"This year, it's all about strong and powerful Ravens women!"
Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Jerry Tomberlin set the tone of Wednesday's championship celebration in the Tory Building. After winning two national championships in less than one week, it's truly a time to celebrate women in sports at Carleton Athletics.
On Wednesday, the Carleton community celebrated the women's basketball and Nordic skiing teams. The two teams sit at the top of their respective sports in Canada having dominated the past two seasons of competition.
Winners of seven of the last eight OUA Championships, the women's Nordic Ski team is a powerhouse. With athletes finishing in the top ten among some of the best Nordic skiers in the country, a program made up of all in-person student-athletes, the Ravens fended off challenges from across the country when they claimed their second women's title in program history.
"As a member of the team, for the last five years, I have witnessed amazing things from every single one of these girls," proclaimed veteran skier Bronwyn Williams. "Every single one of these girls, and those unable to attend, have contributed to our success over the years by showing up and throwing down every, single day."
The team has stood the test of time, carrying on through the COVID pandemic, battling the elements at shortened championships where warm weather nearly derailed their chance at immortality, but still, they continued. With a championship roster that mixed veterans like Williams, Emma Holmes, Maggie McClure and Kate Mason, with young up-and-coming racers, the Ravens have established themselves as a force on any course.
Their strength and dominance are not unlike their counterparts on the hard court. The Carleton Ravens women's basketball team only got stronger in their dominance this season, improving on an impressive 2022-23 season to go 21-1 in regular season competition.
"Our group is one of a kind," said second-year Jacqueline Urban. "The love and care we have for one another is truly special." Adding "This group became more than just friends this year we became sisters, and for those moving on to the next chapter you'll always be in our lives, we'll be sisters forever."
The support of each other and the community was echoed again in the afternoon when former Ravens offensive assistant Nadia Doucoure visited Carleton Athletics as part of the Ravens EDI Speaker Series.
In the afternoon, the Ravens community returned to Alumni Hall to listen to the story of Doucoure. Having first fallen in love with American football in Paris, Doucoure talked about the challenges of being a woman in sports, being told 'no', and creating a safe space for the next women in sports.
"The first support and allies will be the women you have around you," Doucoure told the crowd. Talking at length about her journey in sport, the resistance faced in her community and the growing network of women supporting each other in pro football, Nadia spoke of the role women must play in helping each other achieve success in sport.
After delivering a powerful message of perseverance and dedication, talking about the challenges of being a new mom in a male-dominated environment like football, Nadia left the group with a message of hope. While describing the bright future women can create for themselves in sports, she often revisited the same message of persistence and drive, a theme that showed throughout the day.
"Never let go of anything," she reminded the crowd. "Sometimes, it's just baby steps, but it's progress. Never let go!"
