The Ottawa Lions wasted no time lighting up the indoor track and field scene as the 2024-25 season kicked off in spectacular fashion. At the annual Varsity Intersquad Meet in Ottawa, athletes from the Lions, Gee-Gees, and Ravens delivered standout performances marked by USports standards, school records, and top-10 rankings, setting the stage for a promising year.
For the fourth consecutive season, Brianna Asiamah has punched her ticket to the USports Championships. She exceeded the national shot put standard of 13.21 metres with a winning throw of 13.30 metres, topping the competition by nearly a metre.
The sand pits also saw record-breaking action, with Carleton’s Ella-Grace Gilbert rewriting the Ravens’ record books. The third-year psychology student leapt 5.28 metres in the long jump, surpassing Adelle MacLeod’s previous school record by 15 centimetres. Gilbert followed up with an impressive 11.51-metre effort in the triple jump, smashing her personal best and out-jumping another of MacLeod’s records.
On the track, sprinters made their mark as Rose Basu clocked 7.85 seconds in the 60 metres, placing her third in Carleton Ravens history. Ty Tounkara delivered a blistering 6.90 seconds in the men’s event, ranking fifth all-time among U20 Lions athletes.
Middle-distance runners also impressed, with Safwan El Mansari posting a 1:22.17 at 600 metres to earn a spot in the Lions’ U20 top 10. Meanwhile, Gyamfi demonstrated her versatility, throwing the weight 15.23 metres to secure the second spot on the University of Ottawa’s all-time list.
The Lions’ momentum extended beyond Ottawa. At the Martlet Open in Montreal, McGill freshman William Sanders clocked a sensational 1:21.82 in the 600 metres, securing seventh on the Lions’ U20 all-time list. Teammate Luca Nicoletti sprinted the 300 metres in 34.35 seconds to move to 11th place in the Club’s U23 rankings. Veteran Stephen Evans showcased his experience with a commanding 1500-metre victory in 3:49.18.
In London, the Bob Vigars Season Opener highlighted more stellar performances. Cora McQuinn led off the Western Mustangs’ 4×400-metre relay team as they ran a national-leading and auto-qualifying time of 3:47.22, setting a new Thompson Arena record.
David Adeleye, a graduate transfer at Western, also made a statement at the school’s Purple and White meet. He won the 60-metre hurdles in 7.98 seconds, a USports qualifying time and the fastest season opener of his career. The reigning USports silver medalist appears primed to aim for gold this March.
With such a strong start across multiple venues, the 2024-25 indoor season promises exciting milestones for the Lions.
For full results from the Ottawa Varsity Intersquad, visit our website.
Pictures of the event are available on MundoSportImages.com