5 Canadian U Sports indoor track stars to watch in 2025
These standout Canadian athletes are poised to dominate when the indoor collegiate track season returns in January
Photo by:
Scott Peel
Although it’s still December, we’re already counting down the days to the 2025 U Sports indoor track season gets into gear in January 2025. The top collegiate athletes across Canada have promised an exhilarating season ahead, with countless personal bests, school records and auto-qualifying performances. Here are five rising stars and athletes to watch for the 2025 U Sports indoor track season.
Max Davies (Guelph Gryphons)
When the cross-country season came to a close, University of Guelph’s Max Davies got an early start to the 2025 indoor season at Boston University. The 21-year-old clocked 3:58.68 in the mile to successfully secure his spot at U Sports 2025 to defend his national 1,500m title. This was the second time he’s dipped under the four-minute barrier and broken Guelph’s school record. The time converts to 3:40.74 in the 1,500m and settles him as the man to beat in the men’s 1,500m this U Sports season.
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Last season, Davies flew to two U Sports championship records on back-to-back days, running 2:21.00 over 1,000m and 3:44.00 in the 1,500m.
Favour Okpali (Western Mustangs)
Like Davies, the reigning U Sports 600m champion and 300m bronze medallist Favour Okpali wasted no time asserting her dominance this track season; by mid-November, the Toronto native had secured her ticket to U Sports in the 600m. At Western’s Purple and White Intrasquad meet, the Toronto native clocked 1:29.82 (1:28.74*) to break a 41-year-old facility record. Her 39.31 (38.76*) 300m run from the same meet fell just short of a second auto-qualifying standard. Okpali already holds Western’s 300m and 600m program records, both set at the 2024 U Sports Championships.
*Indicates the converted time based on oversized/undersized track
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Avery Pearson (Saskatchewan Huskies)
21-year-old Avery Pearson of Meadow Lake, Sask., made a statement at the 2024 U Sports championships in Manitoba last March; the Saskatchewan Huskie decisively claimed the individual 1,000m title before leading her school’s 4x400m and 4x800m teams to the top of the podium, anchoring both. Alongside three gold medals, she also won silver in the 600m.
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Pearson’s 600m personal best of 1:28.83 comes from the 2023 U Sports championships on her home turf, where she also finished as runner-up. We can expect a big year from the fourth-year kinesiology student who returns from an outdoor season full of impressive performances, including an 800m best of 2:03.22.
Dawson Mann (Manitoba Bisons)
After just coming up short of the podium in 2023, Manitoba’s Dawson Mann snagged the bronze medal last season–the 23-year-old has already proven he’s on track for even greater achievements this year. On Dec. 13, at the Athletics Manitoba Last Chance Meet, Mann ran a new 600m personal best of 1:17.97. His performance lands him at the top of the national leaderboard, and makes him one of only two athletes in the event who have punched their tickets to the 2025 U Sports Championships.
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 Sienna MacDonald (Calgary Dinos)
U Sports 2024 triple-gold medallist and multi-event athlete Sienna MacDonald will pose a significant threat to all collegiate track and field athletes this year. Last season, MacDonald won the pentathlon (five events)—undoubtedly one of the most demanding events in the sport—and still came out on top in the 60m hurdles and long jump. Her personal best in the 60m hurdles (8.11) was the fastest time in U Sports by more than a tenth of a second.
MacDonald’s dominance at the 2024 championships sets the bar high for the upcoming season. Will she aim for quadruple gold this year?
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Athletes will return to competition as early as Jan. 4. The U Sports Championships will take place in Windsor, Ont. on March 6 to 8.
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