The Western Mustangs track and field teams made program history this weekend, winning both the men's and women's national championships.
The men's team finished with 139 points in the team standings, while the women's team finished with 119 points.
The Western Mustangs track and field teams clinched both the men's and women's 2025 U SPORTS national championships at the Windsor, Ont. competition, winning 25 individual and relay medals and setting a new record in men's long jump. (Brandon VandeCaveye)
"I am absolutely speechless," Mustangs head coach Vickie Croley said after the event in Windsor, Ont. "This is such an incredible group of men and women that will go on and be very successful in life and 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."
The Mustangs picked up 25 individual and relay medals during the three-day event on their way to gold medal performances for both teams.
"This feels incredible. It's a goal that has been left behind by the captains before me. I am so glad we were able to pull this off not only for us, but also the teams that came before us," said Mustangs men's team captain Seth Edwards. "I hope this is just the start for our group and the younger members of the team can keep this momentum going."
A trio of Mustangs received awards at a ceremony ahead of the weekend competition. Favour Okpali was named Outstanding Track Athlete of the Season, Kenneth West was awarded Outstanding Field Athlete of the Season and Aaron Thompson was recognized as the Men's Student-Athlete Community Service Award winner.
Favour Okpali was named Outstanding Track Athlete of the Season at the awards ceremony ahead of the U SPORTS national championships in Windsor, Ont. (Ryan Robinson/Western Mustangs)
Retiring coach wins two awards in final championship
Head coach Vickie Croley was also recognized for outstanding leadership with the Dr. Bob Boucher Men's Coach of the Year and Sue Wise Women's Coach of the Year award in the post-event ceremony. It was Croley's final U SPORTS national championship before she retires this summer.
"It definitely feels great and is very special, but I truly feel it isn't an individual award; it goes to my entire coaching staff," Croley said. "Many of our coaches are former Mustangs student-athletes themselves and the passion they bring to our team is one of the big reasons we had success this weekend, so this award is really for them."
The men's and women's teams said it was fitting to send Croley into retirement with dual national championship honours.
"What an unbelievable career she has had and to cap it off like this is such a storybook ending," Thompson said.
Edwards said the student-athletes are "profoundly grateful" for Croley's leadership.
"She's been a pillar of the team for 32 years and in my life for the last six years," he said. "I'm so elated that we were able to get this done for her and all of our coaches."
Mustangs dominate in three-day competition
The Mustangs claimed top spot in the 60-metre sprints on the first day of the national competition, on both the men's and women's sides. Vivian Ogor earned the first Mustangs gold medal of the weekend with a 7.23-second sprint.
"I felt really confident. We have so many meets on this track, so I definitely had some additional comfort there," Ogor said. "There is obviously some nerves there but I wasn't too high or too low and I knew I had it at the end."
Immanuel Onyemah, who has battled injury all year long, took home gold in the men's 60-metre mere minutes later, with a time of 6.63 seconds.
"I knew I had to get out to a quick start," Onyemah said. " This is my first U SPORTS gold in my last competition, it's such an amazing feeling. I'm just so happy."
The dual first-place finishes served as a launching point for the Mustangs during the rest of the three-day championship.
"We wanted to set the tone and we definitely did that tonight," Mustangs sprints coach Taylor Ehrhardt said. "Viv has been running incredibly well all season and definitely deserves to be at the top of the podium. We pulled Immanuel from the semis and finals at OUAs so he could rest his body, and it definitely worked out. I'm just so happy for both of them."
West set the U SPORTS record with a jump of 7.88 metres in the men's long jump on the second day of the competition. Teammate Arman Shahzadeh joined him on the podium, clinching silver with his best jump of 7.31 metres.
Liv Sands outpaced her competitors in women's shot put. Her best throw was 16.40 metres on her fourth attempt, 2.69 metres ahead of the second-place finish.
Thompson and Josh Duckman finished first and second in the men's 300-metre race at 34.09 seconds and 34.21 seconds, respectively.
"I'm walking away from the weekend with three gold medals, two of them are relay and team medals and those are the ones that mean the most to me," said Thompson. "It's fun to win but it's more fun to win as a team."
West said it was a special competition.
"The momentum continued all weekend long and we all just fed off each other. Now to be known as one of the best teams in history is incredible," he said.
MUSTANGS GOLD MEDALS
- Men 4x200m - 1:26.90 (Aaron Thompson, Josh Duckman, Robbie Menzies & Ayden Blain)
- Natalie Thirsk - Women 60m T38 Ambulatory - 8.79s, 300m T38 Ambulatory - 48.50s
- Vivian Ogor - Women's 60m - 7.23s
- Favour Okpali - Women's 600m - 1:27.71
- Immanuel Onyemah - Men's 60m - 6.63s
- Liv Sands - Women's Shot Put - 16.40m
- Aaron Thompson - Men's 300m - 34.09s
- Kenneth West - Men's Long Jump - 7.88m, Triple Jump - 16.04m
