OTTAWA, Ont. - The McMaster men's fencing team heads to the nation's capital for the OUA Championships. The team placed twelfth last year and will hope to best their performance at this year's competition.  

McMaster Marauders @ OUA Championships 

EY Centre | Ottawa, Ont. 

Hosted by the Ottawa Gee-Gees 

March 16th-17th 

Thirteen OUA teams will meet in Ottawa for the OUA Championships this weekend: the Brock Badgers, Carleton Ravens, Guelph Gryphons, McMaster Marauders, Ottawa Gee-Gees, Queen's Gaels, RMC Paladins, Toronto Varsity Blues, TMU Bold, Trent Excalibur, Waterloo Warriors, Western Mustangs, and York Lions. The Varsity Blues are the reigning champions from last year's competition in the overall category, as well as in Foil, Epee, and Sabre. The Marauders placed fifth in the epee category last year and will hope to continue as a strong competitor in this discipline.  

The schedule can be found on the OUA website, linked here: https://oua.ca/sports/fencing/2023-24/mens_championship
 

Athletes to Watch: 

Third year Darren Dong competed at the championships last year in the men's foil and found McMaster's highest finish in the discipline with fifth place. Last year, Dong was just shy of qualifying for the quarterfinal, and will hope to find redemption at this year's competition as he continues to gain experience and skill. 

Third year Oscar Hand from Kingston, Ont., will hope to find success again this year. Last year was tough for the Kingston local, who was edged out in a difficult 15-14 loss in the Round of 16 for epee. Previously, Hand was named an epee All-Star in his rookie year and placed sixth in the individual epee at the 2022 OUA Championships, showing that he has the skill to perform well at the provincial level. 

Both Dong and Hand have had the experience of winning an OUA bronze medal in their rookie years with the McMaster men's fencing team and they will hope to find that podium feeling again at this year's competition.