March 25, 2022
Guelph, Toronto take home multiple awards following track and field championships
Burlington, Ont. - After waiting for two years to get back on the championship stage and showcase their elite skill, Ontario University Athletics (OUA) track and field athletes relished the opportunity to do just that, stepping up with personal bests, record performances, and gold medal marks. As a result, several student-athletes, including multiple winners from both the Guelph Gryphons and Toronto Varsity Blues, have been recognized with OUA award recognition following the 2022 Track & Field Championships.
One of the true stars of the event was the Wendy Jerome Outstanding Performer and Field MVP Jazz Shukla, who was an integral part of the Toronto Varsity Blues bronze-medal finish overall.
The Toronto, Ont. native gave the Blues a big boost in the standings by bringing home 26 points across her three events. The fifth-year runner, who is ranked first in the province and country in the 1000m, demonstrated why she tops her collegiate counterparts in the discipline, as she took home gold in the event with a time of 2:50.06. It wasn't the only time she topped the podium; however, as she also crossed the line first in the 1500m thanks to a time of 4:19.87.
To round out her decorated weekend, Shukla also joined her fellow Blues in the 4x400m relay, taking home a bronze medal therein.
The Toronto team recognition didn't stop there, as they also saw a phenomenal field performance from one of their key men's team members. The Varsity Blues saw jumper Femi Akinduro (Etobicoke, Ont.) top the field once again, as the OUA field MVP continued his dominance in the triple jump. In order to claim his third straight OUA title, the kinesiology major jumped to a meet and OUA record of 15.58m.
The two-time defending national champion in the event also saw a top-five result in the high jump, finishing fourth therein, while also coming in sixth in the long jump. When the dust settled on his busy championship weekend, Akinduro had contributed 18 points to Toronto's overall bronze medal.
While Akinduro has been making his mark on the varsity scene for some time, a Varsity Blues teammate made his foray onto the university stage this weekend. A fellow jumper, Aiden Grout (Pitt Meadows, B.C.) showcased his leaping ability in a big way in his lone event of the weekend, launching his way to the top of the podium therein. The gold medalist in the high jump, who did so with a mark of 2.15m, was the lone competitor to exceed the 2.05m mark, soaring to the win and to the men's OUA rookie of the year award.
Keeping with the fantastic performances from the field, Guelph's Mark Bujnowski has been a mainstay atop OUA podiums throughout his tenure with the Gryphons and has earned a well-stocked trophy case as a result. After beginning his OUA career with the top rookie nod and following it up with a pair of field MVP accolades the last two seasons, the star Gryphon thrower claims the Hec Phillips Award Outstanding Performer honour in his fifth season.
Adding to his already lengthy resume, the agricultural science major picked up another pair of gold medals this past weekend. On the first day of competition, the Mount Brydges, Ont. native topped the field in the men's weight throw, launching a throw of 17.78m to best the field by over a meter. His encore performance came in the shot put, where he was a full two meters ahead of his conference counterparts with a toss of 17.87m.
Bujnowski's efforts once again stood tall amidst the banner-winning Gryphons squad, but his contributions weren't the only ones from the Guelph school to be recognized.
On the track, the Gryphons were led by Alec Purnell (Dundas, Ont.), who takes home the OUA track MVP nod on the men's side from the 2022 championships. Like his fellow honouree on the track, Purnell topped the field in the 1000m and 1500m festivities. His triumph in the former came in a time of 2:24.00, edging the field for his first gold medal of the weekend. He would follow that up the following day with a convincing win in the 1500m, overcoming the silver medalist by nearly three seconds.
While Guelph has made themselves at home atop a number of conference podiums throughout the OUA's track and field championships over the years, the Rams achieved the feat for the first time in program history this past weekend, and with those historic results in tow, Dallyssa Huggins earns the nod for field MVP on the women's side.
Huggins started her performance with a silver medal in the women's pentathlon, turning in a 3,883-point outing to break the previous OUA record. In the pentathlon, she finished first in the high jump, shot put, and 800m events, breaking the event record in the former. The sociology major from Toronto, Ont. then competed on day two in the individual high jump event and cleared 1.71m to win her second silver medal of the weekend.
With talent-laden fields across the board, it isn't easy to carve out a place among the conference's elite in the first go-around, but another outstanding first-year phenom did just that en route to rookie of the year honours on the women's side.
Western's Hallee Knelsen (Aylmer, Ont.) takes home the award after reaching a pair of podiums in her banner season debut. Her first medal race, the 1000m, brought her a bronze medal, crossing the line in a time of 2:52.79. She would add to her haul the following day, finishing the 600m race in a time of 1:33.16 to finish third once again and bring home a second bronze medal for the Mustangs.
While these impressive student-athletes are demonstrating their talents across their respective events, they do so under the guidance and tutelage of their coaches, and in helping to lead his teams to their fifth consecutive OUA banner sweep, Guelph's Jason Kerr has earned both the Sue Wise women's coach of the year award and Bob Vigars men's coach of the year awards.
The Gryphons men's team collected 182.5 points to earn their seventh title overall, while the women's contingent claimed their ninth on the heels of a 199.83-point effort collectively. The former put them 41 points clear of the silver-medal winning Mustangs, while the latter placed them atop the pack by 55 points.
Eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get back to competition, the Gryphons came out sprinting to start their championship push, setting themselves atop the OUA field after day one and needing only to defend the lead on the second and final day. They did just that with eight gold medals in the latter half of the event, contributions to the team's lofty overall results that saw them take home 31 total medals across the two days (14 gold, seven silver, 10 bronze).
Megan Buckland also played an integral role in the team's success, as the assistant coach (throws) takes home the assistant coach of the year award for the men's team. On the women's side, Waterloo's Justin Conlon becomes the second consecutive Warrior to earn the accolade. Conlon's efforts contributed to a sixth-place finish for the black and gold, with two members of the team reaching individual podiums along the way.
Rounding out the 2022 honourees are a pair of student-athletes who have shone beyond their sport, as they've seen outstanding achievements in academics and community involvement on top of their athletic endeavors.
Toronto team captain Fiona Huang has made the most of her time as a Varsity Blue, as evidenced in her involvement across the campus and community. Having earned multiple academic awards, including her most recent distinction with the KPE Alumni Leadership Award from the UofT Faculty of Kinesiology, Huang has continued her academic prowess despite her busy schedule.
The three-time academic all-Canadian is also a research assistant with the faculty's Indigeneity, Diaspora, Equity and Anti-Racism in Sport (IDEAS) Lab, having played a contributory role in the OUA's recent Anti-Racism Project. Her ties to the conference continue from there; however, as she is also a student-athlete representative on the OUA's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee.
Beyond that, the senior from Hay River, NWT is also the co-founder and chair of the UofT BIPOC Varsity Association; a WISE Fun Committee Member with Canadian Women and Sport; and is the secretary for the Athletes for Change Alliance, the purpose of which is to connect all student-athlete groups across Canada to help promote social equity and educate others about BIPOC culture in a positive way.
Huang also brings her best to the track, as the sprints specialist played a pivotal role as a member of Toronto's bronze-medal winning 4x200m relay team this past weekend.
Eric Che, also suiting up for the Varsity Blues, earns the men's student-athlete community service award and like Huang, does so as a well-rounded member of the OUA community.
The two-time recipient of the Varsity Blues track and field award of merit, as well as a two-time U SPORTS academic all-Canadian, fills his time in a number of different ways. Beyond being a research assistant at Budding Minds Lab, the physiology major from Richmond, B.C. is also a commuter don and sustainability commissioner for the New College at UofT. For the former, he hosts weekly events to build essential academic skills, connect students with the community, and refer them to valuable resources. As part of the latter, Che is responsible for planning sustainability events and ensuring that the New College activities and events meet corresponding goals therein.
As decorated as Che is beyond his sport, he has also a force to be reckoned with as a jumper. As part of this past weekend's performance, the third-year standout soared to success atop the men's long jump field, notching a mark of 7.13m to take home the gold.
In addition to the major award winners, the top two finishers in each individual event, as well as each member of the gold-medal winning relay teams, take home OUA all-star recognition.
The complete list of 2021-22 OUA track and field award winners is as follows:
Award Winners
Wendy Jerome Outstanding Performer (Female) - Jazz Shukla, Toronto
Hec Phillips Outstanding Performer (Male) - Mark Bujnowski, Guelph
Track MVP (Female) - Jazz Shukla, Toronto
Track MVP (Male) - Alec Purnell, Guelph
Field MVP (Female) - Dallyssa Huggins, Rams
Field MVP (Male) - Femi Akinduro, Toronto
Rookie of the Year (Female) - Hallee Knelsen, Western
Rookie of the Year (Male) - Aiden Grout, Toronto
Sue Wise Women's Coach of the Year - Jason Kerr, Guelph
Bob Vigars Men's Coach of the Year - Jason Kerr, Guelph
Women's Assistant Coach of the Year - Justin Conlon, Waterloo
Men's Assistant Coach of the Year - Megan Buckland, Guelph
Student-Athlete Community Service Award (Female) - Fiona Huang, Toronto
Student-Athlete Community Service Award (Male) - Eric Che, Toronto
One of the true stars of the event was the Wendy Jerome Outstanding Performer and Field MVP Jazz Shukla, who was an integral part of the Toronto Varsity Blues bronze-medal finish overall.
The Toronto, Ont. native gave the Blues a big boost in the standings by bringing home 26 points across her three events. The fifth-year runner, who is ranked first in the province and country in the 1000m, demonstrated why she tops her collegiate counterparts in the discipline, as she took home gold in the event with a time of 2:50.06. It wasn't the only time she topped the podium; however, as she also crossed the line first in the 1500m thanks to a time of 4:19.87.
To round out her decorated weekend, Shukla also joined her fellow Blues in the 4x400m relay, taking home a bronze medal therein.
The Toronto team recognition didn't stop there, as they also saw a phenomenal field performance from one of their key men's team members. The Varsity Blues saw jumper Femi Akinduro (Etobicoke, Ont.) top the field once again, as the OUA field MVP continued his dominance in the triple jump. In order to claim his third straight OUA title, the kinesiology major jumped to a meet and OUA record of 15.58m.
The two-time defending national champion in the event also saw a top-five result in the high jump, finishing fourth therein, while also coming in sixth in the long jump. When the dust settled on his busy championship weekend, Akinduro had contributed 18 points to Toronto's overall bronze medal.
While Akinduro has been making his mark on the varsity scene for some time, a Varsity Blues teammate made his foray onto the university stage this weekend. A fellow jumper, Aiden Grout (Pitt Meadows, B.C.) showcased his leaping ability in a big way in his lone event of the weekend, launching his way to the top of the podium therein. The gold medalist in the high jump, who did so with a mark of 2.15m, was the lone competitor to exceed the 2.05m mark, soaring to the win and to the men's OUA rookie of the year award.
Keeping with the fantastic performances from the field, Guelph's Mark Bujnowski has been a mainstay atop OUA podiums throughout his tenure with the Gryphons and has earned a well-stocked trophy case as a result. After beginning his OUA career with the top rookie nod and following it up with a pair of field MVP accolades the last two seasons, the star Gryphon thrower claims the Hec Phillips Award Outstanding Performer honour in his fifth season.
Adding to his already lengthy resume, the agricultural science major picked up another pair of gold medals this past weekend. On the first day of competition, the Mount Brydges, Ont. native topped the field in the men's weight throw, launching a throw of 17.78m to best the field by over a meter. His encore performance came in the shot put, where he was a full two meters ahead of his conference counterparts with a toss of 17.87m.
Bujnowski's efforts once again stood tall amidst the banner-winning Gryphons squad, but his contributions weren't the only ones from the Guelph school to be recognized.
On the track, the Gryphons were led by Alec Purnell (Dundas, Ont.), who takes home the OUA track MVP nod on the men's side from the 2022 championships. Like his fellow honouree on the track, Purnell topped the field in the 1000m and 1500m festivities. His triumph in the former came in a time of 2:24.00, edging the field for his first gold medal of the weekend. He would follow that up the following day with a convincing win in the 1500m, overcoming the silver medalist by nearly three seconds.
While Guelph has made themselves at home atop a number of conference podiums throughout the OUA's track and field championships over the years, the Rams achieved the feat for the first time in program history this past weekend, and with those historic results in tow, Dallyssa Huggins earns the nod for field MVP on the women's side.
Huggins started her performance with a silver medal in the women's pentathlon, turning in a 3,883-point outing to break the previous OUA record. In the pentathlon, she finished first in the high jump, shot put, and 800m events, breaking the event record in the former. The sociology major from Toronto, Ont. then competed on day two in the individual high jump event and cleared 1.71m to win her second silver medal of the weekend.
With talent-laden fields across the board, it isn't easy to carve out a place among the conference's elite in the first go-around, but another outstanding first-year phenom did just that en route to rookie of the year honours on the women's side.
Western's Hallee Knelsen (Aylmer, Ont.) takes home the award after reaching a pair of podiums in her banner season debut. Her first medal race, the 1000m, brought her a bronze medal, crossing the line in a time of 2:52.79. She would add to her haul the following day, finishing the 600m race in a time of 1:33.16 to finish third once again and bring home a second bronze medal for the Mustangs.
While these impressive student-athletes are demonstrating their talents across their respective events, they do so under the guidance and tutelage of their coaches, and in helping to lead his teams to their fifth consecutive OUA banner sweep, Guelph's Jason Kerr has earned both the Sue Wise women's coach of the year award and Bob Vigars men's coach of the year awards.
The Gryphons men's team collected 182.5 points to earn their seventh title overall, while the women's contingent claimed their ninth on the heels of a 199.83-point effort collectively. The former put them 41 points clear of the silver-medal winning Mustangs, while the latter placed them atop the pack by 55 points.
Eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get back to competition, the Gryphons came out sprinting to start their championship push, setting themselves atop the OUA field after day one and needing only to defend the lead on the second and final day. They did just that with eight gold medals in the latter half of the event, contributions to the team's lofty overall results that saw them take home 31 total medals across the two days (14 gold, seven silver, 10 bronze).
Megan Buckland also played an integral role in the team's success, as the assistant coach (throws) takes home the assistant coach of the year award for the men's team. On the women's side, Waterloo's Justin Conlon becomes the second consecutive Warrior to earn the accolade. Conlon's efforts contributed to a sixth-place finish for the black and gold, with two members of the team reaching individual podiums along the way.
Rounding out the 2022 honourees are a pair of student-athletes who have shone beyond their sport, as they've seen outstanding achievements in academics and community involvement on top of their athletic endeavors.
Toronto team captain Fiona Huang has made the most of her time as a Varsity Blue, as evidenced in her involvement across the campus and community. Having earned multiple academic awards, including her most recent distinction with the KPE Alumni Leadership Award from the UofT Faculty of Kinesiology, Huang has continued her academic prowess despite her busy schedule.
The three-time academic all-Canadian is also a research assistant with the faculty's Indigeneity, Diaspora, Equity and Anti-Racism in Sport (IDEAS) Lab, having played a contributory role in the OUA's recent Anti-Racism Project. Her ties to the conference continue from there; however, as she is also a student-athlete representative on the OUA's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee.
Beyond that, the senior from Hay River, NWT is also the co-founder and chair of the UofT BIPOC Varsity Association; a WISE Fun Committee Member with Canadian Women and Sport; and is the secretary for the Athletes for Change Alliance, the purpose of which is to connect all student-athlete groups across Canada to help promote social equity and educate others about BIPOC culture in a positive way.
Huang also brings her best to the track, as the sprints specialist played a pivotal role as a member of Toronto's bronze-medal winning 4x200m relay team this past weekend.
Eric Che, also suiting up for the Varsity Blues, earns the men's student-athlete community service award and like Huang, does so as a well-rounded member of the OUA community.
The two-time recipient of the Varsity Blues track and field award of merit, as well as a two-time U SPORTS academic all-Canadian, fills his time in a number of different ways. Beyond being a research assistant at Budding Minds Lab, the physiology major from Richmond, B.C. is also a commuter don and sustainability commissioner for the New College at UofT. For the former, he hosts weekly events to build essential academic skills, connect students with the community, and refer them to valuable resources. As part of the latter, Che is responsible for planning sustainability events and ensuring that the New College activities and events meet corresponding goals therein.
As decorated as Che is beyond his sport, he has also a force to be reckoned with as a jumper. As part of this past weekend's performance, the third-year standout soared to success atop the men's long jump field, notching a mark of 7.13m to take home the gold.
In addition to the major award winners, the top two finishers in each individual event, as well as each member of the gold-medal winning relay teams, take home OUA all-star recognition.
The complete list of 2021-22 OUA track and field award winners is as follows:
Award Winners
Wendy Jerome Outstanding Performer (Female) - Jazz Shukla, Toronto
Hec Phillips Outstanding Performer (Male) - Mark Bujnowski, Guelph
Track MVP (Female) - Jazz Shukla, Toronto
Track MVP (Male) - Alec Purnell, Guelph
Field MVP (Female) - Dallyssa Huggins, Rams
Field MVP (Male) - Femi Akinduro, Toronto
Rookie of the Year (Female) - Hallee Knelsen, Western
Rookie of the Year (Male) - Aiden Grout, Toronto
Sue Wise Women's Coach of the Year - Jason Kerr, Guelph
Bob Vigars Men's Coach of the Year - Jason Kerr, Guelph
Women's Assistant Coach of the Year - Justin Conlon, Waterloo
Men's Assistant Coach of the Year - Megan Buckland, Guelph
Student-Athlete Community Service Award (Female) - Fiona Huang, Toronto
Student-Athlete Community Service Award (Male) - Eric Che, Toronto
