The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's and women's track and field teams head back to Windsor, Ont., this weekend (Feb. 21-22) to compete at the 2025 OUA Track and Field Championships.

Action from Windsor University's Dennis Fairall Field House gets underway as of 9:30 a.m. on Friday (Feb. 21) and 8:30 a.m. on the Saturday (Feb. 22).

The No. 8 nationally ranked women's track and field team will be vying for a return to the provincial podium after finishing fourth overall a season ago. Prior to that, the Toronto women has finished third overall at each of the last six straight OUA championships. The Toronto women last claimed the overall championship and provincial banner in 2015.

Meanwhile, the No. 8 nationally ranked men will also be looking to return to the podium after placing fourth in the team standings at last year's provincial showcase. Prior to that, the Blues picked up overall bronze in each of the last two championships since the return of competition in 2022. With a strong history of excellence, the Toronto men have captured 45 total provincial banners in program history, with their last coming in 1990.

WOMEN TO WATCH:
The Blues women will feature a strong contingent of veteran medal contenders, headlined by 2024 OUA track and field female performer of the meet Julia Agostinelli. Coming to U of T via Guelph, the physical therapy graduate student won gold in the 1000m and silver in the 1500m a season ago. Now wearing the Blue and White, she will be one of the medal favourites in both events this weekend.

A fifth-year pole vaulter, Alexzandra Throndson already has four OUA medals to her name, including gold in 2020 and 2022. She will have another shot to add to her collection and close out her varsity career in style this weekend. Last fall, Throndson set a new U of T program record of 4.08m during the invitational schedule. This year, she has the fourth best height reached among OUA athletes so far in competition, clearing 3.90m at the Penn State National Open.

A new Blue this season, fourth-year weight thrower Lily Spoozak has come to U of T as a graduate student after previously competing with the Dalhousie Tigers. She has made an immediate impact in her first campaign with the Blues, registering the third best weight throw distance (17.01m) among OUA competition and fifth best among all U SPORTS competitors throughout invitational meets this year.

Looking to make herself a provincial champion in the women's high jump once again, fourth-year jumper Emma Dale will be looking to peak at just the right time. When she claimed provincial gold in 2023, she successfully cleared 1.71m. She will have her work cut out for her this year having a season best mark of 1.62m so far in 2024-25.

And just a few more of the talented women set to compete this weekend, first-year sprint standout Gloria Etim has registered the fourth fastest time in the 60m dash among OUA runners this season, clocking in at 7.49. Any further improvement could see her vault into OUA medal contention. As well, first-year thrower Maakor Okai has shown consistent improvement in both the shot put and weight throw, ranking sixth across all of U SPORTS in weight throw (16.89m) and 20^th in shot put (11.88m) in just her first invitational season with the Blues.

MEN TO WATCH:
Relying on a mix of veteran talent and incoming first-year standouts, the Toronto men will be aiming to keep pace for a Top 3 finish, hopefully returning to the podium after a one-year hiatus. Leading the Blues at the front of the pack will be 2024 Community Service Award winner and two-time OUA medalist Brandon Tang. After winning relay silver and 60m bronze at the OUA championships a season ago, the fourth-year veteran will have a chance to score even more competing in the 4x200m relay, 4x400m relay, and 60m dash once again.

Fellow second-year sprinter Logan Duley will also be charged with scoring team points in the 60m dash and relays. Making a big leap during the 2024-25 campaign so far, Duley has set a new U of T record time in the 60m with his 6.78 performance at the Windsor Can-Am Classic being the fourth fastest time among all OUA competitors so far this season.

Shifting to the field, fourth-year high jumper Mason McGregor and fourth-year long jumper Ryan Denman will also be aiming for medal contention. For McGregor, his 2.08m season best places him fourth overall when ranked among all U SPORTS competitors this season. Meanwhile, Denman also ranks fourth in the U SPORTS rankings heading into the provincial showcase, clearing a season best 7.36m at the most recent Windsor Team Challenge just two weeks ago.

Additional strong weekends are in the works for first-year high jumper Alec Brent. The Burnaby, B.C. native has cleared the bar so well, he has closed the gap on his veteran counterparts. As well, first-year multi event specialist Tyler Robertson will have a chance to test himself among some of the best athletes in the province, competing in the men's heptathlon.