A weekend of competition spanning two countries saw Lions athletes deliver nearly 40 personal bests and claim 14 victories. The McGill Team Challenge in Montreal and the Saints Indoor Invitational in New York provided the stage for a host of standout performances.
Gyamfi Dominates Throws at St. Lawrence
Jessica Gyamfi of the University of Ottawa turned in a stellar performance at the Saints Indoor Invitational, claiming victories in both the shot put and weight throw. Gyamfi’s 12.92m throw in the shot put narrowly edged Carleton’s Brianna Asiamah by a mere centimeter to secure gold. She followed that up with a commanding performance in the weight throw, launching the second-best throw of her career at 15.20m to win by nearly half a metre.
Carleton freshman Veronica Tedford also delivered a noteworthy performance, setting a personal best of 11.40m in the weight throw to finish seventh.
Courteau Shines in the Pentathlon
At McGill, Vienna Courteau led the charge for the Gee-Gees with an impressive pentathlon victory on Friday. Courteau tallied a career-best 3,380 points, aided by personal bests in the 60m hurdles (9.00), long jump (5.55m), and 1000m (2:40.59). Her teammate, Kathryn Moreland, secured second place with 3,300 points, boosted by strong performances in the 60m hurdles (9.67) and 800m (2:21.48).
Vroom Excels in Middle Distances
Fresh off a personal best in the 3000m last week in Ottawa, Queen’s University’s Elizabeth Vroom continued her streak of lifetime bests with impressive performances in the 1000m and 1500m in Montreal. Vroom clocked 2:58.34 in the 1000m before delivering a swift 4:32.27 in the 1500m, placing fourth and shaving 1.5 seconds off her previous best from the 2023 Canadian U20 Championships. Her 1500m time now ranks 13th in U SPORTS.
Moreland Takes Triple Jump Crown
Elizabeth Moreland added another highlight to the Gee-Gees weekend, winning the triple jump at McGill with a lifetime best of 11.42m. The jump moves her into fourth place on the University of Ottawa’s all-time rankings.
Mordel Soars in Pole Vault
In the men’s pole vault at McGill, Eli Mordel delivered a standout performance, clearing 4.16m for fourth place. This marked a significant improvement from his previous best of 4.00m, achieved at the Ontario Legion Championship last summer. Carleton’s Nathan Parlebas also impressed, clearing 3.86m to secure seventh place and strengthen his position as the second-best vaulter in Carleton’s history.
Oppong-Nketiah and Kramo Sprint to Victories
Jorai Oppong-Nketiah continued her impressive run of form, capturing first place in the women’s 60m at St. Lawrence. Her time of 7.58 seconds was the second-best of her career after last week’s U18 record setting performance.
In the men’s events, Oppong-Nketiah’s training partner, Ange-Mathis Kramo, delivered dominant performances to secure top spots in both the 200m (22.31) and 400m (49.75), narrowly missing meet records in each event.
Results and photos from the weekend can be found on our website.