Gryphon Weekend Wrap (Jan. 26-28, 2024)

GUELPH, Ont. – A total of seven Gryphon varsity teams are featured in the latest edition of the ‘Gryphon Weekend Wrap’ for the period covering January 26 to 28, 2024.
 

For the second time this season the Gryphons track & field team sent student-athletes south of the border to compete against NCAA competition, this time at the Penn State National Open in University Park, Pennsylvania. Overall the Gryphons had a strong weekend, with nine athletes and one relay team auto qualifying for the 2024 U SPORTS Championships. For the U SPORTS No. 4-ranked U of G women’s track and field team, it was one of their best showings this season led by pentathlon athlete Rebecca Parker who broke a 21-year-old University of Guelph track & field record. Distance runner Cameron Ormond also impressed, auto qualifying for both the women’s 1000m and 1500m. Ormond now also ranks 1st in U SPORTS in the 1000m and 2nd in the 1500m. Finally, 60m hurdle specialists Hailey Reid and Adenike Abiodun completed a 1-2 finish with times to 8.40 and 8.42 to solidify auto qualification and move up to No. 2 and 3 in U SPORTS. On the men’s side the weekend for the No. 3-ranked Gryphon team was highlighted by Max Davies running a sub-4 minute mile (3:59.24) to set a new U of G record held previously by former teammate Alec Purnell. The Gryphons also had a strong showing in the men’s long jump, with Johnathan Jacob and Soloman Arase earning a 1-2 finish with jumps of 7.38ft and 7.36ft. 

In London, the Gryphons wrestling teams were competing in a pair of events at Western University, the Western Open and the Ontario Junior Championships. For the U SPORTS No. 5-ranked Gryphons women’s wrestling team, Kayla Smith led the way at the Ontario Junior Championships with a 1st-place finish in the 50kg weight class while Logan Stimson earned a 2nd-place finish at the Western Open. Also reaching the podium at the Western Open was Claire MacDougall and Rebecca Redlich, who each claimed 3rd-place finishes. For the No. 6-ranked U of G men’s team it was a highly successful weekend with the team earning the top spot at the Ontario Junior Championships thanks to podium finishes from Tyler Barry (1st – 65kg), Caius Hargbridge (1st – 79kg), Clark Jackson (1st – 92kg), Cooper Feke (3rd – 61kg), and Jayden Harrison (3rd – 86kg). At the Western Open, Baljot Mangat was the lone Gryphon to finish on the podium, claiming silver in the men’s 82kg weight class. 

Returning to action for the first time since the fall was the Gryphons women’s rugby team who as Durham College for a rugby 7s tournament. The Gryphons sent two teams with each going undefeated through three matches. The U of G first team, which which will compete in the rugby 7s nationals, defeated the York Lions 40-0 before taking down Queen’s and Western 20-5. The Gryphon second team defeated Durham 15-10 before outscoring the U of T Varsity Blues and Western Mustang second team 70-0. 

On the court, the Gryphon women’s volleyball team earned back-to-back wins over the Windsor Lancers to improve to 11-3 on the season with 6 games remaining in the 2023-24 campaign. The U SPORTS No. 8-ranked Gryphon suffered a hard-fought five set loss Friday to the Lancers before bouncing back with a convincing 3-1 win to tie the Brock Badgers for top spot in the OUA with a 13-3 record. The U of G have just four games remaining on the regular season schedule before the start of the postseason.

On the ice, the U SPORTS No. 3-ranked Gryphons women’s hockey team earned their 8th shutout win with a 3-0 victory over Western before taking down the No. 6-ranked and OUA East-leading Nipissing Lakers in overtime Friday (Jan. 26) in North Bay. The Gryphons improved to 20-1-2 on the season and extended their winning streak to 12 games, the second longest streak behind only the undefeated Concordia Stingers. This year’s edition of the Gryphons women’s hockey team has the potential to finish the season with the most wins in program history with 5 games remaining on the regular season schedule. The previous record of 21 has been recorded five times in program history, most recently in the 2016-17 season. 
 

Gryphon Weekend Scoreboard

Saturday, January 27, 2024
 

Sunday, January 28, 2024