Mark Bujnowski, Track & Field, Guelph
Through his first three seasons as a member of the Gryphons track and field program, Mark Bujnowski has already established himself as one the top throwers in a program history. The third-year agricultural science major added to his already lengthy resumé this past weekend with his best-ever performance at a U SPORTS Championship.
Burlington, Ont. – Mark Bujnowski has been named Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Male Athlete of the Week for the period ending March 8, 2020.
Male Athlete of the Week – Mark Bujnowski, Guelph Gryphons, Track & Field
Through his first three seasons as a member of the Gryphons track and field program, Mark Bujnowski has already established himself as one the top throwers in a program history. The third-year agricultural science major added to his already lengthy resumé this past weekend with his best-ever performance at a U SPORTS Championship.
On March 5, Bujnowski was named the U SPORTS Field Athlete of the Year in recognition of his dominant performances throughout the course of the entire 2019-20 season. On Friday and Saturday, the native of Mount Brydges, Ontario would provide even further justification that he was a deserving recipient of the national honour, by capping his tremendous junior season with a double-gold performance at nationals.
On Friday afternoon, Bujnowski would earn his first of two gold medals on the weekend with a dominant performance in the men’s weight throw. His throw of 19.68m allowed him to separate himself from the field, with the next closest competitor finishing more than a metre behind the Gryphon standout. On Saturday, Bujnowski successfully defended his national title in the men’s shot put, this time producing an even larger margin of victory. Each of Bujnowski’s five recorded throws were over 17m – something no other athlete in the field reached – with the gold-medal winning throw of 18.28m threatening the U SPORTS record and blowing away the competition.
Bujnowski’s double-gold performance was part of an all-time dominant performance from the U of G men’s team, who finished 70 points ahead of the 2nd-place Calgary Dinos in the final team standings. In his three years as a Gryphon, Mark has now racked up five U SPORTS medals (two gold, one silver and one bronze) while helping lead the Gryphon men to national team titles in each of those three seasons.