From Assiniboia to Mosaic Stadium: Quinton Fettes Balancing Football and Track

From the small town of Assiniboia, Sask., to the bright lights of Mosaic Stadium, University of Regina student-athlete Quinton Fettes has built his university career around two demanding sports: football and track and field.

“Beating my brother 100%,” Fettes said with a laugh when asked where his drive to improve comes from. 

The Rams running back and Cougars heptathlete grew up in a sports-focused family in southern Saskatchewan, where competition was constant and athletic success became part of daily life. His older brother, Logan, was already a standout track athlete when Quinton first got involved in Grade 5.

“My brother was track athlete in high school, big star of the school, so he got me into it,” Fettes said. 

Success came quickly.

“I was beating everybody else, honestly,” he said. 

Fettes competed in long jump, high jump, triple jump and the 100 metres in high school before transitioning into the heptathlon at Regina, where he now balances seven events: the 60 metres, hurdles, long jump, high jump, shot put, pole vault and the 1,000 metres. 

At the same time, he also developed into a football player, beginning in pee-wee football before eventually joining the Rams as a running back. The transition to university football, however, was anything but simple.

“The biggest difficulty being a running back, I find, is being able to read the defence and read my blocks,” Fettes explained. 

“I come from six men, so there’s not a whole lot of reading going on. It’s just get the ball and run as fast as you can.” 

Fettes admitted he initially struggled with the mental side of the game after arriving at Regina.

“When I first came to the team, I was worried all the time,” he said.

Over time, preparation and mentorship helped calm those nerves. Fettes said he became obsessed with learning the playbook, refining details and listening to veteran teammates and coaches.

“Even if I know it 100%, I’m still writing it down in my notebook,” he said. 

“Just refining everything that I know.” 

That attention to detail has helped him become a rare multi-sport athlete at the U SPORTS level, spending the fall as a football player before transitioning almost immediately into track season.

The switch requires a complete mental reset.

“Football, you go rah rah rah, and you’re hitting people, and it’s physical,” Fettes said. 

“Then track’s all about making sure the body’s 100 per cent. It’s a lot more toned down.” 

Balancing two sports with a business degree leaves little downtime.

“First semester is football season, second semester is track season, so I’m always balancing school with the sport,” he said. 

“As long as I stay disciplined, it’s not too bad.” 

Fettes approaches that challenge by separating each responsibility mentally.

“When I’m at football, I’m there mentally and physically, and then when I’m doing school, I’m being a student mentally and physically,” he said. 

That mindset has helped him grow into a contributor for both programs at Regina, where he credits the coaching staffs and team culture for helping him develop.

“You make a mistake, okay, here’s how to correct it,” Fettes said of the Rams coaching staff. 

“At the end of the day, they know we’re people, we make mistakes, we learn from it, we get better.” 

The football side of his university experience also included the opportunity to compete at Mosaic Stadium, home of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders and the site of the 2025 Vanier Cup.

“It feels pretty cool as a player,” Fettes said. 

“The highest level football in Canada gets played in that stadium, and it feels awesome to be in the atmosphere of great football.” 

Despite his success in both sports, Fettes still measures some accomplishments close to home.

“I’d say my proudest accomplishment is beating my brother’s PB in high jump, for sure,” he said. 

His brother remains heavily involved in supporting him, attending competitions and even serving as a stream commentator during a Canada West track meet last season. 

Fettes’ parents are equally supportive, attending nearly every home game and track meet they can.

“They’re at every single home game,” he said. 

“Every single track meet in Saskatchewan, they’ve been to for both of us.” 

For now, the goal remains simple: continue improving.

“Track, I don’t necessarily have to win U SPORTS and shatter records,” Fettes said. 

“It’s just beating my own personal PBs and continuously beating myself. I want to keep getting better all the time.” 

And for younger athletes hoping to follow a similar path, his advice is straightforward.

“Do what you love,” Fettes said. 

“If you love something, but you’re not good at it, get good at it.”