After losing six games at the start of the season, the men’s basketball team has struggled to find a way to win
The men’s basketball team kicked off their Ontario University Athletics season on Oct. 25 against Ontario Tech University. The Marauders hosted the game, but were not able to to win as they lost with a score of 78 to 88.
After their home opener loss, it would take the Marauders five more losses to find their first win.
After their home opener loss, it would take the Marauders five more losses to find their first win.
On Oct. 27, the Marauders hosted a game against Laurier University. The team lost with a score of 67 to 73. Sixth year guard Mike Demagus led the game in points, scoring 19 in total, but this was still not enough to win.
On Nov. 1. and Nov. 2. the Marauders traveled to Thunder Bay, Ontario to take on the Lakehead University Thunderwolves in back-to-back games. The series saw two more losses added to the Marauder’s record, as they lost the first game with a score of 76 to 91 and the second 73 to 76.
On Nov. 8, the Marauders were unable to win against Western University, finishing the game with a score of 78 to 88. A faceoff against the University of Windsor on Nov. 9 saw the Marauders lose 75 to 95.
However, the Marauders picked up their first win of the OUA season against Nipissing University, finishing 83 to 76. Demagus led the team in points, scoring 17 total. Third-year Anthony Warzeszcz helped in the scoring, putting up 11 total points.
However, after this poor run of form, the Marauders picked up their first win of the OUA season against Nipissing University finishing 83 to 76.
The Marauders will look to turn their season around as they head into the second half. They still have 15 more OUA games to play, with some worthy opponents to face. They will play against USport's seventh placed Carleton University on Nov. 23 and sixth placed Toronto Metropolitan University on Feb. 15, 2025.
Up next, the team faces Laurentian University on Nov. 16 at home in the Burridge gym. This will reveal whether the team has truly improved their game following their first OUA season win.
Theresa Burns reflects on years coaching women’s basketball after her 607 career coaching wins, the second most by a coach in U Sport’s history
Theresa Burns started her coaching career immediately after her career as a student athlete. After four years of playing basketball for the University of Toronto, she began coaching for a university team.
“I was 24. I was coaching the university team. It was crazy. There were lots of moments of thinking, what am I doing? Talk about a steep learning curve,” said Burns.
She kicked off her career coaching the then Ryerson University's, now Toronto Metropolitan University, women’s basketball team, without any prior experience. She was encouraged to pursue the opportunity by her university head coach Michèle Bélanger. Burns detailed how her career began.
“Just towards the end of I think, May, I guess my last year she's like "you know, you should think about coaching," and I had never thought about it. And then, the following year when the Ryerson job came open, she's like, you should apply. And I was like, I'm not ready to do that, like, at all, like, not even close, but when your coach tells you to do something, you do it. It was good advice,” said Burns.
Burns said she went on to coach this team for four years before coming to McMaster in 1992. Still a young coach with little experience, Burns highlighted how McMaster’s then director of athletics and recreation, Therese Quigley, helped her to settle in.
“[I was] just really grateful that she took a chance on a young coach and I think right through those years, those early years, especially that the athletic department was very close and very tight knit and just really good people. As a young employee and a young coach, having that support and that feeling of support around you was really important and I'm really grateful for that,” said Burns.
As Burns began working with the Marauders, she started to learn even more and in the process she began to pick up better results than she had in her previous role. Her first two seasons saw Burns only pick up four wins in total, but this began to change in the 1994-1995 season.
That season saw Burns earn a total of seven wins. The next season was even more of an improvement, with the Marauders winning ten games and capturing the bronze medal in the league. After this, Burns started to win league games more often than not, solidifying her identity as a successful coach.
As Burns has progressed through her time with McMaster, she has continued improving herself as a coach. She has won five total Ontario University Athletics titles and two national level titles in her time with McMaster. She has totaled 607 total wins, making her the coach with the second highest number of women's basketball wins in U Sport history.
With this achievement, Burns sees it as a credit to all who have helped her along the way to make the women's basketball team into what it is today.
“I just wanna say Anne Marie, Ed Andrew Kelly Danny and all the assistant coaches that have been in this program. And many of those names I mentioned were like a decade, two decades with us. These are their victories, you know, you build a village, you have to have all those support networks in place and having those good people are what make our program special. Those coaches coached that long in our program because they were special and they believed in what we were doing,” said Burns.
I just wanna say Anne Marie, Ed Andrew Kelly Danny and all the assistant coaches that have been in this program. And many of those names I mentioned were like a decade, two decades with us. These are their victories.
Theresa Burns, head coach
McMaster Women's Basketball team
As the women’s basketball season continues, Burns will look to add more wins to her total. The team’s next game will take place on Nov. 15. against Nipissing University.
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.
Quinn Fairley has left the program after 26 years, and the impact puts the future of the team in jeopardy
McMaster University has had another coach step down with Quinn Fairley, the longtime water polo coach, deciding to hang his cap after 26 years with the team. He had been the head coach of the program since 1999 and continued to manage both the men’s and women's teams all the way through to this season.
Fairley, largely credited for the early success of the program, led the women’s team to five consecutive seasons with a perfect record between 2001 and 2005, winning four Ontario University Athletics titles in that time. He also maintained a consistently competitive team on the men’s side who took home a provincial title in 2001 as well.
Through his time at McMaster, the highly decorated coach won coach of the year for the men’s team six times, and for the women’s team three times. His most recent achievement came in the form of a bronze medal with the women’s team this season.
“Fairley was such a great coach this past season. He led us to our [National Collegiate Water Polo] bronze medal. He taught us a lot in practices, and we made a lot of noticeable improvements throughout the season thanks to him,” said Rachel Dalgleish, a member of the women's water polo team.
“Fairley was such a great coach this past season. He led us to our [National Collegiate Water Polo] bronze medal. He taught us a lot in practices, and we made a lot of noticeable improvements throughout the season thanks to him.”
Rachel Dalgleish, Women's Waterpolo Team
Not only has McMaster lost a great coach, but the spare spot has significantly strained the teams' practices. Without a coach, they don’t have anyone who can run their off-season practices.
As if finding a coach to replace such a cornerstone in the program isn’t pressure enough, if the team is unable to find a new coach come next season, there won’t be anyone to register the team for tournaments and contact other schools for scheduled games. The future of the team is in jeopardy.
“Water polo is one of those sports where the coach does so much for the team, as it is a program that needs to organize itself to run. Without that voice, it would be difficult to work together as players and figure it out on our own, if that is even allowed,” explained Dalgleish.
“Water polo is one of those sports where the coach does so much for the team, as it is a program that needs to organize itself to run. Without that voice, it would be difficult to work together as players and figure it out on our own, if that is even allowed.”
Rachel Dalgleish, Women's Waterpolo Team
The water polo team’s problems don’t end there either; throughout the season, the university pool was often out of order due to uneven pH levels.
“There were often times where we would get a text right before our practices that the pH in the pool is too high or low and that the practice was cancelled. This affected us quite a lot since we only had three practices a week. This would in turn leave us with only one to two nights in a pool for the week, which is frustrating,” said Dalgleish.
Overall, the current situation with the water polo teams doesn’t seem bright. With no coach and consistent pool issues, the very talented teams are left with no choice but to wait for further instructions and updates. It can be a difficult situation to lose such a coach that held such influence, but to pair that with the other pressures the team faces creates a unique circumstance to face, and the future of the program hangs in the balance.
Ahmed Shamiya received the Ontario Coaching Excellence Award for his positive impact on McMaster’s wrestling program
Former student athlete turned coach Ahmed Shamiya was recently presented with the Ontario Coaching Excellence Award by the Coaches Association of Ontario.
The award recognizes coaches for their impact on athletes, teams and communities. Whether by building inclusive environments or leading their teams to championships, the winners of the award have been shown to be outstanding, dedicated leaders.
In a press release statement, Jeremy Cross, executive director for the Coaches Association of Ontario, praised Shamiya’s contributions to McMaster University’s wrestling program.
“We are thrilled to recognize Ahmed [Shamiya] for his dedication and support of athlete development on and off the playing field. Community volunteerism will play a vital role as we continue to recover from the pandemic and coaches like Ahmed are leaders in creating safe, fun and positive spaces for youth to grow as athletes and leaders,” explained Cross.
"Community volunteerism will play a vital role as we continue to recover from the pandemic and coaches like Ahmed are leaders in creating safe, fun and positive spaces for youth to grow as athletes and leaders,”
Jeremy Cross, Executive Director of ther Coaches Association of Ontario
Shamiya is one of 10 total recipients to receive the award along with fellow Marauder Larissa Byckalo, assistant coach for the women’s volleyball team. In addition to the honours, coaches also received a $500 reimbursement provided by Hydro One to put towards funding for the team.
Such honours are a part of National Coaches Week, a campaign running from Sep. 17 to Sep. 25 to celebrate coaches across Canada.
Shamiya was grateful to receive the award for his efforts within the wrestling program and the overall athletics community at McMaster.
“I love coaching and I love working with athletes on a daily basis. I do this out of love for the support of wrestling but along the way it’s also nice to be recognized for some of the work,” said Shamiya.
Before his coaching tenure, Shamiya also had received several awards during his time as a McMaster student.
In his rookie year on the wrestling team, in 2013, Shamiya took home the gold medal after competing in the OUA championship final. His efforts in 2015 helped the Marauders to their first OUA men’s title since 1993.
After playing under former head coach Nick Cipriano as an athlete, Shamiya assumed head coach duties for the program at the end of the 2019 season. Despite being the youngest head coach in the OUA circuit, Shamiya’s poise and dedication have helped to carry the team to excellence.
In 2020, his first year as head coach, Shamiya led the men’s wrestling team to a silver medal at the OUA championships. For his efforts, he was also named the OUA Men’s Coach of the Year.
More recently, Shamiya took both the men and women’s teams to second place finishes at the 2022 OUA finals, which included 10 podium placements by the Marauders.
As their head coach, one of Shamiya’s biggest goals when working with athletes is to help them develop their mental performance in addition to improving their physical play.
“Through coaching one thing I’ve learned, and one thing I’m trying to do with my athletes currently, is to try and get them to see themselves as more than they see themselves currently. . . because the only way that you’ll accomplish anything in life is if you believe that you’re the type of person who’s capable of achieving those things,” stated Shamiya.
His history with the Marauders represents a landmark achievement in the university’s sporting community. With such a decorated background as both an athlete and coach, the future of McMaster’s wrestling team is bound to be bright with Shamiya at its helm.
By: Elizabeth DiEmanuele
The Student Success Centre and Graduate Studies have introduced new positions for 2019-2020 to support the academic, personal and professional success of international students.
“Enhancing the experience and academic success of our international students is a shared responsibility, which is why we are excited about creating a campus-wide support network around our students,” says Gina Robinson, assistant dean of Student Affairs and director of the Student Success Centre. “We want international students to know that we all care about their individual needs and are working together to get them to the right services on campus.”
Ana Pereira has supported McMaster’s international students for eight years. In this role, she helps students adjust to their new lives at McMaster and in Canada through transitional services, personal development and the International Student Buddy Program.
“Being an immigrant myself, I understand many of the challenges facing students and love helping them feel comfortable in this new place they now call ‘home’,” Ana says.
Francesca Hernandez joins the team in this role and will focus on establishing campus-wide partnerships that can support and contribute to the development and success of international graduate students.
“We want to ensure that the academic, social and cultural needs of international graduate students are met through new programming and engagement opportunities,” Francesca says.
“We also want to expand promotion of existing programs and services so that students and their families are aware of supports offered by McMaster and the broader community. We want them to enjoy a successful journey in their new country.”
In addition to programs and services, one-on-ones are also available. Andrew Staples, student success coach, will support both graduate and international students with their academic concerns, financial difficulties, transition, and navigation of university life. This position will support students on an individual basis and provide a more seamless support system.
Andrew shares, “We want to make sure students feel supported and welcomed during their time at McMaster, so we are encouraging students to ask questions and share any concerns they may be experiencing.”
Lajipe Sanwoolu, immigration and mobility advisor, can provide immigration consulting from both an inbound and outbound perspective, including international and domestic students who are interested in working in Canada or abroad.
“International students contribute greatly to our community,” says Lajipe. “It is important and beneficial that we continue to provide them with opportunities to contribute and develop themselves.”
International students provide an invaluable knowledge and perspective, both in and outside of the classroom. Lajipe’s role will support developing relationships between international students and employers, providing education about international hiring and dispelling hiring misconceptions.
Appointments with Andrew Staples and Lajipe Sanwoolu are bookable through OSCARplus.
For those interested in collaborating on initiatives to support international student success, email [email protected].
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By: Graham West
Ahmed Shamiya is one of McMaster’s newest head coaches, taking the reins of the wrestling team from Nick Cipriano. Mac’s long-time former coach was a staple of the wrestling program for the past 35 years and was recently inducted into the Wrestling Canada Hall of Fame in January.
Shamiya is one of McMaster’s most decorated wrestling alumni, having helped the team win the Ontario University Athletics Championships in 2015, with many more individual accolades in his decorated career. Still competing, Shamiya most recently placed silver in the 86-kilogram category at the Canadian Senior National Championship in March.
Wrestler Ahmed Shamiya and guard Danielle Boiago are the @PitaPitCanada Athletes of the Week:https://t.co/BhO4POK0Ru pic.twitter.com/k5wShMSTc4
— McMaster Marauders (@McMasterSports) January 16, 2017
Shamiya knows the inner workings of the program and will apply this knowledge to how he runs things, and it will allow him to make the necessary changes to get to the next step.
“I know a lot of the things our program did really well,” Shamiya said “We’re not here just for performance but we’re here to build great people, great student-athletes and a great experience. That’s the ultimate goal. I want to continue that legacy and then just minor tweaks here and there that I think will improve the program or help the student-athletes.”
Cipriano left big shoes to fill after being named the national Coach of the Year four times, and won Mac multiple national championships, but Shamiya’s experience in Mac’s wrestling program means he shouldn’t have any issues taking over.
“It’s a little overwhelming, they’re definitely big shoes to fill, the man is a gentleman and a scholar, and he's done a lot for the program and the school in general,” Shamiya said. “The fact that I’m following him are definitely big shoes to fill, but the fact that he trusts me with the program after all that he's done gives me a lot of confidence.”
Coaching wasn’t always something on Shamiya’s mind, but is something he naturally has the capabilities to excel at because he’s always been a strong leader who was helpful to his teammates. His knowledge of the challenges student-athletes can face is going to be especially beneficial for the wrestling team going forward.
“I’ve always just had a knack for wanting to help others on the team, and I’ve always been passionate about leadership,” Shamiya said. “To be honest, I didn’t really pursue it, the opportunity just sort of fell into place. I feel like it was right place right time…You know what they say, luck is when preparation meets opportunity.”
Even though he is young, Shamiya has been mentored by Cipriano for years, transitioning from one of his athletes to his assistant coach. Although being recognized for his capabilities and earning the head coaching job has presented itself with its challenges, Shamiya is facing all of them head-on.
“It’s such a specific job with such a specific niche that having a mentor is great and Nick has been the best mentor ever, he’s helped me a lot,” Shamiya said. “It’s still a lot to adjust to all at once, although I’ve been enjoying it and embracing it, I think the fact that it all happened kind of overnight and not a slow transition into it was a good challenge.”
Passion and love for what he is doing is not something that Shamiya is short on. His love for wrestling is definitely something that will help the Marauders reach their potential during his tenure as head coach.
“It doesn’t feel like work at all, I’m spending my time doing exactly what I love, helping people that are in a great position in their lives where they’re student-athletes,” said Shamiya. “They have the opportunity to build themselves into something really good over the next few years. It doesn’t feel like work. I’m really enjoying this and it’s the job of my dreams basically.”
Shamiya may be young, but he will no doubt carry on the tremendous legacy that has preceded McMaster’s wrestling team as he himself was on many winning teams. His capabilities as a leader and knowledge of not only the program, but how wrestling itself works, will certainly lead the team on a path to gold next year.
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By: Adriana Skaljin
Being in athletics, especially at a university level, can add pressure to the lives of athletes. Whether it comes from personal expectations, or those of coaches and fans, pressure can affect both their physical and mental states.
Matt Quiring, who has been a forward for the McMaster men’s basketball team for four years, began playing due to his family’s love for the sport.
“I started playing when I was in the third grade, but started playing competitively in Grade five,” said Quiring. “I’m glad that my parents forced me to play, considering that I was shy. It got me to where I am today.”
Through basketball, Quiring met many important coaches and players who provided him with opportunities he would not have experienced otherwise.
“Basketball also taught me hard work ethic, [which] I wouldn’t have learned anywhere else,” explained Quiring. “This skill can be translated later on in life.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsgmAYBBlS6/
Sefa Otchere, first-year starting guard, also acknowledged the ways in which basketball has positively impacted his life.
“[The sport] is still impacting my life,” Otchere said. “Playing sports made me get out of my house, and [ultimately] showed me different places [while] making new friends.”
Both players also commented on the pressures that playing at a university level places on them.
“There is a lot of pressure that comes with the sport, both academically and athletically,” said Quiring. “It can get to you a lot of times. The mental and physical struggles can become taxing.”
Quiring and Otchere have implemented motivational strategies to work through their doubts and create a positive mindset when going into their games.
“[The pressure] is something I’ve struggled with,” said Quiring. “Recently, I have increased my confidence and have used pregame techniques given to me by a sports psychologist. There is a whole mental side to preparing.”
Otchere has a similar approach to handling pressure, starting with not putting expectations on himself.
“Basketball should be used to relieve stress and pressure, rather than provide that. I try and remind myself that before games,” said Otchere. “I make sure to remember that I need to go out and have fun.”
A healthy mindset is also important when coming back from a loss or a tough game. Recently, the Marauders suffered back-to-back tough losses against Brock University and Western University on Jan. 30 and Feb. 2.
“It’s always hard coming back from a loss because you have to watch the film and look at your mistakes. Then you have to fix them before the next game,” said Otchere.
That’s what we’re talking about 😤💪 @sefa_otchere https://t.co/R7DfdZpImM
— McMaster Basketball (@mcmastermbb) January 19, 2019
“You need time to mourn the loss, in a sense,” added Quiring. “After that, you need to put it behind you and realize where you messed up, and then learn and move on.”
Otchere also had to prepare for his comeback after his injury earlier in the season.
“I felt like I had to get my [groove], and confidence back,” said Ochere. “I also had to do extra practices to physically get back into the game as well.
Going into the end of the regular season, the players have applied these techniques as a means for achieving their goals.
“Besides winning, we want to make it to the final four and get to nationals,” said Quiring. “[Coach] Patrick Tatham preaches consistency [and] sets up team and individual workouts to develop skills needed to achieve our goals.”
“We need to make it known that we are one of the best teams,” said Ochere. “[All of] my focus is towards playing right and making playoffs.”
It is evident that both mental and physical health are important towards the well-being of athletes. The McMaster men’s basketball team’s perseverance and passion for the game will definitely be reflected in the upcoming games and in their journey towards nationals.
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By: Graham West
Hard work, toughness and focus are the key elements that have led to Hilary Hanaka’s outstanding success at the university level. After recently achieving the milestone of 1000 career points, Hanaka is looking forward to a season filled with promise.
Hitting 1000 career points is a huge career landmark and it meant a lot to Hanaka, although she stressed the importance the team has had in contributing to her being able to achieve it.
“It’s a pretty big milestone to hit and it means a lot to hit that point,” Hanaka said. “But, of course it’s a team sport overall, so I think I’m more excited to figure out where our team will end up this season… it's obviously nice to hit that point, but I obviously wouldn’t have gotten to this point without the help of my teammates and my coach.”
http://www.instagram.com/p/BszRnMfBPy4/
It has not always been easy on the path to greatness for Hanaka as there have been challenges with balancing academics and being a varsity athlete.
“There are positives and negatives. Coming into first year, that was when the big adjustment hit,” Hanaka said. “Obviously, it’s a much bigger time commitment being on a varsity team and having classes every single day, practices every day and you’re away on weekends and just making sure you find the right balance to do everything.”
“With that being said, you’re surrounded by an incredible group of girls, coaching staffs,” Hanaka added. “We have so much support through the athletic department, so whenever things were going downhill, you always had someone to pick you back up.”
Hanaka’s experience with the difficulties athletes can face and her expertise on the court are some of the things that make her a great leader. Being there for her teammates on and off the court is instrumental to the success of the team and something that is incredibly important to her as well.
“Off the court is just as important as on the court when it comes to varsity sports,” Hanaka said.
“Being a veteran player, I’ve been around for five years so I’ve been through most of the things that bring you down and that go on. So just being able to be there for the girls is something that I really strive to do.”
“Just knowing that I’ve been in the position of a first-year, second-year, third-year and even a fourth-year player and things aren't always fun and games there’s always going to be those lows,” Hanaka added. "Being able to make sure the girls are aware that I’m always there for them, whether it’s something basketball-related, life-related, school-related, whatever it might be, that just because I’m a leader on the court, doesn’t mean I can’t be the leader off the court. ”
http://www.instagram.com/p/BtYum4ABzqm/
Whenever Hanaka’s career as a player ends, it will most certainly not be the end to her basketball career. When you have a particularly knowledgeable player who is a natural leader, coaching is always on the horizon. It is something Hanaka is interested in, and given her success as a player, seems very possible.
“I would love to be a coach. Growing up I’ve always been surrounded by basketball and it’s been a huge part of my life,” Hanaka said. “Being a player has been incredible, but I think I’m kinda ready to hang up the shoes and move forward. Hopefully down the road, coaching is something that I’ll be put into.”
Always one of the first people in the gym, Hanaka has had an outstanding career so far in the maroon and grey and looks to only improve. The team is one to watch as they continue to play their way to a return to nationals, with their eyes clearly set on taking home gold.
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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.
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