” Nairn said. “Being able to shape that as a leader on the team is definitely super cool and something I'm really excited for, even the next year coming.”
While they were not able to ultimately finish where they wanted, the team played well considering their drastic roster changes and the fierce competition in the OUA West. The young Marauders were able to stay right in the playoff race until the very end of the season.
Although they didn’t really consider themselves underdogs, they knew the road to the playoffs wouldn’t be easy. As the team adjusted to having significantly less upper-year players than last year, including several OUA all-stars, the Marauders needed to find what their new identity would be.
“I think this year was a big start to try to decide how we want to be as a team, and really how we want to act and prove ourselves.” Nairn added. “I think we're ready, we know what we have to do next year and we're excited for sure.”
One major highlight of the season for this year’s squad was Nairn’s nomination to the OUA All-Star First Team. Making the most of her opportunity, Nairn posted team-highs in aces (34), kills per set (2.97) and points per set (3.8).
“This summer I realized I'd have to step up and be a big role on the team coming into this year,” Nairn said. “From there, I was never really aiming to be on a First Team or Second Team, but I was more so aiming to do everything I could to get the wins for our team and do the best I could.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BumS-n_hHFs/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=mp48zpzrbott
As one of the tallest people in her Grade 8 class, Nairn was originally convinced to play volleyball because “you can’t teach height”. Her love for the sport snowballed from there and her talent soon followed as volleyball became a large part of her life.
“I was definitely big into volleyball and I knew that volleyball is kind of what I wanted to do, so I knew I needed to go somewhere where I would have the training that I could trust in,” Nairn said. “Tim Louks is just one of the best coaches out there, and definitely in the OUA. So, I was really honored when he asked me to be on the team and that's definitely one of the major parts of why I came to the school.”
Also initially attracted to Mac’s engineering program, Nairn entered into Mac and soon found herself surrounded by all-star talent, inspiring her in her young volleyball career. With many nationally-recognized on both the women’s team and the men’s team with whom they are close, Mac’s volleyball program has a palpable competitive environment of success, which helped push Nairn in her career.
This aided in Nairn’s transition from second-year double-sub to third-year starting right side. While the move was initially shocking, she was ready for it, spending much of last year in the front row blocking, which got her excited to attack the offseason with enthusiasm.
“Starting this year was definitely, but more so mentally, to get into the game and be a big role on the team was hard to get used to,” Nairn said. “But once I did, it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed myself, and I think this year for me was just a really big year, and kind of proved to me what I can do and the places I can go and what I want to do with it.”
Heading into next season with a much more cohesive team, and the incredible administrative and fan support the team receives as praised by Nairn, the Marauders are poised for an exciting season.
“I’m excited. I think our team is going to be very strong next year mentally and physically because I think this offseason is going to be one of the hardest we've ever had just because of the outcome of this year,” Nairn said. “I think it's really going to drive us to be a very good team. I'm excited for the competition because I know none of the schools around us are getting any weaker, they're only getting better.”
While this might have been the first year they have missed the postseason in recent memory, having players like Nairn, Hailey Kranics and Zoe Mackintosh, along with an assortment of rising stars, the future looks bright. There probably won’t be any missed playoffs anytime soon.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
The McMaster men’s volleyball team is heading to the Ontario University Athletics volleyball semifinals for the 15th-straight season. After defeating the York University Lions 3-1 in the OUA quarter-finals, the Marauders are heading into the Final Four ranked fifth in the nation.
Several Marauders were also honoured with OUA recognition, with outside hitter Matt Passalent taking home the highest honour, OUA West Player of the Year. Fifth-year Andrew Richards took home the Dale Iwanoczko Award for his work off the court. Passalent and Richards were both named First Team All-Stars, while Craig Ireland was named to the Second Team. First-year middle Tyler Pavelic’s season was recognized with a spot on the All-Rookie team.
With six straight OUA titles, the journey to their seventh begins this weekend when the Marauders face the University of Windsor Lancers in a semi-final match-up. If they win, they will go on to play in the final game for the OUA Forsyth Cup. The game will be on Saturday, March 9 at 1 p.m. at Queen’s University.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Buo_HlthWVd/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
After defeating the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in the OUA finals to capture the Critelli Cup, the Marauders are heading to Ryerson University to play in the U Sports National Championships for the second-straight season. With the No. 2 seed in the tournament, the Marauders will face the No. 7 Concordia University Stingers.
Led by Critelli Cup game MVP Hilary Hanaka, the Marauders hope to see a different result in this year's National Championships compared to last year. The ladies headed out to Regina last year where they unfortunately did not finish where they wanted to. Losing in the first round to McGill University, the Marauders were not prepared for the level of play, but are hoping to see different results this time around.
Already defeating the Carleton University Ravens during the 2019 OUA semi-finals, who were also the 2018 U Sports Champions, the idea of going straight to the top does not seem so far off. Tip-off time is at 12 p.m. Thursday, March 7.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bujafa4hYPe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
Tonight, Thursday Feb. 28, is the semifinal playoff game for the McMaster women’s basketball team and the rematch of the 2018 Ontario University Athletics Critelli Cup finals. Facing the Carleton University Ravens in Burridge Gym will be a nostalgic match, as the Ravens walked away with the Cup last year on the Marauders’ home court. Luckily for Mac, this year they are going to the semifinals as the third best team in the nation while the Ravens’ are seventh.
Ending the regular season 21-3, the Marauders earned their right to a first-round bye, and faced the Brock University Badgers in the OUA quarter-finals. Although the Marauders headed into the game with as much success as they did, the game was not as easy as they would have liked. After struggling for the first half, it was in the third quarter that the Marauders were able to break away and win the match 81-70.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuUZYBZhxi_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Sarah Gates, who was chosen for the 2018 OUA All-Rookie Team after a strong rookie campaign, scored a whopping 28 points, shooting nine of 16 from the field and five of 10 from three-point range. Her performance was a testament to her overall season, even securing a spot on the OUA All-Star Second Team.
Senior Hilary Hanaka helped out offensively as always, scoring 12 points. Both Hanaka and Linnaea Harper, who sat out of the quarter-final game due to injury, were recognized as First-Team All-Stars.
For the Marauders, staying consistent and not letting the memories of the last Carleton-McMaster matchup get in their heads unless to fuel them, will be the key for the Marauders to return to the Critelli Cup finals once again.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
By: Coby Zucker
The swimming season is a short one punctuated by smaller meets, split in half by the Divisional Championships and capped off with the climactic Ontario University Athletics Championships. For the team, the OUAs give the opportunity to show the improvements made across the season, and encourage their teammates in an event packed with some of the best swimmers from across Ontario.
“We’re very excited about the OUAs,” said head coach Grey Fairley. “This is always the most fun meet of the year. The passion and the excitement that all teams exhibit but especially, obviously, our team, it's just so infectious. We're all exhausted at the end of it, but it's like we've taken ourselves to a higher plane of existence.”
Hannah Dvorski, now in her fifth and final year of eligibility on the team, will be looking to add to her collection of hardware in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke, and on the three team-relays.
“I think physically, we're all there right now,” said Dvorski. “We're just getting into the right mental headspace and just believing in ourselves. I think, as we get closer, we're going to start to feel what we refer to as the ‘OUA magic’. So I'm excited for that to take place and I know we're all really really excited.”
Dvorski is looking to improve on her bronze finishes in the 50m and 100m at the Divisional Championships, and put forward a performance that will help the women’s team climb the standings.
On the men’s side, third-year Simeon “Mony” Tchervenelekov is coming off a dominant performance over Waterloo University in a recent dual meet at McMaster. Tchervenelekov is looking to notch his first podium OUA finish in the intermediate medley, breaststroke or team relay categories.
Chosen as one of the team’s captains for the season, Tchervenelekov has the added responsibility of looking out for the rest of the team and helping them get into mental form for the OUAs.
“I know a couple of the guys who got sick this past week,” said Tchervenelekov. “And you know they're getting worried about their performance. That's kind of where [Mitchell Muizelaar], the other captain, and myself, on the men's team at least, stepped in and kind of give them a little boost of morale.”
Emotional and mental readiness, as well as generally getting into the right headspace, is a pivotal part of the OUA preparation. As practice eases up and distances decrease in favour of shorter sprints, the shift in focus moves from the physical side and starts to emphasize capturing the championship mentality.
“I feel like the team a couple of weeks out of OUAs, we're all physically there,” said Tchervenelekov. “And then about like a week out, it starts to hit us and we get a little bit nervous. But that's good because OUAs is coming up and you know it's the meet of the year and everyone gets a little nervous, and that's how you know that we're ready.”
For Dvorski, the emotional frenzy of the OUAs is underscored by a degree of sentimentality as she participates for her final time.
“It's special to wear the Marauder on your cap and to represent McMaster on the blocks,” Dvorski said. “I think I've done it well for the past five years, and I'm excited for what the future holds for me.”
Although the University of Toronto Varsity Blues have swept the OUAs for the past five years, the Mac women were able to score a bronze medal finish two years running, and are looking to keep the streak going. Their male counterparts will also have their sights firmly set on a return to the podium. This year’s OUA Championships, hosted by Brock University, runs from Feb. 7-9.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
