WSKI | West Earns Bronze, Voyageurs Finish 6th at OUA Nordic Championships

The Laurentian women's Nordic ski team travelled to Gatineau, Quebec, this weekend for the OUA Nordic Championships. The Voyageurs were represented by Annabelle Luckett, Kate Osborne, Grace Thomas, Margot West, and Isabelle White, competing across individual and team events over the three-day competition.

Friday – 15 km Mass Start Classic

The championships opened Friday with the 15 km mass start classic. A total of 57 women were registered for the event, with 54 completing the demanding course.

Laurentian was led by Margot West, a fourth-year skier from Ottawa, Ontario, who finished 13th overall with a time of 55:32.6. Second-year skier Grace Thomas placed 30th in 1:01:43.8, while first-year Kate Osborne crossed the line in 36th at 1:06:31.0. Fellow first-years Annabelle Luckett and Isabelle White finished 44th (1:12:06.6) and 50th (1:16:43.6), respectively.

The race was won by Bronwyn Williams of the Ottawa Gee-Gees, who posted a winning time of 50:42.6.

Saturday – 9 km Interval Start (Free Technique)

Saturday featured the 9 km interval start freestyle race, where West once again led the Voyageurs with an outstanding performance. She finished third overall in a time of 27:16.5, earning a podium spot in a highly competitive field.

Thomas followed as Laurentian's second finisher, placing 21st with a time of 30:53.6. Osborne finished 31st in 32:42.5, while Luckett placed 39th in 33:32.2. White rounded out the Laurentian results with a 58th-place finish in 43:43.7.

In the 60-skier field, Williams of Ottawa claimed her second win of the weekend with a time of 26:57.4.

Sunday – 9 km Relay

The championships concluded Sunday with the women's 9 km relay. Laurentian's team of West, Osborne, and Thomas finished ninth out of 13 teams, recording a time of 27:31.8.

The relay title went to the Carleton Ravens, who posted a winning time of 24:50.8.

Team Standings

Throughout the weekend, teams earned points based on finishing position, with lower scores indicating better results. Laurentian accumulated 234 points to finish sixth out of ten teams in the women's standings. Carleton topped the field with 51 points.

Despite the challenges of a deep and competitive field, the Voyageurs delivered several strong performances, highlighted by West's podium finish, to conclude a solid season.

- Olly Sankar