GUELPH, Ont. – Throughout the 2026-27 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.
Madeline Di Girolamo (Women's Rugby) and
Alistair Yeomans (Men's Rugby) have been named 'Gryphon Athlete of the Week' for the period covering September 14 to 20, 2026.
Madeline Di Girolamo (Women's Rugby)
Madeline Di Girolamo (Vaughan, ON) was a force for the Gryphons women's rugby team as she earns this week's nod for 'Gryphon Athlete of the Week.' The fourth-year zoology major was a key figure in the Gryphons 22-19 home win against the Queen's Gaels on Saturday (Sept. 19), helping her side end the Gaels bid for a sixth straight undefeated regular season. Di Girolamo, one of the captains of the women's rugby team, came through with a big performance, scoring the try that turned out to be the game-winning try for the Gryphons as she was also dominant in scrums and had multiple line breaks in the victory. This was Maddy's second game back with team in 2026 after missing last season with a knee injury suffered in the first game of the 2025 season. She has represented Ontario and Canada provincially and nationally at both the U18 and U20 levels. Di Girolamo and the 3-0 Gryphons women's rugby team are in Toronto on Saturday night (Sept. 26) when they take on the Toronto Varsity Blues.
Alistair Yeomans (Men's Rugby)
Alistair Yeomans got the Gryphons men's rugby team off to fast start as this week's 'Gryphon Athlete of the Week.' Yeomans, the fourth-year biochemistry major from Streetsville, ON put the Gryphons in front early on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 19) against the Queen's Gaels, scoring a try in the first minute of the game to set the tone for his side as they led wire-to-wire in their 61-17 win. Yeomans was relentless on the pitch, leading the team with three tries in the match and was also one of the team leaders in tackles and carries. He plays a key role for the Gryphs in their lineouts and will depart the Gryphons briefly in the coming days to go represent Canada in U20's for the second time in his international career alongside his teammate
Malin Hazl. Alistair represented Canada in Fiji last year, and is now set to dawn the red and white in Chile before returning to the University of Guelph in time for the 2026 OUA men's rugby playoffs. Yeomans and the 2-0 men's rugby team are back home at Varsity Field on Friday night (Sept. 25) when they host the Brock Badgers.
2026-27 Gryphon Athletes of the Week
| Name |
Sport |
Date |
| Madeline Di Girolamo |
Women's Rugby |
Sept. 14-20, 2026 |
| Alistair Yeomans |
Men's Rugby |
Sept. 14-20, 2026 |
| Jacqueline Giles |
Women's Golf |
Sept. 7-13, 2026 |
| Will Drewery |
Men's Golf |
Sept. 7-13, 2026 |
| Addy Holmes |
Women's Rugby |
Aug. 31-Sept. 6, 2026 |
| Daniel Meron |
Baseball |
Aug. 31-Sept. 6, 2026 |
| Olivia Rizakos |
Women's Soccer |
Aug. 24-30, 2026 |
| Ambrose Tinmouth |
Men's Soccer |
Aug. 24-30, 2026 |
