February 25, 2022
Banner Season: Perennial powerhouses set sights on continued OUA skiing success
Burlington, Ont. - With it having been nearly two decades since a school other than the Carleton Ravens or Lakehead Thunderwolves claimed an Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Nordic skiing title, all eyes will be on the two perennial powerhouses when the highly competitive 11-team field heads to Laurentian University this weekend for the 2022 edition of the OUA Nordic Skiing Championships.
2022 OUA Nordic Skiing Championships | Fan Guide
Coming in as the defending champions on both the men's and women's side, including a streak of five straight titles for the latter, the Ravens will look to soar to the top of the OUA field once again.
"Our goal heading in [to the championships] is to get the banner on both the men's and women's side," said head coach Anneke Winegarden. "We have really strong teams for both and while there is strong competition across the province, I feel that we have a good shot at holding the banner coming out of the OUA weekend."
If their women's team wants to extend their championship rein, they will need to do so without the Williams sisters (with Zoë having graduated and Bronwyn representing Canada at the World U23 Championship). This opens up opportunities for other stars to emerge; however, and amidst their strong mix of rookies and veterans, one skier that will look to do just that is Kate Mason (Ottawa, Ont.).
Coming off a number of top-10 finishes at the Canadian National Trials in Canmore, Alta., Mason is primed to take on the OUA. The second-year biology major has shown great promise this season, including a top-five finish in the 10km classic at the 2022 Eastern Canadian Championships, to go along with sixth and fifth-place finishes in the sprints and 15km, respectively.
On the men's side, the Ravens have a balanced roster that is primed to challenge for a repeat title. A veteran leader therein, Devon Pegrum (Ottawa, Ont.) is ready to take his spot among the OUA's best. With a trio of top-25 finishes as the 2022 Easterns, the second-year engineering major is rounding into form ahead of the conference finale. While Pegrum has banner season experience to lead the way for Carleton, the team is also looking to rookie Isaac Fortin (Peterborough, Ont.) as one to watch after his strong showing this season.
Looking to make their way back atop the competitive field, meanwhile, the Lakehead Thunderwolves are turning to a pair of veterans to support their podium push. "As a university that is always looking to win, we are excited to put on the race bibs and leave it on the trails against some of the great teams from across the province," said head coach Adam Kates.
Reigning OUA and national individual champion Alannah Maclean is returning for her final year of competition and hopes to lead the Wolves to the team title that has eluded them since 2015. The Sudbury, Ont. native will compete on her home trails where she grew up honing her skill as a young racer.
On the men's side, even without their top skier Max Hollmann, who has qualified to represent Team Canada at the World Junior Championships in Norway, Lakehead is fielding one of its strongest teams in recent memory. A big reason for that is Conor McGovern, a fifth-year kinesiology major from Winnipeg, Man. He is the leader of the team, both on the results sheet and in the locker room, and his experience as an athlete and leader has been beneficial for the team ahead of the OUA finale. McGovern has been a part of a championship winning team before and is looking for more of the same at the 2022 edition.
Rounding out the podiums at the previous OUA finale, the bronze-medal winning Nipissing Lakers are turning to a deep roster and strong team culture to carry them to the top of the podium. Anchoring the former on the men's side is veteran Alex Maycock, who has participated in five OUA championships. The Orangeville, Ont. native, who qualified to represent Canada and Nipissing University at the 2019 and 2021 FISU Games, is a lead-by-example type of teammate.
Newcomer Olivia Westbrooke (Collingwood, Ont.), meanwhile, has proven to be a shining light for the women's team, and beyond being a talented skier, is adept at lifting up her teammates, helping to epitomize the culture that celebrates the success of one skier as the success of the team.
The host Laurentian Voyageurs are not only welcoming these past podium finishers and all their fellow competitors to Sudbury, but are also welcoming a number of newcomers to their own roster.
Both their women's and men's teams feature mostly first and second-year student-athletes, but for those with championship experience under their belts, they will once again hope to pace the Laurentian pack on their home terrain. Co-captains Hannah Cutler (Parry Sound, Ont.) and Augustin Marks de Chablis (Sudbury, Ont.) are two who fit that bill, as the second-year skiers were two of the team's most consistent and impressive performers at the last OUA finale.
Also turning to their team captains for success are the Waterloo Warriors, who saw both of their squads rank eighth last time out. Emiko Arai (Oakville, Ont.) came into university with limited racing experience, but through her commitment to the team and willingness to work hard, she has become a very talented racer for the black and gold. The health studies major placed in the top-20 in the CCUNC category at the Eastern Canadian Championships for the interval start 15km skate event.
Fellow co-captain Finn Dodgson also found success at Easterns, placing third in the CCUNC category in the same distance, in addition to finishing 8th at the World U23 Trials in the interval start 15km classic and 30km skate, and first place overall in the Gatineau Loppet 27km skate event. More than just the results, however, the senior from Aurora, Ont. has demonstrated commitment and determination, and after suffering two years of dislocated shoulders in his 2018 and 2019 seasons, he is back stronger than ever and ready to race.
Much like the hosts, who Guelph finished just ahead of in 2020, the Gryphons are also looking to raise the ranks this time around when their contingent hits the trails this weekend. Not only will they be able to turn to past championship experience, but also recent outings at this month's Eastern Canadian Championships in Gatineau, Que. Therein, Alec MacLean (Oro-Medonte, Ont.) finished 23rd in the men's free technique interval start, while teammate Julia Shannon (Seguin, Ont.) crossed the line in 18th in the women's event.
With top five finishes in tow in just their second OUA championships appearance, the Ottawa Gee-Gees are setting their sights even higher in their third outing, about which their whole is excited. "We are a relatively new team competing in our third OUA Championships and excited that we are fielding our largest team to date," said head coach Sheila Kealey. "The athletes are so grateful to be able to train and compete given all the COVID-19 challenges."
For many of the Garnet and Grey's contingent, this weekend will mark their first championship experience, with only two returning skiers on both the men's and women's teams. Edward Southward (Ottawa, Ont.) is one such newcomer on the men's side, joining the Gee-Gees last season after his undergrad at McGill, and immediately impressed with his dedication to the sport and commitment to the team. His racing performance has improved steadily with some fantastic results this season, including a ninth-place finish in the extremely competitive Gatineau Loppet 50k classic event.
On the women's side, Emma Archibald has quickly developed into a skilled and fast para Nordic skier. Relatively new to the sport, the first-year nursing student has embraced every training session and racing opportunity. With recent racing at the Easterns, wherein Archibald won every para Nordic event, and national training camps with Nordiq Canada, the Fall River, N.S. native also has her eyes on the 2023 Canada Winter Games and the Paralympics in four years.
Similar to the Gee-Gees, the Varsity Blues Nordic ski team will see their largest contingent in at least four years suit up for them at this year's OUA Championships, with eight Toronto skiers heading to Sudbury. Wing Yan Chan and Alyssa Stowe are the lone members with previous OUA experience, while the six remaining Blues all making their banner season debuts. Not only is the Toronto team looking forward to giving it their all as part of an excellent weekend of competition, but to reconnecting with the university ski community as a whole.
Also looking forward to the opportunity to race once again are the Queen's Gaels. Said head coach Nick Cheney, "Having come off a training period of roughly two years, we're thrilled to finally get an opportunity to shake off the rust and give it our all. For most team members, this will be their first OUA Championships or last, so either way it will be quite memorable."
The Kingston squad has been able to stay active since their last competition through running, cycling, and skiing when possible, and while this will be their first race together in a long while, they are eager to get back to what they love. This includes second-year skier Tyler Allen (Ottawa, Ont.), who hails from Nakkertok Nordic, where he competed at the provincial and national level, winning OFSAA twice. The reigning MVP for the men's team is looking to repeat that success in Sudbury.
Fellow Gael Hannah Kassenaar returns for her third OUA Championships outing, but before skiing at Queen's, the civil engineering major from Toronto, Ont., whose preferred technique on the course is skate skiing, used to be a national level short track speed skater.
While the Gaels men churned out a top-five result in 2020, it was the women's team that accomplished the feat for McMaster last time out, and they are motivated to do the same with their mixture of club skiers, like Milla Tarnopolsky and Laura Harris, and multi-sport athletes (Emma Waddington and Kendra Hawke).
When it comes to the club skiers, Tarnopolsky placed in the top-20 in the 10km skate race and was part of the Marauders' 'A' relay team that placed fifth at the 2020 OUA Championships. The Victoria, Ont. native was the second fastest woman on the McMaster team at the time trial this past weekend and has also competed in the Ski Orienteering World Cup in Vermont. She will once again be part of the school's top relay team, while Harris, who has proven to be the definition of a team player in her first year with the Marauders, will join the 'B' relay team. Coming from Ottawa, Ont., the kinesiology major has previously raced at provincial races with her club, Kanata Nordic, and coached U12 athletes therein as well. She will look to carry over her strong outings from the recent time trials and the 27km Gatineau Loppet earlier this month into a successful weekend for the Hamilton squad.
It will be a unique McMaster men's group hitting the Laurentian trails this weekend, as several individuals representing the maroon machine are relatively new to skiing. Lucas Wiens (Belleville, Ont.), for example, is a competitive triathlete who will be taking part ion his first ski races ever, while Errol Bowman (Toronto, Ont.), the men's team captain, was a former rower turner skier a few years ago.
The final team heading to the Laurentian Campus for the highly-anticipated OUA Championships is the Algoma Thunderbirds, who are turning to a pair of second-year skiers to anchor their efforts. Returning to the banner season stage is Algoma University Students' Union president and varsity council member Rebekah Gwynn (High River, Ont.), who produced individual results just outside the top-50 in her 2020 outing, while Nicolas Koramaki (Toronto, Ont.) will make his championship debut after an injury sidelined him from the finale in his first year.
The 11 teams will get the 2022 OUA Nordic Skiing Championships underway at the Laurentian University Trails on the morning of Saturday, February 26 with the 10.5km interval start freestyle, followed by the 3x3.5 relay freestyle in the afternoon. The final event, the 10km mass start classic, will go off on Sunday, February 27 before the newest champions are crowned thereafter.
2022 OUA Nordic Skiing Championships | Fan Guide
Coming in as the defending champions on both the men's and women's side, including a streak of five straight titles for the latter, the Ravens will look to soar to the top of the OUA field once again.
"Our goal heading in [to the championships] is to get the banner on both the men's and women's side," said head coach Anneke Winegarden. "We have really strong teams for both and while there is strong competition across the province, I feel that we have a good shot at holding the banner coming out of the OUA weekend."
If their women's team wants to extend their championship rein, they will need to do so without the Williams sisters (with Zoë having graduated and Bronwyn representing Canada at the World U23 Championship). This opens up opportunities for other stars to emerge; however, and amidst their strong mix of rookies and veterans, one skier that will look to do just that is Kate Mason (Ottawa, Ont.).
Coming off a number of top-10 finishes at the Canadian National Trials in Canmore, Alta., Mason is primed to take on the OUA. The second-year biology major has shown great promise this season, including a top-five finish in the 10km classic at the 2022 Eastern Canadian Championships, to go along with sixth and fifth-place finishes in the sprints and 15km, respectively.
On the men's side, the Ravens have a balanced roster that is primed to challenge for a repeat title. A veteran leader therein, Devon Pegrum (Ottawa, Ont.) is ready to take his spot among the OUA's best. With a trio of top-25 finishes as the 2022 Easterns, the second-year engineering major is rounding into form ahead of the conference finale. While Pegrum has banner season experience to lead the way for Carleton, the team is also looking to rookie Isaac Fortin (Peterborough, Ont.) as one to watch after his strong showing this season.
Looking to make their way back atop the competitive field, meanwhile, the Lakehead Thunderwolves are turning to a pair of veterans to support their podium push. "As a university that is always looking to win, we are excited to put on the race bibs and leave it on the trails against some of the great teams from across the province," said head coach Adam Kates.
Reigning OUA and national individual champion Alannah Maclean is returning for her final year of competition and hopes to lead the Wolves to the team title that has eluded them since 2015. The Sudbury, Ont. native will compete on her home trails where she grew up honing her skill as a young racer.
On the men's side, even without their top skier Max Hollmann, who has qualified to represent Team Canada at the World Junior Championships in Norway, Lakehead is fielding one of its strongest teams in recent memory. A big reason for that is Conor McGovern, a fifth-year kinesiology major from Winnipeg, Man. He is the leader of the team, both on the results sheet and in the locker room, and his experience as an athlete and leader has been beneficial for the team ahead of the OUA finale. McGovern has been a part of a championship winning team before and is looking for more of the same at the 2022 edition.
Rounding out the podiums at the previous OUA finale, the bronze-medal winning Nipissing Lakers are turning to a deep roster and strong team culture to carry them to the top of the podium. Anchoring the former on the men's side is veteran Alex Maycock, who has participated in five OUA championships. The Orangeville, Ont. native, who qualified to represent Canada and Nipissing University at the 2019 and 2021 FISU Games, is a lead-by-example type of teammate.
Newcomer Olivia Westbrooke (Collingwood, Ont.), meanwhile, has proven to be a shining light for the women's team, and beyond being a talented skier, is adept at lifting up her teammates, helping to epitomize the culture that celebrates the success of one skier as the success of the team.
The host Laurentian Voyageurs are not only welcoming these past podium finishers and all their fellow competitors to Sudbury, but are also welcoming a number of newcomers to their own roster.
Both their women's and men's teams feature mostly first and second-year student-athletes, but for those with championship experience under their belts, they will once again hope to pace the Laurentian pack on their home terrain. Co-captains Hannah Cutler (Parry Sound, Ont.) and Augustin Marks de Chablis (Sudbury, Ont.) are two who fit that bill, as the second-year skiers were two of the team's most consistent and impressive performers at the last OUA finale.
Also turning to their team captains for success are the Waterloo Warriors, who saw both of their squads rank eighth last time out. Emiko Arai (Oakville, Ont.) came into university with limited racing experience, but through her commitment to the team and willingness to work hard, she has become a very talented racer for the black and gold. The health studies major placed in the top-20 in the CCUNC category at the Eastern Canadian Championships for the interval start 15km skate event.
Fellow co-captain Finn Dodgson also found success at Easterns, placing third in the CCUNC category in the same distance, in addition to finishing 8th at the World U23 Trials in the interval start 15km classic and 30km skate, and first place overall in the Gatineau Loppet 27km skate event. More than just the results, however, the senior from Aurora, Ont. has demonstrated commitment and determination, and after suffering two years of dislocated shoulders in his 2018 and 2019 seasons, he is back stronger than ever and ready to race.
Much like the hosts, who Guelph finished just ahead of in 2020, the Gryphons are also looking to raise the ranks this time around when their contingent hits the trails this weekend. Not only will they be able to turn to past championship experience, but also recent outings at this month's Eastern Canadian Championships in Gatineau, Que. Therein, Alec MacLean (Oro-Medonte, Ont.) finished 23rd in the men's free technique interval start, while teammate Julia Shannon (Seguin, Ont.) crossed the line in 18th in the women's event.
With top five finishes in tow in just their second OUA championships appearance, the Ottawa Gee-Gees are setting their sights even higher in their third outing, about which their whole is excited. "We are a relatively new team competing in our third OUA Championships and excited that we are fielding our largest team to date," said head coach Sheila Kealey. "The athletes are so grateful to be able to train and compete given all the COVID-19 challenges."
For many of the Garnet and Grey's contingent, this weekend will mark their first championship experience, with only two returning skiers on both the men's and women's teams. Edward Southward (Ottawa, Ont.) is one such newcomer on the men's side, joining the Gee-Gees last season after his undergrad at McGill, and immediately impressed with his dedication to the sport and commitment to the team. His racing performance has improved steadily with some fantastic results this season, including a ninth-place finish in the extremely competitive Gatineau Loppet 50k classic event.
On the women's side, Emma Archibald has quickly developed into a skilled and fast para Nordic skier. Relatively new to the sport, the first-year nursing student has embraced every training session and racing opportunity. With recent racing at the Easterns, wherein Archibald won every para Nordic event, and national training camps with Nordiq Canada, the Fall River, N.S. native also has her eyes on the 2023 Canada Winter Games and the Paralympics in four years.
Similar to the Gee-Gees, the Varsity Blues Nordic ski team will see their largest contingent in at least four years suit up for them at this year's OUA Championships, with eight Toronto skiers heading to Sudbury. Wing Yan Chan and Alyssa Stowe are the lone members with previous OUA experience, while the six remaining Blues all making their banner season debuts. Not only is the Toronto team looking forward to giving it their all as part of an excellent weekend of competition, but to reconnecting with the university ski community as a whole.
Also looking forward to the opportunity to race once again are the Queen's Gaels. Said head coach Nick Cheney, "Having come off a training period of roughly two years, we're thrilled to finally get an opportunity to shake off the rust and give it our all. For most team members, this will be their first OUA Championships or last, so either way it will be quite memorable."
The Kingston squad has been able to stay active since their last competition through running, cycling, and skiing when possible, and while this will be their first race together in a long while, they are eager to get back to what they love. This includes second-year skier Tyler Allen (Ottawa, Ont.), who hails from Nakkertok Nordic, where he competed at the provincial and national level, winning OFSAA twice. The reigning MVP for the men's team is looking to repeat that success in Sudbury.
Fellow Gael Hannah Kassenaar returns for her third OUA Championships outing, but before skiing at Queen's, the civil engineering major from Toronto, Ont., whose preferred technique on the course is skate skiing, used to be a national level short track speed skater.
While the Gaels men churned out a top-five result in 2020, it was the women's team that accomplished the feat for McMaster last time out, and they are motivated to do the same with their mixture of club skiers, like Milla Tarnopolsky and Laura Harris, and multi-sport athletes (Emma Waddington and Kendra Hawke).
When it comes to the club skiers, Tarnopolsky placed in the top-20 in the 10km skate race and was part of the Marauders' 'A' relay team that placed fifth at the 2020 OUA Championships. The Victoria, Ont. native was the second fastest woman on the McMaster team at the time trial this past weekend and has also competed in the Ski Orienteering World Cup in Vermont. She will once again be part of the school's top relay team, while Harris, who has proven to be the definition of a team player in her first year with the Marauders, will join the 'B' relay team. Coming from Ottawa, Ont., the kinesiology major has previously raced at provincial races with her club, Kanata Nordic, and coached U12 athletes therein as well. She will look to carry over her strong outings from the recent time trials and the 27km Gatineau Loppet earlier this month into a successful weekend for the Hamilton squad.
It will be a unique McMaster men's group hitting the Laurentian trails this weekend, as several individuals representing the maroon machine are relatively new to skiing. Lucas Wiens (Belleville, Ont.), for example, is a competitive triathlete who will be taking part ion his first ski races ever, while Errol Bowman (Toronto, Ont.), the men's team captain, was a former rower turner skier a few years ago.
The final team heading to the Laurentian Campus for the highly-anticipated OUA Championships is the Algoma Thunderbirds, who are turning to a pair of second-year skiers to anchor their efforts. Returning to the banner season stage is Algoma University Students' Union president and varsity council member Rebekah Gwynn (High River, Ont.), who produced individual results just outside the top-50 in her 2020 outing, while Nicolas Koramaki (Toronto, Ont.) will make his championship debut after an injury sidelined him from the finale in his first year.
The 11 teams will get the 2022 OUA Nordic Skiing Championships underway at the Laurentian University Trails on the morning of Saturday, February 26 with the 10.5km interval start freestyle, followed by the 3x3.5 relay freestyle in the afternoon. The final event, the 10km mass start classic, will go off on Sunday, February 27 before the newest champions are crowned thereafter.
