GUELPH, Ont. – Throughout the 2025-26 season, the University of Guelph Department of Athletics will be highlighting various members from our Gryphon varsity programs as part of our 'Gryph's Locker Athletes of the Week, presented by POWERADE' series. Joe Columbus (men's lacrosse) and
Kirsten Sutter (women's lacrosse) have been named 'Gryphon Athletes of the Week' for the period covering October 13 to 19, 2025.
Joe Columbus (Men's Lacrosse)
Joe Columbus, a second-year face off specialist on the Gryphons men's lacrosse team earns this week's 'Athlete of the Week' honours. Columbus, a 19-year-old from Fergus, ON, displayed his dominance in the face off circle as he helped lead his team to victories over McMaster, Nipissing and Brock this week. On Wednesday (Oct. 15) against the Marauders, Columbus won 17 of his 18 face offs and had an assist in his team's 15-1 win. The mechanical engineering major continued his brilliance in the face off circle in the Gryphons 18-7 victory over Nipissing on Saturday (Oct. 18), winning 22 of his 27 draws. Columbus, a CUFLA (Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association) West Division All-Canadian last season, capped off his fabulous week in the circle winning 25 of his 29 face offs while adding a goal and an assist in an 18-5 win over Brock. The goal Columbus scored was a pivotal one for the Gryphons as he won the subsequent face off and took it to the house for a goal, :11 seconds after the Badgers scored as it gave Guelph a 4-2 and they never looked back en route to an 18-5 win. Colubmus and the Gryphons men's lacrosse team finish their regular season with a 9-1 record and are off until Sunday, November 2 when they will host a Baggataway Cup Play-In Game with the winner heading to nationals (Nov. 7-9 in Brampton).
Kirsten Sutter (Women's Lacrosse)
Gryphons women's lacrosse defender,
Kirsten Sutter is this week's 'Athlete of the Week' after leading her side to an OUA bronze medal at the 2025 OUA Women's Lacrosse Tournament over the weekend. Sutter, a fifth-year team captain from Chatsworth, Ontario, was one of key figures in her team's defensive success in Waterloo throughout the weekend at the conference championship tournament. The creative writing major led her defensive line through several of situations which allowed the Gryphons to hold off Laurier on Sunday (Oct. 19) in their 10-8 win to take home the bronze medal. Sutter's phenomenal season saw her named an OUA major award winners as the 2025 OUA Defensive Player of the Year while also earning a spot on the OUA All-Star team on defence. The OUA bronze medal finish from Sutter and the rest of her Gryphons women's lacrosse teammates marked the first time in 12 years in which the University of Guelph was represented on the OUA podium in women's lacrosse, with the team's last podium finish coming back in 2012 when they earned silver.
2025-26 Gryphon Athletes of the Week
| Name |
Sport |
Date |
| Joseph Columbus |
Men's Lacrosse |
Oct. 13-19, 2025 |
| Kirsten Sutter |
Women's Lacrosse |
Oct. 13-19, 2025 |
| Charles Trollip |
Men's Rugby |
Oct. 6-12, 2025 |
| Sophie Helfenstein |
Women's Hockey |
Oct. 6-12, 2025 |
| Abby Warriner |
Field Hockey |
Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2025 |
| Olivier Ciarlo |
Men's Hockey |
Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2025 |
| Olivia Rizakos |
Women's Soccer |
Sept. 22-28, 2025 |
| Ethan Fraser |
Men's Soccer |
Sept. 22-28, 2025 |
| Alexandra McDougall |
Women's Cross Country |
Sept. 15-21, 2025 |
| William MacLeod |
Men's Lacrosse |
Sept. 15-21, 2025 |
| Jacqueline Giles |
Women's Golf |
Sept. 8-14, 2025 |
| Landon Hutar |
Baseball |
Sept. 8-14, 2025 |
| Carter Robart |
Men's Soccer |
Sept. 1-7, 2025 |
| Rachel McConvey |
Women's Lacrosse |
Sept. 1-7, 2025 |
| Olivia Rizakos |
Women's Soccer |
Aug. 25-31, 2025 |
