WINNIPEG — A group of Ottawa Lions athletes representing six different Canadian universities will take to the national stage this week as the U SPORTS Track and Field Championships begin Thursday at the James Daly Fieldhouse at the University of Manitoba.
The three-day championship, which runs through Saturday, brings together the country’s top university athletes following conference championship performances across the Canada West, OUA, RSEQ and AUS.
Leading the Ottawa contingent is a strong group from the University of Ottawa, highlighted by the men’s 4×400-metre relay squad that captured the OUA title two weeks ago in Championship record time. James Compeau, Safwan El Mansari, William Harris and David Moulongou will look to carry that momentum onto the national stage, with Joel Gurnsey serving as the relay alternate.
Individually, El Mansari will also contest the 600 metres after a silver medal performance at the OUA Championships, while Moulongou lines up in the 300 metres. In the field events, Thomas Senechal-Becker enters the high jump competition looking to reclaim his national title from 2024, and Jessica Gyamfi will represent the Gee-Gees in the women’s shot put as she goes for her second straight U SPORTS medal. Leewinchell Jean rounds out the Gee-Gees competitors as he lines up in the 60 metre hurdles.
Several Lions athletes competing for other programs will also be in the hunt for national honours.
At the University of Guelph, thrower Liam Davis will compete in both the shot put and weight throw following another consistent season in the circle. Teammates Nicolas Belan is expected to run for the Gryphons’ 4×800-metre relay squad, while Kaiya Woodcock will be part of the Guelph women’s 4×200-metre relay pool.
For Queen’s University, middle-distance runner Elizabeth Vroom will contest both the 1000 metres and 1500 metres. Vroom enters the national championships following another strong OUA campaign that saw her capture silver over 1500 metres. She will look to carry that momentum into two of the meet’s most competitive distance events.
The Western Mustangs will feature multiple Lions athletes as well. David Adeleye enters the men’s 60-metre hurdles as a medal favourite following his seasonal best at the OUA championships, while Leo Wallner will contest the heptathlon in one of the meet’s most demanding events. Cora McQuinn will contribute on both the Mustangs’ 4×200-metre and 4×400-metre relay teams.
For the University of Toronto, Paulina Procyk qualified in the 60-metre hurdles and is also part of the Varsity Blues’ 4×200-metre relay squad.
Meanwhile, a strong Lions presence will be seen in the McGill program. William Sanders and Luca Nicoletti will both compete in the men’s 300 metres after standout performances at the RSEQ championships. The pair will also combine with teammate Jay Yetman on McGill’s 4×200-metre relay, while Sanders and Nicoletti will also feature on the Redbirds’ 4×400-metre relay squad.
With national medals and All-Canadian honours on the line, the weekend promises to be full of memorable moments. Be sure to catch all the action live on CBC Sports YouTube Channel.
Live results are available on Athletic.net