The Carleton Ravens Nordic ski team swept the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) qualifiers in North Bay, Ont. Jan. 21-22, racking up 10 medals in the process.
In the 10 km individual start race Jan. 28, the men’s team placed in the top six spots, with Lee Hawkings winning first place, followed by Kyle Power and Peter Biesel, according to Ravens head coach Chris Mamen. The women’s team also performed well, with Ingrid Hagberg placing first, followed by Kendra Murray.
The men’s team repeated their performance in the next day’s 10 km mass start race, with Hawkings placing first, followed by Biesel and Nansen Murray. On the women’s side, Kendra Murray placed first, followed by Hagberg. Kyla Vanderzwet placed fourth.
Mamen said he was happy that different women skiers won in the two races.
“It was really nice for me to see that we didn’t have the same winners and the same people leading the team on both days,” he said. “We had different people who were able to step up to the plate at different times and get the job done that way.”
Mamen added that the team’s depth is the team’s greatest strength going into the OUA championships.
“We showed on any given day anybody can take the win and anyone can maximize,” he said. “It’s nice to know if one person isn’t performing well you’ve got five people who are going to step up to the plate.”
Biesel said that Hawkings, who won both races on the men’s side, is one of the team’s greatest assets.
“He’s been racing really really well, he trained pretty well this summer, he did something a little different we think,” he said. “He must have stepped up his game.”
Looking forward, the team will compete at the Eastern Canadian Championships in Ottawa on Feb. 3-5, followed by the OUA championships in Sudbury on Feb 25-26.
Mamen said his goals of the men winning a goal medal at the OUA championships and the women winning a medal is achievable.
“I think the men’s team is going to be the team to beat once again this year, no question about that,” he said.
As for the women, “they’re performing very well, and they’ll only improve as the season goes on. So, I think a medal is certainly in reach.”
