Banner Season: Returning Mustangs medalists hoping to skate to back-to-back OUA titles
Burlington, Ont. – After taking down the six-time defending champions and the rest of their conference competitors a year ago, the Western Mustangs are looking to double down this week. With seven returning medalists making their way to Canada Games Park from March 5th to 6th, it will be an experienced collection of skaters leading the way for the London squad against a talented field at the 2024 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Figure Skating Championship.
Championship Details:
When: Tuesday, March 5th to Wednesday, March 6th, 2024
Where: Canada Games Park
Participating Teams (10): Brock Badgers (host), Carleton Ravens, Guelph Gryphons, McMaster Marauders, Queen’s Gaels, Toronto Varsity Blues, TMU Bold, Waterloo Warriors, Western Mustangs, York Lions
Past Champions: Western Mustangs
Student-Athletes to Watch:
Rebecca Brown, Waterloo Warriors | Brown won several awards in 2023, including silver in the Gold Solo Dance, third in the Open Rhythm Dance, and third and in the Dance Fours at the OUA Championship. They were also named rookie of the year for the Warriors figure skating team and were a Marsden Trophy nominee in the same year. Heading into the 2024 festivities, the psychology student from Waterloo, Ont. will once again be set to compete in multiple events for the black and gold.
Lily Carbray, McMaster Marauders | Carbray is in her second year with the Marauders, but has had a passion for the sport since she was four years old. She is looking forward to competing in her second OUA Championship and is looking to capture a medal in the freeskate fours in back-to-back years, as well as score a personal best with her rookie partner Logan French in Star 10 Couple Dance. The Cambridge, Ont. local is considered a triple threat, as she competes in freeskate, dance, and synchro.
Alyssa Cross, Brock Badgers | An example-setter on and off the ice, the Badgers’ assistant captain is hoping to turn her work ethic into another podium finish at the OUA finale. A year ago, the Bedford, N.S. native finished third in the novice short program, and as she prepares to take part in her third provincial championship, Cross will once again look to lead the way for the hosts.
Emily Erner & Julia Wallace, TMU Bold | Together, Erner and Wallace will skate in the Intermediate Couples Pairs, and the dynamic duo has worked hard this season to find their beat. In a program packed with six jump elements and three spins, Erner and Wallace have expanded their skill set as athletes. Together, they plan, practice, adjust, and deliver, with the former showcasing great commitment and consistency in her first year of eligibility, and the latter refining her technique, power, and speed after skating to a team-best eighth place finish at last year’s final.
Olivia Farrow, Guelph Gryphons | Bringing a decorated, veteran presence to the championship stage is as good a starting point as any for this week’s competitors, and Farrow offers just that for the Gryphons. The human kinetics major has made herself at home on the conference podium in the past, including two gold medals and a silver at the 2023 finale, and she will hope to leave St. Catharines with even more hardware around her neck.
Hannah Gray, Western Mustangs | After playing a starring role for Western at last year’s banner season festivities, Gray is back for more in 2024. She was part of the gold medal Pairs Fours and earned a silver medal in Senior Similar Pairs, and with the kinesiology major from Thorndale, Ont. set to compete in a trio of events this year, the expectation to add to her OUA medal haul is certainly there.
Katelyn Pavlidis, Toronto Varsity Blues | A third-year veteran for the Varsity Blues, Pavlidis finished first overall in the Star 10 Solo at the Brock Invitational in December, but also brings a winning banner season track record to this year’s championship. Last season,, the earth science major from Mississauga, Ont. won gold at the OUA event in the Star 8-9 Dance and silver in the Star 10 Solo, while in her debut championship in 2021, she earned gold in Freeskate Four.
Colleen Tordoff, Queen’s Gaels | Tordoff, who began skating at the age of eight, was inspired to get into the sport by watching skaters at the local community centre and by her mother who is a triple gold test skater. She is a four-year veteran of the Queen’s squad, assuming the role of team captain for the past two seasons. The Aurora, Ont. skater has an extensive competitive history, having competed at the provincial and national levels in junior ice dance. At the OUA level, meanwhile, she has a gold and bronze medal to her name, which she will look to add to at this year’s conference finale, where she will be competing in four events – women’s gold solo dance, open rhythm dance, dance fours, and synchro.
Storylines to Keep an Eye On:
The Brock Badgers may be welcoming the figure skating field to Canada Games Park this week, but they are also keeping the focus on themselves and their performances come competition time. The hosts have set the goal of reaching personal best performances over the next two days, and doing so on home ice would be the icing on the cake.
This season, the McMaster Marauders finished third overall at the Fall Invitational hosted by Brock, earning two gold medals in the gold men’s and senior pair, respectively,, a silver in gold artistic, and a bronze in the gold women. In the latter, McMaster will be turning to rookie Amanda Tobin this week. The 2023 sectional champion and Skate Canada Challenge silver medalist has her eye on a gold medal therein, and as a whole, she is one of many Marauders hoping to help the team return home with some more hardware to close out the season.
The 2023-24 edition of the Queen’s Gaels is comprised of 10 veterans and 10 rookies. Their competitive season began with the Brock Invitational back in December, with the team placing sixth overall and earning three podium finishes therein. All of the team’s participants, including those previous medal winners Zander Neilsen (open gold artistic), Jaime Gabbard (novice short program), and Colleen Tordoff (gold solo dance), are excited to display personal best performances at the upcoming OUA Championship.
Toronto saw their six-year winning streak snapped at the 2023 OUA Figure Skating Championship, but they have their sights set on starting a new streak this week in St. Catharines. The Blues will have reason to be optimistic that they can achieve that 10th provincial title in program history, as they are coming off of a successful fall semester that saw them place first overall at the Brock Invitational.
The TMU Bold come into this year’s championship in a rebuilding phase. This season has been about purpose and establishing a strong foundation they can continue to build upon in upcoming years. At this season’s OUA Championship, the intention is to show up together, stay connected to the energy and joy, and with that momentum, perform their events to the best of their abilities.
When the Waterloo Warriors team begin training back in September, they immediately knew this was going to be a season to remember. The team trained rigorously on and off the ice leading up to the Brock Fall Invitational, where their hard work paid off with a fourth-place finish, just five points shy of the podium. Since then, the team has been training harder than ever before in anticipation of their return to Canada Games Park. At the 2024 championship, the Warriors are excited to debut new Open Rhythm Dance, Freeskate Fours, and Synchro programs that they expect to captivate the judges.
For a team looking to defend a championship, seeing seven medalists return to the ice is certainly a step in the right direction. That will be the case for the 2023 banner-winning Western Mustangs, who will rely on their experienced group of student-athletes to help them earn back-to-back conference titles.
What They’re Saying:
“We are so excited to perform on home ice while hosting this year’s OUA Championship. This young team will be debuting multiple new programs this competition. The dedication each skater gives is unmatched and we are looking forward to seeing many improvements made from the Brock Fall Invitational.” – Emily McCarthy, Head Coach, Brock Badgers
“This OUA Championship should be exciting. We have a good chance at medaling if we perform like we’ve been practicing. It’s been a little bit of a rocky road with injuries this season, but the team has been working hard and alternates have stepped up to the challenge, so I couldn’t be prouder of my teammates. We have a strong set of rookies that are making excellent contributions as well, so I’m looking forward to next week.” – Rian Cocchetto, Student-Athlete, McMaster Marauders
“The team’s motto is: the will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win.” – Queen’s Gaels
“I’m really proud of our team’s accomplishments and perseverance on and off the ice that got us to the point we are at now. Every one of my teammates have been nothing but inspiring and motivating. I am super excited that we are able to compete and showcase all our hard work throughout this season at OUAs.” – Hailey O’Brien, Student-Athlete, TMU Bold
“Being on the UW team over the past five years has shown me that I can still improve and push myself. And I’ve done so solely due to the environment we have on our team and my coaches and teammates. Being on this team helped rekindle my passion and love for this sport.” – Darshak Patel, Student-Athlete, Waterloo Warriors
“With many returning athletes and strong leadership from our veterans, the team is focused on the end game and looking to have personal best skates at the upcoming championship.” – Alma Moir, Head Coach, Western Mustangs