Athletes of the Week 2025-26
2025-26 Gabriel Pizza Athletes of the Week
March 17th, 2026
Swimmers, Abigail McKinley and Alym Kurji are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Both Abigail McKinley and Alym Kurji earned their first career U SPORTS medals over the weekend. Kurji swam a time of 23.55 in the 50m butterly to capture Ottawa’s first bronze medal of the competition. The next day, McKinley logged a bronze medal finish with a time of 2:09.59 in the 200m backstroke.
March 10th, 2026
Women’s hockey players, Beatrice Bilodeau and Reece Mepham, men’s sprinter, Safwan El Mansari, and Spirit and Vibes coordinator, Gee-Gee, are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Béatrice Bilodeau scored two goals in Game 3 of the OUA quarterfinals to lead the team to a victory over Toronto and secure a spot in the OUA semifinals against the top-seeded Laurier Golden Hawks.
Reece Mepham has been a consistent force during the OUA playoffs, doing the hard work on the blue line and along the boards. With the season on the line, Mepham scored the overtime game winning goal to qualify for the U SPORTS national championship and the McCaw Cup championship.
Safwan El Mansari came home from the U SPORTS track and field national championship with a pair of silver medals. In the 600m, Safwan ran his personal best 1:18.12, good for a program record and silver medal finish.
Gee-Gee took it to another level at the Minto Sports Complex over the weekend, leading a crowd of over 500 fans in cheers and energy. Gee-Gee’s efforts not only gave Ottawa fans an outstanding experience, but helped the women’s hockey team through playoffs.
February 24th, 2026
Women’s Nordic skier, Bronwyn Williams and men’s sprinter, Safwan El Mansari, are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Bronwyn Williams delivered an outstanding performance at the 2026 OUA Championship, capturing two gold medals in dominant fashion.
Safwan El Mansari kicked off the OUA championship with a silver medal finish in the 600m. In the 4x400m relay, he contributed the fastest split of the race to help the team to a 3:15.71 finish, breaking the OUA Championship meet record.
February 17th, 2026
Women’s volleyball player, Keely Lloyd and men’s swimmer, Alym Kurji, are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Keely Lloyd played a major role in the Gee-Gee's playoff clinching win over the Queen’s Gaels on Friday night. Her 15 points and 5 blocks were key in surmounting a fifth set comeback against the Gaels and keeping the team’s season alive.
Alym Kurji brought home plenty of hardware from the RSEQ Championship. Capturing 5 gold and 1 silver medal, Kurji has plenty of momentum heading into the U SPORTS national championship meet.
February 10th, 2026
Women’s hockey player, Gillian Warren and men’s sprinter, David Moulongou, are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Gillian Warren logged an impressive six point weekend with wins over Ontario Tech and TMU. Warren displayed both her playmaking ability, recording three assists on Friday, and her scoring prowess with a pair of goals on Saturday.
David Mouloungou recorded a personal best in the 300m dash, winning the compeititon with a time of 34.28. The performance launches him to third place in the national rankings and seventh in the Gee-Gees All-Time rankings.
February 3rd, 2026
Women’s thrower, Jessica Gyamfi and men’s high jumper, Thomas Senechal-Becker, are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Jessica Gyamfi hit a season best with a throw of 13.33m in women’s shot this weekend. The throw sits fourth in the U SPORTS rankings and surpasses the U SPORTS automatic standard.
Thomas Senechal-Becker earned a second-place finish at the Harvard Invitational high jump with a height of 2.08m. This ties him for third in the U SPORTS rankings, and qualifies him for the U SPORTS championship.
January 27th, 2026
Women’s basketball player, Allie McCarthy and men’s swimmer Noah Taylor are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Allie McCarthy was key in the Gee-Gees’ weekend on the road. On Friday night, she logged 20 points while scoring a buzzer beater game winner in overtime. On Saturday, she put up a game high 33 points.
Noah Taylor had a great performance in Montpetit Hall, taking first place finishes in two individual events in the swim team’s last home meet of the season.
January 20th, 2026
Women’s basketball player, Bailey Russell and men’s hockey player Lucas Veilleux are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Bailey Russell had another outstanding weekend, logging 24 points on both Friday and Saturday night’s matchups. In addition to her scoring prowess, she was dominant on the boards on both nights.
Lucas Veilleux was a reliable producer in both Gee-Gees men’s hockey games. Against Concordia, his playmaking was on full display as he logged a pair of assists in the Gee-Gees first two goals. He added a goal of his own a few days later against UQTR
January 13th, 2026
Women’s basketball player, Bailey Russell and men’s basketball player, Brock Newton are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Bailey Russell was a consistent force for the Gee-Gees women’s basketball team. Her 14 points, eight rebounds, and four steals helped the Gee-Gees to a convincing win over Ontario Tech. She went on to score a team high 19 points the following evening.
Brock Newton played a key role in both the Gee-Gees’ weekend wins over conference opponents. Against Ontario Tech, he led the team with 16 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Even more impressive, he logged a 17 point, 10 rebound double-double against Queen’s.
December 2, 2025
Women’s hockey player, Gillian Warren and men’s hockey player, Marc-Antoine Seguin are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Gillian Warren played a key role in a hard fought weekend for the Gee-Gees women’s hockey team. In the 5th consecutive Colonel By Classic win for the squad, Warren came up with a goal and two assists.
Marc-Antoine Seguin has been a big goal scorer for the Gee-Gees men’s hockey team as of late. In the team’s last two games of 2025, Seguin logged four goals, including a pair in the opening period of the Colonel By Classic.
November 25, 2025
Women’s hockey player, Madison Berven and men’s hockey player, Max Grondin are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Madison Berven logged her first two goals as a Gee-Gee over a split weekend at home. Against Guelph, Berven opened the scoring eight minutes into action. The following afternoon, she added the final score in a 4-0 win over Nipissing in the annual Mélisa Kingsley Memorial Game.
Max Grondin was key in the Gee-Gees men’s hockey team’s win over McGill. Snagging the first goal of the day. As usual, Grondin was a physical presence from end to end, but also showcased his playmaking abilities by logging an assist on the game winning goal.
November 18, 2025
Women’s volleyball player Audrey Odigie and men’s hockey player, Lucas Veilleux are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Audrey Odigie was unstoppable over the Gee-Gees’ trip to Thunder Bay. Totalling 49 points over two matches, Odigie led the Gee-Gees to a pair of 3-1 wins over the Thunderwolves. Her 16 kills in Friday night’s match was a warmup for her 29-kill performance on Saturday.
Lucas Veilleux put forth a consistent scoring effort over the weekend for the Gee-Gees men’s hockey team. On Friday night, he got the scoring started for Ottawa with a third period attack. On Sunday, he snagged a pair of opening period goals to give Ottawa an early lead.
November 11, 2025
Women’s swimmer, Raphaelle Lavoie and men’s basketball player, Owen Kenney are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Raphaelle Lavoie was an impressive force during RSEQ Cup #3. In the 50m butterfly, she earned a second-place finish with a time of 28.33. Lavoie came away with a first-place finish in the 100m freestyle, swimming a time of 56.91.
Owen Kenney had a career performance on Friday night, logging a career high 27 points against Ontario Tech. On Saturday, Kenney was everywhere on the court. His six rebounds, four assists, and four steals, sparked the Gee-Gees to a big win over Queen’s.
November 4, 2025
Women’s basketball guard, Allie McCarthy, and men’s basketball guard, Alec Phaneuf, are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Allie McCarthy put on an all-around performance in the Gee-Gees’ weekend sweep over Laurentian and Nipissing. McCarthy led the charge on both ends of the court, averaging 26 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2.5 assists across the two wins.
Alec Phaneuf had a standout night against Nipissing, shooting an impressive 64% from the field in 29 minutes of action. Phaneuf finished with 30 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals to help lift the Gee-Gees to victory.
October 28, 2025
Women’s hockey player, Beatrice Bilodeau and men’s swimmer, Alym Kurji are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Beatrice Bilodeau led the way in the Gee-Gees women’s hockey team’s convincing road win over the Windsor Lancers. Starting the evening off, Ottawa’s captain logged the first goal of the evening in the 12th minute of action before eventually sealing the deal with an empty netter.
Alym Kurji had a big performance at RSEQ Cup 2 at McGill. He logged a pair of individual podium finishes, including first place in the 50m freestyle. Kurji also contributed to a pair of second place finished in team events.
October 21, 2025
Women's Ultimate Lili Shannon and swimmer Nicholas Radjenovic are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Lili Shannon was key in the Gee-Gees women’s ultimate team’s silver medal performance at the Canadian University Ultimate Championship. A dominant presence on the field throughout the tournament, she scored the winning point in the semifinal against Manitoba to secure a back-to-back finals appearance.
Nicholas Radjenovic had a breakout performance at the Ottawa vs Carleton vs Waterloo Tri Meet. The backstroke specialist earned first place finishes in the 50m and 100m backstroke events. In the 200m individual medley, he placed second to make it a Gee-Gees podium.
October 14, 2025
Rugby player Ngozi Mosindi and hockey player Mitch Martin are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Ngozi Mosindi was a dominant force for the Gee-Gees in their first playoff battle. On the road to take on the Stingers, Mosindi logged a pair of tries to help the Gee-Gees to a 42-26 win, advance to the RSEQ final and clinch their spot U SPORTS national championship tournament.
Mitch Martin leads the OUA with seven points after only four games played. This weekend, Martin started with two goals in Oshawa, leading the Gee-Gees to a 4-1 win over the Ridgebacks. On Saturday, he logged a goal and assists to help the team defeat their crosstown rivals.
October 7, 2025
Women’s rugby player, Claire Bennett and men’s hockey player, Peter Stratis are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Claire Bennett finished her first RSEQ regular season with a 16-point performance, logging eight conversions in the team’s 61-8 win over the Carleton Ravens. The rookie Gee-Gee closes out the season with 30 made conversions and 60 points, second in the RSEQ.
Peter Stratis started the season with a strong weekend, logging a goal in the men’s hockey team’s season opening win over RMC and adding a pair of assists the next night. The captain set the tone for the season, showcasing leadership and production.
September 30, 2025
Women’s soccer player, Sabrina Mangiaracina and men’s golfer Vincent Laplante are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Sabrina Mangiaracina took the lead in the Gee-Gees’ revenge game against the Toronto Varsity Blues. Mangiaracina only needed five minutes to make a 0-0 game 2-0. Her two goals secured the road win for Ottawa.
Vincent Laplante finished T9 after a solid, composed performance at the Laurier/Waterloo Men’s Invitational. Laplante was consistent among the two-day tournament, shooting 71 in his opening round, and 72 to close out the weekend.
September 23, 2025
Women’s soccer player, Nibo Dlamini and football player Noah Avery are the @Gabrielpizza Athletes of the Week!
Nibo Dlamini continues to stun defences with her ability to place the ball. A natural at setting up her teammates to score, Dlamini found the net on her own, firing a corner kick directly into the goal against the Gee-Gees crosstown rivals.
Noah Avery had a historic weekend, logging his single-game career high in receiving yards and passing 1000 career receiving yards. Avery recorded 135 receiving yards and a TD against the #1 ranked Laurier Goldenhawks.
September 16, 2025
Women’s rugby player, Mercedes Cole and football player Jaxxon Brashear are the @gabrielpizzadelivery Athletes of the Week!
Mercedes Cole was the first Gee-Gee to touch the ball down in the team’s nail-biting win over the Stingers. Her efforts spanned across the field, helping the Gee-Gees improve to 3-0.
Jaxxon Brashear’s defensive performance earned the Gee-Gees an exciting win over Guelph. Causing numerous turnovers, it was his pick-six in the final two minutes of the game that sealed the deal.
September 9, 2025
Women’s rugby player, Grace Dingwall and football player Josh Janssen are the @gabrielpizzadelivery Athletes of the Week!
Grace Dingwall has had an explosive Gee-Gees rookie debut, logging five tries in the team’s opening two games. This weekend, she found the tryzone twice against the Montreal Carabins.
Josh Janssen led the Gee-Gees offence against an OUA powerhouse. Despite a loss, the veteran QB logged four touchdown passes, and 328 yards on 31 completions.
September 2, 2025
Women’s soccer player, Gracie Somers and football player Daniel Briere are the @gabrielpizzadelivery Athletes of the Week!
Gracie Somers had a great Gee-Gees debut, logging a pair of goals over weekend games against Trent (3-0w) and Ontario Tech (4-1w).
Daniel Briere led the Gee-Gees defence with an exciting, returned punt block in the final seconds of the opening half against the Lions, the team went on to win 33-17 in their home opener.
August 25, 2025
Gee-Gees kicker Zach Copeland had a perfect 14 point performance in the team’s season opening 27-12 win over the University of Waterloo Warriors. He was 4-for-4 on field goals which included a 48-yard kick. He added two extra points and averaged 42 yards on four punts with a long of 58.