One week after the Ontario U20/Open Championship it was time for the best U14, U16, and U18 athletes to battle for top spot this past weekend in Brampton. The more than 60 Lions competing, emerged as a formidable force at the Championships as they set nearly 90 personal bests and brought home an amazing 26 medals in total.
Grace Streek: A Study in Versatility and Endurance
At the heart of the Lions’ triumph was Grace Streek, whose versatility and stamina proved insurmountable. Streek opened the Championship with gold in the U18 Girls 3000 metres, crossing the finish line at 10:17.70, and later dominated the 2000-metre steeplechase with a 15-second margin of victory as she finished in a time of 7:14.59 . Streek also anchored the U18 4×800-metre relay team to victory, combining with Shannon Dewar, Maya Allibon, and Sofia Lefaivre to clock a formidable 10:12.49.
Jorai Oppong-Nketiah: Speed Personified
Jorai Oppong-Nketiah continued to do what Jorai Oppong-Nketiah does – win! The Canadian record holder who blitzed her way to gold medals in both the U18 100 metres and 200 metres, with times of 11.68 and 24.59 seconds, respectively. Oppong-Nketiah’s prowess extended to the relay events, where she helped secure a bronze in the U18 4×100 metres, running alongside Shannon Dewar, Amy LeBlanc, and Quinn Coughlin to finish in 48.61. The relay performance ranks 10th on the Club’s U18 all-time list.
Jake Claydon St-John: The Emerging Multi-Talent
In the U14 category, Jake Claydon St-John showcased his burgeoning talent across multiple disciplines. He seized silver in the 2000 metres with a time of 6:28.45, and earned bronze in the 1200 metres (3:34.29), Shot Put (9.55 metres), and 800 metres (2:12.32). We believe Jake may be the first athlete in Ontario to ever medal win three distance events as well as a throwing event at the same Championship.
Maxime Cazabon: Master of the High Jump
Maxime Cazabon soared to new heights in the U16 high jump, capturing gold with a leap of 1.84 metres. Cazabon blew away his previous best heading into the competition by nine centimetres – clearing three new PB heights on first attempt clearances. Maxime’s jump also places him second on the Club’s U16 high jump list. In addition to his jumping success, Cazabon also produced lifetime best performances in both the 100 and 300 metre events.
Mason Brennan: Record-Breaking Decathlete
The meet also saw a historic performance from Mason Brennan, who set a new club record in the U18 decathlon with a total of 5399 points, securing a silver medal. Brennan produced new lifetime bests in the discus, pole vault and 1500 metres en-route to his Club record performance.
Lions Medal Winners at the Ontario U14/U16/U18 Track and Field Championships:
Gold Medalists:
– Grace Streek (3000m, U18)
– Grace Streek (2000m Steeplechase, U18)
– Timeo Atonfo (110m Hurdles, U18)
– Jorai Oppong-Nketiah (100m, U18)
– Jorai Oppong-Nketiah (200m, U18)
– Maxime Cazabon (High Jump, U16)
– Shannon Dewar, Maya Allibon, Sofia Lefaivre, Grace Streek (4x800m, U18)
– Brennan Lee, Zachary Mansouri, Noah Mansouri, Charlie Mortimer (4x800m, U18)
– Kyle London, Ammiel Williams, Brody Fraser, Taisei Tan (4x400m, U18)
Silver Medalists:
– Jake Claydon St-John (2000m, U14)
– Kathryn Moreland (Heptathlon, U20)
– Audrey Goddard (Heptathlon, Open)
– Atalia Williams, Olivia Daigle-Dasah, Norah Nitta-MacKay, Livia Buffone (4x100m, U16)
– Mason Brennan (Decathlon, U18) – New Club Record
– Kyle Waldrum (Decathlon, U20)
Bronze Medalists:
– Sadie Gilbert (Shot Put, U18)
– Eli Mordel (110m Hurdles, U18)
– Taisei Tan (400m Hurdles, U18)
– Jake Claydon St-John (1200m, U14)
– Jake Claydon St-John (Shot Put, U14)
– Jake Claydon St-John (800m, U14)
– Vienna Courteau (Heptathlon, Open)
– Shannon Dewar, Amy LeBlanc, Quinn Coughlin, Jorai Oppong-Nketiah (4x100m, U18)
– Riley Daniels, Kira Coldrey, Bianca Arabackyj, Isla Kittmer (4x800m, U16)
– Tayte Timpson, Brady Brown, Jimmy Lu Langley, Jonah Gratton (4x400m, U18)
– Norah Nitta Mackay, Atalia Williams, Olivia Daigle-Dasah (Sprint Medley, U16)
Full results from the Championship are available on our website.
Updated Club Rankings can be found at https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ottl_rankings/