As announced by Athletics Canada on Thursday (Jul. 17), University of Toronto Varsity Blues cross country and track and field alumnae Lucia Stafford and Jazz Shukla have been named to the Canadian national team roster set to compete at the 2025 NACAC Track and Field Championships.

Two of 30 total athletes named to Team Canada, Stafford and Shukla will head to The Bahamas to compete at the regional championships from ug. 15-17. As one of the final competitions where athletes can earn World Ranking points, the event will serve as a crucial stop ahead of the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

"Anytime you can test yourself against a fairly deep field and strong field, it's a good opportunity for athletes to come in and get a competition at a high caliber event, especially going into the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where the rest of the world will be there," said Team Canada head coach Glenroy Gilbert.

Both Stafford and Shukla have become a consistent presence for Canada on the international circuit, including at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Stafford has won three Canadian women's 1500m titles, along with achieving a semifinal finish in the event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Meanwhile, Shukla has excelled in the 800m, winning the Canadian national title in 2024 and reaching the semifinals at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

An engineering grad, Stafford concluded her Varsity Blues career in 2019-20 earning U of T's T-Holders' women's athlete of the year and OUA female athlete of the year honours. Between cross country and track and field competitions she garnered 11 total OUA provincial medals and was a multiple time U SPORTS all-Canadian earning six national gold medals.

A neuroscience graduate, Shukla was an OUA all-star and U SPORTS all-Canadian in both cross country and track and field while competing with the Varsity Blues. She was the 2017 OUA 600m gold medalist, additionally helping the Blues 4x400m relay team to OUA and U SPORTS gold that season.

Both Stafford and Shukla are coached by current Varsity Blues cross country lead coach and track and field distance and middle distance coach Terry Radchenko.