Dallyssa Huggins no longer enjoys the glitz and glam of being a Division I athlete. Instead of prancing across a spacious campus and entering training grounds with a sci-fi-like handprint scanner, she trains discreetly at local tracks. Instead of being recognized by passing fans when she wears university paraphernalia in an American college town, she lives and works unobtrusively in the Toronto suburbs, as if just another face in the crowd. 

But, for all her modesty and subdued pride, there exists a treasure trove of experience underpinning her every move. Though she may not brag about it, she's had a tremendously rewarding (and impressive) career in the United States, becoming one of the premier multi-sport athletes in the NCAA's Big Ten Conference.

"It was hard to realize that it's done," she admitted, speaking fondly of her experience as a student-athlete in the United States. "I have to leave that college lifestyle behind."

Now a college graduate en route to pursuing a master's degree, she's a member of the Ryerson Rams Track and Field team, one of the university's more understated athletic programs. 

Originally from Markham, Ont., Huggins was introduced to track and field primarily by her father, Les, who played for the Canadian Football League's (CFL) Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the late-1970s and continued to nurture her competitive spirit well into her high school years at Bill Crothers Secondary School. A former OUA athlete himself - Huggins' father played football at York University - she was encouraged to pursue, but wasn't forced into, a serious career in athletics.

"He was very supportive of any sport I wanted to do," Huggins remembered, recounting the hours her father spent at dance recitals, soccer games, and track meets. "He didn't want to put it on me, he wanted me to come to him."   

"He's been supportive and there for me, but not pushing too hard," she added.

Though she originally fell in love with basketball, Huggins soon found a home on the track, stunning the athletic community by winning the 2015 New Balance National Heptathlon Championship in Greensboro, N.C. That, alongside her nine Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) medals, attracted the attention of several prominent American programs. Ultimately, she decided to commit to the University of Maryland, where she spent two and a half seasons. 

At Maryland, Huggins put up strong performances at meets and competitions nationwide, including those at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., Penn State, and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. Above all, she finished first in both the high jump and the 800m at the 2018 Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships.

"I enjoyed how I was doing at Maryland," Huggins recalled, referencing her scores at various prominent Big Ten events. "But, I wasn't improving the way I had wanted to improve."
And so, after two and a half years at Maryland, Huggins decided to transfer to the University of Iowa, another Big Ten program with a particularly exceptional track and field division, in January 2019. Having heard of the school's tight-knit community from a Canadian hurdler at Iowa whom she'd met years before, she pursued a transfer and moved to Iowa's sprawling campus in the college town of Iowa City. Of course, Huggins holds no ill feelings towards her Maryland teammates or coaches—and she still considers herself a Terrapins fan—but, having competed against Iowa in various meets in the past, they were uniquely able to help her improve as an athlete, having seen her from the other side. 

"They knew who I was, they'd recognized my name as an athlete, they knew what I did," Huggins said of Iowa's coaching staff, under whom she flourished for two and a half years. 

With the Hawkeyes, she continued her string of dominance, performing strongly in B1G pentathlon and heptathlon events while honing her technique in high jump and shot put in various indoor competitions. Not only that, but she was twice named an Academic All-Big Ten while studying sociology.

After graduating in 2021, Huggins decided to come home to Canada, both to pursue a master's degree—a goal for which she's laying the groundwork at Ryerson—and to train to compete in heptathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Having known Rams head coach Will Lanktree since their days at Bill Crothers, it was a natural place for Huggins to not only continue her education, but train rigorously for her ultimate goal.

"I want to compete in the Olympics for Team Canada," Huggins asserted, stressing her commitment to being a Canadian athlete on the world stage. "Growing up, it's always been a dream. It was always there."

"It's not just a dream, it's actually attainable." 

And so, while Huggins may always be a Terrapin and a Hawkeye at heart—she addressed her illustrious career while wearing a Maryland football t-shirt—she's looking forward to her life on (and off) the track. While she may not be a dominating and popular presence with the Rams, she's one of the OUA's most intriguing names and, given her experience south of the border, is poised to make a tremendous impact on the Rams community as she moves beyond Division I competition.

"I'm going to focus on school and my professional career," Huggins said confidently, "as well as still looking at the professional side of track and field."