It was a smaller than usual group of athletes heading down the 416 and across the international bridge to St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York last weekend, but that didn’t stop the group from bringing home 23 medals, including 14 gold. Combined, the Ottawa athletes swept the top rung of the podium in five events – 60 metres, 60 metre hurdles, 600 metres, 1000 metres and the mile.
It was a banner day for Vanessa Lu Langley as she set a new lifetime best in winning the women’s 60 metre event in a time of 7.88 seconds over clubmate Pernile Lund (7.99). The Lycée Claudel student had also set a personal best in the heats with her 7.94 second clocking.
Xavier Takam took the men’s 60 metre title, winning in a swift 7.12 seconds.
Sidney Smith and Zachary Meredith swept their respective 600 metre events in record setting fashion. The paid each broke the meet and field house records, Smith in 1:36.62 and Meredith in 1:25.41. While Meredith eclipsed his own record set a year prior, Smith snatch the record from training partner and second place finisher Mary Ollier (1:37.08). Brooklyn McCormick was third to make it a clean sweep of the women’s podium.
Smith would set another record on the day, as she teamed up with McCormick, Lucy Hempstead and Marie-Eve Dahms to set a new meet standard in the 4×400 metre relay. The Gee Gees quartet finished in 4:05.73 to shave three and a half seconds off the previous standard.
The other meet record of the meet came from Doyin Ogunremi who finished top of the field in the women’s 300 metres. The Redeemer Christian student’s time of 42.17 seconds cut more than a half second off the previous meet best and is the second fastest time of her life.
Continuing a long history of strong hurdling in Canton for the Lions, Tyler Dacosta and Nafthalia Lucien swept the 60 metre hurdles event. Dacosta won in a time of 8.85 seconds while Lucien took the women’s race in 9.20 seconds, three tenths ahead of second place.
High schooler Elena Tyman and Gee Gees freshman Luke Jones swept the 1000 metres with Tyman crossing the line in 3:17.93. Jones dominated the men’s event, winning by more than 10 seconds in 2:37.43.
The women’s mile saw Holly Hicks and Skye Pellerin dominate the race from the gun. Victory for Hicks never looked out of question during the race as she crossed the line first in 5:15.96 – eight seconds ahead of Pellerin in second. On the men’s side, Robbie Mitchell won the mile by a comfortable five second margin, finishing in 4:31.86.
Other medalists from the Holiday Relays are as follows:
Men’s 500m Matthew Dean GOLD 1:16.21
Men’s 4x200m Tyler Dacosta, Mathew Deans, Abili Onyepunuka SILVER 1:34.88
Women’s 4x400m Doyin Ogunremi, Pippa Kolking, Skye Pellerin, Elana Tyman BRONZE 4:23.06
Men’s 4x400m Luka Vukovic, Matthew Tang, Robbie Mitchell, Luke Jones SILVER 3:40.96
Women’s Shot Put Brianna Asiamah BRONZE 11.84m
Women’s Long Jump Kadiatou Wann SILVER 4.96m
Women’s Pole Vault Annabelle Gagne GOLD 3.05m