McMaster rowing heads to nationals after earning medals at OUA championships
For current fifth year student Sarah Cushnie, the rowing team is not where her McMaster athletic career began. Cushnie began as a cross country athlete, but two seasons ago she made the transition to the rowing team, and has since become the captain of the women's team.
“The transition was actually pretty smooth. So the reason I initially switched is because I was having a lot of injuries as a runner. So one of my forms of cross training was to get on the rowing machine on the erg. I really loved it and I also excelled at it,” said Cushnie.
As captain, her focus has been on making the entire rowing program a more cohesive one and bridging the gaps between the novice, junior varsity and varsity teams within the program.
A more cohesive environment seems to have helped the team excel this season. From the novice level to the varsity level, the rowing team achieved great results throughout the regular season, building momentum ahead of the Ontario University Athletics championships.
This year’s OUA championships were hosted in St. Catharines on Oct. 24. And Oct. 25. The competition saw the Marauders women's team capture multiple medals. Sarah Oresnik and Brooke McCoy earned a bronze medal in the lightweight women's pair event. Cushnie and Nathalie Hilbert won a silver medal in the open women's double event.
These impressive results set the Marauders up for a great push at this year’s Canadian University Rowing Championships on Nov 2. and Nov 3. in Victoria, BC. While the event may be a source of pressure, Cushnie sees it as a way to celebrate.
“Nationals is more just a celebration and it's normally like a bonus, but it's about kind of admiring the hard work and using that to appreciate the fun and the joy of the sport in a competitive environment,” said Cushnie.
Nationals is more just a celebration and it's normally like a bonus, but it's about kind of admiring the hard work and, and using that to appreciate the fun and the joy of the sport in a competitive environment
Sarah Cushnie, Women's Team Captain
McMaster Rowing Team.
The exciting weekend at nationals was also a busy one for the team. But despite the busyness of the weekend and the travel, the women's rowing team continued with their mindset of viewing being at nationals as a bonus. Cushnie recalled the gratitude she felt being able to spend her time with her soon-to-be-graduating teammates.
"I was sharing a hotel room with Kate [Panzica] and Natalie [Hilbert] because it was just like the open-weight women in one room and both of them are graduating this year. So for me it was really nice to have that opportunity to really connect with them on a formal trip one last time before they leave," said Cushnie.
As Cushnie took to the first race of the weekend with her partner, she did not fell much external pressure on herself, being already happy with the results of the season. Though with this being Cushnie and Hilbert’s final race weekend, a sense of optimism filled Cushnie.
“It was just like me and Natalie knew that we were fit. We knew that we rowed well together and that we looked at it like it was our last chance to compete because she’s leaving [Hilbert]. But we also kind of treated it more as like we're doing this for us, not for anyone else,” said Cushnie
It was just like me and Natalie knew that we were fit. We knew that we rowed well together and that we looked at it like it was our last chance to compete because she’s leaving [Hilbert]. But we also kind of treated it more as like we're doing this for us, not for anyone else.
Sarah Cushnie, Women's Team Captain
McMaster Rowing Team.
After this race, the 2024 season came to an end for Cushnie and the rest of the rowing team. But the growth of the rowing team is something Cushnie is determined to continue through the off season. She’s aiming to build an eight person boat team to race in competitions.
After a successful season, the growth of the women’s rowing team will be one to keep an eye on. Cushnie’s work will hopefully bring the team to the next level come next season, continuing the team's pattern of success this year.
Myma Okuda-Rayfuse honoured with the Hydro One Safe Play Award for creating safe and inclusive space for rowing team
Since beginning her tenure as a rowing coach just two years ago, Myma Okuda-Rayfuse has already made a name for herself. Last year, Okuda-Rayfuse helped lead the Marauders to a big performance at the Ontario University Athletics championship where they won three medals. On Sept. 13, she was awarded the Hydro One Safe Play Award by the Coaching Association of Ontario.
This award is given to a coach who creates a positive environment for their athletes and allows them to feel safe and included in their sport. According to the Coaching Association of Ontario, Okuda-Rayfuse does this to the highest level through her involvement at McMaster University, as well as with the Hamilton-based Leander Boat Club.
According to the Coaching Association of Ontario, Okuda-Rayfuse does this to the highest level through her involvement at McMaster University, as well as with the Hamilton-based Leander Boat Club.
Not long ago, Okuda-Rayfuse was an athlete for McMaster, excelling as a member of the varsity rowing team from 2014 until 2019. She earned many accolades with her rowing crew, winning multiple regattas for the Marauders while also being named to the 2018 Team Canada roster.
It was in 2021 that she made the jump from rower to rowing coach, beginning her career as co- head coach of the team and assuming sole responsibility of the position in 2022.
The Hydro One Safe Play Award awards recipients with funding to assist in equipment costs for current athletes. As rowing is an OUA sport, this additional funding will help the team greatly in reducing costs that may not be covered by the university.
The Hydro One Safe Play Award awards recipients with funding to assist in equipment costs for current athletes.
Along with her knowledge and experience in the sport, Okuda-Rayfuse’s coaching guidance is a major asset for athletes currently in the rowing program at the university. It is the beginning of an extremely career for Okuda-Rayfuse, and McMaster is lucky to have her.
McMaster's rowing team raised money to cover expenses for trip to Canadian University Rowing Championship outside Fortinos Ancaster
On Sept. 17, the McMaster University rowing team held a fundraising event outside the Fortinos Ancaster to support their trip to the Canadian University Rowing Championship.
While the previous season’s championship took place in St. Catharines, Ont., this year the team will head to Burnaby, B.C. in November for the competition.
“[The executive team] kind of all just collectively decided that this year our main fundraising goal would be for our nationals. . .We’ve been given an estimate of around $1000-$1200 per athlete to go before any fundraising, so that’s just been our main focus for this season,” said Heidi Akot, the team's fundraising coordinator.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team also ran the event in 2018 and 2019 to raise funds for the rowing program. This year the team set up rowing machines outside the grocery store where athletes would row a 50 metre sprint for every $5 donated.
According to Akot, the team was able to raise approximately $5,400 with the contributions from donors. The money raised at the event will primarily go towards paying for their travel costs and accommodations.
The team has also set up a donations page through iFundMac, a crowdfunding platform used by the university to help fund projects that advance research, teaching, learning and student experience within the McMaster community. No additional fees are associated with the platform, with project leaders receiving the full amount of funds sent out by donors.
Additionally, while the team does receive funding as a group under the McMaster Athletics and Recreation department, their fundraising events help provide supplementary financial support to subsidize the costs that athletes typically pay on their own.
“This year we’re really just trying to work together and raise money so that people don’t have to fully pay out of pocket. . .We just want to make sure that money isn’t an issue and our athletes can go and focus on performing their best,” said Akot.
This year we’re really just trying to work together and raise money so that people don’t have to fully pay out of pocket. . .We just want to make sure that money isn’t an issue and our athletes can go and focus on performing their best.
Over the last year, the team has been a part of several other community and fundraising events, including the second annual McMaster Rowing Gala and the McMaster 2x4 Challenge. The team also sold tickets for the Hamilton Bulldogs on Mar. 3 and ran an additional Chuck-A-Puck event at the game.
Looking ahead, the team plans to organize additional community and fundraising initiatives to continue supporting rowers in the program.
For example, Akot described a farm fundraiser on Oct. 1 where the team is planning to visit a local farm to help them prepare for the winter season in exchange for a donation at the end of their work. Later on in the year, the team is also planning on organizing a fundraiser based on an event that the Leander Boat Club has run in the past.
Now looking ahead to the 2023 campaign, the team looks to continue achieving at both the provincial and national level this season. The funding that they receive from their donations this season will not only allow rowers to compete in Burnaby, B.C., but will also help the group to keep developing their talent and work towards sustaining the rowing program in the future.
Sometimes we forget beyond the “big” sports that McMaster has so much to offer when it comes to sports. There is a whole bunch of sports outside of football, basketball, soccer and volleyball that not only exist at Mac, but compete within the Ontario University Athletics league. One of these sports happens to be rowing! Get to know the McMaster Rowing team with these fast facts.
1. The Mac Rowing team has both a women’s and men’s team. Similar to sailing, they both compete for events in smaller groups that are awarded points for a group score. Mac’s team has both men and women who have competed at the national and provincial level.
2. They have open tryouts for all those who want to join the team at the beginning of each school year. Obviously, having rowing experience would be a plus, but who knows, maybe you have what it takes to be then next big thing in Canadian university rowing.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnXNhURF_Lj/?taken-by=mac_rowing
3. Both teams compete at an OUA sanctioned finals. The P.C. Fitz-James Trophy is presented to the overall men's team champion, and the Mrs. W. Lathrop Challenge Trophy is presented to the overall women's team champion. For McMaster, this championship just passed last weekend. Although the Marauders did not secure the banner this season, the University of Western Ontario won both the men’s and women’s championships this year, they still had a number of strong performances.
4. This past summer, recent Mac grad Myma Okuda-Rayfuse of the women’s team dawned the maroon and white to represent McMaster at the International University Sports Federation World University Rowing Championship in Shanghai.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmOL07GFRDd/?taken-by=mac_rowing
5. Like most teams who are not governed by U Sports, Rowing Canada will host a university championship for university rowing teams across Canada. The McMaster teams will attend the upcoming one this weekend in Burnaby, BC on November 4-5. Follow them at @mac_rowing on Instagram and @rowingcanada on Twitter to stay updated.
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