Mountaineer varsity highlights - Feb. 25
A few new championship banners will be raised inside the David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre after the Mohawk Mountaineers curling program captured double gold at the OCAA Championships in Sault Ste. Marie.
The Mountaineers men’s team won provincial gold for the first time in 24 years, last winning in 1998. Mohawk defeated the Humber Hawks 5-4 in the gold medal match after going 3-2 in round robin play and narrowly beating the Confederation Thunder Hawks in the semi-finals.
Mohawk’s second gold came after the duo of Ashley Verhees and Eric Just won their championship match in the mixed doubles curling competition, also beating the Hawks 8-0.. Mountaineer team went 3-1 in round robin play.
Numerous individual awards were also won by the Mountaineers curling program:
- Jacob Jones – Most Valuable Player of the men’s competition and First-Team Championship All-Star. This week Jones was also named Mountaineers Athlete of the Week and OCAA Athlete of the Week.
- Liam Little – First-Team Championship All-Star
- Jarrett Matthews & Joel Matthews – Second-Team Championship All-Star’s
- Ashley Verhees – Mixed doubles Most Valuable Player, and also named Mountaineers Athlete of the Week and OCAA Athlete of the Week
- Eric Just – Mixed doubles Most Valuable Player and OCAA Athlete of the Week
- Betty Calic – OCAA men’s curling Coach of the Year
- Matthew Kimber – OCAA mixed doubles Coach of the Year
In other sports, women’s volleyball continues to be ranked sixth in the CCAA National Rankings and men’s volleyball moved up two spots this week in their respective rankings to number 12.
Women’s basketball split their two games, while first-year Celina Chung was impressive with a combined 21 points and 30 rebounds this past week. Men’s basketball lost their lone game to Niagara.
Women’s Basketball (2-2 record)
Feb. 20: Lost to the Niagara Knights 61-42
Feb. 24: Defeated the Sheridan Bruins 61-34
Men’s Basketball (1-3 record)
Feb. 20: Lost to the Niagara Knights 88-82
Women’s Volleyball (4-1 record)
Feb. 19: Lost 3-1 (15-25, 21-25, 25-19, 24-26) to the No. 4 ranked Humber Hawks
Feb. 23: Won 3-0 over the Redeemer Royals
Men’s Volleyball (3-2 record)
Feb. 19: Lost 3-2 (19-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-19, 7-15) to No. 2-ranked Humber Hawks
Feb. 23: Lost 3-1 (29-27, 22-25, 13-25, 19-25) to the Redeemer Royals
Next week’s schedule
Feb. 25: Men’s basketball host the Canadore Panthers at 8 p.m.
Feb. 26: Women’s and men’s volleyball play host to the Conestoga Condors at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Feb. 27: Women’s and men’s basketball travel to London to play the Fanshawe Falcons at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Mar. 2: Both volleyball teams travel to play the Sheridan Bruins at 6 p.m. (W) and 8 p.m. (M)
Mar. 2: Both basketball teams play host to the Conestoga Condors at 6 p.m. (W) and 8 p.m. (M) – note this will be seniors night (a night to celebrate graduating student-athletes)
Please note that no spectators will be permitted inside the DBARC at this time; however, an updated spectator policy could be released soon. All games will be streamed online via the OCAA Live platform.