BURLINGTON, Ont. - Laurier quarterback Will Russell has been named an OUA Athlete of the Week along with McMaster goalkeeper Ethan Cagalj, Queen's women's hockey forward Mikayla Cranney and Nipissing Lakers women's soccer forward Hannah Neville, and Toronto field hockey goatender Mary Yang for the period ending October 25, 2026.

Laurier quarterback Russell delivered the performance of the season when the Golden Hawks needed it most, leading Laurier to a 55-39 upset victory over the No. 5-ranked Western Mustangs and clinching a spot in the OUA playoffs.

The third-year signal caller, a business major from Hamilton, Ont., completed 26 of 38 passes for 481 yards and five touchdowns while adding a rushing touchdown. In his first season starting under centre for the Golden Hawks, Russell accounted for six total majors.

Russell's 481 passing yards were the second-highest single-game total in Laurier history, leaving him just 20 yards shy of Kevin McDonald's 30-year-old program record.

Facing elimination, Russell engineered an offence that amassed 647 total yards.

The outing marked his second consecutive 400-yard passing performance and helped Laurier secure its sixth straight postseason appearance while extending the Golden Hawks' winning streak over Western to four games (regular season and playoffs).

Russell also finished the regular season as U SPORTS' leading passer with 2,619 yards, the second-highest single-season total in school history and just 25 yards shy of Taylor Elgersma's program record set in 2024.

More information about this week's award recipients can be found at oua.ca