After a competitive two-day tournament at the OUA golf championships, McMaster's Kavith Ranchagoda wins silver with an impressive individual score
The OUA men's golf tournament began on Oct. 5 and the Marauders men’s team finished fifth place. Kavith Ranchagoda, however, stood out with an exceptional scores of -2 on day one and +3 on day two and tied for second place overall.
“I just wanted to go out there and prove to myself that I could still compete at a really high level. I haven’t been competing much in the past two years, so it was great to get that competitive bug out of me” said Ranchagoda.
Ranchagoda, a fourth-year software engineering student, won the OUA championship with the Marauders in 2022. Although he did not compete in 2023, he felt confident going into this year.
“Right before the tournament, I knew where my game was at - it was at a really solid spot in my mind,” said Ranchagoda.
Despite the Marauder men’s team not finishing in the top three, he was glad he could share the green with a familiar face from a previous season, Nicholas Dessureault.
“Coming into this season, we had one member of the old championship team left, Nicolas Dessureault. My first thought was "I’d love to get one last ride with him and get our team in a good spot,"" said Ranchagoda.
“Coming into this season, we had one member of the old championship team left, Nicolas Dessureault. My first thought was "I’d love to get one last ride with him and get our team in a good spot.""
Kavith Ranchagoda, fourth-year software engineering student Marauder's men's golf team
Ranchagoda said it was his father who introduced the sport to him. Even at a young age, he was often at the driving range. “We didn’t really have babysitting, so bringing me to the course was my babysitting,” said Ranchagoda.
He still remembers his first tournament, in which he competed at six years old. “I still remember finishing dead last and seeing the young kids laughing at my score. As a young kid seeing that, it added fuel to the fire,” said Ranchagoda.
Ranchagoda noted that while his first few years of competition were rough, he stayed confident and persistent and the results paid off. He won his first medal at eight years old and he’s been on a roll since then.
Looking for inspiration, Ranchagoda often reflects on golfers like Rory McIlroy. Mcllroy, who isn’t the tallest guy on the green, makes up for his size by being one of the longest hitters in the game. “I’m not a tall guy myself, but to see a guy who isn't the tallest but still can whack it a mile is pretty cool,” said Ranchagoda.
Once he graduates, Ranchagoda has his sights set on coaching golf, having already done so since the pandemic. But more than anything, Ranchagoda will always be a competitor at heart. “I love winning not as much as I hate losing … that’s that competitive bug in me ... I’m always going to continue competing throughout my career,” said Ranchagoda
Following a strong start to their season, the women's water polo team hopes to conquer the NCWP Championship tournament for the second year in a row
Beginning their season on Sept. 29, the McMaster University women's water polo team knew they had big shoes to fill; the previous women's water polo team was able to finish in third place in last year's National Collegiate Water Polo championships.
The team has been able to record some great scores thus far. The Marauders won a close 6-4 game against McGill University on Sept. 30 and nabbed an outstanding victory against the University of Guelph on Nov. 12 with a score of 8-1.
The team is made up of predominately first-year players as well as some from other years who are joining for their first season.
“For a large portion of the team, it’s our first year playing on the team. So it's been a harsh adjustment at the beginning. But taking that into consideration, I think we’ve done super well getting to know each other and working as a team to build our offensive and defensive game,” said first-year player Karima Al-Aoussi.
For a large portion of the team, it’s our first year playing on the team. So it's been a harsh adjustment at the beginning. But taking that into consideration, I think we’ve done super well getting to know each other and working as a team to build our offensive and defensive game.
Karima Al-Aoussi, first-year player, women's water polo team
The team also has a new coaching staff this year. Former players Jordan Brydges and Nicola Colterjohn have come back to McMaster to fill the recently vacated coaching position left by Quinn Fairley.
Fairley was a long time coach with the Marauders' water polo program and left a strong legacy after his 26 years coaching the team. He was key part of the Marauders' last NCWP run, helping them win a bronze medal and showing strong support for the women's team.
“We have a new coach as two graduated players, Nicola and Jordan, are coaches now. So it's nice to have players who have played on the team who know how it is and what the other teams are like,” said Al-Aoussi.
Even with these changes, the team is looking to compete in a big way in the upcoming NCWP championship, which will be hosted by the University of Ottawa from Nov. 24 to Nov. 26. Per Al-Aoussi, the team is working to improve their weaknesses, particularly on the offensive end in front of goal.
“I think one of our biggest struggles is our offense. We get the opportunities and we do the work, but we don’t always get that finishing goal,” said Al-Aoussi.
In preparation for the upcoming championships, the Marauders have worked hard in practices to make themselves a stronger unit.
"I think that looking at past games and how we’ve practiced, in the upcoming tournament [the team will] have good results," said Al-Aoussi.
I think that looking at past games and how we’ve practiced, in the upcoming tournament [the team will] have good results," said Al Aoussi.
Karima Al-Aoussi, first year player, women's water polo team
As the season comes to a close, the team along with their coaches hope to finish their season with a strong finish in Ottawa.
Photo C/O Mike Marasco via marauders.ca
By Jovan Popovic, Staff Writer
McMaster’s baseball team had an outstanding 2019 season. With a great regular season record of 12-6-0, the team entered the Ontario University Athletics tournament with the 10th seed, but ultimately lost in the semi-finals in a 10 to seven loss to the eventual tournament champions, the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks. Despite the loss, the team had many bright spots throughout the year, the most obvious being the much improved play of center fielder, Nik Motruk.
Motruk broke out this past school year, being a co-recipient of the OUA’s most valuable player award, and also being recognized as the OUA’s most valuable hitter. The fourth year mechanical engineering student led the team in his monstrous comeback year, hitting at a .581 average. Motruk, who had been a pitcher before an injury during the 2018-2019 school year, made the seamless transition to a full-time player this season, proving his value to the team no matter his position.
“Near the end of the 2018 campaign I suffered a shoulder injury which set me back, and I have not been able to pitch since,” said Motruk. “I played the field growing up and was a good hitter, but I knew that I really had to step up my game if I wanted to keep playing. I worked really hard on my swing to help take me to the next level, and it ultimately resulted in the season I had this year.”
Converting from the pitcher’s mound to the outfield could be one of the possible reasons for his breakout season. Realizing that you can’t play the position you’ve played your whole life can be really difficult, especially when the next closest alternative is so different. Motruk was able to convert this nervousness into energy and motivation, knowing he had to work harder and find new ways to succeed if he wanted to keep his important role on the team.
Having a pitcher’s mindset in the batter's box can actually be quite beneficial. One of the biggest aspects of hitting is knowing what to expect. When pitching at a competitive level, it’s helpful to be able to think like the guy you’re facing.
Knowing what is coming can be a huge benefit — just ask the 2017 world series champion Houston Astros.
Despite literally having an MVP season, Motruk isn’t satisfied yet and is hungry for more. The team’s success is the highest priority for him, and despite a great season, his sights are set on what the team can accomplish in the future.
“Baseball is a game of numbers and statistics,” said Motruk, “and I may have had a standout season this year, but at the end of the day the only stat that really matters is the W or L on the scorecard. Baseball is not an individual sport and it can't be won alone. I am really proud of everything that I accomplished this year but more importantly what we accomplished as a team and I look forward to seeing what is in store for McMaster Baseball moving forward.”
The biggest standout stat for the reigning co-MVP this season was his astronomically high batting average, sitting at .581. Contact hitting is integral to a strong hitter and is defined by a player who rarely strikes out. Naturally, contact hitting is.a huge and critical part of Motruk’s game, especially knowing that once you can pick up hits, everything else comes naturally over time.
“Contact hitting has always been the main focus,” said Motruk. “Hitting for power comes as you get bigger, stronger and start to face better pitching. Getting the ball in play and finding the holes will result in base hits, and sometimes they turn into extra base hits. This year I had 25 hits, 12 of which were for extra bases, but it all starts with putting the ball in play.”
In an age where contact hitting is becoming less and less appreciated, Motruk understands that it is critical for success. With good bat control and pitch timing, it gets easier and easier to find pockets of green in the outfield, which frequently turn into extra bases.
Being a mechanical engineering student who took a co-op year, Motruk still has two years of eligibility with the team despite being in fourth year. The upcoming seasons will undoubtedly be exciting ones for the team with such promising players in their prime upper years.
