
Mike Giffin
men’s football
Queen’s Golden Gaels running back Mike Giffin is a big reason why the team is off to a 3-0 start and has moved to number eight in the CIS national football rankings.
In the Gaels’ comeback victory against the McMaster Marauders last Saturday, Giffin ran for 115 yards and scored one rushing touchdown, with an additional two receiving touchdowns and 93 yards on four catches.
The game was Giffin’s third in a row with at least 100 rushing yards, and his 386 yards rushing this season put him in second place in the OUA and fifth in the CIS.
Giffin said he’s happy to help the team maintain its undefeated record.
“We’re feeling pretty confident actually,” he said. “We’re looking good right now. Hopefully we can keep it going and not let anything stop us.”
Giffin’s presence in the backfield has opened up options for quarterback Dan Brannagan. He’s also having his most productive season with 656 passing yards, making him fourth in the OUA.
The Gaels have their stiffest challenge yet this Saturday evening at the University of Windsor. The Lancers boast the top offensive weapon in the CIS, defending Hec Creighton Trophy winner Daryl Stephenson.
Giffin said he’s not intimidated by matching up against such a formidable opponent, but balks at comparisons between the two.
“This is really my first year coming on and he’s been doing this for the last three,” he said. “I’ll see what I can do, though … hopefully give him some kind of competition.”
As long as Giffin continues to compete at his top level, Queen’s football will certainly be able to move even farther up in the CIS rankings.
“We can just keep doing what we’re doing and we’ll be alright,” Giffin said.
–Mike Woods
Lauren Young
women’s rugby
The women’s rugby team is undefeated to start their season, with convincing victories over York University and Trent University.
Scrum-half Lauren Young has been a big part of the team’s success, with two tries in the team’s victory at York and one at home against Trent.
Young’s performance is especially impressive given that she’s playing a new position, having switched from being a flanker last season.
She first made the switch over the summer during her time with the Ontario senior women’s team.
Young said it has been a learning process.
“My coaches have given me drills, and my backs coach has helped me a lot with communicating with the forwards and backs,” she said.
“It’s almost like you’re the quarterback of the team and telling people where to go.”
Young feels she’s improving on a game-by-game basis in her new role.
“I’m getting better vocally and communicating with my forwards. I’m improving every game,” she said.
Young is one of the team’s four co-captains, so she has taken on a leadership role in addition to her new position on the field.
She feels the team still has more to accomplish despite its undefeated record.
Young said the team could have done more in its game against Trent last weekend.
“I think we could have capitalized more on their mistakes,” she said.
“They had a lot of penalties in the second half and we could have capitalized more on that.”
–Mike Woods
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