February 28, 2020

Mustangs Current, Lions Powell earn outstanding performer nods to buoy banner season awards

Burlington, Ont. – A number of medal-winning performances took centre stage at the 2020 OUA Track & Field Championships last weekend, and thanks to their talent on the track and finesse in the field, some of banner season’s best are taking home some additional hardware. A member of the Western Mustangs and York Lions took home the top performer nods on the women’s and men’s sides, respectively, but both the Guelph Gryphons and Toronto Varsity Blues see sensational representation of their own among the crop of this year’s major award winners.

Keysean Powell, recipient of this year’s Hec Philips Trophy recognizing the outstanding male performer, impressed on multiple occasions this weekend in front of the York faithful. The native of Brampton, Ont. gave the crowd plenty to cheer about each time he put his diverse talents on display; a stretch that started on the field. Powell leapt into his banner season festivities with two feet, setting his sights right away on gold in the long jump. Not only would the second-year standout make good on those golden aspirations, he would do so in record-setting fashion, claiming first place with a meet-best mark of 7.71m.

As if that feat wasn’t enough for the all-star, Powell added to his hardware haul the following day when he hit the track for the 60m dash. In a race that takes mere seconds to complete, the leading Lion made a lasting impression, once again racing his way to a podium finish. With a sizzling time of 6.83 seconds – just 0.05 behind the first-place finisher – Powell scored a silver medal in the event.

Another double-medal winner from the weekend tops the women’s contingent as the Dr. Wendy Jerome Trophy recipient. Western’s key weapon in the distance events, Kate Current (Cobourg, Ont.), showcased her ability on multiple occasions last weekend, taking on a talent-laden field in both the 1,500m and 3,000m races. Her championship started with the long haul, and thanks to a finishing time of 9:32.55, the fourth-year phenom crossed the line four seconds ahead of her closest competitor and claimed top spot in the event. She wasn’t done there; however, as even with the distance cut in half, she galloped to the front of the pack. In what was a tighter finish, Current was still able to edge her closest competitors to come away with a double-gold showing, earning her second medal in a time of 4:26.44.

Another of Western’s best and brightest was able to match Current’s feat in the 3,000m race on the men’s side to make it a clean sweep in the event for the purple and white. Marcel Scheele (St. Mary’s, Ont.), despite this being his debut championship outing, made the most of the opportunity and ran his way to a top time of 8:16.15. Thanks to his immediate impact on the provincial stage against a flurry of fierce competition, the 3,000m gold medalist earned the OUA Male Rookie of the Year nod.

Scheele wasn’t the only newcomer to make a splash, however, as Toronto’s Kristen Schulz was recognized in more ways than one for her debut banner season. After the first conference meet of her intercollegiate career, Schulz was named the OUA’s Most Valuable Field Performer and the OUA Female Rookie of the Year. The all-star can thank a pair of dynamic performances for her conference recognition, including one that helped her fly atop the podium. The native of North Vancouver, B.C. won the OUA women’s triple jump crown with a best jump of 12.12m at last weekend’s championships, while also claiming provincial silver in the long jump with a distance of 5.71m.

From a U of T field phenom to a titan on the track, the Blues see veteran Jack Berkshire (Fredericton, N.B.) get named the OUA’s top male track athlete after matching his Toronto teammate with two medal-winning results. The senior won the men’s 600m race in 1:19.20 to earn first team all-star honours, while also securing the 300m bronze medal with a time of 34.45 seconds.

Equaling Toronto’s honours with top track and field performances, respectively, of their own were the Guelph Gryphons, thanks to two individuals who have known nothing but success on the provincial stage.

From the track contingent, Zoe Sherar continued her season to remember, as the decorated junior now adds OUA Track MVP to her budding résumé. The Toronto native, who earlier this year was named to the prestigious list of U SPORTS Top 8 Academic All-Canadians, played a key role on the weekend for the eventual champion Gryphons, capturing a trio of top finishes during her time on the track.

Individually, Sherar set a new school record in the women’s 300m, earning gold in the event with a time of 37.71 seconds. When turning to her relay roles, meanwhile, it was more of the same, as she helped her 4x400m crew break an OUA record that had remained intact since 2013. The first-place finish in 3:41.86 was then followed by a winning mark of 1:36.10 in the 4x200m relay, which was good enough to make a mark on the national scene, setting a new Canadian U23 record.

A fellow Gryphon who is no stranger to OUA success is Mark Bujnowski, as he earns award recognition for the third time in his OUA career. After bursting onto the scene with the top male rookie honour two years ago, the native of Mount Brydges, Ont. followed that up with a Most Valuable Field Performer nod last season; a feat he has doubled down on this time out. The decorated junior began his championships with a gold medal toss in the weight throw. His 17.73m result topped the next closest competitor by well over one meter, helping him better his result a year ago in both distance and podium position. Bujnowski went beyond that dominance in his encore event; however, leaving no doubt about who sits atop the shot-put heap. His 18.45m throw put him over three meters clear of this year’s silver medalist, capping off the first double OUA gold outing for the former national rookie of the year.

With headline performances from the likes of Sherar and Bujnowski leading the way for the Gryphons last weekend, the team as a whole was able to claim their fourth straight banner season sweep, topping both the women’s and men’s field. The team got themselves off and running through day one with a sizable cushion across both standings – thanks in large part to nine gold medals in the opening events – and cruised to the finish line from there with another nine first-place results on day two. Helping the top-ranked teams in the nation accomplish this feat – a stretch that included 37 total podium finishes and multiple new OUA records – was head coach Jason Kerr, who has earned a pair of Coach of the Year honours or his efforts.

Another key individual on the sidelines at this year’s championship was Waterloo’s Shane Ferth. The Warriors associate coach played an integral role in his team’s success, helping them come away with six medals across the event. For his role in helping to bring the black and gold to sixth and seventh place showings for the men and women’s teams, respectively, and backed by numerous competitive showings against the province’s best, Ferth earns both Assistant Coach of the Year nods.

While some contributions happened on the championship stage, and others came from the sidelines, two other individuals, thanks to their propensity for contributing to their community and going beyond the track to give back, have garnered recognition beyond this weekend’s festivities.

Toronto Varsity Blues Katrina Innanen takes home the OUA Female Student-Athlete Community Service Award, given to those who demonstrate outstanding achievements in track and field, academics and community involvement. The Scarborough, Ont., native checks each of those boxes in spades. On the track, the fifth-year sprinter helped the Blues to a silver-medal finish in the 4x200 relay last weekend, while also placing fourth in the 300m (39.42) and 4x400 relay. In the classroom, Innanen is a four-time academic all-Canadian, an R. Tait McKenzie society scholar, and was nominated for a Rhodes scholarship in 2019.

When she’s not at the track or in the classroom, Innanen volunteers her time with numerous on-campus initiatives. She is the president of the SAMHI (Student-Athlete Mental Health Initiative) U of T chapter, which raises awareness for mental health and wellbeing in student-athlete populations. In addition, Innanen is the co-president of U of T’s Varsity Board, a standing committee of the Faculty’s Council of Athletics and Recreation, which is made up with representation from each of the 42 Varsity Blues teams. The board meets regularly to discuss important issues and to ensure all students have the best possible athletics experience during their time at the University of Toronto.

Earning the honours on the men’s side is first-year medical student, Stuart Cameron (Lucknow, Ont.), who has now competed at the OUA championships five times across his impressive university tenure. After claiming a silver medal in short-put at the 2019 event and then graduating Western University with an honours specialization in pharmacology in June, 2019, this year’s recipient of the OUA Male Student-Athlete Community Service award, adds to an impressive and diverse résumé with this latest distinction.

The Mustangs’ captain of the throws team has been a mainstay in the community during his time at Western. He has volunteered with the track club – coaching, officiating meets, and with the Indigenous Track & Field Day event for four years. His contributions within the sport also extend to his role as the throws coach for the Catholic Central High School. The Lucknow, Ont. native also spent two years volunteering in the fitness centre at Hutton House, a local organization that provides support and service to adults with a variety of disabilities and mental health needs. On campus, meanwhile, Cameron also served as VP of Sponsorship for MS Western, working with local organizations to collaborate on events and help spread awareness about MS to university students.

The complete list of major award winners from the 2020 OUA Track & Field Championships is as follows:

Women’s Awards

Dr. Wendy Jerome Trophy (Outstanding Performer) – Kate Current, Western

Most Valuable Performer (Track) – Zoe Sherar, Guelph

Most Valuable Performer (Field) – Kristen Schulz, Toronto

Rookie of the Year – Kristen Schulz, Toronto

Student-Athlete Community Service Award – Katrina Innanen, Toronto

Sue Wise Coach of the Year – Jason Kerr, Guelph

Assistant Coach of the Year – Shane Ferth, Waterloo

Men’s Awards

Hec Philips Trophy (Outstanding Performer) – Keysean Powell, York

Most Valuable Performer (Track) – Jack Berkshire, Toronto