By Owen Kitzan – Sports Editor

As the semester wraps up, Gaiters athletics will also begin to wind down for a short time during exam period and the holiday break. With some seasons wrapped up for the year and the off-season grind ahead, other teams are only just beginning their exciting campaigns.

With some impressive seasons in multiple sports this year, the Gaiters athletic program continues to be on the rise. Let’s dive into the excitement that has surrounded the Bishops athletics scene so far this year!

First on the list is Gaiters football, who had an outstanding year that put the program on the map as a force to be reckoned with. The team went 10-0 in league play against AUS opponents, including winning the Loney Bowl against SMU. The team would sadly lose in the UTeck Bowl to the Laurier Golden Hawks, the eventual Usports runner-ups to the Laval Rouge et Or. Following such an incredible year, it will be exciting to see what the team can do next year to follow it up.

Women’s soccer would face some struggles this season posting a record of 0-8-6. A positive note however, is the six ties on their record – extremely close games that could’ve gone either way. This shows promise heading into their next season as a building block towards success.

On the rugby pitch, the women’s team had some exciting moments in their season. The team would come up with a historic tie against Carleton, solidifying monumental growth within the program. With a win against McGill, the team continued on an upward trajectory toward building a successful program. The Gaiters would finish the year 1-4-1, showing signs of promise for things to come.

As for the men’s rugby team, they would finish the year 2-4-0. With two big wins over Carleton and Concordia on Coulter Field, the boys showed they could turn it up in front of a home crowd. With multiple games finishing with close scores, the team put themselves in a position to win every time they stepped on the field despite finishing with a below .500 record.

Men’s lacrosse would struggle a bit this year, posting a win in their season opener against the University of Ottawa only to lose their next ten games and finish the season 1-10. Following many years of Bishops lacrosse being a powerhouse, the team is going through a natural rebuilding phase and setting their focus on the next season.

Both men’s and women’s golf had exciting years, showing the strides the program has taken. The women managed to qualify for nationals for the first time in program history, an impressive feat for the team. Meanwhile, the men managed to qualify for nationals for the second straight year, as well as winning the Milby Invitational on their home course. It will be exciting to see what nationals have in store for both sides.

With women’s hockey and both men’s and women’s basketball only starting up there isn’t much to recap on their seasons thus far. We wish them the best of luck with their seasons and are excited to cheer them on. Keep an eye out for future articles published by The Campus for updates on your favorite school sports teams!