GUELPH, Ont. – Throughout the 2021-22 season, the University of Guelph Department of Athletics will be highlighting various members from our Gryphon varsity programs as part of our "BioSteel Gryphon Athletes of the Week" series. This week's edition features
Jacqueline Giles (women's golf) and
Connor McKinney (men's rugby) for their impressive performances during the week of Oct. 11-17, 2021.
Jacqueline Giles (Women's Golf)
For the first time in program history, a member of the Guelph Gryphons women's golf team has been crowned individual scoring champion at an OUA Golf Championship.
Jacqueline Giles, a first-year student-athlete on the women's golf team, earns Gryphon Athlete of the Week honours after taking home the Judy McCrae Trophy as the women's individual scoring champion at the 2021 OUA Golf Championships on Friday (Oct. 15).
The molecular biology and genetics major finished 1st in a field of 40 golfers from across the province, posting an impressive round of +2, 74 to finish 2 shots ahead of the next closest competitor (Western's Lexie McKay).
"It was wonderful that Jacqui had her best round of the year in the OUA championship," said Gryphon head coach,
Tim O'Connor. "And it's amazing that she is the first Gryphon to win the women's individual championship. And to do it in her first year! We are all very proud of her. She has been showing signs that this breakthrough was coming. She needed to go through these hard experiences first, which included realizing that she had a lot of tension that she needed to let that go. She played a very steady round. She made some early bogeys but got them back with two birdies, and then she turned into a par machine on the back and nicely sealed the deal with a birdie on the final hole. It's very exciting to contemplate the future with Jacqueline on our women's team. No doubt she will be our anchor during her time with us, and I see many more victories not only in her future but also for our women's team which also has two other first year players."
Connor McKinney (Men's Rugby)
Third-year marketing management major,
Connor McKinney, takes home Gryphon Athlete of the Week honours after helping the Gryphons men's rugby team pick up a huge win on the road this past weekend, with the Gryphons winning 45-14 over the Laurier Golden Hawks Saturday afternoon (Oct. 16) in Waterloo.
McKinney contributed in a big way to the Gryphons road win, helping lead the way defensively for U of G, while also recording an impressive try where the 6-2, 220 lbs flanker was able to fend off several defenders before touching down to cap off a 20m run. McKinney, a graduate of Upper Canada College in Toronto, was forced to sit out during his rookie year with the Gryphons in 2019 following shoulder surgery.
In 2021, McKinney made his long-awaited Gryphon debut, and has made an immediate impact both on both ends of the pitch. The talented flanker has also garnered some interest at the national level. In August of 2021, McKinney headed west to Shawnigan Lake, B.C. to attend a Rugby Canada U20/U21 selection camp, lining up alongside the top 19 and 20-year-old players from across the country.
"Gryphon Athletes of the Week" for 2021-22
