After a very successful season, the Marauders finish their campaign off with a bronze medal win at the U Sport national championship on their home court
After a long season full of successes and long undefeated streaks, the Marauders have ended their mesmerizing season with a bronze in the U Sports national championship in Hamilton. The journey was a long one, having played a total of 34 games this season. There have been many ups and downs, with the main highlight being the astonishing 18 game winning streak in the Ontario University Athletics regular season.
In their final game of the season, the bronze medal game, the Marauders came out on top of the University of Alberta Golden Bears in a three set sweep, which brought their first national medal in years. The podium finish would have been impressive on it’s own, but the fact that it game against the first seeded team nationally made it that much sweeter.
“For me, coming into this program and seeing it already getting done before I came here, and seeing that the legacy has been continued, it’s something that I really wanted to be a part of. It’s been a goal for us, attaining a medal in the end knowing that we had home support,” said Sam Cooper, a fourth-year veteran player on the team and 2023 championship tournament all-star.
The game was a huge one for the Marauders; not only was this game the last one of the season, and for a medal in front of a hometown McMaster crowd, but it was also Dave Preston's last game as the head coach, after an astonishing 20 season career that featured all 12 of McMaster’s provincial titles.
“Leaving with hardware is a really good feeling. Although there were expectations of the colours being a bit different, we will still take it. . .Hats off to Alberta, they’re one of the best volleyball teams in Canada and to win against them for third place is a huge achievement. To have the medal is also a great honor for me that I’ll carry for the rest of my life,” explained Preston.
The preluding semifinal ended up in a disappointing three to one loss to the Trinity Western University Spartans, which is the game that sent McMaster to the bronze medal round. Breakout star Brendan Mills did not have the best game in the semifinal, having been subbed off for the injured Maxime Gratton after two sets, and started the game against Alberta with a couple of mistakes yet again. Fortunately, Mills quickly turned around by the end of the game, becoming an x-factor in having secured their third-place finish.
“My year started with a rough patch, so this set of games was not something that I was not used to. My whole year was full of ups and downs, and I feel that near the end of the season I managed to put the pieces together. In particular, in the OUA playoffs and nationals my performances got better. Yesterday (against TWU) was not my best game. The start today was not my best either, but I managed to get it together during the game, which I feel is better than getting myself together over a longer period, so I’m happy with that,” said Mills.
The Marauders have once again had an unforgettable season. There were many highlights to behold, such as the 18-game winning streak, or the OUA semifinals and finals sweeps against York and Windsor for their eleventh title in 15 years.
Although there may be regrets over falling short of the long-awaited gold medal in the nationals, the team can be absolutely delighted with the show of character and mesmerizing display over the season.
McMaster women’s curling team wraps up yet another successful season with a win at the OUA championship, places fifth at U Sports Championships
The McMaster University women's curling team just wrapped up another impressive, and perhaps underappreciated, season. Notably, the team won the 2023 Ontario University Athletics Championships and finished fifth at the national U SPORTS Championships.
Hosted by Ontario Tech University, the OUA Curling Championships took place over Feb. 3 to Feb 5. The championships kicked off with a four-game round-robin on Friday morning followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals.
By the end of the round-robin, the Marauders had a record of three wins and one loss. McMaster went on to win against the Western University Mustangs in the quarterfinals with a score of seven to three and the Queens University Gaels in the semifinals, eight to one.
The championship game came down to a close competition between McMaster and the Laurentian University Voyageurs on Sunday afternoon. After some back-and-forth action, McMaster broke the three-to-three tie in the eighth and final end to win the 2023 OUA Championships.
The OUA title is the fourth in McMaster women’s curling program history. A few Mac athletes received recognition with Evelyn Robert named as OUA first team all-star, while Grace Lloyd and Madelyn Warriner were named OUA second team all-stars.
“We won OUAs in 2020 as well and we had a couple of returning players from that year, and we also have some really talented players that just came in for their first year. So we were really excited going into it and were pretty confident that we could do well. We put in a lot of work practicing and training off-ice as well throughout the season,” explained Warriner.
The team training schedule consists of two hours of on-ice training, dry-land training with McMaster’s high-performance centre for athletes and a weekly open league game at the Dundas Valley Golf and Curling Club. Many of the athletes also play on competitive teams outside of McMaster on the weekends.
Following the OUA Championship, team headed to the U Sports Championships in Sudbury, Ontario which took place between Mar. 15 to Mar. 19. The national championships featured teams from Dalhousie University, the University of Alberta and the University of Prince Edward Island.
“It's a bit more of a surprise going into [the U Sports championship] I would say. You're not entirely sure what each specific team is going to bring to the table, but that's kind of what makes it so exciting. You don't really know what to expect and you really just focus on yourself and how you can personally prepare to be the best that you can, so that when you go into it you can perform at your top level,” said Warriner.
The Marauders played a total of seven games at the U Sports Championships. The final record was four losses and three wins against University of Victoria, University of PEI and Toronto Metropolitan University. It’s worth noting that McMaster was unable to clinch a semi-final spot against Laurentian, despite defeating the home team twice in the OUA Championships.
“They had been playing very well all week. We had seen it and it was reflected in their record — they were top of the table. So we knew going into it that we had to play really well if we wanted to beat them and they just had the edge on us that day,” explained Warriner.
“They had been playing very well all week. We had seen it and it was reflected in their record — they were top of the table. So we knew going into it that we had to play really well if we wanted to beat them and they just had the edge on us that day,”
Madelyn Warriner, McMaster Women’s Curling Skip
Ultimately, McMaster finished fifth with University of Alberta taking home the 2023 U Sports championships. However, two McMaster athletes earning All-Canadian honours with Evelyn Robert named to the All-Canadian First Team and Grace Lloyd to the All-Canadian Second Team.
Looking ahead, Warriner and the McMaster women’s curling team have two key goals. To defend their OUA Championship title and to improve on their U Sports performance next year.
C/O McMaster's Sports
A promising start to a season of uncertainty for a young team as they earn their first win, tie and loss this season
The McMaster University women’s field hockey team played their first home game on Sep. 17, marking the start of their second season in the Ontario University Association league.
The team played both their home opener and first away game on Sep. 18 against the Waterloo Warriors. McMaster wrapped up the double-header with a one-to-nothing victory at home and one-one tie on the road.
“As a first weekend, having a win and a tie is something as a team — we’re pretty proud of. Especially considering we’re only going to get better as the season goes on. I think [for] half of our team that was their first ever university field hockey game,” explained Jessica Lim, one of the team’s three captains.
“As a first weekend, having a win and a tie is something — as a team — we’re pretty proud of. Especially considering we’re only going to get better as the season goes on."
Jessica Lim, McMaster Women's Field Hockey team Co-Captain
Along with her other teammates, Lim commended the impressive performance by goalkeeper Olivia Renaud. Renaud made a total of 11 saves in the first two games and was later named U Sports Field Hockey Player of the Week.
The following week the Marauders unfortunately fell short in a road game against the Queens Gaels. The McMaster team played a strong first three quarters, but the Gaels were able to score two quick goals in the closing minutes, making the final score one to two.
“I feel confident that as we gain more experience, as we spend more time playing together as a team and [learning] to read each other better, we’ll be able to play more complete games,” said Lim.
The regular outdoor season consists of 10 games and lasts around a month. The league is divided into an east and west division but unlike last year McMaster will face all seven other teams at least once before the playoffs begin. As a result as the Marauders learn to play together, they also have the chance to feel out the other teams.
“We’re definitely one of the underdogs this season and I think we’re coming out and surprising teams. They don’t really know what to expect but we’re putting it all out on the field and we make sure we give it our all every game,” said Serena Uppal, another of the team captains.
“We’re definitely one of the underdogs this season and I think we’re coming out and surprising teams. They don’t really know what to expect but we’re putting it all out on the field and we make sure we give it our all every game,”
Serena Uppal, McMaster Women's Field Hockey Team Co-Captain
Uppal and Lim also acknowledged their head coach, Jonathan Roberts, and assistant coach, Kathryn Williams, as two key factors in their success so far. Both coaches have represented Canada in international indoor field hockey competitions and have been critical in growing the field hockey program at McMaster.
The winners of the OUA Championships at the end of October will clinch a spot in the U Sports women’s field hockey championship. They will face-off with one of three teams from the Canada West Division.
“We are happy with how we started the season off, but we’re not content. We don’t want our season to be over after ten games . . . We want to make playoffs and have the opportunity and the chance to compete for a championship,” explained Uppal.
The Marauders have plenty of time to demonstrate their grit and compatibility as a team, though the coming games will determine whether the relatively young team is championship material.
Students can catch the team in action at Alumni Field on Oct. 8, Oct. 12 and Oct. 14. More information can also be found online or on the team Instagram.
C/O McMaster Sports
As the Cross Country season ends, there is a lot to be proud of and a lot to look forward to
Over the past couple of months, the cross country and track teams have been finding significant success through several points in their season. Previously, Alex Drover, a fourth-year cross country veteran, won the first Athlete of the Week award of the season in recognition of his exceptional performance at an Ontario University Athletics competition, where he placed first overall.
On Nov. 20, the cross country team took part in the nationwide U Sports Cross Country/Track Nationals. This year, the event took place in Quebec City, at the historic Plains of Abraham. The competition featured numerous turns and hills, which made the race very challenging for the schools involved.
Throughout the Cross Country Nationals, the best performer for the McMaster Marauders was Andrew Davies. Davies finished just short of fourth place in the men's eight kilometre race, with an impressive time of 24:38, which had him 10.5 seconds off the winner of the race, Mitchell Ubene, of the Guelph Gryphons.
Although Davies did miss out on the podium for the 8k race, he did not miss the chance to end up at the podium with the rest of the team, as the Marauders ended up third on the podium, earning themselves a bronze medal with a collective score of 79 points. The only schools to place above the Marauders were the hosts, Université Laval Rouge et Or and Guelph Gryphons, finishing first and second respectively.
Davies, the best runner among the Marauders at the nationals, and his teammate, Max Turek, were both awarded an All-Canadian Bid for their amazing performances in Quebec.
Although the overall results of the Marauders were impressive, Davies did express some level of disappointment with the final results.
“Although we did make the podium, I can’t say that I was particularly happy with our performance as a whole. I personally think that we could have won the whole nationals. We definitely have the potential to do so, but it just wasn't our day,” said Davies.
When asked about his achievement of earning an All-Canadian bid, Davies suggested that he expected to win it based on his strong performance in the race.
“I sort of knew that I was going to get it because I was near the top in the first team. My personal performance was good that day so I saw it coming. Obviously, I am honored to get something like this and it does mean a lot to me,” said Davies.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the runner and his ability to train were mixed. The lockdowns had both physical and mental impacts and changed the way he trained and performed later on.
“To be honest, COVID-19 did not have a massive training effect on me. I was still able to train alone, since we are runners and we don't need partners to do so. If anything, it did sort of help me physically stay in shape because there was no pressure of any race coming up, so I had more time to prepare for whatever was coming next,” explained Davies.
However, Davies did state that the pandemic did have a toll on his mental wellbeing and created a lot of difficulty for his training and mental preparation.
“It was a very rough period for all of us because there was consistent cancellation of events every now and then and it was tough for us to keep up. I personally did not know when to expect any competitions to come back and it was all on one big loop for a year and a half. Especially in the winter, there was literally nothing going on and it had a huge toll on me,”
Andrew Davies
When asked about the future, Davies explained he is certain that there is much more potential within the team and that they could return even stronger next year.
“I think that we can do even better next season. Although some of our runners won't be eligible, many of our best athletes will be staying for another year. There are also some younger runners who have a lot of potential. So, I see us excelling over the next couple of years for sure,” said Davies.
Although the nationals are over for this year, there will be plenty of opportunities for the track and cross country athletes to show their worth next year, when the new season will bring plenty of excitement for all involved.
McMasters men’s and women’s wrestling teams went to the Ontario University Athletics Wrestling Championships to compete in Guelph on Feb. 1 and 2. The tournament consisted of ten of the top wrestling programs across Ontario, the Algoma University Thunderbirds, Brock University Badgers, the University of Guelph Gryphons, the Lakehead University Timberwolves, the Queen’s University Gaels, the Ryerson University Rams, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, the Western University Mustangs, the York University Lions and your own Marauders. With medals on the line, Mcmaster stepped up to the occasion and armlocked the competition, coming home with a respectable haul of hardware.
Even though the championship has been historically dominated by Brock University, the Marauders medaled in eight individual weight categories. The men’s team finished with a total of 66 points, earning them second overall in the tournament. Points are scored by pulling off maneuvers that all have a different weight in the point system. The maroon and grey totalled four bronze, two silvers and two gold medals.
Zahra after he captured gold against Ty Bridgewater of the Brock Badgers. Photo C/O Ligaya Stinellis
For the past five years, Brock University has held the OUA Wrestling Championships banners for best overall performance in men’s and women’s wrestling. This year alone they received ten of the 19 gold medals up for grabs, but with nine left on the table they allowed McMaster to get a few of their own.
Ben Zahra, in the 76 kg weight class, and Ameen Aghamirian, in the 82 kg weight class, were the Marauders draped in gold on Sunday. Zhara’s dominant performance led to him being declared the OUA Male Athlete of the Week on Feb. 3.
Ben Zahra wins gold medal at OUA Wrestling Championships. Photo C/O Ligaya Stinellis.
Previously, Zahra had earned silver for three consecutive years at the tournament, but was never able to break the top of the podium.This year, however, he finally cracked the code and took home gold.
“Placing second for the past three years at OUAs really fuelled me throughout this season. When I was able to come out on top at OUAs this past weekend it really gave me confidence in my training,” said Zahra.
He won three tech falls, outscoring the opponent, in the pool rounds to start the day as he took down Queen’s, Toronto’s, and Algoma’s performers in the 76 kg weight class.
Having performed in the OUA regular season with such dominance, he earned a shot at the title match against the previously undefeated in the OUA regular season Ty Bridgwater of the Brock Badgers dominant wrestling team. The match was a close one as Zahra narrowly won by a margin of eight to five in his favour. On top of this performance, he was honoured with the title of the OUA’s Outstanding Male Wrestler of the year.
Zahra’s unbeaten day and breakthrough performance was a terrific way to end his fourth year in the OUA with the Marauders squad, before potentially heading to Canadian Junior/Senior Championships.
While Zahra delivered one of the more impressive performances, let’s not forget about the other medalists in the men’s category. Francesco Fortino was the bronze winner in the 57 kg weight class. Trystan Kato also took home a bronze medal in the 72 kg weight class. The silver winners were Connor Quinton in the 68 kg weight class and Bradley MaGarrey in the 90 kg weight class.
Simi Jayeoba earns bronze metal. Photo C/O Ligaya Stinellis
Two of the women’s team contenders who earned a bronze medal are Simi Jayeoba within the 63 kg weight class and Joelle Vanderslagt in the 67 kg weight class. It is important to recognize that the women’s team is outnumbered 20 to five by the men’s team, making their two medal mark impressive.
The women’s team ended up with 40 per cent of participants placing with medals and the men’s team finished with 30 per cent of their participants placing with medals. With almost half of the women’s team and just under a third of the men’s team placing on the podium, it is clear that the program has a good shot to continue their success at nationals on Feb. 20-22.
Zahra said, “going into the U Sports Championships I am looking forward to just competing and really leaving it all out there on the mat no matter the result. I’m also looking forward to watching all my teammates compete and show their skills on the national level.”
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