Chandler Zinck-Marier, Men's Football & Track
2025-26 HUSKIES MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – Chandler Zinck-Marier, men's football and track
Men's football receiver/returner and track sprinter Chandler Zinck-Marier, a third year commerce student from Pleasantville, N.S., has been named the 2025-26 Huskies Male Athlete of the Year.
In the football season, Zinck-Marier was named a U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian and AUS First Team All-Star as a returner. He was one of the team captains for the Loney Bowl champion Huskies, and led the AUS and finished sixth in the country in all-purpose yards.
On offence, Zinck-Marier caught 23 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns, and took seven carries for 42 yards. As a returner, Zinck-Marier returned 11 kicks for 308 yards, with his 28.0 yards per kick return average leading the AUS and ranking third in U SPORTS, and returned 37 punts for 428 yards for an average of 11.6 yards per return, leading the AUS in all three categories, and ranking fourth in U SPORTS in punt return yards.
Across 11 regular season and playoff games combined, Zinck-Marier averaged 144.1 all-purpose yards per game, the most for a Huskies player since 2017.
"It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to be great in one sport, let alone two, and Chandler is one of the hardest working players I've ever coached, and his work last offseason set the standard for our whole team," says Huskies football head coach Steve Sumarah. "His dynamic punt and kick returns set up great field position all season long, but he was also our go-to receiver in second and medium situations, consistently coming up with big catches for first downs. As a football player, he has raised the bar, not only for himself but our entire offence and special teams, and we have no doubt he'll continue to get better this offseason, and push his teammates to greater heights."
After football season, Chandler joined the Huskies track & field team and thrived, winning a silver medal at the AUS Championships in the 60 metre dash, posting an elite personal best time of 6.95 seconds, and anchoring a bronze medal in the 4x200m relay. He also won the 60m at the Athletics Nova Scotia Meet.
"Chandler craves success, he has a relentless desire to improve and that is proven not only by his times at meets but his relentless efforts at practice," added Huskies track & field coaches Jonathan Peverill and Ian MacDonald. "An elite level of buy-in Chandler trusts the process, as well as the experience of coaches Megan (Graham) and Nikola (Kriznar), and has risen to the occasion winning AUS medals, but still wanting more. Not only is Chandler a ferocious athlete, he is a ferocious teammate, constantly celebrating his teammates successes, and is often heard barking and hyping up his teammates as they compete."
2025-26 Huskies Male Athlete of the Year Nominees: Jayrell Diggs, Men's Basketball; Reid Valade, Men's Hockey; Chandler Zinck-Marier, Men's Football & Track
2025-26 Huskies Athletes of the Week, sponsored by Freeman's Little New York Halifax:
Week 1: Aug. 18-24: Malik Williams, Football
Week 2: Aug. 25-31: Justin Shibley, Football & Cara Freeman, Women's Soccer
Week 3: Sept. 1-7: Jahmari Brown, Football & Cara Freeman, Women's Soccer
Week 4: Sept. 8-14: Tomas Mello, Men's Soccer & Katherine Fairbrother, Women's Rugby
Week 5: Sept. 15-21: Ryan Butler, Football & Frances MacLeod, Cross Country
Week 6: Sept. 21-28: Liam Legge, Football & Cara Freeman, Women's Soccer
Week 7: Sept. 29-Oct. 5: Ryan Butler, Football & Avery Cant, Women's Hockey
Week 8: Oct. 6-12: Reid Valade, Men's Hockey & Katherine Fairbrother, Women's Rugby
Week 9: Oct. 13-19: Ben Allison, Men's Hockey & Keyara Nelson, Women's Hockey
Week 10: Oct. 20-27: Isaiah Okoli, Football & Frances MacLeod, Cross Country
Week 11: Oct. 28-Nov. 2: Malik Williams, Football & Emilia Mikanovich, Volleyball
Week 12: Nov. 3-9: Keyshawn Beswick, Football & Abigail MacKenzie, Women's Hockey
Week 13: Nov. 10-16: Cherooke Robinson, Football & Taylor Lougheed, Volleyball
Week 14: Nov. 17-23: Jasha'jaun Downey, Men's Basketball & Mia Faseruk, Women's Hockey
Week 15: Nov. 24-30: Reid Valade, Men's Hockey & Emily Dikdan, Women's Basketball
Week 16: Jan. 3-11: Ben Allison, Men's Hockey & Angong Jacob, Women's Basketball
Week 17: Jan. 12-18: Chandler Zinck-Marier, Men's Track & Field & Sophie Scully, Women's Hockey
Week 18: Jan. 19-25: Jayrell Diggs, Men's Basketball & Angong Jacob, Women's Basketball
Week 19: Jan. 26-Feb. 1: Marcus Vandenberg, Men's Hockey & Jillian Duggan, Women's Hockey
Week 20: Feb. 2-8: Mason Dunlop, Men's Track & Field & Kara MacLean, Women's Hockey
Week 21: Feb. 9-15: Ben Allison, Men's Hockey & Syree Tucker, Women's Volleyball
Week 22: Feb. 16-22: Ciaran MacDonald, Men's Track & Field & Emilia Mikanovich, Women's Volleyball
U SPORTS Nationals: Feb. 23-March 22: Ben Allison, Men's Hockey & Emilia Mikanovich, Women's Volleyball