A Western Mustangs athlete, team and coach took home top awards from the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) celebration of the 2024-2025 season. Western won a trio of accolades at the May 14 ceremony: Coach of the Year, Athlete of the Year and Team of the Year.
Western Mustangs coach Vickie Croley and members of the women's track and field team at the Ontario University Athletics 2024-25 season celebration. (Michael P. Hall)
Vickie Croley, 2024-25 OUA Coach of the Year
Vickie Croley, OUA Coach of the Year. (Michael P. Hall)
The head coach of the Western Mustangs track and field program was named the 2024-25 OUA Women's Coach of the Year, capping off her final season with the Mustangs before her retirement this summer.
This is Croley's 32nd year as head coach, and she led both the men's and women's teams to matching U SPORTS Championships this season - a first for Western.
It's the second consecutive provincial title for the women's track and field team, which took home gold at the OUAs in back-to-back seasons.
Croley was recognized for her holistic coaching philosophy, which emphasizes athlete development, mental well-being and equity in sport. An advocate for inclusion, she has prioritized making connections in the Indigenous community, Black community and for women in sport. She has mentored many coaches and played a key role in advancing coach education in Canada.
"Vickie Croley models the way as a strong, steady and values-driven leader. She has been an exceptional leader for the Western Mustangs and has mentored numerous coaches. She is always willing to learn and share, further amplifying her values of playing, winning and growing together. We have been privileged as an institution to have a recognized world class coach, who not only is consistently offered international opportunities, but who also is a part of the winning Damian Warner team, and consistently leads our Mustangs teams to championships," said Christine Stapleton, Western's director of sports and recreation.
Croley had an award-winning season already, as she was previously named OUA Track & Field Women's Coach of the Year, U SPORTS Sue Wise Women's Coach of the Year, and U SPORTS Dr. Bob Boucher Men's Coach of the Year - a rare trifecta.
Croley's influence stretches beyond medals and records. She co-chaired the "Stay in the Game" conference promoting women in sport, launched BIPOC-focused team awards and fostered a team culture grounded in care and empowerment.
"When athletes know you care, they want to do well," she often says.
Favour Okpali, 2024-25 OUA Athlete of the Year
Favour Okpali, OUA Athlete of the Year. (Michael P. Hall)
Okpali, a sprinter with the Western Mustangs, has been named the 2024-25 OUA Athlete of the Year, a recognition of her athletic performance and leadership throughout her university career. The master's student in software engineering is the most decorated long sprinter in Western history.
In her final season, Okpali broke her own OUA record in the 600-metre race with a time of 1:27.35, placed second in the 300-metre race and anchored the 4x400m relay. At the U SPORTS National Championship, she earned gold in the 600m, silver in the 300m and brought the relay team from fifth to fourth with a remarkable 53.4-second split, helping Western secure the U SPORTS Women's Team Championship.
A recipient of 10 OUA medals, 7 U SPORTS medals, 3 school records and 2 OUA records, Okpali has redefined excellence on the track. She's also been a two-time team captain, mentor to younger athletes and a strong advocate for her peers - balancing elite athletics with academic excellence in STEM.
Croley spoke highly of Okpali's contributions to the team and her leadership.
"Favour is one of the busiest athletes on our team at meets, especially at championship meets, although she can often be found cheering on her teammates when she is not warming up or competing herself. She is genuinely interested and supportive of how her teammates are doing and she is very enthusiastic when cheering," Croley said.
"She is an incredible role model and mentor for engineering students in general, as well as our student-athletes. She has also been an advocate for her teammates on non-track related issues. She does everything well and also has a sense of humour, which is very refreshing."
Off the track, Favour is known for lifting others up - literally and figuratively.
"This team gave me confidence - it's been my family," she said.
Okpali hopes to qualify for World Championships or the Olympics, while continuing her engineering career.
"Watching U SPORTS athletes represent Team Canada in Paris was so inspiring. I'd love to join that U SPORTS-to-Olympian pipeline."
Women's Track and Field Team, 2024-25 OUA Team of the Year
Women's track and field team. (Michael P. Hall)
Winning 2024-25 OUA Team of the Year is a fitting honour for the track and field squad that clinched back-to-back championships,rewriting the program's record books.
The Western Mustang's women's team finished the two-day OUA 2025 competition with 194 points and 17 medals to bring home the championship banner for the second year in a row.
A few weeks later, the Mustangs made history again - this time on the national stage - winning both the men's and women's U SPORTS Championships for the first time in university history. The women's team secured gold with 119 points, finishing a commanding 34 points ahead of the Guelph Gryphons.
"This is such an incredible group of women," said Croley. "I am so glad they got to experience what it is like to win a championship, they truly have earned this. It's been years in the making."
Croley and 12 members of the men's and women's track and field teams will head next to the 2025 FISU Summer World University Games in Germany this summer. The 12 Mustangs make up almost one-quarter of the 50-person FISU team.
