It was a busy weekend for Ottawa Lions athletes, with standout performances coming from Sydney, Alabama, and Montreal.
Joshua Cassidy continues to show why he’s one of Canada’s premier wheelchair athletes, taking the victory in the Sydney Marathon on Sunday. Cassidy crossed the finish line in 1:38:35, overcoming the race’s technical challenges, including a grueling 317 meters of elevation gain. Japan’s Sho Watanabe and Kota Hokonuie followed in second and third, finishing in 1:42:21 and 1:42:23, respectively.
Following the race, Cassidy shared his thoughts on Instagram, saying:
“Felt really good out there today. One of the toughest courses, technical with 317m elevation gain. Wasn’t sure how it would go with the changes and some strong Japanese athletes this year. It’s a challenging course. Really happy with this.”
In Huntsville, Alabama, Maddie Seaby kicked off her sophomore season with an impressive showing at the Southern Showcase. Running for the University of Louisville, Seaby placed 18th overall with a time of 17:13.31, a significant improvement of nearly 50 seconds over her season opener last year. Her performance helped Louisville to a second-place team finish.
Meanwhile, back in Canada, Zoe Gardiner helped McGill University to victory at the McGill Invitational in Montreal. Gardiner finished 12th overall on the 6km course with a time of 23:48, contributing to McGill’s team title. A neuroscience student, Gardiner has a unique athletic background, having previously played for the Martlets soccer team in her first three years at McGill. Morgane McKay, another Ottawa Lions athlete and first-year student at McGill, placed 43rd in 26:16 but did not score for the team.