Banner Season: Ravens, T'Wolves emerge victorious on championship weekend

Thunder Bay, Ont. (via Lakehead Thunderwolves) - The OUA Nordic Skiing Championships occurred this past weekend at Lappe Nordic Ski Centre in Thunder Bay. The Carleton Ravens clinched the women's title for the sixth time in seven years, while the Lakehead Thunderwolves secured their third consecutive men's Championship- after claiming the title in Huntsville in 2023 and Sudbury in 2022.

Saturday saw the Championship begin with a 7.5km Classic Interval Start - with cold temperatures, the name of the game for the early starts of the day. The Ravens of Carleton would claim the top two spots on the day, with Maggie McClure claiming the gold (22:52.30) and Helen McCulligh the silver (23:04.90), while Sophia Marshall (23:06.40) would grab the bronze medal for her Thunderwolves pack. On the men's side, Ottawa Gee Gee Aidan Kirkham claimed the gold medal in a time of 19:38.60, followed in second and third by the Lakehead duo of Conor McGovern (20:26.90) and Alex Randall (20:33.00).

In a thrilling culmination to day one, the 3x3.75km Relay event showcased remarkable teamwork and determination from both the men's and women's teams. Lakehead A (Moore, Randall, McGovern) emerged victorious among the men crossing the line in 30:00,00, showcasing their exceptional coordination and speed as they crossed the finish line in first place just ahead of Carleton A (Ward, Pegrum, Guerout) in second. Ottawa University A (Southward, Allen, Kirkham) would round out the podium, finishing third on the day.  

Meanwhile, in the women's category, Carleton A (McClure, Mason, McClure) took the gold medal by over a minute with a winning time of 34:58.40, illustrating their stronghold on the OUA Nordic Skiing scene. The two remaining podium positions went to teams from the capital, with UOttawa (Mason, Heffernan-Wilker, Molgat) and Carleton B (Holmes, Williams, McCulligh) grabbing the silver and bronze medals. 

Day two saw the conclusion of the Championships, with a 15km Mass Start Freestyle race. The men would start the day off, with Aidan Kirkham of Ottawa pulling away from the competition to claim the gold medal in a time of 36:27.2. Carleton would grab the silver and bronze medals on the day thanks to some great racing from Isaac Fortin (37:45.5) and Colin Ward (37:45.8). On the women side of the competition Carelton continued their dominance with another podium sweep in the Mass Start. Helen McCulligh (1st - 42:44.9), Maggie McClure (2nd - 43:32.5), and Katherine Mason (3rd - 44:00.4) rounded off a fantastic weekend for the Carleton University team.

Final Standings: 

Men's Standings: 

1. Lakehead
2. Carleton
3. Ottawa
4. Nipissing
5. Waterloo
6. Laurentian
7. Queen’s
8. Guelph
9. McMaster
10. Algoma

Coach of the Year: Adam Kates

Women's Standings: 

1. Carleton
2. Ottawa
3. Laurentian
4. Lakehead
5. Nipissing
6. McMaster
7. Queen’s
8. Guelph
9. Waterloo
10. Algoma

Coach of the Year: Kevin Shields 

OUA All-Stars:

Men:

1. Aidan Kirkham, Ottawa
2. Edward Southward, Ottawa
3. Conor McGovern, Lakehead
4. Colin Ward, Carleton
5. Isaac Fortin, Carleton
6. Johann Taylor-Gregg, Lakehead
7. Kaeden Ward, Carleton
8. Luke Pollex, Lakehead
9. Tobias Quinn, Lakehead
10. Raphael Guerout, Carleton

Women:

1. Helen McCulligh, Carleton
2. Maggie McClure, Carleton
3. Katherine Mason, Carleton
4. Bronwyn Williams, Carleton
5. Sophia Marshall, Lakehead
6. Maude Molgat, Ottawa
7. Mia Sawatsky, Lakehead
8. Kate Mason, Ottawa
9. Emma Holmes, Carleton
10. Maddie Norman, Laurentian