GUELPH, Ont. – A total of eight Gryphon varsity teams are featured in the latest edition of the ‘Gryphon Weekend Wrap’ for the period covering December 1 to 3, 2023.
Of the eight Gryphon varsity teams in action this past weekend, one kicked off their 2023-24 season with a pair of meets. The defending national champion Guelph Gryphons track & field team’s split student-athletes between the York Christmas Open and Bob Vigars Season Opener.
Milenne Habash at 2023 York Christmas Classic (photo: Scott Peel)
The Gryphons received several winning performances at the York Christmas Open including Milenne Habash in the women’s long jump who set a new personal and U SPORTS best with a jump of 5.77m. Also taking top spot was Meghan Mori in the women’s weight throw who also set a new personal best with a throw of 15.34m. On the men’s side Benjamin Brewer finished first in the men’s shot put and Mason Harris took the top spot in the men’s pole vault. Also on the men’s side, Robert Sampson recorded a personal best in the men’s long jump with a jump of 6.83m. In the relay events the men’s and women’s 4x200m relay teams each captured first in addition to setting the best time in U SPORTS.
At the Bob Vigars Season Opener in London, the U of G track & field team sent student-athletes specializing in endurance events to comete in their first races of the season. On the women’s side Rudy Radocich captured first in the opening race of her Gryphon career, running the 600m in a time of 1:36.44. Michelle Gray also impressed in the women’s 3km race, finishing 3rd with a time of 10:00.29. On the men’s side the Gryphons saw two student-athletes set personal bests in the 3km race, with Gaetano Pocchi and Jack Lehto finishing 1st and 2nd with times of 8:24.36 and 8:28.59. Pocchi set a new career best by 5 seconds while Lehto was 7 seconds faster than his previous best. In the 1500m race Christian Rachner crossed the finish line first with a time of 4:08.30 and Dylan Ferri rounds out the winning performances after finishign 1st in the 1km race with a time of 2:29.55.
The Gryphons curling team was also in action this past weekend, competing in just their second event of the season, the U of T Bonspiel. The U of G women posted a 1-2 record, falling to the Brock Badgers in their opening match before defeating the Fanshawe Falcons before dropping their final match to a team of OUA Selections. On the men’s side, the Gryphons also fell to the Badgers in their opening match before defeating the York Lions. In their final game the team was defeated by the Laurier Golden Hawks to finish with a 1-2 record.
On the court, the Gryphons women’s basketball split games against the Queen’s Gaels and Ontario Tech Ridgebacks while the men’s team fell in both their games this weekend. At the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre the U of G men’s and women’s volleyball teams hosted the No. 6-ranked McMaster Marauders in back-to-back matches Friday (Dec. 1) and Saturday (Dec. 2) with both teams dropping tightly-contested games 3-0.
For the Gryphons women’s hockey team, they continued their sensational season defeating the York Lions 4-3 in come-from-behind fashion before capturing their 12th win of the campaign 1-0 against the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks at home with a last-minute short-handed score. THe men’s hocket team meanwhile dropepd back-to-back games against the Carleton Ravens and Ottawa Gee-Gees.