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
The McMaster Intramurals annual sports calendar has been released, detailing opportunities to partake in multiple indoor and outdoor sports for all students
On Aug 23, the McMaster Intramurals account (led by Athletics and Recreation), released the annual intramurals sports schedule that is available to students for the upcoming year. For the fall and winter terms, there will be a total of 21 and 17 sports available respectively.
Intramurals are an opportunity for non-varsity athletes to partake in activities throughout the week on campus. They are open to McMaster students and alumni who wish to get active throughout the year.
For the fall semester, students will have the opportunity to register from Sep 4. to Sep. 18. for the activities they wish to partake in. While individuals are encouraged to register for as many activities as they wish, there are some rules in place to ensure a fair chance is provided to all participants.
Participants will only be able to take part in one gendered league (open, men’s or women’s) and a co-ed league per sport, meaning that one can only join a maximum of two teams per sport.
Most of the sports in the fall will have a mixture of PlayFun and PlayComp opportunities. PlayFun leagues are built for all participants, but the focus of these leagues is on the fun of the sport and teamwork, rather than competition with other groups. Experienced players are expected to support beginners throughout the league, which would promote a less competitive edge to the sport.
PlayFun leagues are built for all participants, but the focus of these leagues is on the fun of the sport and teamwork, rather than competition with other groups
PlayComp on the other hand has more competitive games that often results in a quicker and more intense league than PlayFun, yet always respectful. Teams are expected to have a good understanding of the rules and be ambitious.
Whilst most of the sports in the fall will have a mixture of PlayFun and PlayComp opportunities, there are sports that will have nights for students to learn the sport called the Learn To Play Night. These are scheduled to be provided for flag football, soccer, ultimate frisbee, H20-Polo, H20-Basketball, Volleyball, and Floorball.
For the winter, all of the sports will be indoor, including some of those sports held outside in the fall. Students can register for the winter semester sports from November, specifically Nov. 11-24.
One thing that stands out compared to the previous years is the steep price increase for activities such as soccer and a general price increase for almost all other sports.
In particular, soccer 11-a-side open registration went up from $165 for the 2023-2024 year, to $225 for the current year, a spike of 36 per cent. While an annual slight uptick in price is normal, it remains unknown as to why such a large rise has occurred, making the activity the most expensive one.
Other sports that saw noticeable price changes include Flag Football, Volleyball and Floorball, with various subcategories, such as co-ed and open, increasing by up to 25 per cent.
To get involved with intramurals this year, students can sign up through the IMLeagues app or website, where they can access all the details. If students have an invite from an existing team, they can join if they first completing a quiz. They can also create their own team within a league of their choice and start inviting their friends or other students that are eligible (McMaster students or alumni) for intramurals.
To get involved with intramurals this year, students can sign up through the IMLeagues app or website, where they can access all the details.
Additionally, students have the opportunity to sign up as agents. There they can describe their skills and give a brief description of themselves, which will provide team captains with information to choose them for their team.
For more information about the upcoming intramurals program, students can reach out to McMaster Intramurals on Instagram or visit their home page.
After two years as head coach, Chris Jones looks to prove he’s built the foundation the women’s rugby team needs to succeed
For Chris Jones, leading the women’s rugby team has come with a fair share of ups and downs. In his opening season with the team in 2022, Jones led the team to a season with four wins and three losses, with the team ultimately losing in their first round of playoffs.
The teams second season did not show much improvements from the first regarding how many games they lost versus how many they won. The Marauders finished with two wins and 4 losses in the 2023 season, and failed to secure a playoff spot.
As Jones embarks on his third year coaching the Marauders, he has aimed to clean up the problems which have caused his team to struggle. Taking advantage of the time during the preseason has been a key factor in creating a well organized team.
“We’ve done as good of a job as I think we can around having a clear language. In camp, if there's been confusion about the meaning of something, we’ve been able to work it out,” said Jones.
Allowing team members to be on the same page, and having a joint team vision seems to be a top priority for Jones. He looks to capitalize on this strength in the upcoming year.
“Our strength is our team vision and cohesion. What I love about rugby is that if you are clear and working toward the same strategic end, teams that maybe don’t have the Micheal Jordans of the world can still be competitive,” said Jones.
Our strength is our team vision and cohesion. What I love about rugby is that if you are clear and working toward the same strategic end, teams that maybe don’t have the Micheal Jordans of the world can still be competitive.
Chris Jones, head coach, McMaster women's rugby team
As the team heads into the 2024 season, a mix of first years along with a strong group of returning players look to carry the women’s rugby team to greater heights. Older experienced players will look to further implement Jones' tactics, as they’ve had two seasons to become accustomed to them.
“This year we’ve really solidified the way we want to play, the structure offensively. We’ll leave that in for a few years but it feels like we have a good set-up,” said Jones.
The Marauder’s kicked off their season with a home opener against Trent University on August 31st. Soon, they will face Brock University's team, ranked eighth in preseason statistics , in their second game of the season on September 7th.
To end the season the team will go up against a USPORT powerhouse team, Queen’s University, on October 5th. The Gaels are ranked second in preseason rankings. Despite these tough matchups, Jones' team aims to focus on what they can control throughout the season.
“A goal to say we want to get to the quarters or semi’s is not actionable, we can’t do anything about that. So one thing we want to see is us hitting our shapes, upwards of 50 per cent to 60,” said Jones.
A goal to say we want to get to the quarters or semi’s is not actionable, we can’t do anything about that. So one thing we want to see is us hitting our shapes, upwards of 50 per cent to 60.
Chris Jones, head coach, McMaster women's rugby team
With a key matchup coming up September 7th, against the Brock Badgers in St. Catharines, the Marauders and Jones will test their abilities against a high level team.
Marauders are in seasoned form as swimming, wrestling and volleyball teams all place in U Sports top ten
On Jan. 31, the McMaster University Marauders announced that the men and women’s volleyball, wrestling and swimming teams all placed in the top ten of U Sports sports rankings.
On the women’s team, the Marauders went almost undefeated in the month before a recent sweep by the Gaels, who took both games against McMaster 1-3 on Jan. 26 and 27. The losses moved their Ontario University Athletics record to 13-3, as they stand third overall in the province behind the Badgers, who have only recorded one loss this year, and the Gaels.
The losses moved their Ontario University Athletics record to 13-3, as they stand third overall in the province behind the Badgers, who have only recorded one loss this year, and the Gaels.
The wrestling program also made waves in U Sports rankings, with the men and women climbing to the third and eighth best spots in the country.
Leading the charge for Marauders, standouts Serena Di Benedetto and Gregor McNeil picked up gold medals in their matches at the Guelph Open on Jan. 21.
Both athletes played key roles as rookies on last year’s rosters, with Di Benedetto winning the OUA Most Outstanding Wrestler and Rookie of the Year award and McNeil picking up the U Sports Wrestler of the Week award on Nov. 16, 2022. They will look to make a big impact at the OUA championships competition on Feb. 10 in Sault Ste. Marie.
Both athletes played key roles as rookies on last year’s rosters, with Di Benedetto winning the OUA Most Outstanding Wrestler and Rookie of the Year award and McNeil picking up the U Sports Wrestler of the Week award on Nov. 16, 2022.
Finally, the women and men’s swimming placed ninth and tenth to round out the rest of the Marauders’ rankings.
The swimming teams finished their final OUA invitational at the University of Toronto on Jan. 21. Rookies Hayden Yeung and Kalen Murray brought home four medals for the men, with Yeung winning the races for the 100 and 50 metre breaststroke races and Murray capturing the silver 200m and bronze 100m backstroke medals.
Mikaela Blake collected the 100 metre fly gold medal while Megan Deering, who picked up the McMaster Athlete of the Week award on Nov. 27, 2023 placed first in the 50m breaststroke race. Currently, Blake, Deering and Yeung are set to qualify for the national U Sports Swimming Championships taking place on Mar. 7 to 9 in Montreal.
New sports begin for McMaster students looking to participate in winter intramurals
As McMaster students head into a new semester, the McMaster Athletics and Recreations department will begin the winter portion of their intramural competitions. Fourteen sports will be included in the winter intramural schedule, all of which are different from those offered during the fall semester. Such sports include indoor cricket, inner-tube water polo, and volleyball.
There are fourteen sports included in the winter intramural schedule, all of which are different from the sports offered during the fall semester.
The intramural sports winter league will also include 5 tournament style games, which include table tennis, wheelchair European basketball and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament.
Different intramural style levels will also be available in the winter term. The different types of leagues include Playfun, which offers the chance for beginners to experience the games without an emphasis on the competitive aspect of the sport, as well as PlayComp, which are geared towards students who look to engage in a more fast pace style of play.
The different types of leagues include Playfun, which offers the chance for beginners to experience the games without an emphasis on the competitive aspect of the sport, as well as PlayComp, which are geared towards students who look to engage in a more fast pace style of play.
Registration for winter intramurals have already passed, ending on Nov. 26. Those who are interested can follow updates and announcements on the McMaster Intramural Sports Instagram.
A podium finish for the women’s team and fifth place for the men’s team rounds off the Marauders’ performance at the Ontario University Athletics competition
On Oct. 29 the McMaster University men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the annual Ontario University Athletics championships. This year, the race was hosted by the University of Waterloo at the Columbia Ice Fields.
Both teams ran an eight kilometer race in Waterloo, facing off against 16 other universities within Ontario. The women’s team finished with a bronze medal while the men’s team was able to secure a fifth place spot in the competition.
Running for the women’s team, senior Rosalyn Barrett impressed as she won an individual silver medal in the eight kilometre race following a fantastic second place finish. The team was also aided by Hannah Goodjohn and Victoria Lamb, who helped the Marauders to their bronze medal by finishing in tenth and eleventh place respectively.
For the men’s team, this year marked the first OUA competition for many athletes on the roster, which has experienced high turnover from the previous season. This includes runners such as fourth-year Connor Lashley, who recorded a twelfth place finish, and rookie Kamran Brar who landed the next closest finish for the Marauders at twenty-fourth overall.
The Marauders’ third place finish sees a slight decline from last year’s OUA result of a silver medal.
Next, both teams will head to London, Ont. and Western University, where the U Sports national competition is taking place on Nov. 12.
Marauders cap off a huge weekend at provincial rowing championship in St. Catharines with five medals, including two varsity bronze medals
On Oct. 27 and 28, the McMaster University varsity rowing team competed along with 13 other participating schools in the Ontario University Athletics rowing championship at the Royal Canadian Henley Rowing Course in St. Catharines. The Marauders secured two bronze medals in the varsity women’s single and men’s lightweight pairs.
President of the rowing team, Nathalie Hilbert placed second in her women’s single heat on Oct. 27 with a time of 8:26.100 to advance to the event’s finals.
For the men’s team, Jonny Diakopoulos and Trevor Tung competed in the men’s lightweight pair and lightweight double. In the pair event, they placed second with a time of 7:25.000 in order to compete in the next-day A finals. For the doubles race, Diakopoulos and Tung finished in second in their heat to move onto the B finals.
The next day on Oct. 28, Hilbert returned to take on the A finals for the women’s single race, grabbing a spot on the podium with her bronze medal time of 8:53.270. Competing with Sarah Cushnie, Hilbert also placed fifth in the varsity women’s pair A finals.
To round out the Marauders’ wins that weekend, Diakopoulos and Tung picked up the team’s second bronze medal after finishing in third in the varsity men’s lightweight pairs. Their time of 7:37.780 just missed the silver medal spot by a few seconds, with the rowers from Western University narrowly beating out the duo by completing the race in 7:34.030.
To round out the Marauders’ wins that weekend, Diakopoulos and Tung picked up the team’s second bronze medal after finishing in third in the varsity men’s lightweight pairs.
Along with the varsity medalists, McMaster teams also secured three more medals from their junior varsity crews.
Along with the varsity medalists, McMaster teams also secured three more medals from their junior varsity crews.
The maroon and grey team dominated the junior varsity women’s doubles race, with the pair of Brooke McCoy and Olivia Richardson winning the gold medal while Sienna Munro and Hayden Taylor took the silver.
Ben Milone, Eshaan Maneyapanda, Rahul Patel, Matthew Glenn and Shuruthi Sivadas won the bronze medal for McMaster in the men’s coxed fours.
With success from both their varsity and junior varsity rowers, the Marauders finished their season in grand fashion.
A new season has begun for the Marauders cross country team, with new faces looking to fill big shoes from previous seasons
The McMaster University cross country season kicked off on Sept. 23when the Marauders competed in the Vigars and Salter Western Invitational. It was a respectable weekend, with the women’s team earning a fourth place finish and the men’s team landing in eighth.
On Sept. 30, in the second competition of the season, the Marauders earned themselves a first-place finish for both the men and women’s teams at the Don Mills Open in Waterloo.
The competition highlighted the strengths of team. On the women’s team, Kaitlyn Treleaven got herself onto the podium with a third-place finish. Her teammates, Emma Elliott and Ella Madsen, finished within the top six of all runners in the University of Waterloo competition to help the team to win first overall.
For the Marauders men's team, fourth-year Connor Lashley also put himself on the podium with a third-place finish. His teammates Ryan Davies and Giancarlo Farruggia finished just behind Lashley, in our fourth and fifth place respectively, to round out a solid day.
This season the men’s roster has reshaped itself after the graduation of key athletes such as Max Turek, Andrew Davies and Alex Drover. Their previous season saw all three compete at the national level and win a historic U Sports championship for McMaster.
The recent departure of these athletes though has opened opportunities for others on the Marauders team, including runner Lashley. While previous injuries have kept Lashley from being a major part of the cross country team in previous years, he hopes to make a bigger impact this season.
“This year I’ve found a lot more focus. In previous years, I’ve had battles with injury and sickness… I’m happy with how I’ve been running the past few months and I’m excited to see what [Ontario University Athletics] and U Sports has in store,” said Lashley.
This year I’ve found a lot more focus. In previous years, I’ve had battles with injury and sickness. . .I’m happy with how I’ve been running the past few months and I’m excited to see what [Ontario University Athletics] and U Sports has in store
Conner Lashley, cross country runner
He has already started the season in strong fashion, winning the bronze medal at the Don Mills Open along with a thirty eighth-placed finish in the Vigars and Salter Western Invitational. Compared to last season, Lashley finished in fifty eighth place in the opening weekend at Western, indicating steady improvement for the veteran athlete.
Lashley credits such the strong start to the season to a solid preseason and a lack of stress coming from the confidence he has in himself. He will hope to bring this mindset into the rest of the season, where the team looks to qualify for the Ontario University Athletics championship.
“I find being too stressed before the season starts can be negative. Reducing stress can be difficult if you don’t feel confident with a good preseason, so getting a really good base is everything. Linking months of training together is the only way to run consistently well and confidently,” said Lashley.
Along with Lashley, other runners will look to spur the team on going forward to continue last year’s dominant reign. This includes both A. Davies and Farruggia, two runners who helped the team capture first place at the Don Mills Open.
“A lot of us want to step up this year. We have a very young and fresh roster. A lot of us haven’t even had the opportunity to race at OUAs. . .But McMaster has a really deep cross country team,” said Lashley.
A lot of us want to step up this year. We have a very young and fresh roster. A lot of us haven’t even had the opportunity to race at OUAs. . .But McMaster has a really deep cross country team
Conner Lashley, cross country runner
The Marauders will look to have strong showings in upcoming races, including the Bayfront Open which they will host. For Lashley and other runners on the team, there are some big shoes to fill.
The McMaster baseball team won this year's regional qualifiers, giving them the chance to compete for the OUA Championship title
McMaster University’s men's baseball team had a rocky start to the fall season. The team had four losses before their first win of the season against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees on Sept. 16.
As the season has progressed, it seems as though the Marauders were able to their team together. After their first win against Ottawa, the team brought in more wins and any losses tended to be closer in score.
The team picked up big victories against Waterloo University and Queen's University. Waterloo beat the Marauders in their first meeting of the season, but the Marauders proved themselves in winning the second meeting. With Queen’s being last year’s Ontario University Athletics champions, a win against the team proved the Marauder’s high calibre of play. Key players stepped up, such as Matt Underwood, who batted a great game against the Ottawa Gee-Gees and gave the team a great offensive opportunity.
Key players stepped up, such as Matt Underwood, who batted a great game against the Ottawa Gee-Gees and gave the team a great offensive opportunity.
After the regular season concluded on Oct. 1, the Marauders finished with a record of seven wins and nine losses. The teamhosted the OUA West Regional Qualifiers at Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium on Oct. 6 and 7.
McMaster competed against the Brock University Badgers to start the weekend and narrowly lost with a score of 10-12. The second game of the competition saw the Marauders beat University of Guelph to automatically place the team into the competition’s finals. They took on the Badgers for a second time in the finals, finding a 8-2 win on route to being crowned OUA West champions.
They took on the Badgers for a second time in the finals, finding a 8-2 win on route to being crowned OUA West champions.
The Marauders’ win sent the team through to the OUA championship semifinals. They took on the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Oct. 13, but unfortunately, the Marauders could not find the win ending the game with a score of 1-6.
The team will compete for the OUA Championship bronze medal on Oct. 14. They will play against Carleton University, with the Marauders likely hoping to bring home one last piece of hardware for the season.
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.
