University of Alberta's Abby Guezen, Ryder Rattee sweep U Sports athlete of the year awards

The University of Alberta swept the U Sports awards with volleyball player Abby Guezen named female athlete of the year and sprinter Ryder Rattee male athlete of the year Wednesday.

It's just the second time a single university claimed both honours after McGill hockey players Ann-Sophie Bettez and Marc-Andre Dorion in 2012.

Guezen of Sherwood Park, Alta., led the Pandas to an 18-2 record, a Canada West championship and Alberta's first national women's volleyball title in almost 20 years.

She made her international debut with the Canadian women's team last year. She will play for Canada again in this summer in the Nations League before starting a pro career in Italy.

Rattee of Spruce Grove, Alta., claimed three titles at the national championship and broke a U Sports record in the 300 metres. Rattee went undefeated in his individual distances in 2026 despite a lingering back injury.

Rattee raced for the Canadian men's 4x400 relay team at the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, in early May. He's scheduled to compete in this summer's Canadian track and field championships in Ottawa.

Winners of the Lois and Doug Mitchell Awards receive a $5,000 scholarship, a trophy and a commemorative ring. Guezen and Rattee received theirs in a ceremony Wednesday in Calgary.

U Sports is one of the largest sports leagues in Canada with nearly 15,000 student-athletes playing varsity sports in 58 Canadian universities from Victoria to St. John's, N.L.

The top U Sports male and female athletes have been recognized since 1993 when former CFL player and commissioner and UBC football alum Doug Mitchell founded the awards.

Mitchell died in 2022 the age of 83.

His wife Lois, who was Alberta's lieutenant-governor from 2015 to 2020, has