THE SILHOUETTE • B1
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
SPORTS Athletics & Recreation
Jordan Kozina
Assessing Taking it to the streets the state of Football star Kozina treking across Canada for MS Marauder athletics FRASER CALDWELL
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
March has come to a close, and with it, the Marauders’ athletic season. The yearly phenomenon that kicked off with the onset of the football season, and closed with the championship runs of the squash and badminton teams is finally behind us. For McMaster’s Director of Athletics and Recreation Jeff Giles, this time of year marks the end of the performance facet of his department’s role, and begins the inevitable onslaught of questions and assessments of success which the end of any sporting campaign entail. Catching up with Giles in a rare moment of freedom from his busy appointment schedule, the de facto leader of the university’s athletic efforts paints the year enjoyed by his department as one characterized by mixed results. First and foremost, the Marauders experienced a few pleasant surprises, garnering winning performances from several teams who were expected to be less than perfect in a rebuilding stage. “We made some major strides this year. This was a year of transition in many ways,” said Giles. “We had some teams do well that we maybe didn’t expect to do as well, and a few teams that we expected to do better that are in transition, and that we hope will do better next year.” “Our men’s volleyball team was a real surprise and a pleasant one. It was one of the great surprises that they won OUAs and went on to the national tournament. Our men’s lacrosse team winning the national championship was another example of a group that surprised us this year,” said Giles. Exhibiting his own competitive spirit, the Athletic Director expressed the satisfaction that he and the program as a whole experienced in besting longtime rivals Western in two separate championship games. The Marauders topped the Mustangs to clinch provincial titles in men’s rugby and men’s volleyball this season. On the financial side of the business, Giles praised the groundwork laid by the “Colour Your Passion” campaign, while suggesting that work remained to be done • PLEASE SEE GILES, B3
CHRISTOPHER CHANG / SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
McMaster Athletic Director Jeff Giles sat down with the Silhouette to discuss the state of Marauder athletics.
TYLER HAYWARD / SILHOUETTE STAFF
Running back Jordan Kozina kicked off his Trek 4 MS, a cross-Canada fundraising bike ride, campaign this week. BRIAN DECKER SPORTS EDITOR
When examining his post-graduation future, Jordan Kozina wasn’t sure what his plans would be; all he knew was that he wanted to take a bike ride to think about it. A star running back on McMaster’s football team for four seasons, many are familiar with the Brantford native’s penchant for getting first downs and marching his team up the field. But this summer, Kozina will be covering territory in a whole different way. The ride that was meant to help him figure life out has turned in to a major undertaking itself: this summer, Kozina will be cycling across Canada to raise money and awareness for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. “I didn’t know what I was going to do. I just thought of taking a bike ride and thinking about it,” he said as if implying an afternoon stroll around town. But once the history student starting getting some attention for his trek, the idea really got rolling. “When I was planning it, I said to myself ‘this seems like something people might want to get behind,’ and I thought I would raise some money and do some good while I’m doing it,” said Kozina, at the campaign’s kickoff event this past Tuesday, riding a stationary bike from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the McMaster University Student Centre. Multiple Sclerosis, commonly known as MS, is the world’s most common central nervous system disease. It’s an unpredictable disease that attacks the Myelin (protective wrapping) of the brain and spinal cord. Victims of the disease suffer from a wide range of symptoms, notably the loss of vision, balance, mobility, hearing and
memory. It’s a debilitating sickness that in most cases alters a victim’s life completely and permanently. The disease is particularly common in Canada; an average of three Canadians per day are diagnosed with MS, and 240 in every 100,000 Canadians are diagnosed at some point, the highest rate in the world. For Kozina, associating his trek with MS was an easy decision to make. In January, his aunt Mary passed away after a lengthy battle with the disease. “MS is one disease that’s always been close to me. … I knew my Aunt Mar more as a kid, so I didn’t understand what she went through. It was only recently when things regressed and I started to notice it.” Originally, he considered doing fundraising for acquired brain injury after a high school friend was severely injured in a car crash in Spain. But with his friend’s improved health and the passing of his aunt, it became clear that supporting the MS Society was the way to go. “With my aunt passing and my friend being diagnosed, I was just like … it’s got to be MS,” said Kozina. “She was the first passing in my family, which affects people in different ways. It motivated me to do this.” “I never knew her without it,” he adds. As far as a cross-Canada journey, Jeff Dale, Chair of the Brantford chapter of the MS Society of Canada, says Kozina’s task is unprecedented. “This is the first time I know of that anyone has done this for our cause. What Jordan is undertaking here is nothing short of phenomenal,” said Dale. Flying out to British Columbia on June 12, the journey will begin in Tofino, BC and end in Cape Spear, NFLD – a total of over 9,000 km. Kozina is hoping the trek will take
him “around three months,” and will consist of daily bike rides and stops at campsites. Kozina has set a fundraising goal of $100,000, but wants to “blow that out of the water,” in terms of money and awareness raised. While the journey is certainly a physically demanding task, Kozina’s impressive football – and rugby – resumé should put to rest any doubts about the 24-year old breaking down physically. In four seasons with the Marauder football squad, Kozina totaled 2,439 rushing yards, including 1,191 as a rookie when he was named an OUA All-Star. Also a deft receiver, Kozina played a hybrid back position for McMaster the past two seasons, making the Marauder offence one of the most dangerous in the country. But while he’s well known for his football career, his time as a rugby player is perhaps more impressive. A former member of Canada’s under-19 and -21 national teams, Kozina took a two-year hiatus from McMaster, enrolled at the University of Victoria and suited up for Canada at the Rugby Sevens World Cup in 2009. “Hopefully I won’t be too skinny and lose too much weight on this trip,” joked the 210-pounder, who plans to return to the pitch with the Brantford Harlequins club team after his journey is finished. While rugby and football have been Kozina’s passion for years, they’ll take a backseat to cycling for the next few months as the campaign gets underway. At its onset, the long journey and lofty fundraising goals are daunting. But as the launch date approaches, Kozina is simply excited to hit the road on his bike. “I’m dreaming big with this. I feel like it’s attainable. Goals are meant to be broken.”
[This Week in Sports] Raptors on rebuild The sports editorial makes the case that Bryan Colangelo and Jay Triano of the Toronto Raptors deserve a second chance. Pg. B2
Dennis Menaces With her brother Brendan already a Marauder mainstay, recruit Emily Dennis adds to the Mac volleyball family. Pg. B4
Point Guard Poise Our Meet a Marauder feature gets to know women’s baller Vanessa Bonomo, who dishes on pre-game rituals and warm-up tunes. Pg. B5