Sports
Championships mark successful 2025-26 season for SFU Athletics
Another action-packed varsity season is in the books, with Simon Fraser University student athletes shining bright in competition. The 2025-26 fall and winter seasons saw championship titles, record-breaking performances and historic achievements across multiple programs. Here’s a recap of all the accomplishments and highlights from the last two seasons at SFU Athletics.
Track and Field
SFU Track and Field shone at the regional, national and international level. The program sent their highest number of athletes ever to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Indoor Championship and finished third overall while recording 23 podium finishes, including eight gold medals.
At the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) DII Indoor Championships, Emma Cannan made history by winning the 200m, becoming the first GNAC sprinter to earn a national title in an event under 800m. She added a fourth-place finish in the 60m and was later named GNAC Indoor Women’s Athlete of the Year and NCAA West Region Athlete of the Year. Cannan’s season earned her a spot representing Canada at the World Indoor Championships.
Additionally, Zachary Jeggo set a Canadian U20 indoor record in the 400m and SFU earned multiple All-American honours, including the women’s distance medley relay and Colton Plummer in the 800m.
After closing out one of the most successful indoor seasons in program history, the Outdoor Track and Field team dominated the GNAC Outdoor Championships with 13 podium finishes, five gold medals, school records and historic performances as the women placed fourth overall and men finished fifth with Raiya Matonovich, Charlotte Bosma, Colton Plummer and Veronica Dee qualifying for nationals.
All four Red Leafs competed in the finals in their respective events and took home All-American honours, with Matonovich placing third in the 1500m to round out her standout freshman season.
Matonovich was also recognized as GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Year and Women’s Freshman of the Year, becoming just the third woman in GNAC history to win both awards in the same season.
Volleyball
SFU Volleyball delivered its best NCAA-era season, finishing 20-5 overall and earning a share of the GNAC regular season title for the first time in program history.
Logan Remington set a GNAC single-match record with 18 blocks, while Nina Kovacevic earned American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Week honours. The team collected five GNAC Player of the Week awards and saw Natalie Lemoine-Sells and Remington earn All-West Region recognition, Lemoine-Sells and Eva Person earn All-American honours and Person named GNAC Women’s Volleyball Setter of the Year. Head coach Gina Schmidt was recognized by Sport BC as a finalist for Coach of the Year.
Soccer
The Women’s Soccer team continued their championship streak, capturing a third consecutive GNAC tournament title, this time on home turf and finishing with a program-best 14-3-5 record. SFU also earned its first-ever NCAA tournament win, defeating Western Oregon before advancing to the second round. Head Coach Carlo Basso was named Male Coach of the Year by Sport BC.
The Men’s Soccer team finished 6-9-3 in a developmental season that saw 13 new players join the roster. The season was marked by strong offensive contributions from Koji Poon and Michael Hennessy, who both ranked among conference leaders in scoring.
Golf
The Women’s Golf team claimed their fourth consecutive GNAC championship and seventh in program history, tying the conference record for most titles. All five Red Leafs finished in the top 11, led by Izzy Ferguson’s runner-up finish.
The Men’s Golf team placed third at the GNAC Championships, with three golfers finishing in the top 10, including Brendan O’Brien, who led SFU and posted the lowest final round score in the field. Both teams advanced to NCAA DII regionals.
Wrestling
The Women’s Wrestling team captured both the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) regular season and tournament championships, marking a milestone season for the program. Head coach Justin Abdou was named RMAC Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season.
Six Red Leafs competed at the inaugural NCAA DII Women’s Wrestling Championships, with Liv Wieber earning a bronze medal and Paige Maher finishing seventh to secure All-American honours.
The Men’s Wrestling team kicked off the season hosting the SFU Open where they took home two weight class wins. The young team sent eight athletes to the NCAA DII Super Region VI Championships, including standout redshirt freshman, Hugh Wheeler who led the team with 21 wins this season.
Cross Country
At the GNAC Championships, SFU Women’s Cross Country finished fourth and the men’s team placed fifth. Rachael Watkins led the way with a bronze medal performance, earning All-Conference honours.
Basketball
The Men’s Basketball team welcomed new head coach Barnaby Craddock and hosted the return of the Buchanan Cup, reigniting the long held crosstown rivalry between BC's two longest mainland men's basketball schools. The matchup against University of British Columbia drew over 1,100 fans to the West Gym. In addition, SFU hosted the Conference Commissioners Association (CCA) Division II Canadian Tip-Off Classic in Langley, B.C., welcoming men’s and women’s teams from across North America.
SFU Women’s Basketball recorded a historic performance midseason, led by Sophie Bergeron who set a new SFU NCAA-era record for steals in a game while also posting a career-high in points. Rachel Loukes earned GNAC Second Team All-Conference recognition.
The season also marked the retirement of longtime head coach Bruce Langford, who concluded a 25-year tenure with over 500 career wins. Shae Dheensaw was named the program’s new head coach, ushering in a new era for SFU Women’s Basketball.
Swimming
SFU Swimming delivered a strong showing at the RMAC Championships, recording 23 podium finishes. The women placed third with a program-high point total, while the men finished fourth, led by Owen Nicholson’s two gold medals.
At the NCAA DII Championships, the women’s team placed 12th overall, with all four relay teams earning All-American status. The team combined top eight finishes with multiple personal bests on the national stage.
Softball
SFU Softball returned to the GNAC Championships for the second year in a row, a first in program history, and recorded back-to-back upsets over the top two seeds before finishing as runner-up.
Key championship performances included a grand slam from Cassidy Affeldt and strong pitching efforts from Monica Bourque. Bourque, Ella Booth and Grace McMillan were named to the All-Tournament Team.
International Stage
SFU athletes also made an impact globally, with alumna Jane Channell competing in her third Olympic Games in skeleton and current student-athletes Emma Cannan and Zachary Jeggo representing Canada at the World Athletics Relays in Botswana.
Looking Ahead
The 53 student-athletes comprising the 2026 graduating class were recognized for their contribution to SFU at the annual SFU Athletics Banquet in April. As the season shifts to summer, training continues with many teams beginning their 2026-27 preseason and some student-athletes staying involved on campus by leading youth and elite level varsity camps.
SFU Athletics is anticipated to compete in the NCAA for the 2026-27 season before making the return to Canadian competition in fall 2027.