GUELPH, Ont. – Throughout the 2025-26 season, the University of Guelph Department of Athletics will be highlighting various members from our Gryphon varsity programs as part of our 'Gryph's Locker Athletes of the Week, presented by POWERADE' series.
Alexandra McDougall (women's cross country) and
Owen Williams (men's rugby) have been named 'Gryphon Athletes of the Week' for the period covering November 3 to 9, 2025.
Alexandra McDougall (Women's Cross Country)
For the third time this season,
Alexandra McDougall of the women's cross country team has been named 'Athlete of the Week'. McDougall, the fourth-year biomedical engineering major at the U of G, competed in her last event of her sensational 2025 cross country season on Saturday (Nov. 8) at the U SPORTS Cross Country Championships in Sherbrooke, QC. The Port Perry native crossed the finish line with a time of 28:06, to finish 3rd out of 174 runners to claim the individual bronze medal as she was named U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian for her performance. With her 3rd-place showing at nationals, McDougall becomes the first U of G women's cross country runner in nine years to earn a Top 3 individual finish at a nationals (Katelyn Ayers, individual bronze at 2016 CIS Cross Country Championships).
Alexandra McDougall caps off a remarkable 2025 cross country season which saw her earn the honour as the 2025 OUA Runner of the Year, winning three races this season highlighted by her gold medal performance at the 2025 OUA Cross Country Championships.
Owen Williams (Men's Rugby)
Owen Williams is this week's 'Athlete of the Week' following his big game performance for the men's rugby team during the OUA Championship game against the Queen's Gaels on Thursday (Nov. 6). Williams, the fourth-year Erin, Ontario native, has had a knack for coming up with the big try for the Gryphons and the OUA title game was no different. Williams gave his team the early lead in the 6th minute scoring the
game's opening try and scored
his team's other first half try in the 36th minute to give his side the 12-7 lead at the half. With the Gryphons leading 19-7 in the 47th minute, it would
Owen Williams who would come up with the game changing try as he
raced in for his third try of the night to give his side a 24-7 lead en route to their fifth straight OUA banner and a 43-21 win over their rivals from Kingston. The human kinetics major and 2025 OUA First Team All-Star has had an outstanding postseason for the Gryphons, scoring a pair of tries last Friday (Oct. 31) in his team's OUA semifinal victory over Brock. Williams and the Gryphons men's rugby team will now set their sights on nationals in Montreal, which begin Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 12) with a 2:30pm national quarterfinal matchup vs the UBC Okanagan Heat.
2025-26 Gryphon Athletes of the Week
| Name |
Sport |
Date |
| Alexandra McDougall |
Women's Cross Country |
Nov. 3-9, 2025 |
| Owen Williams |
Men's Rugby |
Nov. 3-9, 2025 |
| Megan Livingstone |
Women's Rowing |
Oct. 27-Nov. 2, 2025 |
| Ceilidh Aho |
Women's Rowing |
Oct. 27-Nov. 2, 2025 |
| Jack Tunstill |
Men's Basketball |
Oct. 27-Nov. 2, 2025 |
| Alexandra McDougall |
Women's Cross Country |
Oct. 20-26, 2025 |
| Max Davies |
Men's Cross Country |
Oct. 20-26, 2025 |
| Joseph Columbus |
Men's Lacrosse |
Oct. 13-19, 2025 |
| Kirsten Sutter |
Women's Lacrosse |
Oct. 13-19, 2025 |
| Charles Trollip |
Men's Rugby |
Oct. 6-12, 2025 |
| Sophie Helfenstein |
Women's Hockey |
Oct. 6-12, 2025 |
| Abby Warriner |
Field Hockey |
Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2025 |
| Olivier Ciarlo |
Men's Hockey |
Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2025 |
| Olivia Rizakos |
Women's Soccer |
Sept. 22-28, 2025 |
| Ethan Fraser |
Men's Soccer |
Sept. 22-28, 2025 |
| Alexandra McDougall |
Women's Cross Country |
Sept. 15-21, 2025 |
| William MacLeod |
Men's Lacrosse |
Sept. 15-21, 2025 |
| Jacqueline Giles |
Women's Golf |
Sept. 8-14, 2025 |
| Landon Hutar |
Baseball |
Sept. 8-14, 2025 |
| Carter Robart |
Men's Soccer |
Sept. 1-7, 2025 |
| Rachel McConvey |
Women's Lacrosse |
Sept. 1-7, 2025 |
| Olivia Rizakos |
Women's Soccer |
Aug. 25-31, 2025 |
