March 9, 2022
Banner Season: Defending champion Blues hoping to make a splash as swimming finale hosts
Burlington, Ont. - The Toronto Varsity Blues have doubled down on the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) swimming banners their past seven times in the pool and they are poised for another championship push when they host the rest of the sensational swimming contingent from across the conference this weekend. With the goal of racing their way toward new heights, 10 teams are hoping to make a splash on the banner season stage at the University of Toronto's Varsity Pool for the 2022 OUA Swimming Championships from March 10 to 12.
2022 OUA Swimming Championships | Fan Guide | Tickets | Results
"For the Varsity Blues, we have a tremendous legacy of success at this meet," said head coach Byron MacDonald, "so it is up to the current squad to build on that championship-winning tradition".
The tradition has seen a streak of seven straight wins for the women's team and 17 on the men's side, and to add to those winning ways, the Blues will turn to, among others, a decorated university veteran and a first-year Olympian.
Third-year standout Aleksa Gold has proven she knows her way around the university pool, having won three gold medals (100 backstroke, 200m backstroke, 200m freestyle) and a silver (100 butterfly) at the 2020 OUA finale, taking a step up from her trio of second-place finishes the year prior. The Toronto, Ont. native continued her dominance at the national championships last time out as well, taking home five medals at the U SPORTS event to go along with her bronze medal from her first appearance therein.
The member of the Estonian national team will be among the favourites for multiple medals once again and will be joined by fellow Varsity Blues Gabriel Mastromatteo in that regard. The commerce major from Kenora, Ont. is entering his second year academically, but will swim in his first OUA championships this weekend. Competing on the big stage is nothing new for Mastromatteo, as he represented Canada at the 2020 Tokyo Games last summer, finishing 38th overall in the 100m breaststroke, seventh in the 4x100m relay, and 13th in the mixed 4x100m medley relay at the international gathering. The banner season newcomer also earned a silver and two bronze medals at the 2019 FINA World Junior Championships and competed in the 2019 FINAL World Championships as well.
Alongside these two standouts, the Blues swim team is excited to not only get back in the pool for an OUA championship following the cancellation of the event last season due to COVID-19, but host the event and swim in their home pool. Said MacDonald, "I love the OUA Championships. We get great swims from all the athletes from all teams. It's a very important meet and a highlight for many in their swim careers. Swimmers can have big breakthroughs at this meet and use that to propel their swim careers forward and for fond memories."
The last team on the women's side to claim victory other than Toronto, the Western Mustangs are hoping to create more of those fond memories with another championship push. Finishing with silver in 2020, along with a bronze-medal showing for the men's team, the London squad has what it takes to makes waves among the conference's elite, and they'll turn to one of the best in the business to anchor those efforts.
Sebastian Paulins has won just about everything throughout his previous four banner season outings, with his university medal haul totaling six gold, four silver, and seven bronze thus far. The record-holder in the men's 1,500m is poised to add to his already packed trophy case with another leading effort for the Mustangs men, and if it is anything like his most recent championship performance that saw him take home the OUA male swimmer of the meet and Dr. Jeno Tihanyi IM excellence award, the purple and white are in good hands this weekend.
More than just his own performance, however, the Brantford, Ont. native and social science major is thrilled for his entire team to get back in the pool. "I'm really looking forward to my first championship meet in over two years. OUAs is always a high energy meet and I'm really excited for the first-timers to experience it."
While Western does boast a number of first and second-year student-athletes that will finally have their chance to compete, returning championship medalist Megan Deering (Okotoks, Alta.) will be helping set the tone for the Mustangs women's contingent in her second banner season go-around. The team captain was a consistent presence in the individual finals at both the conference and national levels in 2020 and brought home plenty of hardware for her efforts, including first-place finishes in the 50m and 100m breaststroke. A leader among the team, Deering is looking for more of the same when she hits the Varsity Pool water this weekend.
Another set of familiar faces fighting for a podium spot are the most recent hosts from McMaster, who like their conference counterparts, are looking forward to getting the taste of championship competition once again. Fourth-year Marauder Emma Schlyter (Hamilton, Ont.) understands that being able to compete is a privilege that was up in the air as little as a month and a half ago; however, she is "excited to use this opportunity for everything it can offer" and knows "every other member of this team is as well".
Among those other team members who'll be giving it their all are Erin Anderson and Kevork Baghdassarian. The former, a second-year swimmer out of Hamilton, Ont., is one-of-a-kind. She scored a total of 47 points in 2020, placing in and amongst the top-10 across several individual events, while also picking up a pair of medals in the 400m medley relay and 800m free relay. As a teammate, the kinesiology major is among the most genuine, enthusiastic, and positive individuals anyone could ask for and lifts up everyone around her without ever thinking there could be a cost to herself.
The 2020-21 academic all-Canadian is joined by another former OUA medalist, as Baghdassarian brings a 200m butterfly bronze with him to the 2022 event. The third-year student from North York, Ont., majoring in chemical engineering and bioengineering, is among those men's team members looking to step onto the podium after a tough fourth-place finish overall in 2020.
The Guelph Gryphons will also be competing for a spot on the podium, with numerous U SPORTS qualifiers at their disposal. Among them is Abigail McDonald (Sudbury, Ont.), who despite competing in her first championship with the Gryphons this year, has previously taken on the tall task of conference competition with the Laurentian Voyageurs. Therein, she earned a bronze medal in the 100m butterfly, and is among the ones to watch this year across the discipline.
Fellow bronze medalists and co-captains Meaghan Kearney (East Gwillimbury, Ont.) and Ahmed El Maghawry (Alexandria, Egypt), meanwhile, are among the group's veteran members that will look to not only add to their previous medal haul, but spark continued success in the pool for Guelph as a whole, as they look to build on their top-five finishes overall from 2020.
Like Guelph, the Warriors witnessed top-five finishes from both of their 2020 teams, rounding out the leaderboard in that regard from the most recent provincial championships.
Perhaps no one represents the upward trajectory of the Waterloo men's team like third-year standout Lukas Wormald, who like his team, will eye continued success in the pool. The Waterloo, Ont. native began his university tenure by collecting rookie of the year honours in 2019, following two gold and one silver medal in his debut outing. He would follow that up with another trio of medals the next year, while also making the finals at each of the U SPORTS events in which he competed. The team captain is a self-driven individual and is hoping that drive carries him onto multiple podiums once again this year.
Wormald isn't the only Warrior to consistently collect the hardware; however, as fellow captain Eloise Ladyman, in her five years of competing at the OUA finale, has won a medal each time. The native of Kamloops, B.C. has also been part of a Warrior relay team that broke all five school records therein. Having served as captain for the last two years, the geological engineering major has been an inspiration for her younger Waterloo teammates, and even though the team's numbers may be smaller than previous years, Ladyman continues to spark great spirit and resilience for the black and gold.
From veterans to newcomers, many teams, including the Queen's Gaels, will see numerous student-athletes competing in their first banner season festivities this weekend. Even if they are stepping up to the blocks for the banner season debuts, the Kingston squad boasts plenty of depth in sprint freestylers and is bringing a well-rounded roster to Toronto that still features a couple seasoned veterans.
Among those freestyle standouts is Elise Laupland (Kamloops, B.C.), who is a consistent powerhouse in the mid-distance and IM events. She swam the most metres of any Queen's athlete at the 2020 OUA championships, scoring points in her individual races and helping set a team record in the 4x200m freestyle relay. The three-time academic all-star will graduate this spring and hopes to do so with another leading championship effort under her belt.
Team captain and fellow impending graduate Sophie Deasy has helped the team persevere through several unexpected barriers this season. Between the pool restrictions and change in coaches mid-season, the third-year psychology major from Collingwood, Ont. brought a positive attitude and important leadership to help the Gaels press on and re-focus. Also a three-time academic all-star, Deasy is excited to race in her final backstroke events this weekend.
Another team turning to their team captain both within and beyond the pool is the Brock Badgers, as Anthonie Korstanje (Beamsville, Ont.) is bringing skill in both regards to his fourth championship outing. The economics major is a two-time U SPORTS qualifier and Canadian Trials qualifier. Among his Badger teammates joining him at UofT's Varsity Pool this weekend is Uxbridge, Ont. native Jordyn Bandstra, who comes in as an OUA finalist as well.
With their sights set on improving on the previous season's results, the Carleton Ravens are hoping their roster depth helps them gain ground in 2022. Led by Cameron Teasdale on the men's side, the black birds have someone who is motivated and driven to help guide their efforts. The Stratford, Ont. native is the Carleton record-holder in the 50m breaststroke, 4x50m medley relay, and 4x50m free relay, with accomplishments such as these stemming in large part to the attitude and dedication that he demonstrates across practices and competitions.
The likes of Nathan Landry and Finn Tuck help to add to the Ravens' depth this weekend and much like the former, who is in his first year with the team, the women's team will also look to incoming swimmers to make their mark this weekend.
Josephine Streppel (Cambridge, Ont.) is among those first-year swimmers and has made quite the impact on the team already. Attending training sessions with positive attitude and ready for variety in her training, the health sciences major is always up for a challenge, which is what she will find against her conference counterparts this banner season. Another Carleton record-holder, she will eye similar success in the water this weekend. She will be joined, among others, by another Ravens rookie, Dina Egorov, as Carleton eyes a rise up the university ranks.
"This year, the team has come together extremely well and grown very close," said Lynn Murphy of the Ravens squad. "The team is super excited for the OUA Championships."
Also excited for the upcoming championships are the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, who boast an older women's squad looking for solid performances to properly punctuate a few OUA careers and a large crop of rookie men ready for their first taste of banner season.
This weekend's experience will be the launching pad for the youngsters looking to make their mark on the university swimming scene, including Kent Goni Avila (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Dylan Thomas (Vancouver, B.C.). The former is a rookie Hawks sprinter, who after returning from an extended health-related layoff, posted top-10 times in the 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle against some of the best in Canada. The latter, meanwhile, is a breaststroker and distance swimmer for the purple and gold, who has produced personal bests and top-10 times in the 100m and 200m events therein at a recent national-level meet.
The final of the 10 teams stepping up to the starting blocks this weekend is the York Lions, who also rounded out the team scoreboards at the 2020 finale.
The action-packed three days of competition hit the water on Thursday, March 10 at the University of Toronto's Varsity Pool. Six Racing will be broken up into six sessions throughout the championship schedule - two per day - with individual and relay champions being crowned throughout.
For those not in attendance at this weekend's finale, the 2022 OUA Swimming Championships can be seen live on oua.tv, cbcsports.ca, and the CBC Gem app.
2022 OUA Swimming Championships | Fan Guide | Tickets | Results
"For the Varsity Blues, we have a tremendous legacy of success at this meet," said head coach Byron MacDonald, "so it is up to the current squad to build on that championship-winning tradition".
The tradition has seen a streak of seven straight wins for the women's team and 17 on the men's side, and to add to those winning ways, the Blues will turn to, among others, a decorated university veteran and a first-year Olympian.
Third-year standout Aleksa Gold has proven she knows her way around the university pool, having won three gold medals (100 backstroke, 200m backstroke, 200m freestyle) and a silver (100 butterfly) at the 2020 OUA finale, taking a step up from her trio of second-place finishes the year prior. The Toronto, Ont. native continued her dominance at the national championships last time out as well, taking home five medals at the U SPORTS event to go along with her bronze medal from her first appearance therein.
The member of the Estonian national team will be among the favourites for multiple medals once again and will be joined by fellow Varsity Blues Gabriel Mastromatteo in that regard. The commerce major from Kenora, Ont. is entering his second year academically, but will swim in his first OUA championships this weekend. Competing on the big stage is nothing new for Mastromatteo, as he represented Canada at the 2020 Tokyo Games last summer, finishing 38th overall in the 100m breaststroke, seventh in the 4x100m relay, and 13th in the mixed 4x100m medley relay at the international gathering. The banner season newcomer also earned a silver and two bronze medals at the 2019 FINA World Junior Championships and competed in the 2019 FINAL World Championships as well.
Alongside these two standouts, the Blues swim team is excited to not only get back in the pool for an OUA championship following the cancellation of the event last season due to COVID-19, but host the event and swim in their home pool. Said MacDonald, "I love the OUA Championships. We get great swims from all the athletes from all teams. It's a very important meet and a highlight for many in their swim careers. Swimmers can have big breakthroughs at this meet and use that to propel their swim careers forward and for fond memories."
The last team on the women's side to claim victory other than Toronto, the Western Mustangs are hoping to create more of those fond memories with another championship push. Finishing with silver in 2020, along with a bronze-medal showing for the men's team, the London squad has what it takes to makes waves among the conference's elite, and they'll turn to one of the best in the business to anchor those efforts.
Sebastian Paulins has won just about everything throughout his previous four banner season outings, with his university medal haul totaling six gold, four silver, and seven bronze thus far. The record-holder in the men's 1,500m is poised to add to his already packed trophy case with another leading effort for the Mustangs men, and if it is anything like his most recent championship performance that saw him take home the OUA male swimmer of the meet and Dr. Jeno Tihanyi IM excellence award, the purple and white are in good hands this weekend.
More than just his own performance, however, the Brantford, Ont. native and social science major is thrilled for his entire team to get back in the pool. "I'm really looking forward to my first championship meet in over two years. OUAs is always a high energy meet and I'm really excited for the first-timers to experience it."
While Western does boast a number of first and second-year student-athletes that will finally have their chance to compete, returning championship medalist Megan Deering (Okotoks, Alta.) will be helping set the tone for the Mustangs women's contingent in her second banner season go-around. The team captain was a consistent presence in the individual finals at both the conference and national levels in 2020 and brought home plenty of hardware for her efforts, including first-place finishes in the 50m and 100m breaststroke. A leader among the team, Deering is looking for more of the same when she hits the Varsity Pool water this weekend.
Another set of familiar faces fighting for a podium spot are the most recent hosts from McMaster, who like their conference counterparts, are looking forward to getting the taste of championship competition once again. Fourth-year Marauder Emma Schlyter (Hamilton, Ont.) understands that being able to compete is a privilege that was up in the air as little as a month and a half ago; however, she is "excited to use this opportunity for everything it can offer" and knows "every other member of this team is as well".
Among those other team members who'll be giving it their all are Erin Anderson and Kevork Baghdassarian. The former, a second-year swimmer out of Hamilton, Ont., is one-of-a-kind. She scored a total of 47 points in 2020, placing in and amongst the top-10 across several individual events, while also picking up a pair of medals in the 400m medley relay and 800m free relay. As a teammate, the kinesiology major is among the most genuine, enthusiastic, and positive individuals anyone could ask for and lifts up everyone around her without ever thinking there could be a cost to herself.
The 2020-21 academic all-Canadian is joined by another former OUA medalist, as Baghdassarian brings a 200m butterfly bronze with him to the 2022 event. The third-year student from North York, Ont., majoring in chemical engineering and bioengineering, is among those men's team members looking to step onto the podium after a tough fourth-place finish overall in 2020.
The Guelph Gryphons will also be competing for a spot on the podium, with numerous U SPORTS qualifiers at their disposal. Among them is Abigail McDonald (Sudbury, Ont.), who despite competing in her first championship with the Gryphons this year, has previously taken on the tall task of conference competition with the Laurentian Voyageurs. Therein, she earned a bronze medal in the 100m butterfly, and is among the ones to watch this year across the discipline.
Fellow bronze medalists and co-captains Meaghan Kearney (East Gwillimbury, Ont.) and Ahmed El Maghawry (Alexandria, Egypt), meanwhile, are among the group's veteran members that will look to not only add to their previous medal haul, but spark continued success in the pool for Guelph as a whole, as they look to build on their top-five finishes overall from 2020.
Like Guelph, the Warriors witnessed top-five finishes from both of their 2020 teams, rounding out the leaderboard in that regard from the most recent provincial championships.
Perhaps no one represents the upward trajectory of the Waterloo men's team like third-year standout Lukas Wormald, who like his team, will eye continued success in the pool. The Waterloo, Ont. native began his university tenure by collecting rookie of the year honours in 2019, following two gold and one silver medal in his debut outing. He would follow that up with another trio of medals the next year, while also making the finals at each of the U SPORTS events in which he competed. The team captain is a self-driven individual and is hoping that drive carries him onto multiple podiums once again this year.
Wormald isn't the only Warrior to consistently collect the hardware; however, as fellow captain Eloise Ladyman, in her five years of competing at the OUA finale, has won a medal each time. The native of Kamloops, B.C. has also been part of a Warrior relay team that broke all five school records therein. Having served as captain for the last two years, the geological engineering major has been an inspiration for her younger Waterloo teammates, and even though the team's numbers may be smaller than previous years, Ladyman continues to spark great spirit and resilience for the black and gold.
From veterans to newcomers, many teams, including the Queen's Gaels, will see numerous student-athletes competing in their first banner season festivities this weekend. Even if they are stepping up to the blocks for the banner season debuts, the Kingston squad boasts plenty of depth in sprint freestylers and is bringing a well-rounded roster to Toronto that still features a couple seasoned veterans.
Among those freestyle standouts is Elise Laupland (Kamloops, B.C.), who is a consistent powerhouse in the mid-distance and IM events. She swam the most metres of any Queen's athlete at the 2020 OUA championships, scoring points in her individual races and helping set a team record in the 4x200m freestyle relay. The three-time academic all-star will graduate this spring and hopes to do so with another leading championship effort under her belt.
Team captain and fellow impending graduate Sophie Deasy has helped the team persevere through several unexpected barriers this season. Between the pool restrictions and change in coaches mid-season, the third-year psychology major from Collingwood, Ont. brought a positive attitude and important leadership to help the Gaels press on and re-focus. Also a three-time academic all-star, Deasy is excited to race in her final backstroke events this weekend.
Another team turning to their team captain both within and beyond the pool is the Brock Badgers, as Anthonie Korstanje (Beamsville, Ont.) is bringing skill in both regards to his fourth championship outing. The economics major is a two-time U SPORTS qualifier and Canadian Trials qualifier. Among his Badger teammates joining him at UofT's Varsity Pool this weekend is Uxbridge, Ont. native Jordyn Bandstra, who comes in as an OUA finalist as well.
With their sights set on improving on the previous season's results, the Carleton Ravens are hoping their roster depth helps them gain ground in 2022. Led by Cameron Teasdale on the men's side, the black birds have someone who is motivated and driven to help guide their efforts. The Stratford, Ont. native is the Carleton record-holder in the 50m breaststroke, 4x50m medley relay, and 4x50m free relay, with accomplishments such as these stemming in large part to the attitude and dedication that he demonstrates across practices and competitions.
The likes of Nathan Landry and Finn Tuck help to add to the Ravens' depth this weekend and much like the former, who is in his first year with the team, the women's team will also look to incoming swimmers to make their mark this weekend.
Josephine Streppel (Cambridge, Ont.) is among those first-year swimmers and has made quite the impact on the team already. Attending training sessions with positive attitude and ready for variety in her training, the health sciences major is always up for a challenge, which is what she will find against her conference counterparts this banner season. Another Carleton record-holder, she will eye similar success in the water this weekend. She will be joined, among others, by another Ravens rookie, Dina Egorov, as Carleton eyes a rise up the university ranks.
"This year, the team has come together extremely well and grown very close," said Lynn Murphy of the Ravens squad. "The team is super excited for the OUA Championships."
Also excited for the upcoming championships are the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, who boast an older women's squad looking for solid performances to properly punctuate a few OUA careers and a large crop of rookie men ready for their first taste of banner season.
This weekend's experience will be the launching pad for the youngsters looking to make their mark on the university swimming scene, including Kent Goni Avila (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Dylan Thomas (Vancouver, B.C.). The former is a rookie Hawks sprinter, who after returning from an extended health-related layoff, posted top-10 times in the 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle against some of the best in Canada. The latter, meanwhile, is a breaststroker and distance swimmer for the purple and gold, who has produced personal bests and top-10 times in the 100m and 200m events therein at a recent national-level meet.
The final of the 10 teams stepping up to the starting blocks this weekend is the York Lions, who also rounded out the team scoreboards at the 2020 finale.
The action-packed three days of competition hit the water on Thursday, March 10 at the University of Toronto's Varsity Pool. Six Racing will be broken up into six sessions throughout the championship schedule - two per day - with individual and relay champions being crowned throughout.
For those not in attendance at this weekend's finale, the 2022 OUA Swimming Championships can be seen live on oua.tv, cbcsports.ca, and the CBC Gem app.
