London, ON - Western's prestigious Purple Blankets are presented to the student athletes who, in the opinion of the Selection Committee, achieved superior distinction at the Provincial/National level of competition as representatives of Western.

Liv Sands of the Mustangs Track & Field team is a 2026 recipient of this honour.



Liv will graduate as Western's all-time most successful female thrower, holding Western's school records in both shot put and weight throw, as well as having 8 OUA medals and 7 U SPORTS medals, including 3 consecutive U SPORTS titles in shot put. She is also the best female shot putter in U SPORTS history, breaking the U SPORTS record this past season at her final U SPORTS Championship.

What makes this more impressive is the fact that Liv does this while dividing her time between training with the National team coach in Toronto and with the team in London, attending classes, working to support herself, and acting as a leader on our team. Liv's work ethic is second to none, as is her attitude towards her coaches, teammates, competitors and officials. Liv's consistency in both of her events has played a huge role in recent team success, with the women's team winning the OUA title in back-to-back seasons and claiming the U SPORTS title in 2025.

Sands shares what it meant to win a purple blanket and also a few key memories of her time as a Mustang.



Congratulations Liv on this well deserved honour. The full list of Purple Blanket winners can be found HERE.