While top ten finishes were sprinkled to and fro for both Laurentian Voyageurs nordic skiers as well as a handful of others attending out of town universities but with Sudbury connections, it was Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School graduate Kaeden Ward who would steal the show, from a local perspective, at the 2025 OUA Nordic Ski Championships a couple of weeks ago in Sault Ste Marie.

Now in his second year with the Carleton Ravens, the mechanical engineering major claimed bronze on day one of the competition, finishing behind only Nicholas Randall (Lakehead Thunderwolves) and Joel Haering (Lakehead Thunderwolves) in the Interval Start - Free Technique 15km race.

Back at it in the Mass Start - 12 km Classic the next day, Ward would place fifth overall, closing things off by leading the Carleton "B" team to a bronze medal finish in the 15km Classic Relay and earning OUA all-star status in the process.

"I wanted to be one of the best skiers on the Carleton team this year and I ended up achieving that," said Ward. "I wanted to get a podium and I did that by .20 seconds, so I was pleased about that."

For as much as his development in skiing finds the accomplished SDSSAA cross-country, track and nordic star continuing to perfect the finite technical details of his stride, Ward suggested that his advancement had at least as much to do with enhancing his life skills away from the snow.

"What I needed to do to perform better at the OUA level was honestly to be a better student," Ward explained. "I was taking a lot of extra time getting stuff done trying to leawrn what I didn't learn in class."

"In order to get the grades that I wanted, the skiing became the sacrifice. If I am a better student and I get my work done quickly and efficiently, I have more time to train, more time to get the proper sleep."

"That is what will make me a better skier."

Though he entered the OUA meet likely with greater expectations for his classic ski events, Ward was certainly not disappointed with a weekend that sets him up nicely for his final three years of U Sports competition.

"The 15km skate was very good for me, especially compared to the rest of my skate races this year," he noted. "That was probably the best skate race I have had all year. I felt that wasn't the best classic race I could have had - but it was still very solid."

Other Sudbury skiers who cracked the top ten included Lauren Pineau (Lakehead Thunderwolves - 9th - 12km Classic) and Sophie Tremblay (Laurentian Voyageurs - 7th - 15km free).

Laurentian highlights included Margot West (one spot back of teammate Tremblay in the 15 km) as well as the men's relay team of Cameron Boland, Lucas Jones and Cormac Adams (9th).

Among the other participants of note were Voyageurs' skiers James Brain, Owen Claridge, Finley O'Brien, Jack Anderson, Olivia Norman and Grace Thomas as well as Madeleine Tremblay (Queen's), Jaime Schweyer (Nipissing), Finlay Cuza (Ottawa) and Konrad Schulte-Hostedde (Ottawa).

Following are the top five for each of the four individual races:

15km Free - Male
1st - Nicholas Randall (Lakehead) - 38:35.6
2nd - Joel Haering (Lakehead) - 39:13.9
3rd - Kaeden Ward (Carleton) - 39:20.7
4th - Alexander Randall (Lakehead) - 39:20.9
5th - Nathaniel Sneyd (Carleton) - 39:28.7

15km Free - Female
1st - Helen McCulligh (Carleton) - 43:50.6
2nd - Mia Sawatsky (Lakehead) - 45:35.0
3rd - Sophia Giangrande (Carleton) - 45:41.0
4th - Mia Smith (Nipissing) - 46:00.7
5th - Anna Sierra Heffernan-Wilker (Ottawa) - 46:10.5

12km Classic - Male
1st - Nicholas Randall (Lakehead) - 34:10.2
2nd - Alexander Randall (Lakehead) - 34:19.6
3rd - Noah Vanderzon (Carleton) - 34:20.9
4th - Wes Robinson-Shaw (Carleton) - 34:25.3
5th - Kaeden Ward (Carleton) - 34:28.1

12km Classic - Female
1st - Mia Sawatsky (Lakehead) - 38:09.3
2nd - Helen McCulligh (Carleton) - 38:13.2
3rd - Maude Molgat (Ottawa) - 39:31.4
4th - Brooke Ailey (Nipissing) - 39:41.2
5th - Madelaine Galik (Carleton) - 39:45.0