Redbirds Hockey (21–5–2): A
After a disappointing second-round exit from the playoffs last year, the Redbirds entered the 2023-24 season looking for vengeance. With an added year of experience for Eric Uba and William Rouleau and the addition of Zach Gallant, the Redbirds were expected to come out flying from game one. However, after opening the season with three straight losses, a sense of uncertainty began to emerge amongst the McGill fanbase. The rocky start proved to be no match for the Redbirds as they followed it up with a five-game winning streak that would be more characteristic of the season at large. The Redbirds bounced around between first and third place in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division. However, a remarkable seven-game win streak to close out the season earned the team a first-place finish in the regular season. After earning a bye through the quarterfinals and sweeping the Concordia Stingers in the semifinals, McGill faced off against the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Patriotes in the OUA East Finals. After losing game one at home––a loss that ended their 12-game win streak at McConnell Arena––the Redbirds defeated UQTR on the road in front of over 3,000 fans to keep the series going. With a slot in the OUA Finals on the line, the Redbirds lost 4-0, sending the Patriotes to face the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold while they took on the Brock Badgers in the bronze medal game. After emerging victorious with a 5-2 win, McGill headed back to Ontario just a week later to face the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the U SPORTS National Championship quarter-final. With a suspenseful 3-2 win, the Redbirds matched up against the Patriotes again in the semifinal where they fell 5-4 to their Quebec rival. The Redbirds concluded the season with a bronze medal victory against the TMU Bold. Marking several major improvements from last season, //The Tribune// awards the Redbirds an A grade for their 2023-24 season.
Martlets Hockey (5–18–2): B-
After a lowly two-win season in 2022-23, hopes that 2023-24 would be an improvement were on the rise as the Martlets were .500 in their first four games of the season. However, the nine-game losing streak that followed plummeted the Martlets to the bottom of the Réseau du Sport Étudiants du Québec (RSEQ) standings, where they would remain for the rest of the season. Probably the highlight of the Martlets’ 2023-24 season was their overtime 4-3 win against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees on Seniors’ Night. Overall, there was not much to celebrate for the Martlets this year, earning them a B- and hopes for better luck next season.
Redbirds Basketball (3–13): C+
Hopes that McGill would bounce back from a disappointing 6–10 record last year were quickly stifled as the Redbirds opened the 2023-24 season with a detrimental four-game losing streak. After their first win of the season against the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins in late November, the Redbirds went on yet another losing streak, this time for six games. With the Redbirds only winning three games this season (two of which were by a margin of just two points), McGill’s 83-81 victory over the Concordia Stingers in the Lengvari Cup was likely this year’s high point. Sean Herscovitch being named as an RSEQ second-team all-star and teammate Saransh Padhy earning a spot on the RSEQ all-rookie squad were also bright spots on an otherwise disappointing year for the Redbirds that earned them a C+.
Martlets Basketball (5–11): B-
After a winless season in 2021-22, the Martlets improved to 3–13 in 2022-23 and to 5–11 in 2023-24. The Martlets started the year strong with back-to-back wins against Bishop’s and UQAM. After two losses, McGill went on a three-game win streak, but this was the beginning of the end as the Martlets went on a nine-game losing streak to close out the season. Despite the disappointing end to the season, Seyna Diggs was named as an RSEQ second-team all-star and earned a berth on the all-rookie squad alongside teammate Lily Rose Chatila. Daniella Mbengo was also among eight U SPORTS student-athletes named as recipients of the Athletes on Track bursary, in conjunction with the BlackNorth Initiative (BNI).
Martlets and Redbirds Track and Field: B+
Both the Redbirds and Martlets track and field teams had strong seasons, punctuated by impressive showings at the U SPORTS championships. While Matthew Beaudet was unable to retain his titles of U SPORTS Track Athlete of the Year and RSEQ Track Performance of the Year from last year, he still had a remarkable season, winning silver in the men’s 3000m, setting a new school record in the process. Kilty McGonigal set a school record in the heptathlon, where he narrowly missed out on a podium finish in fourth. Redbird track also finished second overall in the RSEQ championship. On the women’s side, Donna Ntambue won bronze in the U SPORTS 60m final and set a new school record of 7.32 earlier in the season. Moreover, Ntambue led the 4x200m relay team to a new school record and seventh place at the national championships. Next year, both sides are hoping to build off another strong season as many of their key performers return for another year.
Martlets Volleyball (15–6): A-
While the Martlets were unable to win the title this year falling in the playoffs to Sherbrooke, they still had a strong season compounded by a talented roster and spectacular performances. Clara Poiré and Victoria Iannotti were named first team RSEQ all stars, Charlène Robitaille was named a second team all star, and Brook Brown won the Leadership and Community Service Award. While the Martlets were unable to achieve an elusive third-in-a-row showing at the U SPORTS National Championships this year, this season marks the end of an impressive era at Martlet volleyball with ten graduating seniors including Robitaille, Iannoti, and Poiré, meaning that next year will be a rebuilding season. After the heights of the next three years, Martlet fans can only hope to see such a special group of players again.
Redbirds and Martlets Swimming: A
Fans of the swimming squad may have noticed the consistent presence of Redbird and Martlet swimmers being nominated as McGill Athletes of the Week. Dominating the university cups at UQTR, Université de Sherbrooke, and University of Ottawa and finally the RSEQ Provincial Championship at Université Laval, the squad consistently put hundreds of points between their first place and the runner-up. Regularly being crowned with Athletes of the Meet awards, the Redbirds put forth consistently outstanding results, pulling the squad to overall bronze at the U SPORTS Championships. Benefitting from the veteran presence of swimmers such as Hazem Issa, the team welcomed newcomers such as Mats Baradat, hailing from Hyères, who won RSEQ Rookie of the Year and Swimmer of the Year. From the first cup meet to the RSEQ Provincial Championships, the Martlets have been eclipsing their competitors with their consistent intensity and outstanding results. Nonetheless, the U SPORTS Championship has proved to be more challenging. With only one podium, earned by co-captain Naomie Lo, the Martlet squad finished in fourth place, with 84 points fewer points than the bronze medalist. For their determination and enduring resilience, the combined efforts of the Redbirds and Martlets earned McGill swimming an A.
The McGill Invitational set a successful tone for the season to come for the artistic swimming team. The season opened on a confident and positive note with a total of nine medals. This momentum carried over to Eastern Championships, where McGill showcased their talent and artistry, making the podium at every event but two, and securing their spot at the National Championships, held in Winnipeg. With over 54 total points, McGill benefitted from the energetic and talented performances of senior Diana Paparelli. Paparelli won two golds and a silver and was also named all-around champion of the novice division, leading the novice sweeping podiums. The novice team’s gold-medal Black Eyed Peas performance earned McGill the Wendy Yule Trophy and contributed 21 points to McGill’s tally. The experienced squad placed third in the experienced division, with 33 points, thanks to the silver-earning team free final, and first-year Kayla Drew’s bronze solo. With a top-five finish in all six events and stunning performances by its swimmers, McGill’s artistic swimming squad placed first among all 14 competing universities. This national title is their 17th since the league’s inception and their first of the post-COVID era. It re-establishes McGill’s dominance over the Canadian University Artistic Swimming League (CUASL) and hopefully will be the start to another undefeated streak.
