The Lions family of athletes didn’t just start their season off on the right foot; they set a new standard at the Saints Holiday Relays in Canton, NY, last Saturday. Dominating in 19 out of 28 events, they not only showcased their prowess but also shattered five meet records. The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees claimed the women’s team title.
The women’s 60-meter final epitomized their dominance, featuring Lions, Ravens, and Gee-Gees in six of the eight lanes. The University of Ottawa’s Katie Manor emerged as the champion, clocking 7.60 seconds, marking the second-fastest performance of her career. Completing the Gee-Gee sweep were Bianca Borgella (7.66) and Emma Martins (7.86) in second and third, respectively.
Borgella’s time of 7.66 seconds was a significant improvement, shaving more than a tenth of a second off her previous best set a year ago. This promising start sets her on a path for a podium run at the Paralympic Games in Paris next summer.
In the challenging 500 meters, Lions runners Quinn Coughlin and Zachary Jeggo claimed golds and set records. Coughlin’s time of 1 minute and 21.32 seconds surpassed the previous mark by three tenths of a second. Jeggo cut nearly a full second from the men’s record, clocking 1 minute and 6.97 seconds.
At 600 meters, David Moulongou demolished his own meet record, winning comfortably in 1 minute and 21.85 seconds, nearly three and a half seconds faster than last year.
Triple jumper Heather Grandy added to the list of records with her winning leap of 11.62 meters, surpassing her 11-year-old personal best. The graduate student at the University of Ottawa returned to the sport last season after a six-year hiatus, having competed for Dalhousie University during her undergraduate years.
Carleton Raven throwers Connor Fraser and Brianna Asiamah set school records. Fraser topped the men’s shot put with a heave of 14.83 meters, adding a foot to Alec Jeffery’s previous standard. Asiamah began her Raven career on the right foot with a shot put record of 12.66 meters, the farthest indoor throw of her career.
After an outstanding cross-country season, André Alie-Lamarche started his indoor season with a lifetime best over 3000 meters at Boston University. The fourth-year University of Ottawa student moved to number two in school history with a time of 8 minutes and 14.51 seconds, improving his own personal best by nearly nine seconds.
Results from the Saints Holiday Relays can be found on our website.
Photos from the Saints Holiday Relays are available on Mundo Sport Images.
For updated Lions/Gee-Gees/Ravens All-Time Rankings, visit: