The Exam and Holiday break means a flip of the script is upon us, and it signals what has been a magnificent year for our athletes. As the calendar shifts to 2026, there was one more weekend of action for the taking. Swishes, smashing attacks, a highlight-reel overtime "Cole," six points for yet another week in the national ranks, and record-breaking runs were what capped off 2025. 

Women's Basketball: Closing the playbook, rebounding with a W 

Returning home to Carl Totzke Court after a long road trip, Women's Basketball faced a juggernaut Guelph Gryphons squad, who top the West Division, and are a top 15 program in the nation. After a surging first quarter, which saw the Warriors lead 20-17, their big guns could not fire away, and the Gryphons took advantage off the turnover game. A brilliant 15-point effort from Kymora Stafford (Toronto, Ont./), and Ghiselle Poblete (Brampton, Ont./) going a perfect 6-6 from the line, could not hold off the Warriors' Highway 6 rivals; 69-54 was the final. 

All it would take however, was 24 hours for the Warriors to rebound and light up the PAC. After 28 boards the previous evening, the women in black and gold racked up 48 throughout the night against the Lakehead Thunderwolves; a key contributor to their 39-25 lead at the half. Jaime Newell (Brussels, Ont./), in particular, continued to do what she does best – kickstart the Warriors ball possession and spark dominance. Newell collected 18 rebounds of her own on this night - nine on offense, and nine on defense - displaying her seasoned basketball IQ and positional leadership so effectively. Newell and Poblete would score a game-high 16 and 17 points respectively, to close out the weekend,and 2025, on a high. 59-48 was the final. The team will look to fly out of the gate in 2026, with a trip to Sault Ste. Marie to take on the Algoma Thunderbirds on January 9, and they will return to Carl Totzke Court on Friday, January 16, as they face the Windsor Lancers at 6:00 PM. 

Men's Basketball: Even tough breaks won't break a Warrior 

Arriving far from home themselves, Men's Basketball's first quarter against Guelph mirrored that of the Women's side. They led the Gryphons, and looked to solidify their strong game in the paint on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Cristian Craciun (Hamilton, Ont./) in particular, locked down the paint incredibly; capped off with 15 points, three steals, and two rebounds in the first quarter alone. To put his points performance into further perspective, the Warriors led Guelph 19-13 after one. Where Guelph failed to mark Craciun on one end, they started to cover the squad at the other, and spark their offensive attack; netting 20 in the second, 12 in the third, and 24 in the fourth. Even with a dominant game-high 10 rebounds for Thach Wal Nger (Cambridge, Ont./), where his defensive efforts kept the Warriors hopes alive for the majority of the contest, Waterloo could not capitalize late in the game; falling 69-50. 

24 hours later, it wouldn't get any easier for the Warriors, as a powerhouse Lakehead squad marched into Carl Totzke Court. Nine turnovers from the Warriors in the second half is what sealed the showdown for the Thunderwolves; winners in four of their last five matchups at the PAC. A team-high 10 points for Tiernan O'Connor (Kitchener, Ont./) off the bench, including an offensive rebound to his name, was not enough to halt the Wolves on this night. 79-53 was the final. As the squad prepares for a new opportunity in 2026, they will return to the court for OUA action on the road at Algoma on January 9, and will look to bounce back over another weekend homestand, starting on January 16, as they take on Windsor at 8:00 PM. 

Women's Hockey: Climbing the conference rank with full gas in the tank 

Women's Hockey and winning seem to go hand-in-hand. The last weekend of action for 2025 was no exception. Kicking off proceedings at Columbia Icefield Arena against the TMU Bold, the Warriors only furthered their success against rivals from the provincial capital, with yet another victory over the Bold, their second in a row to close out a home and home stretching the course of six days. A seemingly perfect showing on Friday night, the Warriors got to work with a power play just over 15 minutes in. Lyndsy Acheson's (Summerland, B.C./Penticton Secondary School) patience walking in from the blueline, gave her the opportunity she needed to break the ice. Her second of the season made it 1-0 Warriors. A minute and 18 seconds later, they doubled down. Nikki McDonald's positioning down below the goal line allowed her to spot Tatum James (Stratford, Ont./Northwestern Secondary School) in front, who blasted the puck into the back of the net, for her third of the year. 2-0 for the home side after one. Over halfway through the second, Gracey Smith (Waterloo, Ont./Preston High School) won a critical puck battle in the corner. With Sarah Hirst (Campbellville, Ont./Milton District) pushing for support, she picked up the puck and glided effortlessly around the zone. She found herself at the dot on her off-wing, where she ripped a shot that beat the Bold netminder, high and on the short-side; for her second on the campaign. Hirst's goal, and a 16 save shutout for Kara Mark (New Hamburg, Ont./Waterloo Oxford District Secondary School and Victus Academy), shutdown TMU. 3-0 was the final. The shutout from Mark, the 11th of her OUA career, additionally earned her Warrior Athlete of the Week honours for the second time this season. 

The next afternoon, the team travelled North of the city, for their Pride Game in Elmira, where they faced the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks at the Woolwich Memorial Centre, the site for 2026's upcoming Miller Waste U SPORTS Women's Hockey Championship, from March 19-22. Winners in five of their last six games against the Ridgebacks, the Warriors settled onto the ice in Elmira comfortably as ever. Late in the first, Gracey Smith (Waterloo, Ont./Preston High School) bagged her fourth goal of the season, a goal in which gives her a share for the team lead in points; a spot she shares with Katina Duscio (Kitchener, Ont./St. Mary's High School). Midway through the second, Ontario Tech fought back on the powerplay, with a marker of their own, to tie things at one. The no-quit attitude in the Warriors would not let the Ridgebacks head to the locker room with confidence, however. For the second game running, Tatum James (Stratford, Ont./Northwestern Secondary School) would break through once again, off an assist from Duscio, to give the Warriors their lead back; James' fourth of the season. Her heroics to end the second, would be all the Warriors would need, for yet another flawless weekend. They cap off 2025 with six huge points, and return to the ice on January 9, when they travel to North Bay to take on the Nipissing Lakers. The Lakers will then follow the Warriors back South to CIF Arena on Friday, January 16, for a Think Pink showdown for the ages, at 7:00 PM. 

Men's Hockey: Road-tripping in a Windsor wonderland 

Men's Hockey were the true warriors along the 401 this weekend; on the road for two final showdowns in 2025. They took on the Lancers in Windsor, an arena the Warriors hadn't won in, since November of 2021. The boys in black and gold however, came out firing, and firing early. Five minutes in, Aaron Davidson (Plattsville, Ont./Victus Academy) cashed in on the rebound, off a centering feed from Evan Klein, to make it 1-0 Waterloo; Davidson's second goal of the season. Just over three minutes later, Klein joined in on the fun, tapping the puck into an open net, off a Lancer miscue behind the goal; 2-0 for the road Warriors, off of Klein's second of the year. Penalty trouble took over at the halfway mark however. Conceding three straight minor penalties to the Lancers, they would eventually capitalize to cut the lead in half; and would tie the game just two minutes into the second period. What goes around, comes around however. On a power play of their own, Simon Rose (Renfrew, Ont./St. Josephs High School) found himself right in front on his left side, taking a beautiful cross-ice feed from power play specialist  Jaxson Murray (Waterloo, Ont./St. David Catholic Secondary School), to put Waterloo back in front. Rose's second goal of the season gave the group light. Two points looked to be sealed, as action in the third was scarce. With ten seconds left on the clock however, Windsor knotted it at three, sending the game to overtime. With 11 seconds left in the extra frame, we saw a highlight-reel goal from Cole. Cole Fraser (Quispamsis, N.B./Kennebecasis Valley High School), after picking up the puck in the corner from Brendan Bays (Ottawa, Ont./Immaculata high school), took it into his own hands, to slip the puck around the body of the Lancer defender, windmill into the middle of the ice; and he was all alone. His backhand finish capped off one of the epic overtime winners seen across the country this season. The Warriors were 4-3 winners; their second victory in a row, off Fraser's fourth of the campaign. 

The next afternoon, a Warrior squad that had gone the distance in Windsor, had to travel nearly four hours to the Mattamy Athletic Centre, to take on the West Division leaders, the TMU Bold. Firing 20 shots on the Bold netminder, in a game where they ran into penalty trouble once again, the Warriors could not breakthrough on this day. 3-0 was the final from Toronto. A weekend in which travel did not treat them kindly on their way back East, a huge overtime victory sets the precedent, for an exciting 2026 portion of their schedule. They take to the ice once again on January 8, back in Toronto, to face the Varsity Blues. Their next matchup at home, will be a Friday matinee for the ages; a date with the Lakehead Thunderwolves, for the squad's Think Pink showdown at 2:30 PM on January 16. 

Women's Volleyball: Closing the calendar in the nation's capital 

A trip to the nation's capital for Women's Volleyball was on the cards to close out 2025. Taking on the Ottawa Gee-Gees, their first contest, was a back-and-forth affair. The Warriors took an enthralling first set 25-21, where Avery Isaacs (Calgary, Alta./Bishop Carroll High School) and Stella McKenna (Calgary, Alta./Western Canada High School) came alive – Isaacs with five kills, McKenna with five of her own. The Gee-Gees would take the second set 25-14 in a bounce back effort. The Warriors compete would be place on full display, bringing the set win right back to their side, with a 25-17 showing in the third. Isaacs and McKenna continued to dominate the scoresheet, with Sydney Batiuk (Prince Albert, Sask./Ecole St. Mary) also stepping into the mix, to inch Waterloo closer to victory. Ottawa however would scrape away with a 25-23 win in the fourth set, to set things up for a fifth and decisive frame. The frontrunning cast for the Warriors who had illustrated such consistency and precision, would be at it again; with Molly White (Fall River, N.S./Lockview High School) and Madison Seo (Ancaster, Ont./Westmount Secondary School) joining the scoring party. Seo's kill would put the match to bed, and the Warriors had done it. A game high 15 kills for McKenna, three aces for Batiuk, five blocks for Isaacs, 41 assists for Seo, and 16 digs from defensive specialist Samantha Loshusan (Markham, Ont./Father Michael McGivney Catholic Academy), put the W in Warriors. 3-2 was the final score. 

The next afternoon did not treat the road squad kindly. The Gee-Gees took the previous loss on the chin, and bounced back with a 3-0 victory in straight sets. Six kills apiece for Batiuk and Isaacs, 12 assists for Adyson Kelly (Calgary, Alta./Bowness High School), and seven more digs for Loshusan, was not enough to stay in the game. To reiterate, splitting the weekend far from home is no easy task; our Warriors had done just that and earn well-deserved rest. They will take to the court once again in the new year, on Friday, January 9, in a Think Pink/Residence Day showdown on Carl Totzke Court, as they take on the McMaster Marauders at 6:00 PM. 

Track & Field: Golden Bells, hear them ring 

At the season-opening York Holiday Open, Track & Field put on a show, and kicked off the season in style. The Warriors won three events over the course of the weekend, and made some history of their own. Kevin Salaudeen (Belleville, ON/) won the Men's Triple Jump, with a distance of 14.06m, with both Steven Chung and Steven Mu (Waterloo, ON/) also placing in the top 5 for Waterloo. Fodé Doumbouya and Isaac Wong's distances clinched four spots in the top 10 for the Warriors. In the Men's Long Jump, it was Nicholas Cahyono who took first place, with a distance of 6.74m. In this event, six Warriors filled the top 10 positions, with Silas Coxson (Kitchener, ON/) in third, Salaudeen in sixth, Cavan Evans (Windsor, ON/) in seventh, Chung in ninth, and Jonah Macdonald in tenth. On the Women's side, the consistency of Brielle Fernandez (Hong Kong, HK/) stood out. In the Women's 60m, she placed fourth overall, and in the 300m, she took third with a time of 41.34. In the High Jump, Syiera Stuart (Belle River, ON/) placed third herself, with a final height of 1.53m. The golden moments of the weekend however came from the Men's Relay, and two results from two legendary quartets. The group of Raymond Siebert (Burk's Falls, ON/), Owen Goodwin (Bonshaw, PEI/), Ryan Basiaco, and Frank Delsaut placed second, with a time of 3:32.64. In first place however, was the group of Tom Maurice, David Gbenjo (Kitchener/), Ben Lemon (Waterloo, ON/), and Riley Jacobs-Gamble (Owen Sound, ON/); setting a York Holiday Open meet record, with a time of 3:22.61. This record-breaking  was not the only contributor to Lemon's weekend in particular. He broke yet another record on what will prove to be a weekend to remember for the program. His second place in the 600m, finishing with a time of 1:21.46, broke the previous meet record, and set the second-fastest time of his career. Lemon's achievements also earned him Warrior Athlete of the Week honours, for the second time in his career with Waterloo. After an event for the ages, Track & Field will return to action in 2026, with a trip to Windsor on January 9, for the Windsor Can-Am.