Nicole McKenzie (Women’s Track and Field) and Killian Donovan (Men’s Volleyball) Named Gryph’s Locker Athletes of the Week, presented by POWERADE

GUELPH, Ont. – Throughout the 2025-26 season, the University of Guelph Department of Athletics will be highlighting various members from our Gryphon varsity programs as part of our ‘Gryph’s Locker Athletes of the Week, presented by POWERADE’ series. Nicole McKenzie (women’s track and field) and Killian Donovan (men’s volleyball) have been named ‘Gryphon Athletes of the Week’ for the period covering January 26 to February 1, 2026.
 

Nicole McKenzie (Women’s Track and Field)

This week’s ‘Gryphon Athlete of the Week’ Nicole McKenzie is into the Canadian track and field record books after her record-breaking performance in State College, PA over the weekend (Jan. 30-31). McKenzie, a fifth-year sprinter on the Gryphons women’s track and field team, competed in the Penn State National Open in the women’s 600m where she etched her name into the Canadian record books with a time of 1:26.95. McKenzie broke a record previously held by Aurora Rynda (All-American runner for the Michigan Wolverines) set in 2022. The history major at the University of Guelph also broke her own school record in the women’s 600m which she set a few weeks back on January 10 at the Wolverine Invitational while also setting a meet record and Michigan facility record in the process with a time of a 1:28.11. The Mississauga native has already booked her spot in the 2026 U SPORTS Track and Field Championships, reaching the auto standard mark in the women’s 600m at Ann Arbor, Michigan and the women’s 300m last week in Albuquerque, New Mexico. McKenzie and the rest of the Gryphon track and field team will be in Windsor this weekend (Feb. 6-7) for the Windsor Team Challenge.
 

Killian Donovan (Men’s Volleyball)

Killian Donovan earns this week’s ‘Gryphon Athlete of the Week’ honours racking up the kills to lead the Gryphons men’s volleyball team to a weekend home sweep over the TMU Bold. On Friday night (Jan. 30), the Sydney, Australia native did it all for the Gryphons in their four set victory over the Bold. Donovan had a game-high 20 points, 15 kills, 3 aces and led the team with 3 total blocks. The following evening (Jan. 31), Donovan had one of his best matches of the season leading his team to another four set win over TMU. The second-year outside hitter had a season-best .450 hitting percentage as he tallied up a team-high 22 points and 21 kills while only making 3 attacking errors in the match. The management major has proven to be one of the elite outside hitters in the OUA, leading the conference with 229 total kills and averaging a league best 4.4 points per set. Donovan also ranks 2nd provincially in kills per set (3.69), points (271) and 6th in aces (23). Donovan and the rest of the Gryphons men’s volleyball team will continue their push for the postseason when they travel St. Catharines next weekend for games versus the Brock Badgers on Friday (Feb. 6) and Saturday (Feb. 7).
 

2025-26 Gryphon Athletes of the Week