OAKVILLE, Ont. – For just the 10th time in University of Guelph history, a Guelph Gryphon student-athlete has been named '
OUA Athlete of the Year.'
Olivia Rizakos, a standout forward on the Gryphons women's soccer team, has been named Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Women's Athlete of the Year for the 2025-26 season, taking home the conference's most prestigious award alongside TMU Bold basketball player, Aaron Rhooms, who was named OUA Athlete of the Year on the men's side. The conference-wide award was announced on Wednesday evening (May 13, 2026) at the OUA's year-end 'Honour Awards' banquet in Oakville. The University of Guelph was also represented by the national championship-winning Guelph Gryphons men's rugby team, who took home '
OUA Team of the Year' honours.
2025-26 OUA 'Honour Awards'
Athlete of the Year (women's): Olivia Rizakos (Guelph Gryphons women's soccer)
Athlete of the Year (men's): Aaron Rhooms (TMU Bold men's basketball)
Team of the Year (men's): Guelph Gryphons men's rugby
Team of the Year (women's): Brock Badgers women's volleyball
Coach of the Year (women's): Carla Munch (Waterloo Warriors women's golf)
Coach of the Year (men's): Taffe Charles (Carleton Ravens men's basketball)
J.P. Loosemore Award: Sheila-Ann Newton (Carleton Ravens)
John McManus Award: Michèle Bélanger (Toronto Varsity Blues women's basketball)
Woman of Distinction: Kate McCrae Bristol (Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks)
Community Service Award: Aaron Thompson (Western Mustangs men's track and field)
EDI Award of Excellence: Chris Zimmerman (Queen's Gaels men's volleyball)
Media Member of Distinction: Dashawn Stephens (PRSVRE Media Group)
** John McManus Award is presented to a retired OUA coach (1+ years retired), who exemplifies the highest ideals and qualities of sportsmanship and service while engaged in coaching in university sport
** The J.P. Loosemore Award is presented to a person who has made a major contribution through their administrative work within university sport.
University of Guelph Student-Athletes to be named OUA Athletes of the Year
** award handed out by OUA since 1992-93 **
| Olivia Rizakos |
2025-26 |
Gryphons women's soccer |
| Max Davies |
2023-24 |
Gryphons men's track and field/cross country |
| Sadie-Jane Hickson |
2022-23 |
Gryphons women's track and field/cross country |
| Jace Kotsopoulos |
2018-19 |
Gryphons men's soccer |
| Ross Proudfoot |
2014-15 |
Gryphons men's track and field/cross country |
| Britt Benn |
2012-13 |
Gryphons women's rugby |
| Jacey Murphy |
2011-12 |
Gryphons women's rugby |
| Lindsay Carson |
2009-10 |
Gryphons women's track and field/cross country |
| Tara Hedican |
2002-03 |
Gryphons women's wrestling |
| Tim Mau |
1992-93 |
Gryphons men's basketball |
Olivia Rizakos – 2025-26 OUA (Women's) Athlete of the Year
In the 34-year history of the OUA 'Athlete of the Year' awards,
Olivia Rizakos becomes just the 10th University of Guelph student-athlete to take home the prestigious conference-wide honours. Rizakos made University of Guelph history this season, becoming the first Gryphons women's soccer player ever to be named national player of the year. The fourth-year forward put together one of the best seasons in program history, leading her Gryphons to a 1st-place finish in the OUA West Division standings during the regular season, followed by an OUA silver medal finish in the OUA playoffs, which gave Guelph a berth to nationals, their first since 2017. Rizakos was the top scorer in the entire country with 20 points, leading the OUA with 9 assists while ranking 2nd in the conference with 11 goals. The 24-year-old from Toronto either scored or assisted in 12 of her team's 15 games (including postseason) leading a potent Gryphons attack that scored 31 goals on the season. She was named to the OUA All-Star team for the third time in her U of G career. Olivia was also named OUA West MVP, a U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian and the recipient of the Chantal Navert Memorial Award as the U SPORTS Player of the Year in women's soccer. It marks the first time in the
30-year history of the award, which dates back to 1995, in which a University of Guelph student-athlete has been named the top player in the country in women's soccer. Rizakos, who is currently pursuing a master's degree in psychology at U of G, becomes just the third OUA player in the last 13 years to win the national award.
Gryphons Men's Rugby – OUA Team of the Year
The Guelph Gryphons men's rugby team was named 'OUA (Men's) Team of the Year' after an unforgettable 2025 season. For a program-record fifth consecutive season, the Guelph Gryphons were crowned OUA champions in men's rugby. In the OUA final, in front of over 1,000 fans at the University of Guelph's Varsity Field, the Gryphons poured in 31 points in the 2nd half to pull away from the visiting Queen's Gaels, with Guelph winning 43-21 to hoist the Turner Trophy for a fifth straight year. It marked the eighth OUA title in program history for the Gryphons (2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2016, 1998, 1974). At the 2025 Canadian University Men's Rugby Championships in Montreal, the Gryphons made program history once again, defeating the UBC Okanagan Heat, the UBC Thunderbirds and the host ÉTS (École de technologie supérieure) Piranhas en route to claiming the first national title in program history. The national championship title for the Gryphons made them the first Ontario team in the nine-year history of the Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship to hoist the Spence McTavish Cup. The 'OUA Team of the Year' award is now in its 16th year of existence after beginning back in 2010-11. The Gryphons men's rugby team become just the third University of Guelph team to be named the conference's 'Team of the Year' joining fellow national championship-winning teams in the 2021-22 U of G men's track and field team and the 2018-19 women's hockey team.
Gryphon teams named 'OUA Team of the Year'
** award handed out by OUA since 2010-11 **
| Gryphons Men's Rugby |
2025-26 |
| Gryphons Men's Track & Field |
2021-22 |
| Gryphons Women's Hockey |
2018-19 |
For more information on the rest of the 2025-26 OUA Honour Award winners,
visit oua.ca.
