Banner Season: Badgers wrestling to bring banner-sweeping streak to eight in Sault Ste. Marie
Burlington, Ont. – With a chance to make history on the mats, 11 wrestling teams will head up north to navigate a talent-laden field of conference competitors at the 2024 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Wrestling Championships. The Brock Badgers have done so successfully of late, capturing both provincial prizes for the past seven years, and they’ll look to bring that streak to eight when matches get underway at the George Leach Centre on Saturday, February 10th.
Championship Details:
When: Saturday, February 10
Where: George Leach Centre
Participating Schools (11): Algoma Thunderbirds (host), Brock Badgers, Carleton Ravens, Guelph Gryphons, Lakehead Thunderwolves, McMaster Marauders, Queen’s Gaels, Toronto Varsity Blues, TMU Bold, Western Mustangs, York Lions
Watch: oua.tv / cbcsports.ca / CBC Gem
Defending Champions: Brock Badgers (W), Brock Badgers (M)
Student-Athletes to Watch:
Serena Di Benedetto, McMaster Marauders | The reigning OUA gold medalist in the 53kg class is looking to build on her impressive resume after being named the OUA rookie of the year as well as outstanding wrestler of the year in 2023. She carried that success all the way to a silver-medal showing in her first U SPORTS Championships and hasn’t slowed down since. The Hamilton, Ont. local will challenge for an OUA title once again this weekend and will lead the way for the Marauder women.
Ella Doornaert, Western Mustangs | A PhD candidate in neuroscience, Doornaert is one of the captains of the Western team. Her skill on the mat has sparked phenomenal success throughout her varsity career, which includes a gold medal in 62kg a year ago. The five-time academic all-Canadian from Windsor, Ont. is looking to continue shining as brightly on the mats as she does in the classroom.
Francesco Fortino, Toronto Varsity Blues | An OUA veteran, Fortino comes to the Blues after several years competing with McMaster. The Hamilton, Ont. product will be Toronto’s top contender on the men’s side of the draw, especially given his pedigree as a multi-time medalist – claiming silver in 2023, gold in 2022, and bronze in both 2020 and 2019.
Mia Friesen, Brock Badgers | Friesen, a member of the senior national team, has made a quick mark on the varsity wrestling scene. The RBC Training Ground finalist and silver medalist at the Canadian Team Trials this past December was named the OUA’s rookie of the year in 2022, following a silver medal performance that year, and backed it up with a gold medal win a year ago.
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. She doubled her hardware collection in 2023 with a bronze medal for the Ravens, and the current president of the Ravens Wrestling Club is poised for continued success in 2024.
Bobby Narwal, Brock Badgers | A veteran and leader of the Brock squad, the fifth-year senior has been tough to beat on the mats over the course of his tenure with the Badgers. In 2020, Narwal earned silver in the 72kg class, and since then has stepped up for a pair of golds in the category. The Etobicoke, Ont. native will be fighting for the three-peat up north.
Stephan Niron, York Lions | Niron has been one of the Lions’ most consistent wrestlers over his time at York. He was a bronze medalist at the 2022 and 2024 Western Open, and represented the Lions at the 2023 U SPORTS Championships in Edmonton. Niron is one of three men’s wrestlers to graduate from York this year and will be looking to end his varsity tenure on a high note this weekend.
Dechlan Papadopoulos, TMU Bold | Last year’s bronze medalist in the 57kg division at the OUA Championships, Papadopoulos has successfully navigated fields all season long to find himself in four invitational championship matches. And after bringing home bronze both provincially and nationally in his 2023 rookie campaign, the geographic analysis student is looking to step onto the podium again at the George Leach Centre.
Kyle Price, Algoma Thunderbirds | The host squad will bring a medal favourite to the George Leach Centre mats on Saturday, as Price enters the OUA Championships as the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 90kg. Following his gold medal triumph a year ago at 100kg, the English major from Montreal, Que. is looking to double down with another podium-topping performance.
Treye Trotman, Western Mustangs | Trotman is the defending OUA and U SPORTS champion at the 57kg, an impressive feat to put a feather in the cap of his rookie season. In his first year, the London, Ont. local was named OUA MVP and U SPORTS rookie of the year, in addition to being named an academic all-Canadian. This season, Trotman enters the OUA Championships having gone undefeated against all of his national opponents.
Kelyn Young, Guelph Gryphons | Young made her mark on the mats in her first banner season outing, taking home top spot in the 50kg class. The accolades didn’t stop there; however, as the Brampton, Ont. wrestler also represented Canada at the 2023 U23 World Wrestling Championships in October, and placed first at the UofT Invitational earlier this season.
Storylines to Keep an Eye On:
Kyle Price remains the one to watch for Algoma, but some rookie wrestling for the host Algoma Thunderbirds will look to have a starring role in their debut banner season efforts as well. The mix of returning athletes and newcomers has performed well for the Sault Ste. Marie squad this season and the team is excited about what they will bring to the championship stage.
Like years past, both the Brock women’s and men’s contingent have their sights set on gold against their conference competitors. The women’s group boasts wrestlers who gained experienced at the Canadian Trials, while the men have a pool of veterans with plenty of OUA medal experience. Combine those groups with an impressive influx of rookies, like Francesca Lo Greco and Yazdan Farokhizad, and the reigning champions are confident in their ability to grab gold once again.
Both Guelph Gryphons squads have had strong seasons leading up to the OUA Championships and have seen solid progression week over week. Now, they are looking to capitalize in the biggest weekend thus far, poised to get some young student-athletes to the provincial podium.
The McMaster Marauders women's wrestling team has made massive improvements to the program in recent years and have the 2023 OUA silver medals as proof of their skill. The team is constantly looking to improve and strive to be better than they were yesterday. After narrowly missing out on the provincial title last season, the Marauders are ready to contend for top spot. The same aspirations are seen for the Marauder men. The silver medalists from last year have a chip on their shoulders and will without a doubt leave it all on the mats in pursuit of the championship banner.
With one of their deepest rosters in recent years, Toronto’s men’s team are intent on improving their team result from a season ago. The women’s side, meanwhile, brings a smaller contingent to Sault Ste. Marie, but are aiming for individual success in each of their respective weight classes with the chance to potentially compete on the national stage in March.
Looking to improve on last season’s sixth-place finish, the TMU Bold men will be represented in nine of the 10 weight classes, entering championship weekend with the goal to have two wrestlers medal and qualify for the national finale.
It's a period of rebuilding for the York Lions, with many student-athletes joining as walk-ons. Led by Erin Corrado, the women’s team has made impressive strides, and despite being in a rebuilding phase, have earned a national top 10 ranking in each of the last two weeks. The men underwent a significant adjustment to a new system, but their resilience shone through. Despite facing unfamiliar challenges, their attitude and culture transformed over the year, promising a bright future.
What They’re Saying:
“This is a great moment for not only our team but the wrestling community here in the Sault. Our last hosted event was the U SPORTS Championships in 2018. I am looking forward to seeing this dynamic team on the mats at our own school, so that students, staff, and the city can see the hard work and dedication each of these athletes have put into their sport.” - Algoma Thunderbirds
“We have strong opponents, and we know we’re going to be challenged. This year, the OUA Championships are going to present us with a great opportunity and we’re looking forward to stepping on the mat and putting it all on the line.” - Marty Calder, Brock Badgers, Head Coach
“I'm most looking forward to competing alongside my teammates who've also put in the work this season. As we make our 2nd ever appearance in the OUA for Ravens Wrestling, I hope to make it memorable and to continue shaping history for future Ravens wrestlers.” – Jessica Hong, Student-Athlete, Carleton Ravens
“We are very excited about this weekend. We are young on both the men’s and women’s side, but we have some great leadership in Simon Chaves and Keylyn Young. With a team this young, you do not always know what you are going to get, but we are hoping to get as many athletes as possible through to the U SPORTS Championships. We have had some great performances throughout the year and have been building as the year progresses so we are hoping that will carry over to the weekend. With OUAs being just a one-day event, there will be lots of excitement so hopefully we can use that to start strong and keep it going all day.” - Doug Cox, Head Coach, Guelph Gryphons
“Our focus is to go out there and give everything we have, leave no stone unturned, leaving it all on the mats. That's all we can ask for from our student-athletes and ultimately, I am confident that it will be more than enough.” - Ahmed Shamiya, Head Coach, McMaster Marauders
“We are entering the OUA Championships with solid men’s and women’s teams. We have a nice combination of wrestlers competing in their first championships and veterans who have been here before. The coaching staff is excited to see the wrestlers compete and showcase the tremendous hard work and dedication they have demonstrated throughout this season. We are looking at placing both teams on the podium along with several individual champions.” – Scott Proctor, Head Coach, Western Mustangs
“This season, our mantra has been ‘grit over everything’, emphasizing bravery in the face of adversity and fearlessness in competition. This ethos embodies our new team culture. As we approach the OUA Championships, we've prepared diligently, and now we're ready to embrace whatever challenges come our way. Win or lose, I'm immensely proud to coach this dedicated team at York University.” – Bernard Sanchez, Head Coach, York Lions