TORONTO, Ont. - For the first time in 2019-20, a Guelph Gryphon has been named U SPORTS Athlete of the Week. Mitchell Ubene, a fourth-year standout on the Gryphons men's cross country team took home the U SPORTS-wide honours, joining Nycola Symmonds (University of British Columbia women's cross country) as the latest recipients of U SPORTS Athlete of the Week. This past Saturday (Oct. 26) in Hamilton, Ubene led the Gryphons men's cross country team to their 17th OUA title in the last 21 years.

Working his way from the second chase group, Ubene surged into the lead and took gold by a 10-second margin in 31:00.6, while the Gryphons initial pack leader Mark Patton won bronze and Kalum Delaney followed in fourth. With the victory over the field of 85 runners, the fourth-year talent became the 16th runner in Gryphon history to earn the title of individual champion at the OUA Cross Country Championships. He accomplished the feat in a time of 31:00.6, bettering Western's Isaiah Frielink, the runner up, by a margin of 10 seconds.

A mechanical engineering major from Tecumseh, Ontario, Ubene will now look to lead the Gryphons to a second national title in the past three years when the Gryphons head to Kingston on November 9 for the 2019 U SPORTS Cross Country Championships.

For more information on the OUA Athletes of the Week, head to usports.ca.