The Lions are headed back to Ontario after their weekend came to an end Saturday with performances in the women's triple jump, men's shot put, and men's 4x400m relay at the 2023 FFUN Motorgroup U SPORTS track and field championships in Saskatoon, Sask.
 
Olivia Henry had her championship come to an end after competing in the women's triple jump and finishing in 14^th place with a jump of 10.36m. She also competed in the long jump on Day 2 of the event, coming in 12^th place. Henry is the only Lion to qualify for the U SPORTS championships in two different events – a significant accomplishment.
 
Jeremy Elliott competed for the first time Saturday in the men's shot put, registering a 14.61m jump, good enough for 13^th place in the event. The men's 4x400m team placed sixth in their heat and 12^th overall in the final on Saturday, checking in with a time of 3:26.32.
 
Upon the completion of the event, Lions head coach Raymond Rudder reflected on the season by looking toward the future. "This was one of the toughest seasons for us, but we are seeing some great potential from this young team," he said.
 
"To fans and alumni of our program, we are in the rebuilding stage and had mainly rookies and second-year athletes competing for seeding against more experienced competitors from other programs," Rudder continued. "It should all settle out for the next two seasons. We certainly are doing the best we can with the number of recruits we have, and we are thankful for the support and encouragement thus far."
 
The Guelph Gryphons swept both the men's and women's banners at the championship for the fifth year in a row, scoring almost 100 points more than their closest competitors in both divisions.
 
With the culmination of the event, the Lions' track season will end. Rudder and his staff will return a large percentage of the current team as the first meets of the 2023-24 season will begin in November.