C/O Magnus Hanson
Having lost key players to graduation, the team will attempt to follow up on their OUA win
The 2021-2022 baseball season was an exciting one for the team. Following more than a year without sports due to the pandemic, the team returned to play with huge expectations. While reigning Cy Young award winner (given to the best pitcher) Julian Tymochko and reigning most valuable player award winner Nikolas Motruk were returning for their final seasons, the whole team had their eye on the gold.
By the end of the year, the team had picked up a lot of hardware, yet again. Motruk won his second consecutive MVP award, several members of the team were named to the all-star team and pitcher Joshua Kalmin was named rookie of the year. As a team they fell short of their gold medal goal but they still secured a silver in the provincial championship.
By the end of the year, the team had picked up a lot of hardware, yet again. Motruk won his second consecutive MVP award, several members of the team were named to the all-star team and pitcher Joshua Kalmin was named rookie of the year. As a team they fell short of their gold medal goal but they still secured a silver in the provincial championship.
Although the team was excited to bring home a silver, they had just gotten a taste of the finals and the gold was within reach. This year, they don’t want to lose the last game of the season. The only difference is they’ll have to do so without several notable players graduating.
Outfielder Motruk and pitchers Tymochko and Ryan Clark are some of the names from what was a rather large graduating class on the baseball team. They were all major contributors on the team and although there are several young players ready to step up, the impact of their absences are not easy to replace.
“It’s true we’ve lost some staple guys that have been a part of the team for five-six years, which does have an impact but it was time for them to leave and the entire roster knows it’s time to step up. We all got a taste of what a championship might be last year and we all want to get back to that spot,” explained outfielder Magnus Hanson.
Last season the team was generally aware of the impending graduates but managed to play on without concern, citing their common goal of winning as their primary focus. This mentality is one the team will likely try to recreate this season as they regroup with some new faces in the everyday lineups.
“Of course, we knew that guys were graduating and leaving but it wasn’t something we’d discussed. We knew those guys wanted to win, we wanted to win, so we just started winning some baseball games. I don’t think it was any drive to try and get these guys a championship before they graduate, it was just they wanted to win, we wanted to win,” said Hanson.
There is still a substantial amount of talent on the team and the guys are confident they can still go a long way with or without their decorated veterans. They just need to focus on themselves and find their way back to the same collective goal as they’ve had in past years.
“The key thing is focusing on the guys we have here. We just have to get our job done . . . There’s definitely unfinished business,” said pitcher Kalmin.
"The key thing is focusing on the guys we have here. We just have to get our job done . . . There’s definitely unfinished business."
Joshua Kalmin, Pitcher
Along with some new recruits, the team will get some major reinforcements come the season's start. Upper year outfielder Mark Zanette and shortstop Nicholas Velocci will make their long-awaited returns to the field following their collision last season, which forced them to sit out much of the playoff run and several months of training thereafter.
“I think I can speak for everyone when I say we’re excited to see [Zanette] and Velocci back and full strength,” said Hanson.
Both players described the two as big additions to the team, emphasizing the impact they had last season both on the field and with the bats. With a strong mindset and a chip on their shoulders, the team could go a long way but there will be a lot for them to prove with such big shoes to fill.
C/O The Silhouette Archives
This is the year to tune into the variety of varsity sports McMaster offers
The 2020-2021 school year was a frustrating year, with no varsity or intramural sports happening on campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the 2021-2022 season offered a full variety of sports opportunities and activities students could get involved in, there were still a handful of disruptions, including the January lockdown that prohibited OUA competitions from continuing as planned.
This upcoming season provides a sense of hope and continuity for sports enthusiasts and novices alike. There are many reasons to watch the sports the university has to offer and below are our top five reasons for why you should get involved this upcoming school year.
1. Everything is open!
As it stands in July 2022, all the facilities on campus will be open to pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, students will not be required to sign up to access any on-campus facilities. Finally, the COVID-19 screening tool used in the 2021-2022 season, MacCheck, will no longer be required for students or student athletes wishing to get involved in any sports activities on campus.
2. More athletes involved in national teams
As the new season approaches, there are more opportunities for student athletes to be involved with junior and senior national team call ups. Although last season had its fair share of athletes being called up to the national teams, this season is promising comparable results.
Although we are still two months away from commencement, Canadian U-21 women’s volleyball team included Marauder Sullie Sundara for the team at the upcoming U21 Pan American Cup in Mexico. Meanwhile from the men’s team, Sam Cooper was named to the Canadian senior national team. Finally, from the wrestling team, Serena Di Bennedetto qualified for the Canadian junior national team.
3. More fixtures added to the teams’ schedule
While the teams were allowed to play last season due to the timing of the pandemic waves their fixtures were somewhat limited. For example, if a team typically had 15 fixtures in the regular season, they were cut down to 10.
From the schedules released thus far, there have been more matches added to the upcoming OUA season. For example, both the men’s’ and women’s’ soccer teams have seen an increase in their schedule from 10 games last season to 12 for this year's regular season.
4. Greater focus on 2SLGBTQIA+ in sports
Over the past season, the Athletics and Recreation Department at McMaster University has organized numerous events students and athletes alike could get involved in. Events like this are key for connecting with the wider McMaster community. Many events have been tailored towards supporting and recognizing particularly communities, including the 2SLGBTQIA+ community on campus.
An event that shed light on this community last season was the Pride Game taking place at McMaster men's and women’s basketball game against the Waterloo Warriors. The goal of the game was to highlight and increase the visibility of 2SLGBTQIA+ student-athletes. Although not confirmed as of July 2022, the event among others to shed light on the 2SLGBTQIA+ community are likely to held again.
5. More racial equality implementation
Over the past couple of years, McMaster has been grilled for consistently letting down their athletes. There were numerous allegations regarding the mistreatment of the athletes representing the school, including the prioritization of white athletes while not responding to Black students for varsity meetings.
This year McMaster put effort into combatting these allegations and has taken action. In late June 2022, the Athletics and Recreation Department hosted multiple peers at their inaugural anti-racism symposium. The goal of this event was to further the conversation within the OUA and OCAA about creating actual changes in athletics and recreation departments at the post-secondary level. Although this one event doesn't signify a complete change in the community’s stance towards racism, it certainly is a step in the right direction and shows a glimpse of hope for the future of McMaster athletes.
C/O Alora Griffiths (Unsplash)
Want to get more recreational exercise? See what options McMaster has for you!
Following a strange year for sports at schools all around Ontario, COVID-19 restrictions are lifting rapidly province wide. With this comes new opportunities for all students, competitive athletes and amateurs — real amateurs, not Ontario’s definition of amateurs. You can now participate in sports all around campus.
In comparison to the beginning of the year, Mac has opened many additional facilities that you can use at specified times every day, including court usage, the gym, the pools and more.
In comparison to the beginning of the year, Mac has opened many additional facilities that you can use at specified times every day, including court usage, the gym, the pools and more.
For those interested in swimming, there is some great news. McMaster has daily openings at their swimming pool, located in the Ivor Wynne Centre, for all students to experience. There are a total of five time slots throughout the day, from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. for students to use, each one an hour in duration.
Apart from numerous other intramural programs that the campus has offered through the course of the year, there are still various drop-in opportunities daily. Even with exams approaching, there are still opportunities to drop in and compete. The most common drop-ins are currently basketball and volleyball, located at the Smith and Burridge Gym, respectively. To find the schedules for these programs, you can visit the recreation website.
As we stray away from COVID-19 restrictions, the campus sports program will become more available and open to the student body. There are still numerous programs and facilities — such as the Pulse gym — that can accommodate anyone who wishes to exercise. To keep up with the latest news or any new programs that may become open to anyone, make sure to check in with the Mac Athletics and Recreation website.
C/O Keenan Jeppesen
Keenan Jeppesen, the Associate Director of High Performance, seeks to advocate for and represent Black student athlete voices
McMaster’s Department of Athletics and Recreation has recently been restructured to have separate staff groups that cover both athletics and recreation. These are headed by associate directors who report to the Primary Director, Shawn Burt. Trish Chant-Sehl is the associate director, recreation and healthy living, whereas Keenan Jeppesen is the associate director, high performance.
Jeppesen joined McMaster Athletics and Recreation ain January. His roots in the McMaster community run deep — as a child growing up in Hamilton, he attended McMaster basketball camps. He returned to McMaster as a student working towards his MBA and played on the Marauders men’s basketball team as a forward in the 2009-10 season, donning number 13.
Upon earning his MBA, Jeppesen worked for Viacom and Ubiquiti Networks before returning to McMaster to work as the director of basketball operations from 2018 to 2021. Afterward, Jeppesen began to work with the Onyx Initiative, aiming to help Black and Afro-Canadian students connect with corporate Canada to earn internships and work experience. Now, Jeppesen has found himself back with McMaster once again in the role of associate director, high performance.
“McMaster’s always been important to me and I think it's such an important part of Hamilton; [it is] the fabric of the community. And I'm just so happy to kind of be back in this capacity and help kind of continue the great tradition that McMaster has and really build upon that and try to take it to a new level,” said Jeppesen.
In this role, Jeppesen covers everything competitive, from teams that compete at the U Sports or national level, teams that compete in Ontario University Athletics competitions, clubs and recreational teams that compete in other leagues and the staff that support them, including field therapists, strength and conditioning coaches and even student services coordinators.
As the role is a newer one, Jeppesen is working to define the role for himself and for the department. High performance is a general term and he hopes to take a holistic approach to it, covering everything both on and off the court.
“It just doesn't mean wins or losses, but it's really about the development of our student athletes academically, as leaders and community members both within Hamilton and the greater McMaster community. [They are a] source of pride and true ambassadors of the McMaster values and missions,” explained Jeppesen.
"It just doesn't mean wins or losses, but it's really about the development of our student athletes academically, as leaders and community members both within Hamilton and the greater McMaster community. [They are a] source of pride and true ambassadors of the McMaster values and missions."
Keenan Jeppesen
With Jeppesen’s experience in uplifting Black voices, a large part of his role is implementing a response after the Black Student-Athlete systemic review that came out in October 2022. Part of this response is the 21 financial awards for Black student athletes, called the 'Black Excellence Athletic Financial Awards'. The application involves short submissions from Black student athletes that highlight their leadership and excellence to the community.
“The way I continue to support in the review response [is] really just bringing my own lived experience to the role and understanding Black and BIPOC student athletes and just trying to bring that lens to the decisions we make within the department and creating programs that in some cases are specific to them,” explained Jeppesen.
In addition to lending his own perspective to the situation, Jeppesen seeks to build the athletics and recreation department up by incorporating student feedback.
“[I’m] trying to be someone that student athletes of all ethnicities are comfortable coming to share their perspective and really just trying to build a department that really incorporates the feedback of our student athletes and making sure that we reflect their values and deliver the services that are important to them,” said Jeppesen.
“[I’m] trying to be someone that student athletes of all ethnicities are comfortable coming to share their perspective and really just trying to build a department that really incorporates the feedback of our student athletes and making sure that we reflect their values and deliver the services that are important to them."
Keenan Jeppesen
In this role, Jeppesen is able to combine his passion for strategy with working and uplifting student-athletes. Continuous improvement within the Department of Athletics and Recreation can be expected under Jeppesen’s leadership.
C/O Enokson, Flickr
McMaster athletics kirks off their events and awareness campaigns to honour black history month
Every February in Canada, people participate in Black History Month events and festivities to celebrate and honor the legacy of Black Canadians and their communities. McMaster also took the time to partake in these activities, as did the Marauders.
The Marauders organized many different events and initiatives, including a basketball game dedicated to the cause and advocacy posts on social media.
The Marauders posted quotes from Black Canadian leaders, such as Masai Ujiri, the President of Toronto Raptors and Jean Augustine, the first Black woman elected in parliament.
Additionally, the McMaster Black Student Athlete Council organized a special panel that is dedicated to the Black community in which Hamilton legends shared their experiences within sport and the way they navigated throughout their careers.
Given past reports of anti-Black racism in McMaster athletics, it is an important step for the Marauders to honour Black athletes that have inspired and influenced the sporting community.
C/O McMaster Marauders, Sherbrooke Athletics
Jessica Pearo-Rawlins is one of the newest inductees into the McMaster Sports Hall of Fame
Jessica Pearo-Rawlins is one of 2021’s four inductees into the McMaster Sports Hall of Fame. Immediately after the mandatory 10-year waiting period from which she graduated from McMaster, she was nominated and then selected by the Hall of Fame committee.
Pearo-Rawlins is one of the most decorated athletes, not only in cross-country, but in all of Marauders’ history. Pearo-Rawlins spent four years at McMaster studying Kinesiology from 2007 to 2011, where she earned many well-deserved accolades for both athletics and academics. During her time at McMaster, Pearo-Rawlins was named an Academic All-Canadian for three consecutive years, was awarded the female student-athlete community service award in 2009 and maintained the Queen Elizabeth II Aiming for the Top Scholarship for all four years.
Athletics-wise, Pearo-Rawlins was the first female Marauder to win an OUA gold medal in 2010. In addition, she became the first Marauder to win an individual gold medal at a CIS cross-country final in a five-kilometer run over hilly terrain. In addition, she is a two-time CIS first-team all-Canadian, three-time OUA first-team all-star and was named McMaster Female Athlete of the Year twice.
Back in 2011 in an interview with Daily News McMaster, Pearo-Rawlins explained that she was applying to physiotherapy graduate school, with the goal being to earn a master of physiotherapy at the University of Toronto. In the interview, Pearo-Rawlins explained that she hoped to one day run her own clinic and help athletes such as herself. Now, around 10 years later, her goal has become a reality with the opening of Prospect Physiotherapy in 2021.
“I worked at a great clinic called Lifespring to do therapy for about eight years and then transitioned into my own practice now, [for] which I've had a lot of help along the way. But that's sort of been my goal that I've been working towards so it's super exciting now that it's actually happened,” said Pearo-Rawlins.
She and her two coworkers each have their niche of athletes that they work with and Pearo-Rawlins focuses on runners such as herself. Currently, she works with the Newmarket Huskies Track Club and other local distance runners.
“They sort of sought me out just because of my background in the sport so just being able to treat patients that you are well acquainted with the type of injuries that they've had is very helpful for them just to be able to feel like I know what they're going through,” explained Pearo-Rawlins.
"They sort of sought me out just because of my background in the sport so just being able to treat patients that you are well acquainted with the type of injuries that they've had is very helpful for them just to be able to feel like I know what they're going through,"
Jessica Pearo-Rawlins, 2021 McMaster Sports Hall of Fame Inductee
Something that has greatly helped Pearo-Rawlins during her time as a varsity athlete was the presence of supportive friends, family and coaches and this still carries forward today with the new challenges that come with opening her own practice.
“I tended to be anxious until he'd arrive at the course. And honestly, he wouldn't say much; it would just be like a hug and then I just felt like I could calm down. And so honestly, even carrying through into today like opening a clinic and a business is a big thing and just having that family support from really everybody in my life: my husband, my father-in-law [and] my dad, again just being that ear. I feel like I'm somebody who needs to vent a lot and talk things out and just have those people in my life that are able to hear me and talk me down,” explained Pearo-Rawlins.
While cross-country is a sport of individuals, it is the contributions of family members, fellow team members and coaches Rory Sneyd and Paula Schnurr that helped shape Pearo-Rawlins into the incredible athlete, businesswoman and physiotherapist she is today.
C/O Yoohyun Park/Production Coordinator
Fans attend the game for a couple of hours, but how much effort gets put into preparing a game?
Football, basketball and volleyball — these are McMaster’s three most popular varsity sports for students to enjoy watching, but there are many more, from badminton to field hockey to water polo and more. Not only does each sport require a different set up, but each individual game does too. For example, setting up for football homecoming to a sold out stadium required a different set of plans than the second game against the Laurier Golden Hawks when it was rainy and cold.
All these considerations and more are handled by TJ Kelly, the Facilities and Events Manager for McMaster’s athletics and recreation department. After he thinks of everything, Dalton Jeyapalan, the Events Coordinator, implements it with Kelly’s approval as the final word.
Jeyapalan originally recognized his passion for working with sports when he was an undergraduate student at York University, holding an event staff job as part of the work-study program.
“I just knew that it was bigger than myself; it was part of school identity. And sports have a huge role in a lot of individuals and their success in their academics, so I knew that I always wanted to work in university athletics. I felt it was just more intimate and more focused on individual self development and growth,” explained Jeyapalan.
"I just knew that it was bigger than myself; it was part of school identity. And sports have a huge role in a lot of individuals and their success in their academics, so I knew that I always wanted to work in university athletics. I felt it was just more intimate and more focused on individual self development and growth."
Dalton Jeyapalan, Events coordinator
As Events Coordinator, Jeyapalan is on campus quite often, even on off days. It takes about a week to set up properly and ensure that the event runs smoothly. He considers multiple groups of people, from audio and visual, to the OUA and even student organizations such as the Black Student Athlete Council. All these groups and many more have something to gain from being considered in the planning of these events. He ensures each group has exactly what they need through constant communication and piecing everything together like a puzzle.
“If you get the logistics in place a few days in advance, it helps for a seamless event, rather than just figuring it out at game time and I gotta tell people, ‘Okay go get this, go get that.’ It's more like having this stuff prepped, knowing where it is and that way when the questions are asked, you have the answer as soon as possible,” said Jeyapalan.
Luckily, when it comes to putting the entire event together on the day of, Jeyapalan isn’t alone. He is aided by a group of event staff, made up of McMaster students. There are about 45 to 50 event staff and different quantities of staff members are in attendance at every game. Event staff help out with a variety of game day operations such as COVID-19 documentation check, ticket scanning and more.
For Jeyapalan, the event staff are his coworkers and people he can help grow and succeed, both in their careers and academically. He encourages students as a whole to push the envelope and try new things to see what they’re really capable of.
“I like to think that I'm a prime example. I never thought I could work in sports and I tested the envelope. I did things that are out of the ordinary and I'm here now . . . Give me a shout, follow me on LinkedIn. I’m there and we can definitely connect and see where your opportunities can align with mine and we can see how far you can go above me. Because that’s my main goal — to see everyone around me get bigger and better,” said Jeyapalan.
Because that’s my main goal — to see everyone around me get bigger and better
Dalton Jeyapalan
Just like how events require a lot of planning, so does a university career; however, it helps to add a little bit of fun. Students may not have fan cams cheering them on, but they have friends, professors and more all ready to support one another. It is important for students in all university communities, not just within sports, to support each other and remember that their friends, professors and support systems are there to help.
If interested in supporting McMaster’s varsity teams, tickets are now available for basketball and volleyball at mcmaster.universitytickets.com with more non-ticketed events coming in the winter season during second semester.
C/O Yoohyun Park
The athletics department is failing to reciprocate the effort that the athletes put in and it’s time to hold them accountable.
What is the difference between American varsity sports and Canadian varsity sports? Simple: only one actually has a following. The quality of varsity sports and their following is greater in the United States. However, the onus to develop this quality and following is not on the athletes, but rather on the athletic departments at universities that promote their teams.
When it comes to promoting Canadian university sports, especially at McMaster University, there is a high level of neglect. Some sports get more coverage than others, but all the way through, it’s lacking. From two posts in the last four years about the highly successful golf team to outdated information and missing headshots for the baseball team to completely empty individual bios for all McMaster athletes, the effort from McMaster athletics has been subpar to say the least.
According to Justice Allin, a member of McMaster’s football team, the situation has been getting better over the time he has spent with the team, but there is still far to go.
There aren't enough posts, there aren't enough articles, the content is lacking and the athletes aren't happy about it.
“There definitely wasn’t enough content. Even when the content was there, it was pretty bland. There wasn’t anything in depth . . . They lack compared to other universities when it comes to their media department and the media that they post,”
Justice Allin
Allin, like many of his peers on the team, is hoping to pursue a career in football after graduation, meaning athlete promotion is critical. When compared to similar schools, such as the University of Toronto, McMaster’s athletics site is quite poor and could potentially be hurting his chances as a result of their lack of coverage, outdated information, and more. With the football team being one of the most covered teams in the school, one can only imagine the negative effect this holds on athletes in other sports also hoping to pursue their sport further.
On a positive note, Allin noted that social media coverage has improved and that they must continue on the current trend. He also suggested that although it isn’t at the level it should be at, it isn’t as dead as it once was.
“They’re on the rise now with their content, at least on Instagram and social media, but I don’t want to see it die down. It has to only improve . . . You definitely need to get the students more involved and more aware of what things are going on,” explained Allin.
When asked about the level of media now, Allin discussed the recent successes of the baseball team, who finished with a silver medal in the Ontario University Athletics provincial championship.
“I had no idea that the McMaster Marauders had a baseball team and then I found out that they placed second in the OUA. And that’s because of social media — otherwise I never would’ve known,” said Allin.
Despite all the success the team had been having over the last few years, Allin wasn’t even aware that they existed. The baseball team is just one of many that have gotten lost in the lack of media surrounding McMaster sports.
Like the baseball team, the golf team hasn’t seen a large share of publicity either. Experienced golfer and computer engineering student, Kavith Ranchagoda spoke about his recent golfing success and how it felt to finally play again.
“We did really well at the provincial tournament, tying in third place out of about ten teams. It felt good being back on the fields again after a long COVID break as it felt like it was going on forever,” explained Ranchagoda
However, Ranchagoda did shed light on some disadvantages and setbacks that the golfing team has to go through.
“We have to pay $1,000 to be a part of the team, which can be expensive. Also, our coach is the one that purchases equipment for the team, not McMaster,” said Ranchagoda
Kavith Ranchagoda
When asked about transport, Ranchagoda said that while the athletic department does offer a chance for team transport, it is very hefty and does not suit their small group of students.
“The university does offer their own option for transport through their contract, but it is cost prohibitive for us to utilize it,” explained Ranchagoda.
Even though the golf season is well underway, the roster page on the Marauders website is still showing a “404” error when one tries accessing it. Additionally, apart from an article published on Oct. 16 about the provincial tournament, the last article the athletic department published on the golf varsity team was in 2017.
The golf team is a prime example of what many teams have become: a sport lost in a lack of media promotion. Aside from the most highly posted sports (football, soccer), it’s become difficult for students to remain up to date with McMaster sports, even those who try.
Despite the poor track record, there is always a chance to improve, and now It’s time for McMaster athletics to step up and put their athletes in the spotlight.
David Bradley Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Centre transition to provide a hybrid model of patient care under the current government restrictions
Graphic by Esra Rakab
We have reached the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario. In March 2020, the Ontario provincial government issued a state of emergency, ordering several businesses to close down. This included the David Braley Sport Medicine and Rehabilitation Centre, managed by Gloria Kiefer Preston, where she oversaw the functions of the centre while adjusting operations due to the pandemic.
It was not until July 2020 when the clinic was allowed to re-open, while adhering to social distancing guidelines and health and safety measures implemented by authorities. Despite re-opening, there were still restrictions on surgeries, both outpatient and elective.
Preston also noticed a rapid decline in patient registration, leading to decreased operating hours and fewer staff members. Even with fewer patients, appointment slots were still spread out to allow for further sanitation of the clinic spaces.
As instructed, staff and health practitioners have conducted screening required by authorities, alongside wearing adequate personal protective equipment and documenting all visitors.
“Physiotherapists have done a fantastic job at accommodating and have been doing more than [okay],” said Preston.
“Physiotherapists have done a fantastic job at accommodating and have been doing more than [okay],”
Gloria Kiefer Preston
Now, as the clinic reduced their operating hours, they have adopted an unconventional method of patient check-ups: telemedicine. As telemedicine is not as prominent in sports, due to the frequency of hands-on assessments, closures due to the pandemic have enabled practitioners with consultations to guide patients to online resources and give medical advice over the phone.
The clinic’s experiential education program — a mandatory component of medical training in a variety of healthcare specialties — had to undergo closures and changes in their operation guidelines, such that the number of student placements had to be reduced. As in-person learning was temporarily put on hold, the transition to online clinical education became a learning curve, adapting to the use of technology for placements for medical residents and physiotherapy students.
Undergraduate kinesiology students were also severely affected, as when the city of Hamilton went into the grey level of lockdown, student therapy placements were not allowed on site until the lockdown level was lifted to red. Student placements predominantly assisted with the screening of athletes.
As part of the clinic’s volunteer program, they transitioned it to online learning but were still able to enroll 75 students. These students had to complete online modules and submit project-based work, such as looking at case studies.
As the government is still aiming to reduce its daily COVID-19 cases and continues with its vaccine rollout program, people are slowly returning to their normal lives with freer schedules as the lockdown has been lifted in their regions.
The clinic’s schedule is now becoming more booked. With that being said, while Preston emphasized there’s still a sense of difficulty in the air, the clinic still aims to continue a hybrid model of patient care and synchronous learning of on-site and online education.
“There was never a “Pandemic 101” course on how to get through a pandemic and it forced us to take a step back and appreciate things,” said Preston.
“There was never a “Pandemic 101” course on how to get through a pandemic and it forced us to take a step back and appreciate things,”
GLORIA KIEFER PRESTON
Last games are always sad, but these athletes didn’t even know it until it was over.
In the 2018-2019 women’s basketball season, the McMaster Marauders won the national title for the first time. In the 2019-2020 season, they made noise in the playoffs, but couldn’t get by the first-seeded Western University Mustangs, losing by only one point. One additional basket at any point in the game could’ve changed that, but it was too late.
Having come off two back-to-back strong seasons, the 2020-2021 season could’ve come with another title push. Unfortunately, the women’s basketball team will miss the chance this season and for some fourth and fifth-year students, they will never get that chance again.
Sarah Gates, a member of the team who was named a third-team all-star last season, spoke out about a fifth-year player who won’t get their chance to play again.
“For our one fifth-year on the team, she didn’t even know her last game was her last game and that’s heartbreaking . . . We couldn’t even have a big celebration for her and everything she has been through as an athlete at McMaster,” said Gates.
“For our one fifth-year on the team, she didn’t even know her last game was her last game and that’s heartbreaking,” said Gates.
Missing the final year of eligibility has been difficult on many athletes, not just from the women’s basketball team. Brandon Chong, a fifth-year athlete on the men’s baseball team, discussed his final season, disappointed with how it ended.
“When we ended, I was injured actually, as I had hamstring problems, so I didn’t play as much as I could . . . I wish it didn’t have to end like that. At least one more at bat,” said Chong.
“When we ended, I was injured actually, as I had hamstring problems, so I didn’t play as much as I could . . . I wish it didn’t have to end like that. At least one more at bat,” said Chong.
When asked about the missed season, he added that he would miss playing with his team.
“I was hoping to get a healthy season at least and get to spend the last games with my whole team, because everyone has been great. The coaches have been great and we worked really hard for this,” said Chong.
The baseball player also stated that he will miss the Ontario University Athletics championships.
“We had a really good team — just the way that our team looked, it was just like man, we have a chance this year,” Chong added.
Chong not only missed his final year due to virtual learning, but the last season he played ended in a disappointing fashion, having not been able to finish on the field with his teammates. Certainly not the way he expected his university career to finish.
Joshua Nardini is a four-year member of the men's basketball team. Between the missed season this year and the uncertainty headed into the next season, he might be another athlete that won’t have his final opportunity to play ball. However, he shared a very different perspective in these difficult times.
“It is unfortunate the situation that everyone is in, especially in terms of our situation of athletes not being able to have that opportunity to have that final year, or that one shining moment. One thing this pandemic has given me is a lot of perspective and if the worst thing that has happened to me this year is not playing basketball, then I’ll be okay,” said Nardini.
"One thing this pandemic has given me is a lot of perspective and if the worst thing that has happened to me this year is not playing basketball, then I’ll be okay,” said Nardini.
If Nardini had in fact played his last university game, his last time on the floor would have come as a 44-point loss, certainly not the way someone would prefer to finish their university career.
That is the unfortunate reality for many graduating students, who didn’t realize they had played their last game until it was over. They won’t ever get that second chance to redeem themselves, or have that one big game they always dreamed of.
