Niagara College selected to host three provincials
Knights will be hosting golf, curling and women’s hoops finals in 2022-23
Niagara College will be hosting three Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) championships in 2022-2023.
Bids submitted by the region’s community college for championships in golf, curling and women’s basketball were accepted at the OCAA annual general meeting last week in Kingston.
Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield layout will host provincials in golf Oct. 3 to 5, while Welland Curling Club will be the venue for the 2023 OCAA curling championships taking place Feb. 9 to 12.
The provincial championship in women’s basketball, reverting to an eight-team competition after a field of four took part this year, is scheduled for March 2 to 5 at the Athletic Centre at the college’s main campus in Welland.
“Our Knights programs are on the rise,” athlete director Michele O’Keefe said. “Hosting the OCAA championships gives our home team and our home crowd a taste of the excitement of a championship competition.”
Niagara earned three OCAA medals in 2021-22 — women’s curling, silver; men’s curling, bronze; women’s basketball, bronze — while Chris Rao, women’s basketball; and Rob Lalama, women’s soccer; earned coach of their year honours from their peers.
Niagara defeated St. Clair, 69-59, in the consolation final in 2016, the last time the OCAA women’s basketball championships were played in Welland.
Provincials in golf were last held in the region in 2015 with the hosts winning gold medals in three of the four divisions. Evan Littlefield, men’s, and Lorelle Weavers, women’s, topped the leaderboard in individual honours in a three-day tournament held at the former Hunters Pointe Golf Course in Welland.
Littlefield combined with Zack Bankuti, Josiah Dixon, Logan Lammerant and Mark Wikkerink to take the men’s team title.
The work involved in hosting OCAA or a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association championship, won’t catch Niagara College
off guard when it comes to preparation. Since 1990, it has hosted 13 provincial and four national championships, including nationals in women’s volleyball three years ago.