Jude Wheeler-Dee from Queen's Cross Country & Distance Track was named the Outstanding Performance of the Year recipient for the 2025-26 season at the Queen's Athletics & Recreation Colour Awards banquet Wednesday night.
The Outstanding Performance of the Year (OPY) award pays tribute to a Student-Athlete who has brought the most honour and recognition to Queen's University resulting from success in provincial, national and/or international competition in the 12-month period.
Wheeler-Dee (Chemistry) had an extremely successful year in both Cross Country and Distance Track. Wheeler-Dee was named the OUA Cross Country Male Runner of the Year after winning the individual title at the OUA Men's Cross Country Championship, held at Fort Henry in Kingston, and helping the Gaels win the OUA Men's Cross Country team title.
Wheeler-Dee followed that performance up by finishing third overall at the U SPORTS Men's Cross Country Championship and helping Queen's win their second straight U SPORTS Men's Cross Country Team title. Wheeler-Dee's performance earned him a U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian.
In the Distance Track season, Wheeler-Dee won two individual gold medals at the U SPORTS Track & Field Championship, finishing first in the 1,500M Men's event and the 3,000M Men's event.
Internationally, Wheeler-Dee won a gold medal in the 1,500M event at the Junior Pan American Championships while representing Canada in the summer of 2025, setting a meet record (3:45.03).
Jude will graduate from Queen's as it's greatest male distance and middle distance athlete," said Queen's Cross Country & Distance Track Head Coach
Mark Bomba. "He has sets school records from 1000, 1500m, 1 mile and 3000m events.
"Jude has come to define the resurgence of the men's program at Queen's. From a walk on athlete he has emerged as a major leader on the team. As a three-year captain, he has organized the men's team at various times and led by both example and words. He is very empathetic towards his teammates but also holds them to a higher standard of what it means to represent Queen's."
