By: Simran Sarai, Sports Writer
Men’s basketball
The men’s team started December with a 75–61 loss against Western Washington. In what was their first Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) opener of the campaign, SFU recorded 13 blocks, a league-high since joining the NCAA in 2010. The Red Leafs jetted off to take on New Mexico State two days later in a lopsided 77–35 loss.
A narrow 79–73 win against the Hawaii Pacific Sharks in Honolulu during the Hoops in Hawaii Holiday Classic, snapped the team’s four-game losing streak. Despite dropping their next game, SFU finished the tournament with a decisive 74–69 victory over Chaminade on December 19.
The men concluded their 2022 season against Saint Martin’s and Western Oregon. Senior guard and forward Jahmal Wright recorded a career-high of 22 points, while sophomore forward George Lefevbre recorded a 20-point career-high game during SFU’s December 29 matchup against Saint Martin’s. However, the team would fall in both of their matchups, bringing them to 5–8 to start the year.
Women’s basketball
The women’s team welcomed the first of three GNAC opponents at home on December 3, starting with nationally ranked, Western Washington. Three weeks after losing 69–60 to Western Washington, SFU rallied to an 89–78 victory against Alaska Fairbanks on December 29. Sophomore forward Gemma Cutler alongside junior guard and forward Jessica Wizotzki enjoyed a big night. Cutler tied her SFU record for points and three-pointers while setting a new personal best for shot blocks. Wizotzki’s 24 points in the contest marked the junior’s sixth game in a row with at least 20 points. A game later, in an 86–69 defeat to Alaska Anchorage, Cutler set her new career-high points total, and Wizotzki moved to seven 20-point games on the season.
Men’s cross country
In late November, the men’s cross country team earned their fourth invite to the 2022 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Cross Country Championships. The team finished 19th, scoring 453 points at the December 2 event. SFU was led by sophomore Charlie Dannatt, whose 15th-place finish is the best by an SFU athlete at the NCAA championships. He is also the second Red Leaf to earn All-American honours.
Football
The Red Leafs’ football program closed out their 2022 season on December 2 with the highly anticipated return of the Shrum Bowl. The coveted matchup between SFU and UBC returned for the first time in 12 years, packing the SFU stadium with close to 3,000 fans on a cold Friday night. After an exciting back-and-forth game that saw the majority of the scoring occur in the last quarter, UBC would emerge victorious, scoring with 25 seconds left in the game to steal an 18–17 victory from SFU.
Swimming
The swim team competed at the weekend-long Husky Invitational in Washington on December 2. The women’s side took home all five relay wins in the team’s last university competition of 2022. The men’s and women’s teams posted strong performances from individual athletes, starting with senior Jordan Doner’s winning time in the women’s 100 m breaststroke (1:02.98). Teammates Marcus Mak won the men’s 200 m backstroke in 1:47.72, and Dylan Kormendy won the men’s 200 m breaststroke in 1:59.84.
Men’s Wrestling
At the Carolina Clash on December 3, the men’s wrestling team faced two top-10-ranked teams in the NCAA. The men won two of their five duals matches, including victories against Kentucky Wesleyan (34–9) and Belmont Abbey (26–23). Red Leafs’ competitors Magnus McCrackin (sophomore, 157 pounds), Randy McDonald (senior, 141 pounds) and Taniela Feliciano-Takafua (junior, 285 pounds) each won three matches. During the Minnesota State Cactus Duals on December 17, the Red Leafs dropped three dual matchups against Minnesota State, San Francisco State, and Colorado State Pueblo. Junior team member Maka Yacapin won his three matches, remaining undefeated during the competition.
Women’s Wrestling
The sixth-ranked women’s team had a full day of competition on December 18 at the Wartburg College Desert Duals. The team won all but one of their dual matches, pulling out victories against Schreiner (53–6), Wayland Baptist (44–11), and Tiffin (44–13). Team members Emily Cue (senior, 170 pounds) and Eleni Fakaosi (sophomore, 143 pounds) were undefeated at the meet.
