WINNIPEG, MB – On Thursday (March 5) in Winnipeg, two University of Guelph student-athletes from the Gryphons track and field team were nationally recognized for their performances during the 2025-26 indoor track season.
Max Davies was named U SPORTS Men's Track Athlete of the Year and
Nicole McKenzie was named U SPORTS Women's Track Athlete of the Year. The Gryphon track and field teams are currently in Winnipeg for the 2026 U SPORTS Track & Field Championships, with the three-day national championship event set to begin on Thursday afternoon (March 5). The three-day U SPORTS meet, hosted by the University of Manitoba, runs from Thursday to Saturday from the James Daly Fieldhouse.
Max Davies - U SPORTS Men's Track Athlete of the Year
Max Davies for a third consecutive season has been named U SPORTS Male Track Athlete of the Year. The 22-year-old from Toronto contributed to another conference banner for Guelph at the 2026 OUA Track and Field Championships, where Davies took home an individual OUA gold medal in the men's 1500m while setting a new meet record in what was his lone competition at the conference championship meet. The University of Guelph management major in February at the 2026 David Hemery Valentine Invitational on Feb. 13 at Boston University set a new school and U SPORTS record in the men's 1500m. Davies set the new national record during the Mile race in Boston, where En Route cameras clocked his 1500m time at 3:37.27. Davies is currently the top-ranked U SPORTS runner in the men's 1500m, and the second-ranked U SPORTS runner in the men's 3000m. This represents the first time a Gryphon track athlete has won three consecutive U SPORTS Men's Track Athlete of the Year awards. In the 28-year history of the U SPORTS Men's Track Athlete of the Year award, Davies becomes just the third individual to become a three-time recipient, joining four-time winners Ryan McKenzie (Windsor Lancers, 2000-2004) and Sam Effah (Calgary Dinos, 2007-2011).
Nicole McKenzie – U SPORTS Women's Track Athlete of the Year
Nicole McKenzie has been named U SPORTS Women's Track Athlete of the Year following her extraordinary season which saw her etch her name into the Canadian record books. McKenzie, a fifth-year history major at the University of Guelph, set a new all-time Canadian record in the women's 600m on January 30, 2026 in State College, PA as she clocked in with a time of 1:26.95 while competing at the Penn State National Open. McKenzie broke a record previously held by Aurora Rynda (All-American runner for the Michigan Wolverines) set in 2022. The time was also the fastest U SPORTS time recorded in the women's 600m while breaking her own school record in the process which set at the Wolverine Invitational while also setting a meet record and Michigan facility record in the process with a time of a 1:28.11. The 22-year-old at the 2026 OUA Track and Field Championships in Toronto took home a pair of gold medals, winning the women's 600m while also contributing to a win in the women's 4x200m relay. She also reached the auto standard mark in the women's 300m with a time of 37.85. McKenzie becomes just the second Gryphon to be named U SPORTS Women's Track Athlete of the Year, joining Lindsay Carson (2008-09).
For more information on the other national major award winnres, visit usports.ca.
2025-26 U SPORTS Track and Field Season Awards
Women
Athlete of the Year (Track): Nicole McKenzie, Guelph Gryphons
Athlete of the Year (Field): Jinaye Shomachuk, Lethbridge Pronghorns
Rookie of the Year: Hailee Woodhouse, Saskatchewan Huskies
Student-Athlete Community Service Award: Chloe VidAmour, Windsor Lancers
Women's Assistant Coach of the Year: Karlyn Wells, Saskatchewan Huskies
Men
Athlete of the Year (Track): Max Davies, Guelph Gryphons
Athlete of the Year (Field): Aiden Grout, Toronto Varsity Blues
Rookie of the Year: Jackson MacKay, Western Mustangs
Student-Athlete Community Service Award: Aaron Thompson, Western Mustangs
Men's Assistant Coach of the Year: Mark Cocks, Alberta Golden Bears
