GUELPH, Ont. – Several Guelph Gryphon squads are off to fast starts this OUA season, with the women's rugby side and the golf team among them. Those two teams had a couple members shine this past weekend as
Emmanuela Jada and
Josiah Dixon have been named Gryphon MUSCLE MLK Athletes of the Week for the period ending Sunday, September 16, 2018.
Emmanuela Jada (Women's Rugby)
Jada might just be one of the fastest rugby players in the OUA – and she showed off her wheels in Guelph's dominant 73-0 win over Western last Friday. The International Development Master's student debuted for the Gryphons in last year's OUA semi-final against York, a match in which she exploded for the three trys. Jada is actually playing a new position at centre this season but she had that same burst again in London on a humid, slick night, which made ball-handling a nightmare. She overcame that and managed to run great support lines off her teammates, touching the ball down for four trys before being subbed off around the 60-minute mark of the match. Her second showcased her strengths as she took the ball cleanly on a successful Guelph lineout and sprinted 80 metres to the try line.
"Jada worked very well with her fellow back three this game to impose our speed on the opposition," said Gryphon head coach Colette McAuley. "Her support lines were great and she hustled around the pitch to gather kicked balls. She's learning the new position rapidly."
Josiah Dixon (Men's Golf)
Dixon made a statement in his first competitive weekend as a member of the Gryphon golf team. The Physics student from Owen Sound, ON, a former individual and team national champion with Niagara College in 2016, showcased some laser-like precision shooting a magnificent 68 at the Queen's Invitational. That score matched his teammate Matthew Vihant and four other golfers for low round of the event, helping Guelph's men take second place in the event. Prior to Dixon's display on Sunday, the 26-year-old also impressed on Saturday at the Carleton Invitational, where he shot an excellent 73 at the Marshes Golf Club, tying teammate Justin Allen for the lowest number on the team that day. The Gryphon men finished second in the team standings at both weekend events, thanks in large part to the newcomer's strong all-around play.
"Given Josiah's great track record, I was not surprised at his solid and sometimes spectacular play on the weekend," said head coach Tim O'Connor. "His swing is tour player quality, and he has a terrific record of championship experience to draw on. He hits solid shots and plays smart golf that is exciting to watch, which included a 50-foot chip-in for eagle on Sunday. We already had a solid team to start with, and he elevated our team as soon as he showed up for tryouts."
