A London family of champions

Chris won an IBL title. Kayla won a collegiate championship. And Cohen won an Alliance Cup. The McQueen family has been busy winning — on the diamond, on the pitch, and on the ice.

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Not many families can compare to the Nurses. Darnell Nurse is in his eighth season with the Edmonton Oilers. Kia Nurse is a WNBA and Canadian Women’s National Basketball star. And Sarah Nurse is a recent Olympic gold medalist, accomplishing the feat with Canada’s Women’s Hockey team.

But one London family is doing their best to match the sporting prowess – on a local level – the Nurses have attained. They may not be WNBA or NHL stars, or Olympic Gold medalists, but the McQueen family has had a remarkably successful past six months.

It started last summer. The oldest of three, Chris McQueen helped the London Majors end a 45-year championship drought on the first day of October in front of a sold-out crowd (including his family) at Labatt Memorial Park. 

A top-of-the-order fixture, Chris batted .317 during the regular season, leading the team in runs (34), walks (15) and stolen bases (16), with his stolen base success rate an impressive 86 percent (16-for-18).

Less than 30 days after Chris hoisted the Intercounty Baseball League trophy, his sister, Kayla, helped the Fanshawe Falcons to their third straight OCAA gold medal – doing so in impressive fashion. Playing through inclement weather (including torrential rain on both days), Kayla emerged as the championship-winning goal scorer in a 2-1 win over St. Lawrence College. 

That capped a phenomenal season for McQueen, who was the OCAA’s leading scorer during her senior season. Despite playing in just five regular season games – due to COVID-19 restrictions – Kayla put up video game-like numbers, scoring 17 goals and adding two assists. 

Chris McQueen helped the London Majors win a championship last fall. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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And then it was the youngest sibling’s turn. Cohen McQueen showcased his skills on the ice and helped his team, the London Jr. Mustangs U18 A squad, win an Alliance Hockey championship this spring over the favoured London Jr. Knights.

The best part about the McQueen family winning all these championships? The siblings had the support of each other – and, of course, continued to benefit from the support of their parents.

“We were all able to share these championships together, watching one another on the sidelines, which makes it extra special,” said Chris McQueen, the eldest. “We are all extremely grateful for the opportunities life has presented us, and a lot of that has to come from our mom and dad. Without them supporting us, we wouldn’t have been able to experience these championships and we wouldn’t be the people we are today.”

And this is nothing new. The McQueens have been a supportive sporting family since they could pick up a bat, kick a ball, and shoot a puck.

“I am blessed to have two role models who are a constant support for me,” Kayla said of her brothers. “Since I can remember, I’ve been tagging along to ball diamonds and hockey rinks to sit in the stands and watch Christopher and Cohen do what they love. Seeing the smiles on their faces when they accomplish something as great as they have is my favourite part of it all.

“The joke within my family is that ‘McQueens do it best,’ whether it be sports or kitchen dance parties,” Kayla said with a laugh. “But jokes aside, my brothers have earned their championships through hard work and pure passion for what they do.” 

Kayla McQueen, now with Electric City FC, scored the game-winning goal for the Fanshawe Falcons last fall in the OCAA championship. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

And Cohen? He cherished the fact his family was in the stands – and then celebrating with him on the ice after winning his championship.

“When you take a look into the crowd while playing and see your family sitting there with your jersey on, your name on a bristol board, cow bells ringing … it feels so good,” Cohen said “The support you feel is awesome. I’ve watched my family win many championships throughout the years, including myself, and I really feel that it has guided me as an athlete to where I am now.” 

On the final weekend of his season – and his hockey playing career – Cohen competed in the OHF finals where he and the Jr. Mustangs fell to Woodstock in the final. Cohen tallied two goals and an assist during the weekend.

Jen McQueen, mother of the three champion siblings, said she’d brought a bottle of sparkling water for the team to celebrate with if they were victorious. They weren’t, and Cohen decided to instead walk the sparkling water down to Woodstock’s dressing room to give it the winning side to celebrate – a true act of sportsmanship.

What a six months it’s been. But this family sporting story is far from over. Earlier this month, the London Majors announced that Chris will be returning for a sixth season in the pinstripes, with the goal of defending the team’s IBL title from last fall.

And Kayla? Now a member of the expansion Electric City FC women’s premier team in League1, she helped secure the franchise’s first victory with the game-winning goal in the 87th minute in a 2-1 win this past Saturday against Alliance United FC.

Who knows, maybe there are more championships ahead for the McQueens. One thing is for sure: Win or lose, the whole family will be there cheering each other on.