Four AUS Championship MVPs and a U SPORTS gold medalist named East Coast Lifestyle AUS Athletes of the Week

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Name: Cailey Locke
University: Memorial University
Sport: Women’s Curling
Position: Skip
Hometown: Conception Bay South, N.L.
Year of eligibility: First
Academic program: BSc

Cailey Locke from the Memorial Sea-Hawks women’s curling team is the East Coast Lifestyle AUS Athlete of the Week for the week ending Feb. 22, 2026.

A first-year science student from Conception Bay South, N.L., Locke led the Sea-Hawks to a national title this past weekend at the U SPORTS Curling Championships in Regina, Sask.

Locke led Memorial to a 4-1 record in round robin play to advance to the national semifinals where they toppled the host Regina Cougars 5-2.

The Sea-Hawks then defeated McMaster 5-4 in the championship final to earn the program’s first-ever U SPORTS women’s title.

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Name: Katie Butts
University: University of New Brunswick
Sport: Women’s Basketball
Position: Forward
Hometown: Ottawa, Ont.
Year of eligibility: Fifth
Academic program: Arts

Katie Butts from the UNB REDS women’s basketball team is the East Coast Lifestyle AUS Athlete of the Week for the week ending Feb. 22, 2026.

The fifth-year forward played a pivotal role in helping UNB capture their first Atlantic conference women’s basketball title since 1999.

In Saturday’s 72-52 semi-final victory over STFX, she scored seven points, grabbed eight rebounds, and had four assists and four blocks.

On Sunday, in a decisive 84-59 win over UPEI in the conference championship game, Butts double-doubled with 17 points and 14 rebounds. She also had a block, an assist, and two steals.

Butts was named the MVP of the conference championship tournament.

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Name: Sarah Pace
University: Memorial University
Sport: Women’s Track and Field
Hometown: St. John’s, N.L.
Year of eligibility: Second
Academic program: Kinesiology

Sarah Pace from the Memorial Sea-Hawks Track and Field team is the East Coast Lifestyle AUS Athlete of the Week for the week ending Feb. 22, 2026.

A second-year kinesiology student from St. John’s, N.L., Pace was crowned Athlete of the Meet at the Bell AUS Track and Field Championships hosted this past weekend by Université de Moncton.

She broke her own AUS record in the pole vault event, flying to a height of 3.36m. She also triple jumped a distance of 11.60 meters and hurdled to a Memorial school record of 8.84s.

MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Name: Ryan Regault
University: Acadia University
Sport: Men’s Basketball
Position: Guard
Hometown: Scarborough, Ont.
Year of eligibility: Second
Academic program: Law and Society

Ryan Regault from the Acadia Axemen basketball team has been named the East Coast Lifestyle AUS Male Athlete of the Week for the week ending Feb. 22, 2026.

A second-year law and society student from Scarborough, Ont., Regault was named AUS Championship MVP after leading the Axemen to an 84–74 victory over UPEI to capture the program’s AUS-leading 18th conference title.

The championship marked Acadia’s first appearance in the final since 2018 and first title since 2012. Regault scored 22 points and added three assists, four rebounds and three steals in the final and was named Boston Pizza Player of the Game.

Over three games, he averaged 18.3 points, seven rebounds and 3.7 assists, while shooting 37.8 per cent from the field and 73.7 per cent from the free-throw line.

MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Name: Oliver Arnfast
University: University of New Brunswick
Sport: Men’s Track and Field
Hometown: Valley, N.S.
Year of eligibility: Fifth
Academic program: Mechanical Engineering

Oliver Arnfast from the UNB REDS men’s track and field team has been named the East Coast Lifestyle AUS Male Athlete of the Week for the week ending Feb. 22, 2026.

A fifth-year mechanical engineering student from Valley, N.S., Arnfast was named Athlete of the Meet at the Bell AUS Track and Field Championships hosted this past weekend by Université de Moncton.

Arnfast took home three gold medals, winning the men’s heptathlon and setting new UNB records while winning the pole vault and 60-metre hurdles.

Throughout the 2025-26 season, each East Coast Lifestyle AUS Athlete of the Week will receive a $50 ECL gift card and a signed certificate, courtesy of East Coast Lifestyle and Atlantic University Sport.