The Gaels came into the 2025 U SPORTS Track and Field season carrying momentum with Men’s Cross-Country championship and fifth place finish for the Women’s team.
Their first test of season was at the University of Ottawa’s Winter Classic this past weekend on Jan. 18 and 19. This meet marked the inaugural track and field competition of the season for all but two team .
As the first event of the season, the Gaels showcased an impressive start, bringing home a total of 11 medals: three gold, four silver, and four bronze.
On the Women’s side, eyes were on Alyshia Alkerton, ArtSci ’25, the 2024 U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian and top Queen’s finisher at the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championship.
Alkerton didn’t disappoint with a first-place finish in the 3000m with a time of 9:42.58, two of her teammates, Ella Lane, ArtSci ’28 and Olivia Baggley, ArtSci ’27 following closely behind with times of 9:45.49, and 9:49.53.
Two 4x800m relay teams also captured podium finishes with the ‘A’ team consisting of Elizabeth Vroom, Sci ’26, Katherine Taylor, MA ’25, Gillian Porter, Sci ’26, and Caleigh Pribaz, Kin ’26, finishing second with a time of 9:23.55. The ‘B’ team rounded out the podium with a bronze, finishing in a time of 9:28.96.
The highlight of the weekend was an individual 1500m gold medal finish from Caleigh Pribaz, Kin ’26, whose finishing time of 4:39.70 put her on top by just 0.51 seconds. For her effort, she was named Athlete of the Week from Queen’s Athletics.
On the Men’s side, Roman Mironov, Comm ’26, placed third in the 3000m, with a time of 8:22.30.
Tanner Hueglin, ArtSci ’26, had a strong showing securing the silver medal in the 1500m and 3000m, with times of 3:52.14, and 8:15.54. Narrowly missing gold in the 1500 and setting what would’ve been meet record in the 3000, if not for his teammate Jude Wheeler-Dee’s, ConEd ’26, dominant performance.
Wheeler-Dee was the highlight of the Men’s side, with his first-place finish of 8:03.50 setting a meet, track, and school record for the event, also earning Athlete of the Week. It’s just another accolade for Wheeler-Dee, the 2024 U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian at this year’s cross-country championship, and the 2023 U SPORTS 1000m champion.
The team will hope to build on its success away at McGill’s Team Challenge this weekend, before travelling to Boston University on Feb. 8 to participate in the Bruce Lehane Scarlet & White Invite.
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