Grace Igbiki claims a trifecta of medals at the U SPORTS Track and Field National Championship.

Fourth‑year health studies student Grace Igbiki capped off this past season with a U SPORTS gold medal in the 4x200m relay, a silver in the 4x400m and a bronze in the 300m — a remarkable finish for an athlete who began her Huskie career as a walk‑on.

Growing up in Calgary, Igbiki always gravitated toward running.

“I always just liked running. In elementary school, I would race the boys and win, and I loved that. When I got to junior high, I wanted to join the track team and make it official. My best friend at the time also did track. So we both joined [a club] together.”

Despite her passion, competing in university wasn’t originally part of her plan, but the chance she took would eventually lead to excellence.

“I was a walk‑on. I knew [USask] had a team because I had emailed Jason [Huskie track and field head coach], but I never searched up anything. I just showed up.”

Igbiki admits her first year was overwhelming.

“I didn’t know what I was doing. I had no idea what U SPORTS was. I had no idea what CanWest was. I was just happy to be here … It’s been a gradual process.”

Her second year brought momentum until an injury cut her season short. Her third year was difficult, and she entered this season determined to reclaim her form.

“My second year went really well until I had a foot injury. My third year was a down season. This year I felt like I had to come back … At the beginning of the year, I thought this could be my last year, and I wanted to leave it all on the track. My coaches always told me I could run these times. Believing in those words and believing I could get it done — which is not always the easiest — that was the thing. Trusting the process and trusting that I’m going to peak at the right time.”

There were moments during her journey where she questioned whether she wanted to continue.

“My first year, I didn’t know if I really wanted to be here anymore. Sometimes when you’re having a down season where things are not looking good, you think, ‘I suck at this, I’m ready to wrap it up.’ [This year], I started off my season slower than I have since I was a rookie. I thought, ‘What is going on? It makes no sense.’ That’s the weird part of track.”

Academic pressure added another layer of stress.

“Sometimes it’s hard to want to do track because of the pressure of school and thinking about graduate programs. I have to think about whether my average is good enough, reference letters, things like that. It sometimes takes away from the joy of being in the sport. I want to be here and have fun with my teammates, but I’m thinking about school even when I’m here. It feels like sometimes you can’t have both.”

Living in Saskatoon without family support has also been challenging.

“The most challenging part, especially living away from home, is the eating part. We have practice, and then we lift, and then I come home and have to cook my own meal or think about buying my own meal. That part is annoying.”

“I don’t have my parents coming to watch. Calgary is close, but my parents are busy, and I have siblings at home. It’s not easy.”

On the track, it’s also a mental game, staying positive.

“It’s hard not to compare yourself because everyone on our team is so good. When you’re having a down season, it’s hard to still be there for your teammates and give them their flowers. Everything depends on you.”

To cope, she focuses inward.

“I make a point not to compare and realize I have my own strengths and other people have theirs. Tunnel‑visioning on myself has helped me a lot. One race not going well is not the end of the world. There’s still time to improve.”

Coming from a small club and joining a large university team was an adjustment.

“I had a really small club, so [there weren’t]t a lot of us. When I came here, I thought, wow, there’s a lot of people. I found it challenging because I can’t talk to everyone, and I don’t know everyone. We train at different times or in different parts of the track. But I found my people, and that has been really fun.”

One of the most meaningful relationships she’s built is with assistant coach Franz Kwame‑Smith.

“He’s honestly a track dad to me. In my first year, when I felt pushed to the side, he said he saw my talent, and we were going to work on it. I understand the way he talks, and he understands me. I don’t have to over‑explain.”

The Huskie women claimed their eighth consecutive Canada West championship this season, a dynasty that Igbiki feels doesn’t always get its due.

“Sometimes I feel like that gets overlooked. Even outside of U SPORTS, track is undervalued globally. It’s hard to go pro, and very few people make a lot of money in this sport.”

At the U SPORTS championship in Manitoba, Igbiki and teammates Hailee Woodhouse, Emma Egert and Selena Keyowski delivered a historic performance, breaking the Canadian record in the prelims and then breaking their own record in the final to win gold.

“Our team has been getting better and better. In the prelims, we broke the Canadian record. After we did that, I thought, okay, we can’t lose now. There was pressure, but we had confidence. We knew exactly what we were doing, and we had been working on it for a while. It was good to finally do it.”

She credits relay coach Karlyn Wells for the group’s success.

“We were able to lock in and focus on our handoffs and communication. Karlyn has really believed in us from the beginning. She’s very dedicated to it. That’s what separates us from other teams. Other schools see relay as a secondary thing, and she hones in [on the fact] that this is just as important as your individual event. All the girls are committed to winning.”

Igbiki also earned a U Sports silver medal with the 4×400 medal team consisting of Jaedyn McLaughlin, Hailee Woodhouse and Emma Egert alongside her.

She rounded out her event medals with an individual U Sport bronze in the 300m. This one might have meant the most to her as she’s been chasing it since her very first year. 

In Igbiki’s second year, she was projected to medal in the event, which was also in Winnipeg.

“It honestly felt like a full circle moment because I was at the exact same track where I genuinely left in tears …  I didn’t make the finals even though I was projected to win, and then I literally sat down in the corner and cried.”

This time around at nationals, she knew she was capable of doing something, but not sure to what extent after what to her, was a disappointing CanWest run that she knew she could improve upon.

“I am someone who can rise to the occasion. I think almost all my PB’s have been at national meets. Last year, when nationals were in Windsor, I came fourth and it was also a PB. So that was a bittersweet moment because I was just so close to being on the podium. I knew that this year that chance was there but I would really have to work.”

In her preliminary heat, she ran a personal best of 38.15 seconds. Going into the finals, she was scared and felt a lot of pressure. Her starting lane also placed her far behind her competitors. 

“I felt like I had to go out immediately. There was no time for reserving anything. And crossing the line, I was just like I hope I did everything I needed to do. I looked at the time and what is funny is that the girl who ran in the heat before me had just ran 0.01 seconds slower than me so I got third with a 38.16. She ran 38.17.”

The elation she felt celebrating with her teammates after she realized she had gotten bronze was unmatched. 

“It was such a surreal moment. All my teammates came and [gave] me hugs … It’s my medal but I was doing this for so many other people as well so it really did mean a lot.  And to see that I finally have established my name in the U Sports environment as well, was big.”

“The Lord really does his thing, and he’s really helped me to see that even though things might not go the way I wanted at first, there’s always something greater and there’s always something more to look forward to. At the same track that I was crying before, I’m now celebrating.”

To top it all off, the Huskies Women’s Track & Field claimed an overall team silver at U Sports — their best finish since 2022.

Following a hugely successful season, Igbiki hopes to enter a graduate program and return for her final year of eligibility.

She ends with gratitude for her coaches and teammates.

“I definitely want to shout out Franz because he’s been my number one coach since I started. He took me under his wings. He’s a motivator and encouraged me in faith as well, and that helped me a lot. And Karlyn has put in a lot of time and dedication, especially for the relay. I’m so happy we were able to deliver it and execute it exactly how it needed to be done.

“I’m so grateful. I did not know what to expect coming in here to Sask, but it has been nothing but blessings, unexpected surprises and amazing coaches and amazing girls who are really dedicated to not only being the best but also supporting each other. The team has such a bright future, so I am very excited.”

Congratulations, Grace and we’ll be cheering you on next year!