Proving size has nothing to do with heart
As of Sept. 20, the University of Guelph had four teams ranked amongst the top ten of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) national standings, an accomplishment that ten years ago, would have been unheard of.
Gryphon football was standing strong in sixth place among Canadian universities with a 3-0 record. However a strong homecoming comeback on Sept. 21 versus McMaster gave way to an improved 4-0, putting Guelph just two points behind rival Western in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) division.
In 2005, it was a very different outlook for the red, gold and black. Gryphon football was sixth in the OUA division with just seven points on the season. Now a force to be reckoned with, the team is coming off their best season yet.
“In [the 2012-13 season] we achieved a best ever Guelph league record of 7 and 1. This result demonstrates we are on the right path, but one year does not qualify as ‘sustained,’” Head Coach Stuart Lang explains of last season’s success, “We are never complacent and we are always looking for ways to improve.”
Men’s soccer mirrors the attitude and success of the football team, as they too have their cleats planted firmly in sixth place of the CIS rankings. Just four years ago the team was sixth out of eight teams in the OUA division with just 19 points. This is a big turn around for a squad, as they are now contending amongst the biggest schools in Canada. The University of Montreal, with an undergraduate enrollment of 42,684 is sitting just two spots ahead of the “mid-sized” University of Guelph (undergraduate enrollment of 17,436).
The success continues straight through to the lady Gryphons, as women’s soccer found themselves ranked tenth in Canada. After suffering a loss on Sept. 21, their top ten ranking may slide from their grasp, but still remaining in contention is a huge feat that requires recognition. In 2009, women’s soccer was seventh out of eight teams in the OUA division with just eight points. Now being in the battle for the top ten in Canada is a huge testament to the continuous development of Gryphon athletics on a whole.
Possibly the biggest accomplishment of them all, women’s rugby was ranked first in all of Canada for the second week in a row. The University of Alberta, with an undergraduate enrollment of 30,460 (13,000 more than the University of Guelph) sits in second. Head coach (and Gryphon rugby alumni) Colette McAuley believes “respect, trust and honesty” to be the upmost important values for a team, while focusing on development and winning.
Tom Kendall, the Director of Athletics at the University of Guelph, attests success not to school enrollment size, but to the dedication of those involved. “The current success of our fall sports is a testament to the commitment of the athletes and coaches who prepare thoroughly to compete at the highest level of performance,” Kendall explains, “Everyone feels that they have the opportunity, and the resources to succeed.”
The University of Guelph is competing among some of the biggest names in Canada, and may be viewed as the underdog by some. No matter the size or historically acclaimed names, Gryphon athletes are thriving and proving they are here to compete. It seems that while some are busy measuring the size of the competition, they often forget to measure the size of the Gryphon heart.