February 4, 2011

CARLETON AND LAKEHEAD LOOK TO REPEAT AS OUA NORDIC SKIING CHAMPIONS

HAMILTON, Ont. – Laurentian University is set to host the 2011 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Nordic Skiing Championship on February 5 and 6. This weekend, both the men’s and women’s teams from Laurentian, Carleton, Guelph, Lakehead, Nipissing, Queen’s, Toronto and Waterloo will compete for the OUA banner naming them the newest Nordic skiing champions.

Last year’s men’s champions, the Carleton Ravens, surprised everyone by beating out the Lakehead Thunderwolves for the 2010 title. The men hope to earn a minimum of four all-star individual results and win the team event.

The hosting Laurentian Voyageurs will be seeking its first title on the men's side since 2001. The team will be lead by second year skier Evan Odell (Mississauga, Ont.).

After losing the Nordic skiing title for the first time in five years, the Lakehead Thunderwolves men’s team will be looking for revenge this year. The rebuilding men's team is led by veterans Greg Kilroy (Powassan, Ont.) and Lachlan Armstrong (Thunder Bay, Ont.) looking to be a fixture on the OUA podium.

Patrick Monette (Oakville, Ont.) will lead the Varsity Blues. The second-year finished eighth in the 12km free skate at the Nipissing Lakers Invitational in North Bay, Ont. at the end of January. Veteran skier and teammate of Monette, Aaron Barter (Almonte, Ont.) will hope to make the podium as well.

The Guelph Gryphons men’s team prepared for the Championships by competing at the Mono Nordic Invitational last weekend in Orangeville, Ont. where the men swept the podium in the Senior Men 8km skate event. Scott Weersink (St. Mary’s, ON) captured the gold medal while teammates Patrick Twohig (Mississauga, ON) and Erin McLean-Purdon (Owen Sound, ON) won silver and bronze respectively. The trio will be hoping to make an impact at the OUA Championships.

The Queen’s five-man team consists of four rookies, and third-year veteran Christopher Hey (Sudbury, Ont.) who will show the rest of his Gaels the ropes of an OUA championship.

Third-year Bradley Coddington (Newmarket, Ont.) has been Nipissing’s top performer, finishing 30th in a time of 41:39.3 at the Nipissing Invitational for the Lakers.

Waterloo was led by Nolan Beanlands (Ottawa, Ont.) at the Nipissing Invitational. His 18^th place was top for all Warriors.

On the women’s side, the Lakehead women’s team will be looking to continue their dominance in search of a historic seventh consecutive OUA championship banner. Led by a team of spirited and seasoned veterans Brit Bailey (Thunder Bay, Ont.), Daphne Haggarty (Thunder Bay, Ont.), Katherine Hall (Thunder Bay, Ont.) and Kara Jaspers (Thunder Bay, Ont.), the women are hungry to prove that their domination of the sport over the last half decade has not been a fluke.

The Lady Vees are hoping the home advantage will propel them to their first title since 2003. Third-year skier Janel Sauder (St. Mary's, Ont.) will lead Laurentian.

The Carleton Ravens women’s team is in the rebuilding stages, but shouldn’t be counted out as a strong competitor at this year’s Championships. The Ravens were the last team to dethrone the strong Lakehead team, but that was six years ago. Carleton’s goal this weekend on the women’s side will be to place in the top three in the team results.

For the Toronto Varsity Blues, leading the way will be Hillary Mallinger (Sault Ste Marie, Ont.), and Kate Sauks (Owen Sound, Ont.). Finishing less than 20 seconds apart at the Nipissing Lakers Invitational, the two will head the women’s team for the Blues in Sudbury this weekend.

In Orangeville, Ont. last weekend the Guelph Gryphons women’s team also prepared for the OUA Championships. Guelph’s Erin Creasor (Parry Sound, Ont.) won gold in the junior women 5km skate race. Later that day teammates Kyla Vanderzwet (Port Elgin, ON) and Laura Hewitt (Orillia, ON) won gold and silver in the senior women 5km skate race, respectively.

Nipissing’s young women’s team is led by third-year skier Brianna Yard (Aurora, Ont.) and rookie Lynsey Bialkowski (Parry Sound, Ont.) who finished 16^th in the Nipissing Invitational.

Katie Madden (Parry Sound, Ont.) will be the one to watch from Waterloo, as she led her Warriors at the Nipissing Invitational with a 14^th place finish.

Queen’s looks to improve on last year’s sixth place team finish with the veteran experience of fifth-year Kanata, Ont. native Julie McVicar.

At the end of this weekend new champions will be named at Laurentian University at the 2011 OUA men’s and women’s Nordic skiing championship.