Banner Season: Badgers bringing bountiful wrestling history to Hamilton for championship finale

Burlington, Ont. – Since 2016, no team other than the Brock Badgers has mastered the provincial mats, and the reigning title holders will make the trek to Hamilton, Ont. in an attempt to maintain their dominance at the conference level. That opportunity will come at the 2023 OUA Wrestling Championships, alongside the rest of the province’s top varsity wrestlers, on Saturday, February 11 at McMaster’s Burridge Gymnasium, with all teams hope to pin down the coveted conference crowns.

Championship Details

When: Saturday, February 11
Where: Burridge Gymnasium (McMaster University)
Participating Schools (11): Algoma Thunderbirds, Brock Badgers, Carleton Ravens, Guelph Gryphons, Lakehead Thunderwolves, McMaster Marauders (host), Queen’s Gaels, Toronto Varsity Blues, TMU Bold, Western Mustangs, York Lions
Defending Champions: Brock Badgers (W); Brock Badgers (M)

Student-Athletes to Watch:

Tristan Cako, Guelph Gryphons | Competing in the 57kg discipline, Cako is looking to master the mats at his first OUA Championships. The landscape architecture student from Guelph, Ont. has already put himself on course to do just that, as he has made himself at home at the varsity level thus far. Cako has collected four podium finishes entering the provincial finale, including silver medals at the TMU Open, Guelph Open, and Brock Open, respectively.

Arjun Cheema, TMU Bold | Cheema finished fifth at last year’s OUA Championships and is looking to improve on that result this time around. To do so, the Brampton, Ont. native studying business management can turn to his recent success at the Western Invitational, wherein he captured the gold medal in the 90kg category.

Erin Clayton, Lakehead Thunderwolves | After placing second at a higher weight last year, needing to wrestle up due to Lakehead having the OUA champion at 63kg, Clayton has dropped back down to her optimal weight to contend for a gold medal of her own this weekend.

Serena Di Benedetto, McMaster Marauders | In her first year as a McMaster student-athlete, Di Benedetto has been nothing short of dominant. Competing in the 50kg class, the first-year humanities student has collect four gold medals in her inaugural varsity campaign and has yet to lose to another university competitor. At the club level, the Hamilton, Ont. local represented the Jr. Marauders, winning the 2018 national championship in Edmonton and the 2019 national championship in New Brunswick. This past summer, she also represented the Canadian Junior National team at both the Jr. Pan-American Championships and the Junior World Championships, while also earning a gold medal at the Canada Summer Games.

Emily Duchesne, Algoma Thunderbirds | Duchesne, who is currently ranked third in the U SPORTS rankings in the 50kg discipline, has been effective in competition this season, but has also gone beyond the mats to make an impact in the sport. As a coach, the senior from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. has made a huge impact on youth, leading by example while balancing school and athletics.

Mia Friesen, Brock Badgers | A key member of the defending champion Badgers, Friesen captured silver in her 59kg event and was named OUA rookie of the year in 2022. Back on the mat looking to help extend the team’s conference winning streak, she has put together another strong campaign, with a trio of podium finishes (1st at Guelph Open; 2nd at Western Open and Brock Open) to her name. This past summer, the St. Catharines, Ont. local also represented Team Canada at the 2022 Junior Pan-American Championships in Mexico after taking first place in the junior women’s 59kg competition during the Canadian Wrestling Trials.

Jessica Hong, Carleton Ravens | Previously wrestling with the National Capital Wrestling Club during high school, Hong is a two-time OFSAA champion, four-time provincial champion, junior national champion, and OUA silver medalist with Lakehead in 2019. The biomedical mechanical engineering student from Ottawa, Ont. moved back to her hometown to pursue her degree and is the current student president of the Ravens Wrestling Club.

Karanveer Mahil, McMaster Marauders | A first-year wrestler from Surrey, B.C., Mahil is another McMaster rookie with an impressive resumé. In his debut with the maroon and grey, the social sciences student has topped the podium in each of his three appearances. Prior to arriving in Hamilton, Mahil won gold at the BCSSWA Provincial Championship in both 2020 and 2022. Representing Takedown Academy, Mahil won silver at the Canada Wrestling Junior World Trials in 2022, going on to become a gold medalist at the Canada Wrestling National Championship. This past summer, the varsity newcomer also picked up a gold medal at the Canada Summer Games in the 120kg class.

Bobby Narwal, Brock Badgers | A key part of the 2022 OUA championship-winning team after claiming gold in the 72kg event, Narwal is a veteran team captain with the Badgers men as they look to extend their current streak of six straight provincial banners. Primarily competing at 72kg once again this season, the Etobicoke, Ont. wrestler has impressed once again, earning a first-place result at the York Open, scoring second-place finishes at the TMU Open and Brock Open, and finishing fifth at the 2022 Ontario Seniors in the 74kg category.

Dechlan Papadopoulos, TMU Bold | A first-year member of the Bold, Papadopoulos won the gold medal at the Western Invitational earlier this season in the men’s 57kg weight class, and he will be eyeing similar success when he faces off on his first banner season backdrop.

Kyle Price, Algoma Thunderbirds | Price has made a major comeback since 2019. Competing now at 100kg, the Montreal, Que. native has placed first at his last two meets this season and enters the OUA finale ranked third nationally in the discipline.

Kirti Saxena, Toronto Varsity Blues | Second-year mechanical engineering major Saxena will be the lone Toronto representative in women’s action. The Mississauga, Ont. native will compete in the 59kg category. Saxena, who represented Canada at the 2022 U23 World Wrestling Championships, earned a fifth-place finish in the 59kg class at the 2020 championships.

Aden Schaefer, Carleton Ravens | Schaefer started wrestling in his senior year of high school and proceeded to go undefeated en route to winning the year-end school board tournament. The first-year Raven studying aerospace engineering previously wrestled with the Woodstock Wrestling Club, traveling to compete in Prince Edward Island and Edmonton. He was also nominated for a school board wide athletic award before coming to Carleton.

Pratham Singh, Toronto Varsity Blues | Singh, a PhD candidate in kinesiology, is the lone male Varsity Blue with previous OUA experience. The Guelph, Ont. product, who also competed for the Gryphons at the 2013 event, will look to improve upon last year’s fifth-place finish in the men’s 76kg category.

Faith Telford, Western Mustangs | Telford has produced a terrific season for the Mustangs as a fourth-year senior. Her commitment and dedication to improving has paid off on the mats, as the London, Ont. local has won four tournaments heading into the OUA Championships. With her string of wins in tow, the kinesiology major will be looking to improve on her fifth-place finish from last year’s OUA finale and help her side move up the podium.

Treye Trotman, Western Mustangs | Trotman was last year’s junior national champion and placed third at the Junior Pan-American Championships. He has continued to turn heads in his foray onto the varsity scene as well, as in his first year with Western, the BMOS student has yet to be defeated heading into the conference’s final weekend of action.

Kelyn Young, Guelph Gryphons | Young joins the Gryphons as a transfer from the University of Alberta. In his first season with Guelph, the Brampton, Ont. product claimed second-place finishes at the York Open and Western Invitational, while also topping the field in the 50kg weight class at the Brock Open. The psychology student was also named a U SPORTS athlete of the week last month.

Michael Zale, Lakehead Thunderwolves | Entering his third OUA Championships showing, Zale is hoping to repeat as provincial champion. The winner in the 65kg discipline in 2022 is poised for continued success for the Thunderwolves this season and is looking to extend that golden vibe into a win at the national level as well.

Storylines to Keep an Eye On:

Currently the top-ranked OUA team in the U SPORTS ranking, the Brock women come into the weekend with incredible expectations, but with a strong returning core from last year’s championship team, they will look to repeat the success of a year ago. Likewise, the Badgers men are another perennial banner contender and bare the weight of being the top-ranked team in the country. They will rely on veteran savvy from the likes of team captains Narwal and Max Budgey, while also looking to the depth of fellow returnees from their 2022 championship team.

With the first year of Ravens wrestling at OUAs, the women’s team is looking to get off on the right foot and make the start of the team’s run a historical one. The men’s team is also excited to represent Carleton and showcase their hard work throughout their season. With a team of mixed levels, they are looking forward to making history as the first ever men’s Ravens wrestling team.

Both Lakehead teams finished a solid fourth a year ago, but both are eyeing more this weekend. With a smaller group heading into Hamilton, the Lakehead women are looking to get all of their athletes through the provincial competition and onto the national stage, while the eighth-ranked men’s side are striving to step onto the overall podium for a team medal this time around.

After topping the competition to start the 2022-23 invitational season, the Marauders will now look to come out on top in front of a home crowd as the host of the 2023 OUA Wrestling Championships. The reigning OUA silver medalists on both the men’s and women’s side are hoping to hoist the hardware on their home mats. The women’s roster has several familiar names with some new additions. Veteran leadership will come from the likes of 2022 medalists Simi Jayeoba and Ligaya Stinellis, and with half of the roster landing on the podium this season, the well-rounded team is poised to showcase their depth. The Mac men also have talent across all weight classes, with veterans and rookies making strong contributions, but they will enter the finale without the reigning OUA most outstanding wrestler, who graduated after last season.

The Bold will have one wrestler competing in each of the men’s weight classes this weekend, which is a first for the team. TMU’s goal is to have a pair of wrestlers make their way on the podium from that contingent, with their provincial medals also leading them into an opportunity on the national stage.

What They’re Saying:

“Although I had a late start to the season, I feel like practices and competitions have come together really well for me. I had some areas I needed to work on at the beginning of the season and some injuries I felt were holding me back, but now I’m prepared and ready to represent the team properly.” – Kyle Price, Student-Athlete, Algoma Thunderbirds

“Being able to balance my fourth-year social work placement with varsity athletics has let me feel prepared mentally, something that I usually haven’t experienced. The team has been putting in a lot of time on the mats and off the mats this season, and we are all set to have a good showing at the OUA Championships.” – Emily Duchesne, Student-Athlete, Algoma Thunderbirds

“[The Brock men’s team] has worked diligently and consistently to compete in an honourable way at this year’s OUA Championships.” – Marty Calder, Head Coach, Brock Badgers

“We have a young [women’s] team that has been working towards being the best they can be, and we are looking forward to competing against the best teams in the province on Saturday.” – Dave Collie, Assistant Coach, Brock Badgers

“At the upcoming OUA Championships, I am looking forward to the opportunity to compete as a team. Usually, when we wrestle, our performance only contributes to ourselves. For OUAs, how we do ultimately contributes to winning team titles. This introduces more excitement than any other tournament we compete in. I can’t wait to lose my voice, cheering and watching my teammates as they experience the payoff of the hard work put into this season.” – Ella Doornaert, Student-Athlete, Western Mustangs

“Our team is looking forward to competing at the OUA Championships. The team has worked hard this season and is looking forward to testing themselves against the best in the OUA. The coaching staff is proud of the commitment and effort the athletes have put in. We are focused on each athlete wrestling their best, and if that happens, we are confident that the results will be favourable.” – Scott Proctor, Head Coach, Western Mustangs