The Waterloo Warriors hosted the 2023 OUA Nordic Ski Championship at Arrowhead Provincial Park this past week and posted some outstanding results. The women finished fifth overall while the men came in eighth.

The highlight from the Warriors came on the final day in the Team Relay Race as the Warrior women's team dashed their way to an OUA bronze medal. The relay team made up of Sarah Macintosh (Ottawa/), Emiko Arai (Oakville/) and Kate Granstrom (Revelstoke/) finished the race in a time of 29:49.1 to earn the third place finish. On the men's side, Waterloo's relay team made up of Aleksi Luoma (Waterloo/), Tom Hoshizaki (Rockcliffe/), and Thomas Fairhead (Ottawa/) came in 10th spot with their time of 28:15.8.

In the 7.5km Women's Freestyle Race, it was Granstrom who led the way for the Warriors with a very solid seventh place finish in a time of 21:50.9. Arai and Macintosh finished the race in 15th and 17th place respectively. In the men's race, Fairhead was the top Warrior finisher, crossing the line in 26th. 

In the Classic Start, Granstrom was again the top Warrior finishing 13th with a time of 57:29.8 while Luoma was the top Warrior on the men's side with a 34th place finish thanks to his time of 34:25.7.

Finally, the event was capped off with Head Coach Lauren Denstedt winning the women's coach of the year award, a fitting way to end an exciting week of racing in Huntsville.
 

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Final Standings

Women's Standings
1. Carleton
2. Laurentian
3. McMaster
4. Nipissing
5. Waterloo
6. Ottawa
7. Guelph
8. Queen's
9. Lakehead 

Men's Standings
1. Lakehead
2. Carleton
3. Ottawa
4. Nipissing
5. Laurentian
6. Queen's
7. Guelph
8. Waterloo
9. McMaster
10. Toronto
11. Algoma

OUA Nordic Ski All-Stars

Women's All-Stars
Bronwyn Williams – Carleton
Maggie McClure – Carleton
Katherine Mason – Carleton
Helen McCulligh – Carleton
Maddie Norman – Laurentian
Emily Drake – Nipissing
Mallory Williams – Carleton
Katherine Mason – Ottawa
Erin Dunn – Ottawa
Emma Holmes – Carleton

Coach of the Year: Lauren Denstedt – Waterloo 

Men's All-Stars
Erikson Moore - Lakehead
Aidan Kirkham - Ottawa
Alex Maycock - Nipissing
Conor Mcgoven – Lakehead
Edward Southward – Ottawa
Devon Pegraum – Carleton
Colin Ward – Carleton
Joe Hutton – Nipissing
Alexander Randall – Lakehead
Nathan – Carleton
Luke Pollex – Lakehead

Coach of the Year: Kevin Shields - Carleton