Banner Season: Badgers earn seventh straight banner sweep at 2023 OUA finale
Hamilton, Ont. (via McMaster Marauders) – The Brock women’s and men’s wrestling teams put on another impressive performance on the mats to extend their team title sweep to seven at Burridge Gymnasium in Hamilton on Saturday February 11th.
With 19 wrestlers across women’s and men’s weight classes, the Badgers earned nine gold medals on the day. Mia Friesen, Vanessa Keefe, Shauna Kuebeck and Brianna Fraser topped the podium for the women’s team, while for the men, it was Carlos Vargas, Bobby Narwal, Max Budgey and Roger Li earning gold medals.
Despite the Badgers topping the competition once again, the separation between the top two teams in the OUA has narrowed. In the women’s team title race, the host McMaster Marauders were just two points back of Brock, while 11 points separated the gold medalist Badgers and runner-up Marauders on the men’s side. Both squads brought home an identical 14 medals overall.
The Western Mustangs, meanwhile, rounded out both podiums with a sweep of the bronze medals.
McMaster’s Serena Di Bennedetto picked up double accolades in her inaugural OUA Championships as both the women’s rookie of the year and the women’s outstanding wrestler of the year. Treye Trotman was also a double award winner on the men’s side for the Western Mustangs, having earn the same nods on the men’s side. Faith Telford of the Mustangs and Queen’s Gael, Kenna Winget, received the Student-Athlete Community Service Awards for the year.
Brock’s Marty Calder was named the 2023 Men’s Coach of the Year while it was the maroon and grey’s Ahmed Shamiya who earned the 2023 Women’s Coach of the Year honour.
The OUA’s top wrestlers will head to Edmonton in two weeks for the U SPORTS Wrestling Championship.
TEAM STANDINGS
Women
GOLD – Brock Badgers – 74
SILVER– McMaster Marauders – 72
BRONZE – Western Mustangs – 45
Guelph Gryphons – 44
Lakehead Thunderwolves – 18
Queen’s Gaels – 16
Algoma Thunderbirds – 14
York Lions – 8
Carleton Ravens – 6
Toronto Varsity Blues – 5
Men
GOLD – Brock Badgers – 77
SILVER – McMaster Marauders – 66
BRONZE – Western Mustangs – 48
Lakehead Thunderwolves – 46
Guelph Gryphons – 31
TMU Bold – 28
Carleton Ravens – 27
Toronto Varsity Blues – 21
York Lions – 14
Algoma Thunderbirds – 13
Queen’s Gaels – 10
MAJOR AWARD WINNERS
Outstanding Female Wrestler – Serena Di Bennedetto, McMaster
Outstanding Male Wrestler – Treye Trotman, Western
Female Rookie of the Year – Serena Di Bennedetto, McMaster
Male Rookie of the Year – Treye Trotman, Western
Women’s Coach of the Year – Ahmed Shamiya, McMaster
Men’s Coach of the Year – Marty Calder, Brock
Student-Athlete Community Service Awards – Faith Telford, Western & Kenna Winget, Queen’s
2023 WOMEN'S MEDALISTS
50kg
Gold – Kelyn Young, Guelph
Silver – Ligaya Stinellis, McMaster
Bronze – Jess Hong, Carleton
53kg
Gold – Serena Di Bennedetto, McMaster
Silver – Daina Armstrong, Brock
Bronze – Kendall Dettloff, Western
56kg
Gold – Mia Friesen, Brock
Macy Malysiak, McMaster
Jayden Sparks, Guelph
59kg
Gold – Amy Bellavia, McMaster
Silver – Bronwyn Macgregor, Brock
Bronze – Rebecca Redlich, Guelph
63kg
Gold – Ella Doornaert, Western
Silver – Erin Clayton, Lakehead
Bronze – Lauren Chew, Guelph
67kg
Gold – Simi Jayeoba, McMaster
Silver – Samantha Adams, Brock
Bronze – Emily Younghans, Guelph
72kg
Gold – Vanessa Keefe, Brock
Silver – Faith Telford, Western
Bronze – Natalie Vecchio, McMaster
76kg
Gold - Shauna Kuebeck, Brock
Silver – Tehani Blais, McMaster
Bronze – Jenna Lawrence, Western
82kg
Gold – Brianna Fraser, Brock
Silver – Vanessa Fonrose, McMaster
Bronze – Marthe Laplante-Brady, Queen’s
2023 MEN'S MEDALISTS
57kg
Gold – Treye Trotman, Western
Silver – Francesco Fortino, McMaster
Bronze – Dechlan Papadopoulos, TMU
61kg
Gold – Ziad Saif El Nasr, Carleton
Silver – Gianluca Fortino, McMaster
Bronze – Gavin Eldridge, Western
65kg
Gold – Hassan Al-Hayawi, Western
Silver – Mike Zale, Lakehead
Bronze – Gabe Blanchette, Brock
68kg
Gold – Carlos Vargas, Brock
Silver – Luken Lawson, McMaster
Bronze – Jerryd McLeod, Toronto
72kg
Gold – Bobby Narwal, Brock
Silver – Abraham Ntienjem, Lakehead
Bronze – Alex Harris, McMaster
76kg
Gold – Max Budgey, Brock
Silver – Mateo Anisi, Lakehead
Bronze – Samey Al Beajan, Carleton
82kg
Gold – Lukas Geske, Western
Silver – Jordan Wylie, Brock
Bronze – Baljot Mangat, Guelph
90kg
Gold – Howard Moffat, McMaster
Silver – Arjun Cheema, TMU
Bronze – Ryan Barney, Lakehead
100kg
Gold – Kyle Price, Algoma
Silver – Callum Knox, Brock
Bronze – John Campbell, Lakehead
125kg
Gold – Roger Li, Brock
Silver – Karanveer Mahil, McMaster
Bronze – Ravkeerut Chahal, York
