Dino digest: March 8 to 13
By Leigh Patrick, March 25 2026—
Championships wind down and seasons have wrapped up, the Dinos teams prepare for competition hibernation as they begin their off-season of recruitment and strategizing. Before the teams called it a season, however, they went out in style, claiming medals and breaking records.
Here’s how the teams have finalized their seasons:
Basketball: Wrapping up the season
The men’s basketball team hosted the U Sports Final 8 over the weekend of March 6-8. Teams from across the country filled the Jack Simpson Gym to compete for gold. After three tension-filled days of high-stakes games, the men played only twice. Initially pitted against the Victoria Vikes, the Dinos lost 100-86. While the first game started strong, the Dinos lost steam in the second half, and the Vikes capitalized. To read the full story of the defeat, check out the Final 8 day one recap.
Following the loss in their first game, the Dinos faced the Acadia Axemen. The Nova Scotia team had played hard against the Bishop’s Gaiters the previous night, losing 98-58. The Axemen’s confidence seemed shaken as the Dinos took an early lead. Still, just as in the previous game, momentum shifted in the second half. Finding an opening in the Dinos defence, the Axemen rallied and brought the game in their favour. Axemen claimed the win with a final score of 88-77. While the loss took the Dinos out of the running for the remainder of the tournament, the Jack was far from quiet. Check out the full day two and day three recaps to experience the thrill of the tournament.
While the men’s Final 8 ended in disappointment on home soil, the women found success in Quebec City, where they competed in the U Sports tournament. High off the win of becoming Canada West Champions, the Dinos claimed a 58-45 win against McGill Martlets. Fourth-year guard Kourtney Oss led the way with an impressive 18-point night. With a strong defence and a determined offence, the team claimed its first opening-night victory since 2013.
The next day was the semi-final, in which the Dinos faced the UNB Reds. With a back-and-forth game that gave the Dinos an early lead, the Reds found the right buttons to push to claim the win for themselves in a 70-66 victory. However, the Dinos were determined not to leave the tournament without hardware and prepared for battle in the bronze medal game the following day.
Facing the Laval Rouge et Or on the court, the Dinos claimed their first bronze medal victory since 2001 thanks to a dominant fourth quarter led by Oss. In a 66-59 triumph, the Dinos outshot Laval in three of the four quarters.
Swimming: U Sports championships
March 12-14 holds the 2026 U Sports swimming championship, taking place in Markham, Ont. On opening day, Dinos swimmer Alexanne Lepage set a new Canadian record in the women’s 100-metre breaststroke. Lepage broke the previous mark with a new national record time of 1:04.11. Medals continued to be collected as Lepage added a second gold medal in the women’s 400-metre individual medley and helped the Dinos earn silver in the women’s 4×100-metre freestyle relay. By the end of day one, the Dinos had five medals and weren’t planning to slow down.
The second day resulted in another three medals being added to the Dinos total as Lepage added another gold in the women’s 200-metre breaststroke and later helped her fellow swimmers earn silver in the women’s 4×200-metre freestyle relay. Dino Ian Cameron added to the medal count, claiming bronze in the men’s 200-metre individual medley.
Day three ended with another historic moment for Lepage, as she set a new Canadian record in the 50-metre breaststroke by an astounding .05 seconds. With two national records and three gold medals, Lepage returned that evening to claim her fourth gold of the weekend. Cameron also showed up to succeed, adding a bronze medal in the men’s 50-metre backstroke. The Dinos also claimed a silver in the 4×100-metre relay, totalling up to 11 medals throughout the weekend.
Rugby 7s: Ending on a high note
The Dinos played five games in just over 24 hours in the third Canada West tournament of the season in Vancouver, B.C. The Dinos opened up the tournament with a 35-0 loss against the Victoria Vikes, followed by a 27-19 loss to the Lethbridge Pronghorns later that day. Ending the first day of the tournament with another 38-0 loss against the UBC Thunderbirds, things were looking grim for the Dinos. The next morning, the Dinos faced another 24-0 loss to the Trinity Western Spartans. With only one game to go, the Dinos weekend would end without a win.
In their final game against the University of Alberta Pandas, the Dinos claimed their only victory, 26-7. With a 14-point lead going into halftime, the Dinos kept the pressure on with a pair of tries, strong kicking and successful conversions. Third-year wing Bomi Lawal and fourth-year fullback Makayla Joseph both earned Canada West All-Star honours for their stellar plays throughout the tournament.
Field hockey: National success
Despite the Dinos field hockey season being over, the recruitment season is in full swing. Field Hockey Canada has selected three members of the Dinos field hockey team to join their ranks. First-year defender Kristen Nyrose and second-year midfielder Victoria Zaccagnini have been called to join the senior women’s indoor team in Mount Olive, N.J., for the annual CanAm Indoor Hockey Series. First-year forward Maia McGillivray has been selected for the junior women’s national team roster for the 2026 Junior Pan American Championships in Santiago, Chile.
What’s coming up:
The Dinos are settling into a quiet period across many of their team sports now, as competition seasons wrap up and the off-season and recruitment phases begin. The primary focus for the next several weeks will be individual award ceremonies, end-of-season recaps, and call-ups for next year’s roster. The next major event for the Dinos will take place June 1-6 as the golf team competes at the Canadian University/College Championship.