Marauders swim team travels to Markham, Ont., for the OUA championships, women’s swimmer Michelle Wang earns individual gold in the women’s 50-metre butterfly
From Feb. 7 to 9, 2025, the Marauders swim team hosted the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championships in Markham, Ont. The women’s and men’s teams raced in the butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, individual medley and relay events of various distances.
Overall, the Marauders swam well, with both the men’s and women’s teams finishing third and earning a total of nine individual and relay medals. Seventeen Marauders swimmers also qualified for the U Sports championship, which the University of Toronto will host from March 4 to 8, 2025.
However, out of all the medalists, one stood out. Michelle Wang, a third-year swimmer, broke the McMaster record for the women’s 50-metre butterfly and came within three-hundredths of a second of setting a new OUA record.
Wang told The Silhouette that before her big success, she was feeling nervous going into the race.
“Since the tournament was hosted by McMaster, a bunch of our alumni were in the stands. I was also seeded first in my heat, which made it more nerve-racking,” said Wang.
Being nervous wasn’t all bad, though, as Wang explained that nerves normally help her swim faster. This was evident as she beat the McMaster record in the women’s 50-metre butterfly with a time of 26.8 seconds.
She also credited her performance to the support of her team, not just at the OUA championships but throughout the year.
“A way in which our team is different from other schools is that when we’re tired from our own races, we cheer for our teammates. We’re the loudest team at every meet,” said Wang.
A way in which our team is different from other schools is that when we’re tired from our own races, we cheer for our teammates. We’re the loudest team at every meet.
Michelle Wang, Third-Year Swimmer
Marauders Women's Swim Team
Wang has been swimming with the team since her first year at McMaster and medalled in an individual event for the first time this year. When asked about what factors contributed to her development, she attributed her improvement to gaining more experience and training at the university level.
While putting in countless hours at swim practices, Wang is also one of the co-captains of the team this year. She touched on how she has taken on this leadership role.
“The chance to give speeches before matches and hype up our teammates is really fun—I enjoy it a lot. Another big part is leading by example, such as demonstrating the work ethic required and showing up to practice,” said Wang.
Looking ahead to the U Sports competition, Wang reiterated that she just wants to enjoy the experience with her teammates and race the best she can.
“With U Sports so close, most of the work is already done. Now I just want to clean up my technique and be cognizant of the little things that may impact the race,” said Wang.
With U Sports so close, most of the work is already done. Now I just want to clean up my technique and be cognizant of the little things that may impact the race.
Michelle Wang, Third-Year Swimmer
Marauders Women's Swim Team
Following their success at the OUA championships, the Marauders will travel to Toronto to compete at the U Sports championships from March 4 to 8, 2025.
Men's and women's swim teams take home several medals, finish with the most points out of all teams
On Saturday, Jan. 17, 2025 the Marauders swim team participated in back-to-back meets at their home invitational. The Marauders came out on top, getting the most points out of all the other schools.
The day was split into two competitions. The first half was a tri-meet against the Guelph Gryphons and the Waterloo Warriors. The second was a dual meet against the Brock Badgers.
The Marauders made strong performances across the board, with a particularly notable one from first-year swimmer Brian Dietz. He competed in three races: the 200-metre men’s freestyle, 100-metre backstroke and the 400-metre individual medley, coming first, second and first, respectively. All together, Dietz took home three medals.
It was also a great start to the day for the women’s team. Much like the men's team, younger swimmers made their mark. First-year Nicole Carter came first in the 200-metre individual medley, second in the 100-metre breaststroke and third in the 50-metre breaststroke.
It was also a great start to the day for the women’s team. Much like the men's team, younger swimmers made their mark. First-year Nicole Carter came first in the 200-metre individual medley, second in the 100-metre breaststroke and third in the 50-metre breaststroke.
Her teammate, second-year student Mikaela Blake, also performed well, capturing gold and silver in the 50-metre and 100-metre backstroke, respectively.
Third-year student Michelle Wang won two golds in the women’s 50-metre butterfly and the 100-metre backstroke.
As the first half of the day came to a close, McMaster finished first overall with a combined sum of 1843 points.
As the first half of the day came to a close, McMaster finished first overall with a combined sum of 1843 points.
But it did not stop there for the Marauders. In their dual meet against the Brock Badgers, McMaster scored 2,015 points. The men contributed 989 of those points and the women contributed 1,026 points. Sara Gray, a first-year swimmer, took home three golds in the 100-metre breaststroke, 50-metre breaststroke and the 200-metre Individual Medley.
Wang also tallied up a few more medals, winning gold in the 100-metre butterfly and 50-metre freestyle and silver in the 50-metre backstroke.
This successful event was the last invitational for the Marauders swim team. Next, they will compete in the OUA championships in Markham, ON, from Feb. 7 - Feb. 9, 2025.
The McMaster swim team spent their winter break training across the border, readying themselves for a continuation of their season in 2025
As the first portion of the season winded down, the McMaster swim team hosted their annual team training camp in Florida over the winter break.The team has done consistently well in the past year and has high hopes for the upcoming Ontario University Athletics championships.
Women's team captain
The 2024 half of the season saw the McMaster swim team compete in four major meets. The team was consistently able to get good results and peaked in form at their final meet at the Merrily Stratten Divisional Championship on Nov. 23 and Nov. 24, 2024.
At the divisional competition, the men’s team captured a second place finish and the women’s team earned a third place finish. This result kept the Marauder’s in the top division of OUA teams.
“In the fall, we had our divisional meet and we got to stay in the top category. At the end of every season, one team gets boosted down to the lower one and the top of the bottom comes up. So, we usually flip flop between divisions at the end of every season, but we're gonna stay on the top one for next year, which is a really big deal,” said Scott Bouris.
A strong finish to the end of 2024 led the McMaster team into the holiday break. During this break, the team headed to Florida for their annual training camp. The camp is a way to achieve higher fitness before the semester begins.
“We usually swim double days most of the days and then have a recovery single day every so often. It's just to get you as in shape as you can be before school starts, so that when we start practices again we carry a way higher level of fitness for the next month, before we have our OUA championships,” said Scott Bouris.
We usually swim double days most of the days, and then have a recovery single day every so often. It's just to get you as in shape as you can be before school starts, so that when we start practices again we carry a way higher level of fitness for the next month, before we have our OUA championships.
Naeva Scott Bouris, Team Captain
McMaster Women's Swimming
Along with a high intensity of practice, the camp is a way for the team to bond during the break. This aspect of team bonding and team togetherness is something which Scott Bouris attributes to the team’s success so far.
"We're all friends and you come back and we're a way tighter group because we've just gone through really intense stuff together for the past 11 days," said Bouris.
We're all friends and you come back and we're a way tighter group because we've just gone through really intense stuff together for the past 11 days.
Naeva Scott Bouris, Team Captain
McMaster Women's Swimming
Scott Bouris believes that the intensity of the training camp will only make the rest of the season easier. This is especially important as the team approaches the OUA championships.
“I think that personally, I find that when I come back to school after Florida, I'm gonna know [that] whatever practice gets thrown at me, I can do it because I did way tougher stuff in Florida already. So I think that just gives you a level of confidence that you got through those kinds of things,” said Bouris.
With only about a month left before OUA’s, the swim team will look to maintain and improve itself. The OUA championships will be hosted on Feb 7. To Feb 9. in Markham, ON.
After many impressive performances throughout the season, McMaster swimming teams take home medals from Merrily Stratten Divisional Championships
The McMaster men and women’s swim teams competed in the Merrily Stratten Divisional Championships, hosted by the University of Toronto on Nov. 23 and Nov. 24, 2025. The men’s team was able to capture a silver medal while the women’s team finished with a bronze medal.
In the first day of competition, the women’s side put forth four of their highest level swimmers. This included Shaunna Walker-de Jong, Ashley Ko, Michelle Wang and Amy Tian. The group finished third in the 200 metre relay.
On the men’s side on the first day of divisionals, Hayden Yeung finished first in the 100 metre breaststroke. Brian Dietz also won a gold medal in the 1,500 metre freestyle.
On the men’s side on the first day of Divisionals, Hayden Yeung finished first in the 100 metre breaststroke.
The second day of competition came with even more highs for the Marauder teams. Similar to the women’s team, the men’s relay team consisted of four top swimmers, those being Colin Campbell, Jacob Pawlak, Preston McMann and Hayden Yeung.
This men's group finished third in the 200 metre relay, adding points to the Marauder’s total score. Yeung also picked up another gold medal finish in the 50 metre breaststroke.
On the women’s side, Ko continued her standout
Ko has over five first-place finishes in events so far this season, with the results from divisionals adding to these.
This successful weekend for the Marauders swimming team was the final competition of the fall semester. The team will compete in a meet at home on Jan. 18.
After moving from British Columbia to Ontario, first year Marauder swimmer Ashley Ko secures high placings for her team
For first-year student Ashley Ko, her transition to university life has included a long distance move from British Columbia to Hamilton. Along with the pressures of adjusting to university life, she also has had to adjust to being a student-athlete.
She is a part of the McMaster swim team and specializes in mid-distance swimming. Despite the move and the adjustments that come with it, Ko has found the transition to university to be easier than expected.
“I'd say the transition was pretty smooth. I mean, obviously, you get kind of into the groove of it during welcome week. I kind of got a glimpse after the first week. Obviously, I find that it's a lot less stressful because I feel like I have so much more time to myself. I also have a bunch of time to study and just like me time in general, it's a lot more flexible than high school,” said Ko.
I'd say the transition was pretty smooth. I mean, obviously, you get kind of into the groove of it during welcome week, I kind of got a glimpse after the first week. Obviously, I find that it's a lot less stressful because I feel like I have so much more time to myself. And I also have a bunch of time to study and me time in general . . . it's a lot more flexible than high school.
Ashley Ko, first-year swimmer
McMaster women's swimming team
An contributor to this ease of transition has been the McMaster swim team’s emphasis on team performance and less of a focus on individual performance. There is also an emphasis on balancing school and sport, which Ko recognizes that head coach Grey Fairley cares greatly about.
“I think that's why swimming here is so nice because they value your health and schedule, they know you want to do good in school. So in essence, it's also flexible in that way as well,” said Ko.
Ko’s smooth transition to university swimming can be seen already in her opening results of the season. In her first meet, Ko was able to finish first in the 200-metre freestyle and the 100-metre backstroke.
In the team’s second meet of the year on Sept. 28 at Niagara University, Ko was able to keep up this momentum. She finished first in the 100-yard backstroke, the 500-yard freestyle and the 200-yard individual medley.
With five first place finishes already this season, Ko has high aspirations for both herself and the team. She sees each meet with the Marauders as a chance to pick up points and chance to check in on her improvements as she has aspirations to compete beyond the university level.
“Well, honestly, my end goal is actually beyond university. It's to trial at national trials. And that's where I want to be my best. But that is after U Sports, and I think getting some of my goal times at U Sports would be good for us and ultimately I want to score points for McMaster. I think I just want to show that McMaster is a good team and I think that's one of the goals. Winning individually and as a team,” said Ko.
Well, honestly, my end goal is actually beyond university. It's to trial at national trials. And that's where I want to be my best. But that is after U Sports. And I think getting some of my goal times at U Sports would be good for us and ultimately I want to score points for McMaster. I think I just want to show that McMaster is a good team and I think that's one of the goals. Winning individually and as a team.
Ashley Ko, first year swimmer
McMaster women's swimming team
The Marauders swim team will continue their season at the Brock invitational on Oct. 20. Ko hopes to continue with her high form as the season progresses, for both the Marauder's as a team and her future swimming career.
McMaster Aquatics has added Masters swimming classes to their roster of aquatic clubs and services
McMaster Aquatics recently began offering a Masters swimming class.
Masters swimming is for those who are looking to improve their overall swimming form and technique. Through McMaster Aquatics, certified competitive swimming coaches will work with athletes to correct their stroke and technique.
Through McMaster Aquatics, certified competitive swimming coaches will work with athletes to correct their stroke and technique.
Per the program’s page on the McMaster Athletics and Recreation website, the group is aimed at swimmers who are able to swim a straight distance of at least 100m comfortably.
These classes run for 12 weeks, running from Sept. 18 all the way until Dec. 22. A semester's worth of lessons will cost athletes $150 to participate, with lessons occurring all throughout the week.
A semester's worth of lessons will cost athletes $150 to participate, with lessons occurring all throughout the week.
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the program runs from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., while Tuesday classes go from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Thursday from 8:15 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. For weekend times, the group is scheduled to meet on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Sundays from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
McMaster Aquatics also offers several other services and clubs. Some services include recreational swim times, National Lifeguard re-certification courses, and private lessons. Clubs that are associated with McMaster Aquatics include the Lifeguard Competitive Lifesaving Team and the Synchronized Swim Club.
For McMaster students, services such as recreational swim times are free of cost. Recreational swim times can be found on the McMaster Aquatics Instagram.
For students who want to enjoy McMaster Aquatics services without the commitment to a club, intramurals are a great option. McMaster Aquatics offers intramural innertube basketball and innertube water polo.
In the coming school year, the HPA is going to allow more McMaster teams to use its space, free of charge
Created in 2021, the McMaster University High Performance Area was built to give varsity athletes a space to be coached for sport-specific workouts. The space houses an array of equipment including squat racks, Keiser units and a turf field.
The facility is a world-class space, bringing prestige to the university and, most importantly, helping the student athletes that attend McMaster to reach their full potential.
While the HPA has been up and running for the past two years, only teams within the U SPORTS league—including sports such as, swimming, wrestling, soccer and women’s rugby—were allowed to make use of the space without payment.
While the HPA has been up and running for the past two years, only teams within the U SPORTS league—including sports such as, swimming, wrestling, soccer and women’s rugby—were allowed to make use of the space without payment.
This set up left teams that participate in the Ontario University Athletics league, such as the baseball, fencing and golf teams, without a space to weightlift, train and be coached in the strength and conditioning field.
In the past, the only way for these teams to access the HPA was to pay out of pocket. Compounded with other payments these athletes need to make for their sport, such transportation and equipment fees, these costs have often not been reasonable for them to pay.
“Last year what we did was [OUA sports teams] paid per coach, so they only paid for the coach’s time. But really the students had to pay for a building in their own facility,” said manager of HPA and High Performance Programs Ben Bahrami.
This year, Bahrami opted to change this set up. As of this semester, OUA teams will be allowed to train in the HPA free of charge during specified open hours.
“I’ve proposed removing the team-specific training for any essentially teams that aren’t U SPORTS level and anyone that’s OUA, and some of our U Sports teams that just have a lot of class conflicts with their team times. Anyone in that category essentially comes in during open hours. This way they can have access more than the one or two hours they’re scheduled in,” said Bahrami.
The goal is to allow more athletes to use the space, help to maintain their health throughout the season and the offseason, and help them reach their goals.
“We want to provide a high enough product for students who came to McMaster to then go to the professional ranks or to play for a national team, so you have to provide that high level but also provide a basic program for someone that just wants to stay healthy and play sports for a few years,” said Bahrami.
“We want to provide a high enough product for students who came to McMaster to then go to the professional ranks or to play for a national team, so you have to provide that high level but also provide a basic program for someone that just wants to stay healthy and play sports for a few years,”
Ben Bahrami, HPA and High Performance Programs Manager
This change could bring some drawbacks, with the HPA space being a limited 3700 square feet and containing only 10 racks, which can lend itself to overcrowding.
“That's kind of the biggest challenge is balancing out the resources versus everything you want to do and everyone that wants to do X, Y and Z for their own development,” said Bahrami.
Ultimately though, this change will hopefully be a great step for McMaster sports moving forward as allowing more athletes to access high performance spaces will improve the student athlete experience and help teams and athletes reach their goals.
The men and women place fourth overall in the standings following strong swims at their playoff meet in London
The McMaster University swim team competed at the Ontario University Athletics championships on Feb. 9 to Feb. 11 at the Western Student Recreation Centre in London. Against 10 other participating schools, both the men and women’s teams placed fourth after tallying 512 and 428 points respectively.
The Marauders were coming off an impressive performance at the University of Toronto Winter Invitational on Jan. 23 after first place finishes from the men and women’s team.
On the opening day of the competition, McMaster finished first in the women’s 4x50m free relay race with a time of 1:46.00. Backed by a team of Hiva Fazeli, Michelle Wang, Leah Russell and Heather Aylward, the Marauders set the competitive tone early to capture their first medal of the OUAs.
Following the women’s race, the men also battled their way to the podium for the 4x50 meter free relay, earning the silver medal behind the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. The quartet of Cyrus Drabik, Bijan Ziaian, Josiah Terejko and Cameron Johnsen finished the race with a time of 1:31.60.
To finish off their first day, Johnsen swam a time of 1:01.59 to nab the bronze medal in the men’s 100 meter breaststroke. The time was less than a second off of Graeme Aylward and Gabe Mastromatteo from Toronto, who rounded out the podium with times of 1:01.29 and 1:01.05 respectively.
“This year, I felt really lucky that we were back to that environment that we haven’t been in three years, which was the place just being absolutely electric, so loud during the relays that you can’t even hear your own voice. . . That was just awesome,” said Johnsen.
“This year, I felt really lucky that we were back to that environment that we haven’t been in three years, which was the place just being absolutely electric, so loud during the relays that you can’t even hear your own voice. . . That was just awesome.”
Cameron Johnsen, McMaster Men's Swim Team
On the next day, Johnsen continued his strong performance with a gold medal in the men’s 200 meter breaststroke. Swimming the race in 2:11.98, Johnsen finished just over half a second faster than the former Olympian, Mastromatteo, who settled for silver with a time of 2:12.51.
The men collected another medal in the men’s 4x200 meter free relay. Max Angove, Trevor Laupland, Kevin Baghdassarian and Colin Campbell finished in 7:36.41 and placed third behind the teams from Western University and Toronto.
To round out their OUA outing, the maroon and grey team collected three more medals on their final day in London.
Johnsen’s dominance carried over into the men’s 4x50 meter medley relay, where he finished in second alongside Campbell, Ziaian and Drabik with a time of 1:41.43. The three-time OUA athlete concluded his spectacular showing by inking the bronze medal in the men’s 50 meter breaststroke.
Aylward, Naeva Scott-Bouris, Andie Llyod and Chelsea Zhou secured the team’s final medal of the competition in the women’s 4x100 meter free relay. Their time of 3:55.26 was good for third place and the race’s bronze medal.
“OUA magic is kind of what we call it on the swim team, which is that feeling of swimming for the team, feeling that electric energy from your teammates on the sideline. . . That’s what turns underdogs into champions and that’s what happened this past weekend,” said Johnsen.
“OUA magic is kind of what we call it on the swim team, which is that feeling of swimming for the team, feeling that electric energy from your teammates on the sideline. . . That’s what turns underdogs into champions and that’s what happened this past weekend.”
Cameron Johnsen, McMaster Men's Swim Team
With eight medals across three days, the McMaster men and women teams each finished fourth in the contest overall. The Toronto Varsity Blues finished first in both the men and women’s standings to defend their title as provincial champions.
To wrap up the season, the Marauders traveled to Victoria, BC to take on the national U Sports Championships at the Saanich Commonwealth Place from Feb. 23 to Feb. 25.
Among those who represented McMaster, swimmers with qualifying times included Terejko and Johnsen in the men’s 100m breaststroke, Will Clarke in the men’s 50m breaststroke, Maggie Smith in the women’s 50m backstroke and Scott-Bouris in the women’s 400m freestyle.
The McMaster men’s baseball and rugby team lead the way in fundraising for men’s health issues
Raising money for men’s health is an annual November initiative for athletes at McMaster University. As the end of this year's Movember campaign nears, Marauder sports teams have quietly raised over $25,000.
The McMaster men’s baseball team and men’s rugby team spearheaded this year’s fundraising efforts, with over $11,900 and $9600 in donations respectively. In addition, the McMaster men’s volleyball team and wrestling teams fundraised over $3600 and $1100 each. Other participating teams include the McMaster rowing team, swimming team and men’s soccer team.
The McMaster teams primarily fundraise through the Movember campaign website. Established in 2003, the international campaign looks to allocate resources to various areas of men’s health such as mental health, testicular cancer and prostate cancer. Over $19 million was donated to men’s health projects in Canada just last year.
Though growing a mustache and fundraising for Movember is a tradition amongst McMaster sports teams, the movement has not lost its meaning to repeat participants such as Marco Dilaudo, Maclean Van Raay, Josh Kalmain and Aiden Muldoon.
“We just want to give back to the community and continue to support those that have been supportive to us as athletes, especially here at McMaster and abroad, while also paying respect to those that are fighting everyday to continue – whether that’s against cancer or mental health,” explained Marco Dilaudo, the first baseman for the McMaster men’s baseball team.
We just want to give back to the community and continue to support those that have been supportive to us as athletes, especially here at McMaster and abroad, while also paying respect to those that are fighting everyday to continue – whether that’s against cancer or mental health.
Marco Dilaudo, the first baseman for the McMaster men’s baseball team
In addition to leading the baseball team’s fundraising efforts with over $2,000 raised individually, Dilaudo plans to bike 300 kilometres over the month of November – an opportunity for Dilaudo to embrace a challenge and support others that are battling illnesses in their day-to-day lives.
“Everyone struggles with mental health in some way. Being an athlete, it becomes really stressful trying to balance school and athletics. The mental health part of it definitely plays a factor [wanting to raise money] as well,” said Maclean Van Raay, third year student and middle infielder for the McMaster men’s baseball team.
For some McMaster athletes, raising money and awareness is especially important because of personal experiences with loved ones. Participating for his fifth in a row, Aiden Muldoon became particularly connected to the cause after experiencing the loss of his father to cancer in 2021.
“It’s nice to know that there’s a movement for something that’s affected me so dearly [and] that it’s a movement that we can progress towards as a team. I know guys are thinking about other [teammates] that have also lost people to different illnesses. When we’re raising money, it’s good to know that it’s with a direction,” explained Muldoon, a fullback for the McMaster men’s rugby team.
It’s nice to know that there’s a movement for something that’s affected me so dearly [and] that it’s a movement that we can progress towards as a team. I know guys are thinking about other [teammates] that have also lost people to different illnesses. When we’re raising money, it’s good to know that it’s with a direction.
Aiden Muldoon, a fullback for the McMaster men’s rugby team
As club captain for the McMaster men’s rugby, Muldoon organizes various fundraising events with other members of the team. The rugby team held a Touch 7s Rugby Tournament that took place earlier this month where all profits from the event were donated to Movember. In the past, the team has also welcomed guest speakers or held raffles to raise money.
“For us, as much as it is a serious issue, we do like to make fun of each other’s mustaches a little bit . . . It’s another way to encourage one another to not only support the cause but also support each other in raising money for a good cause,” said Kalmin, a third year student and pitcher for the baseball team.
Along with raising awareness and fundraising, Movember is a chance for McMaster teams to bond and boost team morale. The competitive aspect that McMaster athletes bring into sport also translates into friendly competition to raise the most money.
To learn more about the Movember movement, visit their website. To donate or keep up with the fundraising teams, visit their Instagram pages or link here.
C/O Serena Repice Lentini (Unsplash)
One podium, numerous medals: A wrap-up of the recent OUA swimming championships
As the school year nears completion, many varsity teams would have been expected to finish off their season and dive into their post-season period. However, the Marauders swimming team just started off their season midway through March. From March 10 to March 14, the Marauders competed in the Ontario University Athletics championships.
Although not much has been heard about their season thus far, the swimmers were ready to impress and do their best in their races, and indeed, they did impress.
Although not much has been heard about their season thus far, the swimmers were ready to impress and do their best in their races, and indeed, they did impress.
The OUA championship was hosted by the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. Although the championship format stayed the same, this year the OUA’s would solely include the final races, excluding the qualifiers and preliminaries. The Marauders still had plenty of swimmers with impressive results on the first day of the competition.
Starting off on the first day with the women’s races, the 200-metre free relay featured Cindy Shu, Heather Aylward, Leah Russell and Hiva Fazeli. The four Marauders swam with a final time of 1:46.17, which earned them a silver medal to start off the competition.
Capturing the second and third medals of the day for the Marauders were Sarah Little and Emma Schlyter. Little earned a bronze for finishing with a time of 1:02:33 in the women’s 100-metre butterfly, while Schlyter also earned a bronze with a time of 4:52.32 in the women’s 400-metre individual medley.
As the day continued, more women’s marauders gathered points, which awarded the women’s team with third place overall, scoring a total of 164 points. The only two teams ahead of them were the Varsity Blues and Western Mustangs, with 386 and 230.5 points, respectively.
Meanwhile, on the men’s side, there were also some impressive races on their first day. The most notable, was the 400-metre Medley Relay, which featured Colin Campbell, Cameron Johnsen, Bijan Ziaian and Josiah Terejko. Although they missed out on the podium, the quartet managed to achieve a relatively strong time of 3:49.07, which narrowly stood short of third place.
In terms of the best individual men’s result, Kevin Ireland managed to place as high as fifth in the men's 400-metre individual medley, earning himself a time of 4:37.55. Although he missed the podium, this race proved to be important for the team to regain some key points as they fought for fourth place in the championship.
By the end of the first day the men’s team claimed the fourth position with a total of 138 points. The teams in front of them were the Varsity Blues, Waterloo Warriors and the Mustangs, with 342.5, 234 and 176.5 points, respectively.
On days two and three of the competition, the women’s team further impressed with their podium finishes throughout. The first two medals came in way of the 50-metre butterfly and 800-metre free relay. The 50-metre butterfly awardee was Sarah Little, who achieved a time of 27.89, earning herself a bronze medal. The second bronze medalists were Maeve Bailey, Andie Lloyd, Emma Schlyter and Erin Anderson, who achieved a time of 8:32.27 in the 800-metre free relay.
The other two podiums achieved by the women’s team came on day three, with Schlyter earning her third podium of the championship tournament after winning a silver in the 200-metre individual medley with a mesmerizing time of 2:17.86. Schlyter was hungry for more. She continued her medal streak by coming out with the team’s last — and her fourth — medal of the championship for the 400-metre free relay, achieving a time of 3:53.11 to take home her third bronze.
Schlyter was hungry for more. She continued her medal streak by coming out with the team’s last — and her fourth — medal of the championship for the 400-metre free relay, achieving a time of 3:53.11 to take home her third bronze.
On the men’s side, the only podium finishes that were picked up on the second and third days were by Campbell, Johnsen, Ziaian and Terejko, who achieved an impressive silver medal finish in their 200-metre medley relay with a time of 1:43.25. As for the rest of the team, numerous swimmers worked hard to pick up additional points for the Marauders in the hopes of retaining the fourth place from day one.
Overall, the OUA championships ended with both teams capturing a top-five spot. After three days of competing, the women’s team grabbed third place with 583 points, whereas the men's team achieved fourth place with 356.5 points. Though this was only a regional tournament, the Marauders also received an invitation to the U Sports championships, taking place in Montreal.
