MacNaughton, L. Stafford named Investors Group OUA Athletes of the Week
BURLINGTON, Ont. - The following athletes have been named Investors Group Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Athletes of the Week for the period ending September 26th, 2016.
BURLINGTON, Ont. - The following athletes have been named Investors Group Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Athletes of the Week for the period ending September 26th, 2016.
MALE: Lucas MacNaughton (Brussels, Belgium) – 4th yr – Toronto Varsity Blues – Soccer
The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men’s soccer team picked up three crucial wins this past week thanks to a pair of game-winning goals from defender Lucas MacNaughton (Brussels, Belgium).
MacNaughton, a fourth-year architecture major, found the back of the net in each of the Blues three games to help U of T keep pace with the rival Ryerson Rams and Carleton Ravens in a crowded OUA East division.
On Wednesday night, MacNaughton scored once in Toronto’s 5-0 road victory over the UOIT Ridgebacks. The Brussels, Belgium followed that up on Saturday, scoring in the 22nd minute on a penalty which would eventually become the game winner in a 3-1 victory over the RMC Paladins. MacNaughton finished off the road trip in style, opening the scoring in the 37th minute against Queen’s in a 4-0 cleansheet victory versus the Gaels.
MacNaughton, a 6’2” defender, now ranks second on Toronto and tied for 13th in OUA with four goals in nine games this season.
The Blues return to the pitch on Saturday when they travel to Peterborough, Ont. to take on the Trent Excalibur at Justin Chiu Stadium.
FEMALE: Lucia Stafford (Toronto, Ont.) – 1st yr. – Toronto Varsity Blues – Cross Country
University of Toronto rookie runner Lucia Stafford (Toronto, Ont.) has been named the Investors Group OUA Athlete of the Week after winning the Western International Invitational on Saturday.
Stafford, a first-year engineering student-athlete, crossed the line in a time of 17:04.5, finishing almost a full five seconds ahead of Guelph's Katelyn Ayers.
Thanks to a strong individual performance from Stafford, the Varsity Blues finished in second-place in the team competition, just 21 points behind the 11-time OUA champion Guelph Gryphons.
The Stafford name is familiar to those in the OUA running community as it was Lucia’s older sister Gabriela Stafford who won the individual title at last year’s cross country championship and represented Canada in the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Next up, Lucia and her Varsity Blues teammates will travel to Kentucky for the Greater Louisville Classic.
