Varsity Update - February 22, 2010
OCAA Curling
Jenna Harrington's rink from Mohawk College was clearly the class of the field in capturing the women's title at the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association Curling Championships in Sault Ste. Marie February 18-21. The Mountaineers didn't lose a game en route to the gold medal at the Soo Curlers Club. They went through the round robin with a 6-0 record to earn a bye to the final, where they downed the Confederation Thunderhawks of Thunder Bay 8-3. Other members of the winning team included vice Jennifer Montgomery, second Christine Moore, lead Kendra Corbett and alternate Sarah McFarlane. The Mountaineers' coach is Barry Macklin.
The Mohawk men's team, skipped by Patrick Adams, just failed to make the playoffs, losing a tiebreaker to Niagara. However, the Adams rink didn't go home empty handed as it won the Jim Martin Fair Play Award. Other members of the rink were James Maslen, Matt Kimber, Andrew Santaguida and alternate Joel Firmin.
Mohawk's mixed team, skipped by Nevin Breedon, failed to make it to medal play. Other members of the rink were Lauren Pyke, Mike Watson, Julia McQueen and alternate McFarlane, who got to play a game as well.
OCAA Badminton
The Mohawk women's doubles team of Ashley Payne and Kathleen Manson battled hard, but dropped their bronze medal match to Boreal of Sudbury in the OCAA Badminton Championships in Windsor last weekend. The men's doubles team from Mohawk, Chris Hong and Mohammed Nazimuddin, did not make the medal round, but will be back next season.
Playoff Volleyball
Mohawk's men's and women's teams both earned berths in the OCAA Volleyball Championships February 25-27. The teams finished off the regular season February 17 at home. The men rallied to defeat Fanshawe 25-27, 25-17, 25-19, 25-21. Cameron Henschel had 12 kills, two aces and six blocks, while Mo Sulaiman had 16 kills, two aces and one block for the Mountaineers, who finished 10-6 in the West Region. It was an emotional final match coaching Mohawk for James Bradley, who has turned the reins over to one of his former star players, Matt Schnarr. Bradley coached the team for seven years, posting an amazing regular season record of 70-10. He won two OCAA gold medals, one silver and one bronze, as well as a Canadian Colleges Athletic Association bronze medal. Bradley, who was OCAA Coach of the Year in 2003-'04, coached four All-Canadians. The Mountaineers moved on to a qualifying playoff match at the Fennell Gymnasium February 20 and defeated the Trent University Excalibur from the East Region 25-20, 16-25, 25-19, 26-24. Sulaiman had 14 kills. The OCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship at Redeemer University College in Ancaster February 25-27 sees Mohawk facing Seneca in the quarter finals.
The Mohawk women’s volleyball team has it’s OCAA Championship on the same dates in Sudbury and open against Trent. The Mountaineers finished their regular season 15-5 after defeating Fanshawe 25-18, 25-21, 25-16. Jenna Gignac had 13 kills. Mohawk then disposed of Seneca in the cross over match 25-16, 25-16, 25-13. The Sting couldn’t stop Jenn Knowles in that contest.
Men’s Basketball
The Mohawk men’s basketball team closed out its most successful season in recent years at 11-7, with an 83-70 win over St. Clair. Ricky Heath was on fire with seven 3-pointers for a team high 21 points.The Mountaineers the prepared to visit an Eastern for in round one of the OCAA playoffs this weekend against a yet to be determined opponent.
Women’s Basketball
The women’s hoop team finished a tough year at 2-12 as St. Clair rallied from a late seven point deficit to win 67-60. Michelle Abella had 19 points and Casey Boggs 18, for Mohawk.
