The Western Mustangs women's track and field team clinched the 2025 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship, setting new records and earning athlete and coach awards at the meet in Windsor, Ont. on Feb. 22 to 23.
Western Mustangs women's track and field team won gold at 2025 OUAs. (Brandon VandeCaveye)
It's the team's second consecutive provincial title after their victory last year. The Western Mustangs men's track and field team also finished in second place.
A trio of OUA records were set in the women's 600-metre race, 60-metre sprint and men's long jump. Vivan Ogar ran 7.22 in the 60-metre to mark a new milestone in OUA competition. Kenneth West on the men's team, later named Most Valuable Player (MVP), set a new record in the long jump with 7.99 metres.
Favour Okpali, a graduate student in software engineering, broke her own record in the 600-metre race, capturing the gold medal in 1:27.35.
Okpali was named Women's MVP, receiving the Dr. Wendy Jerome Trophy to recognize her talent. The star sprinter, in her final year of eligibility, was named one of the top five university track and field "athletes to watch" by Canadian Running Magazine.
"High pressure moments are opportunities for me to trust that everything I've done leading up to that point-in-time has put me in a good position, so I trust that I have what it takes to perform my best," Okpali said in an interview earlier this year.
Vickie Croley was named the top coach, winning the Sue Wise Women's Coach of the Year honour. It's her final season - and OUA championship - with the Mustangs, with retirement looming after 32 years as head of the women's team and 26 years leading both track and field squads at Western. She's led both teams to more than 20 medals as one of the top three finishers at OUAs and several top finishes at national championships.
"It has been a privilege to come to work every day in a job that allows me to experience my passion of working with student-athletes in a sport I love," Croley said last year when her retirement was announced.
"How lucky am I to have been surrounded by such amazing, talented, and driving young people as a coach and mentor throughout my career? I'm honoured to have worked with exceptional coaches and staff who have helped build and maintain the strength of this program."
The Mustangs now focus on preparing for the national finals, the U SPORTS Championship March 6 to 8 in Windsor, Ont. at the Dennis Fairall Fieldhouse.
INDIVIDUAL GOLD MEDALS
- Sophie Coutts won gold in the women's 1500-metre race at 4:29.39.
- Josh Duckman won gold with his 33.99s run in the 300-metre.
- Hallee Knelsen won gold in the women's 1000-metre.
- Liv Sands dominated the women's shot put, winning gold when she threw over 15.68 metres.
- Natalie Thirsk won gold in both women's 60-metre and 300-metre T38 ambulatory races.
