The 2023-24 NAIT Ooks athletics season will be cherished for years to come, not only for the moments of championship glory and national stage appearances but also for the solid foundations laid by several teams aiming for greatness.
Two programs made strong returns to the Ooks lineup. First, Cross-Country, active for the first time since 2016, saw six dedicated student-athletes racing for the Ooks throughout the season, a significant increase from just three in the initial event. Hannah Warford and Shawn Gunnink showcased remarkable performances, representing the Ooks in every race and earning well-deserved spots at Nationals.
Similarly, Golf returned triumphantly to the Ooks athletics slate with 12 enthusiastic student-athletes participating across various categories. The Men's and Women's teams displayed consistent excellence throughout the season, with the Men's team securing an ACAC bronze medal en route to Nationals. Notably, Michaella Kibblewhite in Women's Singles also earned a Nationals spot. Mason Gorski's outstanding leadership earned him the prestigious 2023 PING Men's Exemplary Leadership Award at the National tournament.
The Soccer teams shone brightly, culminating in Championship Weekend appearances. The Women's team, mainly comprising fresh faces alongside four returning players, exceeded expectations to secure a tournament spot and finished the season with an impressive record.
On the Men's side, their ambitious spirit led them to a Finals berth following a remarkable regular-season performance, highlighted by multiple award-winners and all-conference selections. Although they lost a heartbreaking gold medal game in penalty kicks, they still brought home the prestigious ACAC silver medal.
Indoor sports teams continued the Ooks' legacy with stellar performances. Badminton had a standout season with several top-5 finishes. The entire team got in on the fun when it came to Provincials, hosted right here at NAIT; the Ooks would claim the Silver medal in four of the five categories, with all silver-medal recipients advancing to the National tournament. Capping off the season, the Ooks took home Men's Singles and Mixed Doubles bronze from the CCAA event this year.
Curling, particularly the Men's team, showcased dominance with notable achievements at regional and national levels. The men's team posted a combined 9-1 record over the two regional tournaments before battling their way to the ACAC Championships bronze medal and a berth at Nationals that would result in a 4th-place finish. Mixed curling also put forth a strong showing at the ACAC Championships, while the Women's team took this season as a learning experience and set up a solid foundation moving forward.
Men's and Women's Futsal performed tremendously in their seasons, with strong winning records for each (6-3-1 for the Men's side, 7-3 for the Women's side). The Men's team put together some solid performances in that stretch, with two wins coming by five-goal margins. The Women's team got into Championship weekend with the third-place spot and won their quarter-final with help from a highlight-reel Carly Speelman save to seal the decision. They would complete Championship Weekend with a 4th place finish.
Women's Basketball saw another year of many new players for the Ooks, but the same competitive spirit that last year brought. They battled hard throughout the year, being in contention for a postseason spot until the very end, and had multiple highlights to take pride in. This season has set the Women's Basketball team up for success in the coming years.
Also a team with many newcomers to the roster, Ooks Men's Basketball powered through the regular season en route to clinching another postseason berth and defeating another crosstown rival in the play-in game, this time getting a nail-biting win over the Concordia Thunder. Their strong play in the second half of the season, particularly, and accomplishments in the Postseason will serve as the foundation for a promising next season.
Coming off a Finals appearance last season, Ooks Men's Hockey came roaring out of the gates, cruising ultimately to a 14-10 record and, in a competitive ACAC, clinching the 3rd seed in the Postseason. A hard-fought opening-round series versus Concordia didn't end the way the team wanted it to, but a lot of potential lies within this group, and they'll look to get right back to the Finals next season.
Ooks Women's Volleyball continues to build towards being one of the best in the ACAC, and this year, they advanced towards that goal by defeating some of the best. Some of their wins on the season came against top teams like Keyano and Briercrest, with the win against the latter being a three sets to 0 victory to begin the second half of the season. The future holds much promise for Ooks Women's Volleyball, and the base upon which to build is stronger than ever.
Two teams managed to achieve ultimate glory, winning Championships this season.
After a Finals berth last year, Ooks Women's Hockey put together a formidable regular season with a 17-8 record, ending with the third seed in the ACAC Postseason. In the playoffs, the Ooks overcame a game one loss to last year's Finals opponents, the Red Deer Queens; they won games two and three to send them to the Finals for the second year in a row. Their opponents this time were the Lakeland Rustlers, and despite not having a home ice advantage, the Ooks took Game One in solid form before winning both home games in the series to clinch the Championship, three games to one. This marked the program's first title since their three-peat from 2012-13 to 2014-15.
Not to be outdone, Ooks Men's Volleyball put up what could be considered the greatest season in program history. At the ACAC Championships, they would eliminate Lethbridge before battling through a marathon with the ACAC South's top-seeded Red Deer Kings. Ultimately prevailing 22-20 in the deciding fifth set and taking that semi-final three sets to two, the Ooks swept aside the ACAC North's top-seeded Keyano Huskies to claim their first ACAC title since 1977, earning their first Nationals berth in the process. Nationals played out nearly the same way, with an opening win over the Providence Pilots preceding a tense thriller versus the Humber College Hawks that went the distance. The Ooks would find a way to grind that win out and yet again dominate in the Finals to claim the Ooks' first-ever Men's Volleyball National Championship.
Congrats on a great season to all Ooks athletics teams!