Banner Season: Full field ready to make waves amidst Toronto’s long-standing success

Graphic on a blue background with an action shot of a McMaster women?s swimmer with the OUA Swimming Championships logo and event details next to the photo.
February 6, 2025

Burlington, Ont. – The Varsity Blues have held the top spot in the provincial pool for many years, a spot they would like to hold onto in 2025 at the Markham Pan Am Centre from February 7th to February 9th. 10 teams will compete this weekend, trying to make waves amidst Toronto’s long-standing dominance in the pool and on the podium at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Swimming Championships.

EVENT DETAILS

When: Friday, February 7 to Sunday, February 9
Where: Markham Pan Am Centre
Participating Schools (10): Brock Badgers, Carleton Ravens, Guelph Gryphons, McMaster Marauders (host), Queen’s Gaels, Toronto Varsity Blues, Waterloo Warriors, Western Mustangs, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, York Lions
Format: Women’s Open Championship, Men’s Open Championship
Watch: oua.tv /  youtube.com/@CBCSports
 Past Champions: Toronto Varsity Blues (W), Toronto Varsity Blues (M)

STUDENT-ATHLETES TO WATCH

Isaac Allen, Western Mustangs | Diving into his second banner season finale, Allen is a three-time OUA silver medalist, U SPORTS finalist, and Olympic trails qualifier. He will rely on that podium-laden pedigree to add to his impressive resume in Markham.

Shona Branton, Western Mustangs | The fourth-year student out of Port Lambton, Ont. is a highly-decorated athlete, having won gold medals a year ago in her three individual events. She also broke the OUA record in all three of these events last year. Branton was named the 2024 U SPORTS female swimmer of the meet at nationals after winning a trio of individual medals (two gold, one silver) to go with a bronze in the relay.

Katie Cosgriffe, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks | Cosgriffe won a bronze medal at the 2024 Paralympics in the 100m butterfly. She has set several short course para national records this season in her first varsity year with Laurier and has been a key contributor to the Golden Hawks success.

Mariam Farid, York Lions | Only in his first season with the Lions, Farid is a three-time team record holder and will have his sights set on similar success against the provincial pack this weekend.

Lucas Fong, Queen’s Gaels | Fong came into the new year after being cleared from a concussion the previous month and has put in consistent work since. The rookie engineering student swam a lifetime best time in the 200 breaststroke - since it was the last event of the day, he had the team cheering him on at his first swim meet.

Jacob Gallant, Toronto Varsity Blues | Gallant heads into his fourth provincial championship hoping to complete the grand slam by winning the 400 IM for the fourth straight year. The Fredericton, N.B. product was the OUA rookie and swimmer of the year in 2022 and has won eight individual gold medals across his OUA championship appearances.

Eric Ginzburg, York Lions | The Toronto, Ont. product is a seven-time OUA medalist and a four-time OUA champion. Heading into his fourth championship with the Lions, Ginzburg will look to add to his hardware this weekend.

Kent Goni Avila, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks | Goni Avila has won medals at each of the last three OUA Championships and has set multiple divisional championship records. In 2023, the fourth-year business student was the only swimmer to represent the Golden Hawks at the U SPORTS championship, placing 15th therein.

Aidan Iapicco, Waterloo Warriors | Veteran swimmer Iapicco will be competing in his final OUA Championships for the Warriors as one of the team’s most accomplished athletes in recent years. He has won a medal in the 1500m freestyle in every conference championship he has competed in, topping the podium in 2024. He will be looking to defend his OUA title this year, while still contributing points in his other events – the 400m individual medley and 200m breaststroke.

Julien Legault, Brock Badgers | Legault was a finalist at the last two OUA Championships and placed fifth in the 100m backstroke in 2024. The fifth-year kinesiology student holds many school records for the Badgers, including a mark of 56.72 seconds in the 100m backstroke set in 2022 and 3:52.05 in the 4x100m medley relay from 2020.

Jayden MacDonald, Queen’s Gaels | MacDonald is the current 400 IM record holder with a time of 5:11.65. The Belleville, Ont. product finished third at the 2024 Dean Boles Divisional Championships, and in his rookie season, he brings a great deal of excitement and spirit to the Gaels squad.

Nina Mollin, Toronto Varsity Blues| Mollin, from Schaumburg, Illinois looks to add to her accolades at this year’s provincial finale. The third-year biology student was named the OUA female rookie of year in 2023 and is a two-time OUA IM excellence award winner. She took home top honours at Toronto, being named the athlete of the year in 2024, and was a three-time national gold medalist at the 2024 U SPORTS championship.

Tatum O'Connor, Brock Badgers | The second-year standout from Dundas, Ont. was the OUA bronze medalist in the 50m butterfly last year and finished fourth in the 50m backstroke. He enters the pool in 2025 looking to better his finishes from that previous banner season showing.

Michelle Wang, McMaster Marauders | The incredible sprinter and Marauder swim record holder in the 4x50 IM relay, is a key asset in her team’s sprint relays. The women’s team co-captain from Port Elgin, Ont. has gone above and beyond this season to make the rookies on the team feel welcome.

Hayden Yeung, McMaster Marauders | Yeung placed third in the 50m breaststroke at the OUA Championships in 2024 and is now filling the big breaststroke shoes after last year’s captain, Cam Johnsen, graduated. He is doing so in style so far, having become a leader in practice. His strong work ethic pushes his teammates to be the best they can be.

Alyssa Zhang, Waterloo Warriors | Zhang is gearing up to compete in her final OUA Championships, marking the culmination of an incredible university swimming career. Specializing in sprint freestyle and butterfly, she is set to make a strong impact in her events. At the 2024 OUA Championships, she was a key member of the 4x50m and 4x100m freestyle relays and with her speed and dedication on full display, this promises to be an exciting finale to her time competing in the OUA.

BURNING QUESTIONS

  1. Following the departure of a large graduating class in 2024, can the Blues women’s team secure an 11th straight provincial title?
  2. Can the Badgers women’s team continue their forward momentum that has been building for the past two years and find themselves a podium spot this year?
  3. After some amazing performances this season, will the Western Mustangs women’s team capture the ever-coveted banner at this year’s Championships?
  4. With a solid mix of veterans and newcomers on the Toronto men’s roster, can they once again take home a gold medal at this year’s OUA Championships?
  5. Facing significant turnover from last season, can a rookie-heavy Gaels men’s roster make a splash at the 2025 OUA Championships?
  6. Can the Mustangs men’s team capitalize on their deep roster to capture podium finishes in the pool?

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING

“OUAs offer a time for teams to come together on and off the pool deck, bringing excitement, support, and fast times to the pool. This year is going to be exciting for the Brock Badgers on both the male and female sides. Using the momentum from the Dean Boles Divisional Championship, both teams are looking to capture more personal bests, records, and move up in the OUA standings.” - Emma Laur, Student-Athlete, Brock Badgers

“In all the years I’ve been part of the Brock swim team, I’ve never seen such a hard-working team. The energy and the eagerness to win is very high throughout the team. We were a little disappointed in our results last year, which lit a fire going into these OUA Championships in Markham. Our men’s and women’s team are ready to give it all and move up in the rankings.” - Julien Legault, Student-Athlete, Brock Badgers

“Heading into OUAs, I feel a mix of excitement and gratitude. The determination and support of my team inspires me every day and I’m so incredibly proud of all the hard work we've done and how far we’ve come together. We are more ready than ever to leave it all in the pool and make some McMaster magic!!” –  Michelle Wang, Student-Athlete, McMaster Marauders

“Heading into OUAs as a second-year feels incredible. Last year, the energy and excitement of my first championship was unreal. This year I’m coming in with even more experience and a sharper focus. I am focused, fired up, and ready to leave it all in the pool.” - Hayden Yeung, Student-Athlete, McMaster Marauders

“Given the way our team feeds off community and hard work, we look forward to demonstrating the growth we’ve worked towards at OUAs. Rookie and veteran swimmers alike have put in the work to both challenge ourselves and support each other in competition. Our spirit and perseverance will be on full display at the OUA Championships, and we’re ready to give it all we’ve got!” - Ken Anderson, Head Coach, Queen’s Gaels

“The Varsity Blues have a storied history in OUA swimming and we plan to continue adding to that history this season. While we are favoured to win both 21st (men) and 11th (women) straight titles, the emphasis will be on racing and setting ourselves up for even higher levels of performance in the future. Plus with our recent dual meets versus top ranked OUA teams and No. 2 Calgary, things are boding well for the team as we move forward.” - Byron MacDonald, Head Coach, Toronto Varsity Blues

“As this is my last OUAs before I graduate, I’m just really excited to swim fast and see what this incredibly talented team I’ve been part of for 5 years can achieve!” - Alyssa Zhang, Student-Athlete, Waterloo Warriors

"Competing at the OUA Championships is always a thrill. It’s a chance for our team to measure ourselves against the best, and for the team to rise to the occasion in an environment that celebrates excellence." - Isaac Allen, Student-Athlete, Western Mustangs

“Leading into my last OUAs this year, I reflect over the past four years. No amount of money could ever replace the memories I've made with this team. It's more than just a group of friends; it has become my family. We support and encourage each other to become the best version of ourselves. I can confidently say, I poured my heart and soul into this team and every moment was absolutely worth it. Let's Go Hawks!”  - Dylan Thomas, Student-Athlete, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

“The 2024 - 2025 season has already brought some all-time highs for our program, and we are excited for OUAs as we continue to rebuild our program towards the future.” - Brett D'Souza, Head Coach, York Lions