As announced by the OUA on Monday (Mar. 2) morning, University of Toronto Varsity Blues high jump veteran Aiden Grout has been named the 2026 OUA Male Field Athlete of the Year.

A fifth-year sustainability management student from Pitt Meadows, B.C., Grout capped off his U of T career with a fourth OUA high jump gold medal, winning the event with a best leap of 2.17m. A two-time national champion in high jump, he was the only competitor in the field of 17-entrants to clear the height on Day 2 of the OUA Championships. Grout also placed seventh in the men's 60m hurdles on Day 1.

A standout across all five seasons as a Varsity Blue, Grout will enter the 2026 U SPORTS Track & Field National Championships with the best high jump from across the country this season, having cleared 2.23m during the 2025-26 campaign. He achieved the height while also recording the second-highest heptathlon score of the season, reaching 5567 points during the Charlie Thomas Invitational at Texas A&M in early-February.

In addition to the accolade for Grout, Varsity Blues throws coaches Yolanda Sternberg and Ekua Cudjoe were also recognized as OUA Female Assistant Coach of the Year. Assisting Varsity Blues student-athletes in both the shot put and weight throw events, the duo played a pivotal role in an impressive OUA Championships for U of T throwers. Jason Okpere captured provincial gold in the men's weight throw, while Maakor Okai grabbed two medals with silver in the women's shot put and bronze in the women's weight throw. Okpere holds the second longest weight throw measured this season from across the country, while Okai ranks Top 8 in both events heading into the national showcase.

The competition schedule for the Varsity Blues track and field team will conclude with the 2026 U SPORTS Track & Field National Championships, hosted by the University of Manitoba from Mar. 5-7.

The full list of OUA major award winners is included below:

Female Track Athlete of the Year: Nicole McKenzie, Guelph
Male Track Athlete of the Year: Max Davies, Guelph

Female Field Athlete of the Year: Rebecca Parker, Guelph
Male Field Athlete of the Year: Aiden Grout, Toronto

Female Rookie of the Year: Paige Zinger, Guelph
Male Rookie of the Year: Jackson MacKay, Western

Female Community Service Award: Chloe VidAmour, Windsor
Male Community Service Award: Aaron Thompson, Western

Female Assistant Coach of the Year: Yolanda Sternberg & Ekua Cudjoe, Toronto
Male Assistant Coach of the Year: Jordan Collison, Windsor