The Trent Excalibur men's and women's curling teams competed at the 2026 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Curling Championships from Friday, Feb. 7 to Sunday, Feb. 9, at the Welland Curling Club. Hosted by Brock University, the championship featured the top university curling programs from across the province. 

Women's Curling: Fourth-Place Finish Highlights Successful Season

The Trent Excalibur Women's Varsity Curling team wrapped up an impressive weekend with a fourth-place finish at the 2026 OUA Championships. The Excalibur entered Championship Sunday as the top seed after going undefeated (4–0) in round-robin play. 

In pool play, Trent dominated, with wins over the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks (7–2), Toronto Varsity Blues (7–2), Queen's Gaels (7–2), and Laurentian Voyageurs (7–3). 

On Championship Sunday, the Excalibur women opened the playoffs with a 5–3 quarterfinal victory over the Waterloo Warriors to advance to the semifinals. Trent then faced the McMaster Marauders in a tightly contested matchup, ultimately falling 5–4 after narrowly missing a final stone tap back in the eighth end to force an extra end. 

In the bronze medal game, the Excalibur faced the Queen's Gaels for a second time over the weekend. After a tight first half, Queen's capitalized with steals in the fifth and sixth ends to build a 6–2 lead. Trent added a point in the seventh but ran out of stones in the eighth, resulting in a 6–3 final. 

"I am so incredibly proud of this group of young ladies," said head coach Dillon Muldoon. "They played with grit, determination, and passion until the last stone. While the results weren't what we were hoping for, finishing 4th at the OUAs is no small feat. I'm proud of our journey, our commitment, and the memories made this weekend. Losing the Bronze is always hard, but these young athletes have been an inspiration, and I can't wait to see where they go from here." 

The Excalibur women's program also earned significant individual recognition at the championship. Skip Lauren Rath was named an OUA First Team All-Star, while Adriana Cule earned OUA Second Team All-Star honours. Head coach Dillon Muldoon was recognized for his leadership and impact, being named the OUA Women's Coach of the Year. 

Men's Curling: Playoff Return Caps Strong Season 

The Excalibur men opened the championship against the Guelph Gryphons in a tightly contested matchup. Trent mounted a late surge in the eighth end with a shot to win, but ultimately fell just short in a 7–6 loss. 

The men bounced back in their second game against Western, delivering a dominant 8–1 victory in just five ends to finish Day one with a 1–1 record. 

Day two opened with a matchup against the host Brock Badgers. The Excalibur kept the game close throughout, but Brock pulled away for a 5–2 win. 

In their final round-robin game against Queen's, both teams entered with identical 1–2 records, fighting for the final playoff spot. Battling challenging ice conditions and back-and-forth scoring, the Excalibur came out on top with a 10–7 victory. Clutch last-stone draw performances by Thomas Jack and Willem Hancin earlier in the event proved critical in securing Trent's first playoff berth in many years. 

In the quarterfinals, Trent faced the Laurier Golden Hawks, who would go on to claim the OUA gold medal. Despite a strong effort, the Excalibur fell 10–2, bringing their season to a close. 

The weekend also saw major individual recognition for Trent, as skip William Jewell was named the OUA Rookie of the Year. Jewell was one of just two rookie skips among the 16 teams competing at the championship.

"William was one of two OUA rookie skips in the field and his performance was outstanding," said head coach Bradley Robinson. "His depth of knowledge and calm leadership allowed him to make very experienced calls and shots throughout the weekend, which was noticed by all. William is fearless with his shot calls and made the difference for the team throughout the weekend and the season. The future of men's curling at Trent is very bright with William at the helm, and we look forward to seeing him develop even further over the next three years."