Banner Season: Top-ranked Gryphons looking to stay on track in effort to extend championship streaks

Burlington, Ont. – The Guelph Gryphons brought home a pair of conference banners at last year’s finale, the fifth straight time that both of their teams topped the track and field competition, and with some ‘all-time greats’ representing the program once again this weekend, the defending champions will be poised to do the same at the 2023 OUA Track & Field Championships. They will have their chance to do so against the rest of the 14-team field from Friday, February 24 to Saturday, February 25 at the Toldo Lancer Centre / Dennis Fairall Fieldhouse.

Championship Details

When: Friday, February 24 to Saturday, February 25
Where: Toldo Lancer Centre / Dennis Fairall Fieldhouse (University of Windsor)
Participating Schools (14): Brock Badgers, Guelph Gryphons, Lakehead Thunderwolves, Laurentian Voyageurs, McMaster Marauders, Ottawa Gee-Gees, Queen’s Gaels, Toronto Varsity Blues, TMU Bold, Waterloo Warriors, Western Mustangs, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, Windsor Lancers (host), York Lions
Defending Champions: Guelph Gryphons (W); Guelph Gryphons (M)

Student-Athletes to Watch:

Abdullahi Abdullahi, York Lions | A third-year kinesiology and health science major from Scarborough, Ont., Abdullahi has finished as high as third in the 1000m races at various meets this year. He also set personal bests in both the 1000m and 1500m races at the Hillsdale Classic in January, feats he will look to accomplish again at his third OUA finale.

Femi Akinduro, Toronto Varsity Blues | The 2021-22 UofT T-Holders men’s athlete of the year, Akinduro will be competing for his fourth straight OUA triple jump title. The decorated kinesiology major from Etobicoke, Ont. will also be competing in the long jump and high jump competitions alongside fellow Varsity Blues, Eric Che and Aiden Grout, who will be defending their respective titles in those events.

Anthony Atkinson, Windsor Lancers | Atkinson has racked up the accolades during his tenure with the Lancers, and he enters his fifth conference finale on the heels of a record-breaking season. The fifth-year Chatham, Ont. native surpassed the school mark three times this year in the men’s weight throw – topping the Lancer list with a distance of 18.27m – and is currently ranked in the country’s top eight for both weight through (6th) and shot put (8th).

Hannah Blair, Waterloo Warriors | Blair will be the athlete to watch in the pentathlon, looking to three-peat as the gold medalist in that event. Last year, the Warriors standout broke the OUA record with 3,910 points at the conference championship, and this year, she has won gold across several individual events as well, most recently in the 60m hurdles at the Carleton Last Chance Meet. Just one week ago, the Waterloo, Ont. local was also named the U SPORTS track and field athlete of the week.

Mandy Brunet, Windsor Lancers | Jumping into action this weekend for the host Lancers, Brunet is looking to make a splash at her fourth OUA Championships. The LaSalle, Ont. product enters the weekend’s festivities ranked first in the country in the women’s triple jump and sits fourth among her U SPORTS peers in the women’s long jump, suggesting the senior could bring the hometown fans to their feet with some more strong performances.

Mark Bujnowski, Guelph Gryphons | It was a memorable year for the Guelph great in 2022. The three-time national shot put champion took home the Hec Phillips Trophy at the conference closer, after collecting gold in both the men’s shot put and men’s weight throw events. The Mount Brydges, Ont. native has broken his own U SPORTS record on three separate occasions this season, with it now standing at 19.56m, and was only bested by one competitor all season long (Kentucky’s Josh Sabota, 19.92m).

Sophie Coutts, Western Mustangs | Coutts enters her second OUA Championships meet as the top seed in the women’s 3000m (second in U SPORTS) and fifth in the 1500m, sitting right behind her twin sister and fellow Mustang Chloe Coutts in the latter. The sciences student from Toronto, Ont. is looking to better her 2022 OUAs, wherein she finished 10th and 15th in the 1500m and 3000m, respectively.

Alex Drover, McMaster Marauders | Drover is one of the most veteran runners on the Marauders men’s roster and, as the reigning OUA silver medalist in the 3000m, is sure to be a threat in the distance events at this year’s OUA Championships. His 1500m personal best time of 3:45.51 broke the previous Marauders record, and with the second best 3000m time of the year across U SPORTS – not to mention the third fastest time in the 1500m – the Kingston, Ont. native will look to close out his varsity career as a double OUA medalist.

Ryan Evans, Western Mustangs | Evans is currently ranked second in the grueling two-day, seven-discipline heptathlon in both the OUA and U SPORTS, and the school record-holder therein is entering this weekend’s event in fine form. In what will be his fifth and final championship outing, the Saint John, N.B. native is looking to cap off his varsity tenure atop the podium for the Mustangs.

Tre Ford, Laurentian Voyageurs | At Laurentian for his Masters, former Waterloo quarterback Ford has been a leader for the sprint crew this year. Already a decorated varsity athlete on the gridiron, the Niagara Falls, Ont. standout has earned a pair of gold medals this year for the Voyageurs in the 60m race at the Western and Toronto hosted events and will be looking to make a push for the finals – and possibly a podium spot – this weekend as well.

Ella Foster, York Lions | Foster’s performance of 3.90m at the Bolton Pole Vault meet tied her for fourth in the U SPORTS rankings and keeps the New Westminster, B.C. local second on York’s all-time pole vault list entering the competition this weekend.

Emily Good, Brock Badgers | A former two-time OUA and U SPORTS medalist in women’s shot put while competing for the Western Mustangs during her undergrad, Good joins the Badgers looking to add to her varsity resumé. The Desbarats, Ont. native is ranked third in the conference with her season best of 12.85m and, in returning to the big stage after a two-year retirement, the combined Badgers student-athlete and throws coach is eyeing gold in her return to the OUA Championships.

Hannah Goodjohn, McMaster Marauders | A fourth-year life sciences student, Goodjohn is one of the cornerstones of the McMaster women’s distance track team. Coming off a strong season in 2021-22 that saw her finish seventh in the 3000m and 12th in the 1500m at the OUA finale, the Mount Albert, Ont. local has been even more impressive this year. She posted a new personal best and set a new school record in Boston in the 3000m with a time of 9:33.36 and will enter the championships with the third best time in the conference.

Michael Ivanov, Brock Badgers | A freshman standout, the first-year business major was a 2022 OFSAA gold medalist in the senior boys pole vault. Currently ranked fourth in the high jump and eight in the pole vault across the country – and fourth and fifth, respectively, in the OUA – Ivanov is looking for a lofty foray onto the banner seasons stage as a medal hopeful in both.

Aaron Kelly, TMU Bold | Kelly is one to watch in the men’s 300m, as he is looking to set another school record and push for a spot at the U SPORTS Championships. Less than a second separates him from the top-16 therein, and coming off a personal best performance in the 60m last week at the Hal Brown Last Chance meet, the Toronto, Ont. native is hoping to ride that wave of momentum to make good on his weekend aspirations as a whole.

Meghan Koo, TMU Bold | Koo continues to trend in the right direction heading into the 2023 OUA Championships, racking up a slew of personal bests in the lead-up to the highly-anticipated conference event. The Markham, Ont. product has improved on her top time in her last five 60m races and is also in a good position to run a top-five time in the women’s 60m hurdles.

Jasmine Lew, Toronto Varsity Blues | Fourth-year veteran Lew knows what it takes to succeed on the OUA stage, and while she was unable to top the field in the women’s long jump competition in 2022, the former champion will be looking to regain her title this time around. The 2019 OUA gold medalist is currently ranked first in the country in her signature event.

Kristen Mrozewski, Laurentian Voyageurs | Entering her second conference competition, Mrozewski is eyeing improved results from her championships debut a year ago. The Sudbury, Ont. local finished 10th in the 1000m and 13th in the 600m events in 2022, but is poised to move up the ranks when she hits the track in Windsor this weekend.

Immanuel Onyemah, Waterloo Warriors | Looking to repeat as the gold medal winner in the 60m dash, Onyemah enters with plenty of confidence. Last year, he won the race in a time of 6.79s, and in his most recent event at the Carleton Last Chance meet, he accomplished the same feat in a slightly better mark of 6.78s to break the meet record. In addition to ranking third in the country and second in the OUA in the event, the Mississauga, Ont. standout will also be a critical part of Waterloo’s 4x200m relay team.

Tyriq Quayson, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks | Quayson is a football star in the fall and is joining Laurier for the first time to help their sprints program. The Maple, Ont. product has run under seven seconds for the 60m and is also the lead runner for Laurier’s 4x200m relay. If healthy for the OUA Championships, the computer science major should be able to run with the best in the country in his banner season debut.

Jenna Schroeder, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks | This is Schroeder’s fourth year at Laurier, but her first year running with the Golden Hawks track team. The Richmond Hill, Ont. native has worked very hard and comes into the championships as the team’s fastest 300m runner, longest triple jumper, and a crucial part of both the 4x200m and 4x400m relays. Schroeder has also been key in helping the purple and gold know that they can run with the best in the province.

Zoe Sherar, Guelph Gryphons | In her final year of collegiate competition, there isn’t much that Sherar hasn’t achieved with the Gryphons. The senior is ranked No. 1 nationally in the women’s 300m, anchors the top-ranked women’s 4x200m relay and 4x400m relay teams, and brings a wealth of hardware from past events to the championship stage. A three-time gold medalist from the 2022 OUA festivities, Sherar also competed internationally as a member of the 4x400m relay team at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Elizabeth Vroom, Queen’s Gaels | The U SPORTS cross country rookie of the year in 2022 is no stranger to the varsity stage even those this is her first crack at the track and field finale. After shining on the cross country course for Queen’s in the fall, the Ottawa, Ont. standout enters this weekend’s competition looking for an equally impressive debut and will also be doing so as the OFSAA 2000m steeplechase record holder.

Jude Wheeler-Dee, Queen’s Gaels | Wheeler-Dee has emerged as one of the top all-around athletes at the conference and national levels. Ranked at the top in the 1000m and fourth in the 1500m, the former first-year walk-on at Queen’s has established himself as one to watch among young middle to distance runners in Canada and is hoping to set himself up as a consistent contender for multiple OUA titles.

Storylines to Keep an Eye On:

The Brock Badgers will be led by some experienced graduate student-athletes in Good and Madelyn Huston, as well as rookie standout Grace Kugler on the women’s side, while the men will look to Colton Spencer, Jacques Tiessen and Tyrell Smikle to lend their elite experience to the St. Catharines squad once again. In addition to the influx of talent, the resilient bunch is also looking at their improved facilities – the new Canada Games Park – as a key contributing factor for their aspirations this weekend.

It was another dominant season for the top-ranked Guelph track and field teams, who are eyeing their seventh consecutive OUA title on the women’s side and sixth straight for the men. With some young, talented performers joining alongside the school’s collection of ‘all-time great’ veterans, the Gryphons have performed at a high level all year long and will look for much more of the same when they head to Windsor for the 2023 OUA Championships.

After narrowly missing out on the podium last year in both the 1500m and 3000m events, the Marauder women have their sights set on snagging a medal this time around. The men’s side of the maroon and grey’s roster also offers some specialty in the distance events and have cemented themselves as a force therein. Having been ranked in the U SPORTS top 10 all season long, the Hamilton crew will be eyeing as many medals as possible in the events while also securing qualifications for the national event.

The No. 2 Toronto men’s team will be vying for their second consecutive podium finish this weekend after placing third overall last year, while their No. 6 women’s group are aiming for a 10th straight appearance among the conference’s top three finishers. A capable collection of jumpers, each of whom are entering as reigning OUA title holders, will lead the charge for the former, while the latter will feature four OUA champions returning to the field.

For the women’s team, TMU has a more well-rounded group than the contingent at last year’s event, but with four of the five weekend attendees making their banner season debuts, they are mainly looking to gain championship experience this weekend. The Bold also have three men competing in the 60m race for the first time ever, all seeded within 0.02 seconds of each other. They are also all part of the 4x200m relay team that has their sights set on U SPORTS qualification. That push is going to be spearheaded by Kelly and Felimon Henok, as they both have also run top-five team times in the men’s 300m this season.

With a pair of second-place overall finishes under their belts from 2022, the Mustangs will be in anther tough fight for podium placement. The Western women lost perennial distance powerhouse Kate Current, who graduated last year, but there are some young talents in the Coutts sisters to continue their rise this year and beyond. The Mustangs men have had an impressive season so far across many events, with Evans among the podium contenders this weekend in the heptathlon and Seth Edwards eyeing a similar accomplishment in the shot put as one of the top-ranked throwers in the country.

There will be some history being made for Wilfrid Laurier this weekend, as for the first time, their program is fielding teams in all three relays for both the women’s and men’s events. The Hawks are excited to see what their student-athletes can do when the stakes are at their highest against the rest of the top competitors from across the province.

With a mixture of veterans and rookies, this year’s women’s contingent for Windsor should see some top performances in both track and field events. The Lancers are looking to have a more balanced point contribution from their men’s roster, meanwhile, with capable performers competing across all facets of the event for the host Windsor squad. Both teams will hope their crews can step onto the podium this time around after falling just shy of the top three a year ago in fourth place.

The Lions had 26 OUA qualifications at the last chance meets over the last weekend, by far the most of any of the previous weeks, and the York group is looking especially strong in the field, with the long jump, high jump, and triple jumps being focal points for last year’s hosts.

What They’re Saying:

“The Badgers are entering championship season excited, prepared, and hungry as ever. Both our men’s and women’s teams are the strongest they’ve ever been and we’re excited to see them showcase their talent with the best in the province this weekend.” – Jac Harris, Head Coach, Brock Badgers

“We’re a young team that is trying to emerge as a more prominent player at the middle distance events.” – Mark Bomba, Head Coach, Queen’s Gaels

“We are super excited for an outstanding OUA Championships this weekend. Both teams have had an incredible season with numerous personal bests and varsity top 10 performances.” – Carl Georgevski, Head Coach, Toronto Varsity Blues

“It is always an honour to represent the school at the OUA Championships as the athletes work so hard all season long just to get there and compete. This is shaping up to be a good championships for our team as our returning athletes have a fire lit underneath them after watching what Dallyssa Huggins did last year with two silvers and a top-five finish in her three events. They have had almost a whole year to reminisce on her performances from last year and strive for excellence this season where it will all come to a head this weekend and hopefully in two weeks at U SPORTS.” – Will Lanktree, Head Coach, TMU Bold

"Very proud of how the team has competed this season with numerous all-time top ten performances, numerous personal bests every week, and I look forward to seeing what they accomplish at home during the championships." – Colin Inglis, Head Coach, Windsor Lancers

"From last year, we were looking at a situation with massive turnover because of COVID-19. Now we have a base of veterans that can step up and score the needed points that we require in order to be closer to the podium." – Raymond Rudder, Head Coach, York Lions