The Western Mustangs men's track and field team claimed back-to-back national titles at the 2026 U Sports Championships in Winnipeg, edging out Alberta and Guelph. The Manitoba Bisons secured multiple golds, including historic wins in jumping and sprinting events. Over 550 athletes competed over three days at the Investors Group Athletic Centre.
The 2026 U Sports Track & Field Championships took place over the first weekend in March at the University of Manitoba's Investors Group Athletic Centre in Winnipeg, drawing more than 550 student-athletes from across Canada.
The Western Mustangs men entered as the No. 4-ranked team but surged to victory with 64 points, narrowly ahead of Alberta's 60.5 and Guelph's 56. Key performances included rookie Jackson Mackay setting a U Sports record with 5,607 points in the heptathlon, earning male rookie of the year honors. Arman Shahzadeh won gold in the long jump with 7.56 meters, while David Adeleye took silver in the 60-meter hurdles in 7.84 seconds. The 4x200-meter relay team of Aaron Thompson, Thomas Helland, Deandre Williams, and Ayden Blain secured bronze in 1:27.26 after Guelph's disqualification. Caroline Ehrhardt was named coach of the year in her first season, praising the team's close-knit training dynamic: "We do a really good job winning the sidelines. We genuinely want it for each other so bad."
The Mustangs women finished fourth with 66 points, behind Guelph's 105. Liv Sands broke the meet shot put record twice, reaching 17.67 meters on her final throw, and placed second in the weight throw with 18.98 meters.
Host Manitoba Bisons highlighted the event with four standout athletes. Lara Denbow won gold in the high jump at 1.73 meters, becoming the first Bison woman to claim individual gold in three straight seasons. She noted, "Daxx and I have been training partners for years, and this was his last year, so it's extra special."
Daxx Turner claimed triple jump gold with 15.89 meters on his first attempt and broke his school record with 16.17 meters on his final jump, setting a 30-year provincial indoor record and ranking No. 5 all-time in Canada. Teammate Adebare Adegbosin earned silver with a personal best of 15.68 meters, marking the program's first 1-2 finish in the event. Turner said, "It's so cool to see the development of it, especially in such a small province like Manitoba."
Tyrell Davis made history by winning gold in the 60 meters in 6.59 seconds—a school record meeting the world indoor standard—and anchoring the 4x200 relay to gold in 1:26.42, the Bisons' first win in 31 years. Davis commented, "This is a brand new relay team... As the team chemistry increases, our times are just going to drop."
The Bisons men scored 55 points, finishing just short of bronze, with eight top-four finishes overall for the combined teams.
