HAMILTON, Ont. - The Marauders are preparing to head to Guelph for the Curling OUA Championships this weekend. The women's team will look to defend their OUA title, while the men got knocked out in quarterfinals last year and will hope to best their performance.
McMaster @ OUA Championship
Hosted by the Guelph Gryphons
Guelph Curling Club
February 2nd-4th, 2024
McMaster's women's program has been a team to watch in recent years. They are the reigning OUA Champions and have won four OUA Championships total, with two being in the last three years of competition. Their team has the benefit of a breath of OUA competition experience, with five of six athletes from last year's team returning this year. Grace Lloyd, the only graduating player from last year's team, has joined McMaster's coaching staff alongside longtime head coach John Gregory.
"We are really looking forward to the opportunity to defend our championship from last year. We have some amazing talent and positive team dynamics that I think will really help us work as a team this weekend." - Maddy Warriner
The men's team has won seven championships in their program history, but it's been a while since they've seen the top of the podium, with their most recent OUA Championship win coming from 1999. The Marauders have some new additions to their team this year, with rookie Nate Sherk taking over as skip from veteran Daniel Van Veghel. They also have a new coach, Byron Scott, who formerly coached at the University of Guelph. Scott brings a wealth of knowledge as they head into a weekend hosted by his previous team.
"With a mix of both young and old talents, I'm really excited to see what this team can do. We've been working very hard and there is great potential with this team." - Johnaton Au
Athletes to Watch
On the women's side, second year Evelyn Robert, has displayed impressive skill for a young athlete in the OUA. Before the OUA, she represented Team Ontario and won silver at the 2022 Canadian Junior Curling Championships. Last year, she was a 2023 OUA First Team All-Star and a 2023 U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian. Clara Dissanayake, a Northern Ontario U18 Provincial Champion, and Maddy Warriner, an OUA Second Team All-Star, both play key roles alongside their teammates.
On the men's side, Scott McLellan, an Actuarial & Financial Math major, brings a depth of experience to the team. He plays an important leadership role on the young Marauders team, maintaining focus and stability for the team.
OUA Championship Schedule
Friday, February 2nd
Draw #1 (Women's) – 8am McMaster vs Queen's
Draw #2 (Men's) – 12:30pm McMaster vs Ontario Tech
Draw #3 (Women's) – 4pm McMaster vs Trent
Draw #4 (Men's) – 7:30pm McMaster vs Brock
Saturday, February 3rd
Draw #5 (Men's) – 9am McMaster vs Toronto
Draw #6 (Women's) – 12:30pm McMaster vs York
Draw #7 (Men's) – 4pm McMaster vs Trent
Draw #8 (Women's) – 7:30pm McMaster vs Toronto
Sunday, February 4th
Quarterfinals – 9am TBD
Semifinals – 12:30pm TBD
Gold & Bronze – 4pm TBD
