As the McMaster wrestling team kicks off the winter end of the 2024-2025 season, they head to St. Catharines for the Brock Open
The 2024 portion of the competitive season was exciting and productive for the Marauders wrestling team, having competed in four competitions in total. The 2025 portion of this year's season includes three competitions. The first took place in St. Catharines on Jan. 11, 2025, ahead of the coveted Ontario University Athletics championships, which will take place from Feb. 7 to 9, 2025.
The remainder of the team’s season includes three competitions, beginning in St. Catharines on Jan. 11, ahead of the coveted Ontario University championships, which will take place from Feb. 7 to 9, 2025.
The Marauder’s first competition of the season was the McMaster Open on Nov. 3, 2024. The women’s team was able to capture first place overall, while the men’s team finished fourth, securing a first place finish.
With a solid start to their season, the Marauders went on to compete in the Toronto Metropolitan University Open on Nov. 2, 2024. This competition saw both teams finish just one place lower than before, with the women’s team finishing second and the men’s team finishing fifth for an overall fifth place finish.
The Marauders then competed in the York Open on Nov. 16, 2024, where they landed an overall eighth place finish. Finally, the Marauders took on the University of Toronto Open on Nov. 30 to end the year. They finished third overall in the meet.
To begin the new year, the McMaster team competed in the Brock Open on Jan. 11. They finished second overall with 59 total points. Third year wrestler, Senuki Dasanayaka claimed McMaster's athlete of the week after a standout showing at the open, picking up 10 team points for the Marauders.
For the remaining meets, the Marauders wrestling team is packed with veteran wrestlers, including former USport Wrestler of the Year Serena Di Benedetto on the women’s side. The men’s team includes former USport Male Most Outstanding Wrestler, Gregory McNeil.
The Marauder team is packed with veteran wrestlers, including former USport Wrestler of the Year Serena Di Benedetto on the women’s side. The men’s team includes former USport Male Most Outstanding Wrestler, Gregory McNeil.
With veteran leaders on both the women’s and men’s side, the upcoming Brock Open will be a chance to begin this campaign on a high note, and find a maintainable level for their coming competitions.
McMaster hosted the first wrestling open of the season, where the Marauders performed outstandingly
The Marauders women’s and men’s wrestling teams dominated their first open on Sunday, Nov. 3. The competition featured 40 teams across Canada, with the Marauders collectively finishing in first place.
The women’s team took home three gold medals while the men secured two bronzes and a silver. Fourth-year engineering student and member of the team, Luken Lawson, praised the team, especially the younger competitors.
“[There] were a lot of new guys on the team, but a lot of our rookies did pretty well. I was impressed with everyone," said Lawson
[There] were a lot of new guys on the team, but a lot of our rookies did pretty well. I was impressed with everyone.
Luken Lawson, fourth-year wrestler
McMaster Wrestling team
On the men’s side, Sarpartap Lally took home the silver while both Lawson and team member Irman Kang won bronze. Lawson’s performance stood out, competing in eight matches throughout the day and winning seven of them, resulting in him being named a Marauder athlete of the week.
“I knew it was going to be a long day . . . but I was pretty impressed with my performance. My coaches were pretty impressed [as well] with how I was moving and I felt really fast,” said Lawson.
Lawson, who is in his fourth year of competition, acknowledged there were still things he wanted to work on. But, he was glad he could go out there and both have fun and take home a medal. After a long day of competition, the exhaustion did not hit him until the next day.
“I was running off of a lot of adrenaline during the day and I was looking forward to the next match. I wasn’t really feeling [tired] until the next morning where I spent a couple extra minutes in bed,” said Lawson.
There will be five more opens ahead of the OUA championships, which will be on Feb. 8. To qualify for the championships, a team must compete in at least two opens, which the Marauders have already done.
According to Lawson, while the team’s performance in these opens does not matter in terms of making it to the OUA championship, it does helps with seeding. If team members place high in the opens, they will not have to face some of the tougher wrestlers early during the OUA tournament.
With their most recent performance, they have a lot to look forward to. The Marauders earned 73 points to place atop the standings. The women won 54 of those points, finishing in first place, while the men contributed 19, finishing in fourth.
Lawson pointed out the increased focus of this year's team and praised the culture of comradery they’ve developed thus far. “Our team is really close this year, especially with the mentality we all share. I found that we are very focused; there’s not much chit-chatter in practice, but after practice we like to joke around,” said Lawson.
Our team is really close this year, especially with the mentality we all share. I found that we are very focused; there’s not much chit-chatter in practice, but after practice we like to joke around.
Luken Lawson, fourth-year wrestler
McMaster Wrestling team
Next, the Marauders will be travelling to Toronto on Saturday, Nov. 16 to participate in York University’s wrestling open.
A look into the varsity wrestling team's progress, and ambitions for the upcoming season under Coach Ahmed Shamiya
As the new school year begins, anticipation is building within McMaster University's varsity wrestling team. Under the leadership of Coach Ahmed Shamiya since 2019, the team is in a position to make a significant impact this season. After five years of steady progress in areas like adopting a winning mentality, the team is ready to transform potential into results.
In an interview with The Silhouette, Shamiya looked back on his time as coach and expressed confidence in the team's development. "When I started, there was a lot of potential, but [...] a lot of work to be done [...] I believe this year we will reap the fruits of our labour," said Shamiya.
When I started, there was a lot of potential, but [...] a lot of work to be done [...] I believe this year we will reap the fruits of our labour.
Ahmed Shamiya, coach, varsity wrestling team
He admitted that creating a winning culture has been a lengthy process. But that the team's confidence going into the season is a direct result of an altering of the team's beliefs, attitudes, and actions to place an emphasis on cooperation, discipline, and the common goal of success. "Although wrestling is an individual sport, it builds camaraderie like no other," Ahmed noted.
Coach Ahmed has led the club to several significant accomplishments since taking over in 2019 . The team has continuously performed well, winning two Rookie of the Year titles - which recognize outstanding first-year athletes for exceptional talent - to earning both the male and female Athletes of the Year. The women’s team, in particular, has made history with a top-three finish at the U-Sport National Championships.
Despite these accomplishments, the team's objectives for this year are still very high. "Our goal this year [...] is to be national [...] and OUA champions," said Shamiya. However, he also stressed that achieving these titles will need more than simply skill.
Our goal this year [...] is to be national [...] and OUA champions.
Ahmed Shamiya, coach, varsity wrestling team
Perseverance and loyalty to their basic principles will be needed, particularly in the face of difficulties. "When things get difficult, it can be very easy to abandon your goal. It can be easy to abandon your values. It's just a matter of sticking to that no matter what happens," he stressed.
Wrestling is a demanding sport, and injuries have been a significant challenge for the team in the past. "In the past we've had championship teams on paper, but then two weeks, three weeks out from the national championships, one of our key wrestlers will get injured and will not be able to wrestle that tournament" said Shamiya. In the interview, Coach Ahmed emphasizes the need to balance pushing athletes to their limits whilst also ensuring optimal recovery. A key wrestler missing from the lineup can severely impact the team’s chances at a national title, making injury prevention a top priority.
Coach Ahmed is optimistic about the direction of the McMaster wrestling team as they get ready for another tough season. “[Brock has] been very dominant [...] and you got to give them credit [...] but I truly believe that [...] in time, we will pass them. It's not a matter of how, it's a matter of when – and I truly believe that” said Shamiya.
[Brock has] been very dominant [...] and you got to give them credit [...] but I truly believe that [...] in time, we will pass them. It's not a matter of how, it's a matter of when – and I truly believe that.
Ahmed Shamiya, coach, varsity wrestling team
According to Shamiya, the culture of the team, which prioritizes academic and athletic achievement, will also see its members implement the teachings they have learned in their personal and professional life, off the wrestling mat. "Excellence is a transferable skill," Ahmed emphasized, "the pursuit of greatness will make you so much better as a person and that will translate to all aspects of life post wrestling”.
As the McMaster wrestling team heads into the new season, the strong foundation they’ve built over the last five years sets them up for continued growth and success. With a clear vision and a commitment to their values, the team feels ready to take on the challenges ahead.
After falling short to Brock University, the McMaster wrestling team picked up podium finishes at this year's nationals
After the McMaster University wrestling program’s 2022-2023 season, which saw the men and women's team win a national silver and bronze medal respectively, head coach Ahmed Shamiya and his wrestlers had high standards for what they could accomplish this year.
With standout wrestlers such as Serena Di Benedetto, the 2023 Rookie of the Year, and Karanveer Mahil, a first-year U Sports gold medalist, having a year of experience behind them, the team would look to grow and further develop the talent in their roster.
This year's regular season would go smoothly for the Marauders, who gained multiple podium finishes throughout their competitions.
Second-year Irman Kang and fourth-year Macy Malysiak were two athletes who contributed big for the teams. They were able to capture McMaster’s Athlete of the Week accolades during the season’s progression on Jan. 15 and Feb 12. respectively.
As the team approached their OUA Championships on Feb. 10, they would likely have had one major goal in mind. The Marauders were looking to take first place from back-to-back OUA champion Brock University University.
The Marauders were looking to take first place from back-to-back OUA champion Brock University.
This would prove too big of a challenge for the Marauders, as both the men and women’s teams could only capture a silver medal and fall yet again to the Brock Badgers.
After the OUA championships concluded, the Marauders would head to Guelph, Ont. on Mar. 2 to compete in the U Sports national championships.
With gold medal results by second-year wrestler Gregor McNeil and Di Benedetto, the Marauders would round out this year’s competition with a third place finish for the men’s team and a fifth place finish for the women’s team. Second-years Olivia Lichti and Mahil were both able to capture silver medals, adding points to the Marauders' overall scores.
With gold medal results by second-year wrestler Gregor McNeil and Di Benedetto, the Marauders would round out this year’s competition with a third place finish for the men’s team and a fifth place finish for the women’s team.
Despite lower placements in this season's U Sports meet, the Marauders have plenty to look back on and be proud of. For Shamiya, his aim throughout the offseason will likely be to excel even further and increase the team’s form come next season.
The Marauders wrestling team have their sights set on knocking out big name teams and capturing a prized gold again in the season to come
Last year’s wrestling season saw the McMaster University wrestling team compete at the highest level, as they took themselves to the USports championships in Edmonton. They dominated the Ontario University Athletics championship, with both the men’s and women’ teams finishing second on the podium, giving them the opportunity to compete at the national level.
The U Sports competition last year saw the team take big strides, with the men’s team earning themselves a silver medal and the women’s team picking up a bronze. Across the two teams, Karanveer Mahil won himself an individual gold medal on the men’s side. While rookie of the Year Serena Di Benedetto picked up a silver medal on the women’s side.
With these two wrestlers entering their second season of competition, the team looks to improve even further and win more this upcoming season.
“A really big goal for me this year is to return to winning OUAs and also to finally take the U Sports gold home,” said Di Benedetto.
A really big goal for me this year is to return to winning OUAs and also to finally take the U Sports gold home.
Serena Di Benedetto, athlete on women's wrestling team
The addition of strong first-year wrestlers to the roster, including Mayumi King who was previously an Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations champion, adds great depth to the team. This seems to increase the team's confidence in their ability to succeed and claim a gold medal at this year’s OUA championship.
“I think we have a really good team this year. . .We have a lot of really good rookies coming in and they’re super technical and fit in well,” said Di Benedetto.
After securing the Rookie of the Year award in her last season, it may seem that Di Benedetto would struggle to continue such a dominant run of form; as other teams may have learned her weaknesses and put a target on her back. However, she finds that a strong mentality and her enjoyment of continuously improving will help this coming season.
“I find that I have to maintain what I did last year, but at the same time, I’m here to have fun and enjoy wrestling for McMaster. I don’t get too caught up in the placings, because at the end of the day, I’m just trying to get better,” said Di Benedetto.
I find that I have to maintain what I did last year, but at the same time, I’m here to have fun and enjoy wrestling for McMaster. I don’t get too caught up in the placings, because at the end of the day, I’m just trying to get better.
Serena Di Benedetto, athlete on women's wrestling team
She will hope to help lead the women’s side to greater heights this year, specifically in the OUA championship hosted in February. The team will look to knock out Brock University Badgers, who were last year’s gold medalists at the competition.
“Team wise, I really want us to knock Brock off of first place. We were really close last year... The girls’ team came second by one point and Brock has been the remaining OUA champion for a while,” said Di Benedetto.
On the men’s side, Mahil returns along with senior Howard Moffatt. Both wrestlers had great seasons, with Moffatt placing first in the OUA championships. They will return with the addition of five first-year wrestlers on the men’s roster.
The Marauders will compete in seven competitions before this year’s OUA Championship. Led by the head coach Ahmed Shamiya, both teams will hope for an even better season than the last.
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.
As we begin the new school year, women's volleyball, men's soccer, wrestling, cross country and men's volleyball are the teams to keep a close eye on
The 2022-2023 year of sports at McMaster University was one to remember. With championship wins, great individual performances and numerous events packed with fans, there is plenty to be proud of. As we look ahead to the upcoming year, here are teams you should be sure to keep your eye on.
Women’s Volleyball
The 2022-2023 season for McMaster’s women volleyball team ended prematurely with close loss to York University in the Ontario University Athletics quarterfinals.
Next season, the team will look to turn things around. A number of returning OUA all-star veterans will look to lead the team to greater heights. Notable players include Sullie Sundara, who hopes to continue a run of great form after a second commanding season, and Hayley Brooks, the team’s defensive minded libero.
With newly appointed head coach Nathan Janzen leading the squad, this Marauders team will be one to look out for. Janzen leads the Canadian youth national volleyball team and has previously served as an assistant for the Marauders women’s volleyball team. He will likely have his sights set on capturing a national title, especially with the Marauders hosting this year's U Sports national tournament.
Men’s Soccer
Last season saw the men’s soccer team capture a historic OUA title. After this previous success for the team, they will be looking to continue their impressive form this coming year.
Next year’s roster will miss Miles Green, who led the team in total goals scored, and Ahmad Mansour, the team’s dominant centre-back. However, quality remains in the squad, with key returning players such as Gianluca Spadafora, the team’s captain and OUA second-team all-star, and Ethan Cagalj, an OUA second-team all-star goalkeeper.
Another change to the team’s head coach will be another challenge for the Marauders this season though. Interim head coach Tristan Joyce will be looking to prove himself in the coming season. Joyce is a former Marauder men’s soccer player who graduated from the program in 2021.
Wrestling
Both the men and women’s wrestling teams continually impress and the Marauders consistently found themselves on top of the podium in the 2022-2023 season.
Serena Di Benedetto on the women’s team had a phenomenal first season where she went undefeated, medaled gold in the OUA finals and finished in second at U Sports Nationals. As she goes into her second year, she will be one to watch closely.
On the men’s side, first-year Karanveer Mahil also showed well in his rookie season. Mahil topped the podium numerous times throughout the year and medalled silver in the OUA finals. At U Sports Nationals, Mahil earned himself gold to cap off an impressive first season.
After an impressive regular season for the team, four Marauder wrestlers and head coach Ahmed Shamiya went on to represent Canada at the Pan Am Games. At the event, Mahil and Di Benedetto both earned medals and they will certainly be looking to continue to their successes this coming winter.
Cross Country
This team had plenty to be proud of in the 2022-2023 season. On the men’s side, Max Turek, Andrew Davies and Alex Drover helped in creating a historic year for their team. Turek won gold at both the OUA finals and the U Sports Nationals, with Davies and Drover finishing just behind him in both competitions.
The women’s team came up with impressive results throughout the year as well. Second-year Rosalyn Barrett placed third in OUA Championships and thirtieth at U Sports nationals. Hannah Goodjohn, a fourth-year, placed eleventh in the OUAs after a consistent season for the Marauders.
Head coach Paula Schnurr also earned her own accolade throughout the season by winning OUA coach of the year. As she heads into the new season, she will look to fill the holes left by her graduated runners, including Turek and Davies.
Men's Volleyball
After a dominant past season which saw the team capture the provincial banner, the men’s volleyball team is consistently one of McMaster’s top teams.
Sam Cooper dominated with 47 kills over the last season. His departure to the Polish professional league will leave a hole in the team, one hopefully that a younger player may fill.
Maxime Gratton also dominated the year with 109 kills. He will be looking to improve upon his past season and combine with veteran Peter Rugosi after two years of experience.
Last year’s heartbreaking loss in the U Sports semifinals will have the team hungry for more, with new head coach Brad Douwes looking to fill the gaps and step into the massive shoes left by former head coach Dave Preston.
McMaster wins four straight meets in preparation for their upcoming playoff stretch
The McMaster University wrestling team remains undefeated after consecutive team victories at four meets to open their season. Displaying the deep depth of talent across their roster, the Marauders picked up 16 gold medals to rank nationally as the third and sixth best men and women’s teams respectively.
At the McMaster Invitational in November, their first meet of the year, the Marauders placed first overall. Combining for 13 medals and 85 points, both the men and women’s teams put forward dominant efforts to defend home territory and started the year off strong.
The team went on to top their meets at the Toronto Metropolitan University Invitational and the York Open, both of which took place in November. Of their 22 medals from both events, 10 came from members of this year’s recruitment class, who have quickly impressed thus far with their ability to compete with university talent.
First year sensation Gregor McNeil earned the title of U Sports men’s wrestling athlete of the week on Nov. 16 following a three match sweep at TMU. In the 61kg finals, McNeil earned the win 10 to zero against Brock veteran Garette Saunders, a former U Sports silver medalist in the 54kg and 57kg events.
A similar standout on the women’s side, rookie Serena Di Benedetto collected three gold medals in her matches at McMaster, TMU and York. Having gone undefeated at these invitationals, Di Bennedetto was awarded the U Sports women’s wrestling athlete of the week on Nov. 23.
In their last event of 2022, the team also competed at the Hamilton Wrestling Club for the Ontario Senior Open at Brock University. Wrestling at Canada Games Park, the Marauders were outstanding, finishing 18 points above the silver medaling London-Western WC in a dazzling collective performance.
“Although wrestling is an individual sport, there’s also a really big team aspect because you have to keep each other accountable . . . I think our team is just extremely strong this year, better than any team we’ve had previous,” said Di Bennedetto.
Gold medalists for the meet include Di Bennedetto (53kg), Olivia Lichti (59kg) and Karanveer Mahil (125kg), all of whom are newly recruited to McMaster’s flourishing wrestling program this year.
Following their showing at the Ontario Senior Open, the maroon and grey team continued their stretch of appearances inside the U Sports power rankings. The men’s team is currently placed third with 40 points behind the Alberta Golden Bears and Brock Badgers. The women’s team is ranked sixth in the country with 26 points.
“All the other athletes are very inviting. That’s the main [reason] why I chose this school over the other ones. The family that they have going on is really good . . . Just this first year’s been fun so far,” said Mahil.
Individually, Di Bennedetto, McNeil and Mahil are ranked first in the women’s 53kg and men’s 61kg and 125kg weight classes respectively. Other notable Marauders include third place ranking athletes Macy Malysiak (59kg), Similoluwa Jayeoba (72kg), Howard Moffatt (90kg) and Omogbai Asekomhe (100kg).
Up next, the team will travel to St. Catharines to compete at the Brock Invitational on Jan. 14. The Marauders will then take the mats at the Guelph Open on Jan. 22 before finishing the campaign in London for the Junior Provincials and the Western Open on Jan. 28 and 29.
Their success so far this season sets McMaster up to improve upon last year’s silver medal finish at the Ontario University Athletics playoffs on Feb. 11.
The Marauders earn 13 medals and the top spot at the McMaster invitational in a dominant start to their season
The McMaster wrestling team took on their first season meet of the year at the McMaster University invitational held on Oct. 30. Hosted at the university’s own Burridge gymnasium, the Marauders came away with multiple medals across different weight classes from both the men and women’s divisions. Overall, the team pulled away with a first place victory, scoring 85 points to edge past the University of Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas who managed 84 points in the contest.
Following their home opening dual meet against Alberta on Oct. 29, the Marauders entered their regular season high off of last year’s silver medal performances at the Ontario University Athletic Championships. Featuring rosters packed with youth and talent, both the men and women teams dominated the McMaster invitational with outstanding matches on the mats.
On the women’s side, athletes Ligaya Stinellis, Serena Di Benedetto and Macy Malysiak secured gold medals for the 50kg, 53kg and 56kg events respectively. A three-time competitor for Team Canada and a new recruit for the team this year, Di Benedetto won by technical fall over Taylor Mcpherson for an impressive start to the season. Stinellis and Malysiak, who landed podium placements at their individual events during last year’s championships, also delivered strong performances for the Marauders.
Individual success at the meet aside, it was very important for members, such as Malysiak, to take advantage of the regular season for the team’s growth, development and playoff preparation. They managed to do just that, making the most of the meet.
“Like our coaches say, everybody wants to win, but you sometimes want to put yourself in uncomfortable positions and situations so that you can learn from them. All these tournaments are just a learning block before the big ones,” said Malysiak.
“Like our coaches say, everybody wants to win, but you sometimes want to put yourself in uncomfortable positions and situations so that you can learn from them. All these tournaments are just a learning block before the big ones.”
Macy Malysiak, women's wrestling team
Rounding out the other medalists, Betty Huang, Similoluwa Jayeoba and Tehani Blais captured three more silver medals for the women’s team. Vanessa Fonrose also added a bronze medal for her performance in the 76kg matches.
Leading the charge for the men’s team, Gregor McNeil took home the team’s lone gold, winning by injury default against Mahir Sabat from York University in the first place 61kg match. Francesco Fortino, Irman Kang and Jonathan Vecchio also earned three silver medals for the maroon and grey team. Finally, both Gianluca Fortino and Howard Moffatt ended with third place finishes in the 65kg and 90kg matches respectively.
Along with Di Benedetto, McNeil is also a first year recruit for the McMaster wrestling program with past experience on Team Canada. Of the 13 total medals won by the Marauders, six were won by athletes in their debut season with the wrestling program. Such achievements speak volumes to the team’s future potential.
“I honestly am just consistently excited because this is the best recruitment class that we’ve had for a long time . . . I do think that we are achieving more than we have in the past and so I think that this is going to continue on in the long run,” said Stinellis.
“I honestly am just consistently excited because this is the best recruitment class that we’ve had for a long time . . . I do think that we are achieving more than we have in the past and so I think that this is going to continue on in the long run.”
Ligaya Stinellis, women's wrestling team
After the meets, both the men and women’s teams rank high atop the U Sports wrestling power rankings. On the leaderboards, the women came second place in the country while the men finished in third.
The Marauders will soon travel to Toronto, taking the mats at the Toronto Metropolitan University invitational on Nov. 13. Later in the winter, they will take on the OUA wrestling championships on Feb. 11 and the U Sports championship held from Feb. 24 to Feb. 26.
With seven more meets still on their schedule, both teams will have plenty of time to prepare for the postseason title run in 2023.
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.