The 2025 Canadian Track & Field Championships, held July 31 to August 3 in Ottawa, saw a strong showing from the University of Toronto Track Club (UTTC), with multiple athletes making national finals and earning medals across both Junior and Senior divisions. From promising youth talent to elite international competitors, UTTC athletes delivered standout performances on the national stage.
Leading the way was Varsity Blues alumna Gabriela DeBues‑Stafford, who made a triumphant return to competition by capturing the Canadian senior women’s 5000m title in a time of 15:17.32. The win also secured her selection to represent Team Canada at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Her younger sister, Lucia Stafford, also a U of T varsity alumna, reached the women’s 1500m final, reinforcing her standing among Canada’s top middle-distance runners. Lucia has been named to the Canadian team for the 2025 NACAC Championships in The Bahamas later this summer.
In middle-distance, former Varsity Blue Jazz Shukla delivered a standout performance, finishing 2nd in the senior women’s 800m final in 2:01.95, narrowly edged out by Maeliss Trapeau who clocked 2:01.79
On the junior side, varsity athlete Gloria Etim emerged as UTTC’s top U20 individual performer, making two national sprint finals. She finished 5th in the 100m (11.71) and 6th in the 200m (24.05), a remarkable double for the 18-year-old. In the men’s U20 1500m, William Scharf placed 6th in the final with a time of 3:58.36, following a strong heat performance to qualify. William Tapodi also made the U20 400m hurdles final, finishing 8th in 54.87, and later returned to help lead UTTC’s U20 men’s 4x400m relay team to a bronze medal with a time of 3:22.94. His relay teammates were Luke Svenoy, Aidan Whelan, and Alexander Kenny, all of whom contributed to a thrilling third-place finish.
At the senior level, UTTC’s Alanzo Ryan ran a strong championship in the men’s 800m, finishing 5th in the final with a time of 1:48.32 after winning his heat. His teammate John O’Reilly also made the final, finishing 8th in 1:51.30, a notable result for the 19-year-old in his first senior nationals appearance.
In total, UTTC athletes made seven national finals and earned one relay medal, with representation in sprints, middle-distance, hurdles, and relays. These performances reflect the strength and depth of UTTC’s programs across all levels of competition. Congratulations to all of our finalists and medalists on their achievements. You continue to carry forward the proud tradition of UTTC and the Varsity Blues on the national stage.