HAMILTON, Ont. - Natalie Yee of the McMaster badminton team and Darren Dong of the Marauders men's fencing team are this week's BioSteel Marauder Athletes of the Week.
Badminton - Natalie Yee
A rookie from Vancouver, Natalie Yee impressed at her first-ever OUA Championship. The kinesiology student was an integral part of the Marauders' fifth place run at the 2023 OUA Badminton Championship in Toronto. With a 2-2 pool play record, the maroon and grey finished in third spot in Pool B to earn a berth to the OUA quarterfinal against the Toronto Varsity Blues. In what was a tight contest from the opening serve, the Varsity Blues earned a 6-4 decision over the Marauders to secure a spot in the semifinal. On the final day of competition, the Marauders faced the Ottawa Gee-Gees in a battle for fifth place. McMaster won six ties to earn the victory and secure a Top 5 finish. Yee was key to the Marauders' success and was named a co-winner of the Women's Rookie of the Year award for her impressive play over three days.
Men's Fencing - Darren Dong
Darren Dong, a second-year fencer for the Marauders, made the bracket in the individual men's foil competition. The health sciences student had the best finish for the Marauders, ending his day in 5th place. The Mississauga, Ont. local secured himself as the 11th seed in the bracket after pool play. He would win two matches en route to the quarterfinal but came up just short, losing a tight 15-14 bout to a Western competitor. Dong's individual finish was the best of any Marauder at the 2023 OUA Fencing Championships this past weekend in St. Catharines. He also competed in the men's foil team relay where the Marauders dropped a quarterfinal contest to the second-ranked Waterloo Warriors before finishing eighth overall.
Both the Marauders badminton and fencing teams closed out the 2022-23 season this past weekend at their respective OUA Championship and will now turn to preparations for 2023-24.
For the latest news and updates on the McMaster Marauders, follow @mcmastersports on social media or visit www.marauders.ca.
