Segun Makinde

Makinde runs nation leading time

Ottawa Lions athletes took to the track and field in across two provinces, the United States and the United Kingdom with impressive results. The largest contingent of athletes were in Montreal competing at the McGill Redmen Open with multiple club top ten performances being recorded.

Headlining the act was a group of 300m runners who put together three new club all-time top ten performances highlighted by Oluwasegun Makinde’s victory in a time of 33.41 seconds. Makinde, who had tied his personal best just two weeks prior with a 33.76 second clocking, moved into second position on the all time list behind training partner Michael Robertson’s 33.21. The mark also ranks as the best in the country to this point. The former number two, Gordon Frenke, was second to Makinde in 33.61 seconds. Frenke’s time was a mere 0.01 seconds ahead of his previous best, also set at McGill back in 2013. Rounding out the top three finishers was Gabriel Tesfaye with a 34.23 clocking which moved him to 10th on the club list, bumping off former Canadian junior 400m champion Brian Cummings.

Also in Montreal, pole vaulter Melinda Rock improved her second place mark on the top ten list, clearing 3.70m on her first attempt. This has been a break out season so far for Rock who has already added 19 cm to her lifetime best. The top ten performance to come out of Montreal was Sabrina Slade in the weight throw. Her mark of 11.22m moves her into tenth all-time.

Also improving their mark on the weight throw list was Ashley Connell as she added nearly a meter to her best with a throw of 15.71m to finish fifth at the Guelph Last Chance Meet. Connell, a freshman at the University of Guelph, claimed the victory in the shot put with a best throw of 13.20m. 

South of the border, Divya Biswal captured the 60m hurdles, long jump and triple jump titles at the Liberty League Championships. The St. Lawrence University junior was named the field event performer of the meet for her efforts. In Fayetteville, Arkansas Adam Palamar made his indoor debut in the 3000m with an 8:26.32 clocking to finish sixth at the Tyson Invitational. Meanwhile, across the pond Melissa Bishop finished sixth in the 800m at an IAAF Indoor Permit Meet in Birmingham. Bishop finished in a seasonal best 2:04.23.

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