A provincial title defense, a club record rewrite, and multiple trips to the podium highlighted a successful second day of competition for Ottawa Lions athletes at the OFSAA Track and Field Championships in Toronto.
In the field, Mallea McMullin of Louis-Riel set the tone for the day as she successfully defended her provincial title in the junior girls javelin. The reigning champion launched a winning throw of 39.32 metres—more than 2.5 metres clear of the competition—to secure her second straight OFSAA gold. AY Jackson’s Abby Lorz finished 15th on the day following a best throw of 27.10 metres.
Charlie Mortimer delivered one of the standout performances of the day, storming to a silver medal in the open boys 2000m steeplechase with a time of 5:56.30. The Hillcrest standout shattered his previous best by 13 seconds and obliterated the Club’s previous U18 record of 6:04.47 in the process.
Distance specialist Grace Streek added another medal to her growing collection, capturing bronze in the open girls 3000m steeplechase. Her time of 7:01.14 was the second fastest of her career and marked her fourth career OFSAA track medal, completing the full set of gold, silver, and bronze. Franco Ouest’s Tessa Knight clocked 7:21.70 for ninth place, her second personal best in as many days.
On the track, Zachary Jeggo added to his remarkable OFSAA résumé, earning silver in the senior boys 400m with a time of 47.26. It marks the fifth career OFSAA medal for the Louis-Riel student. Fellow Lion Ange-Mathis Kramo placed fourth in 48.57, narrowly missing his PB, while Stephan Balson was unable to finish the race.
Middle-distance star Daniel Cova added to the medal haul with a gutsy bronze in the senior boys 1500m. The Louis-Riel athlete dropped a massive personal best of 3:47.25—improving four seconds on the time he set in Thursday’s heats. The result moves Cova to #7 on the Club’s U20 all-time list. Saul Taler of Glebe also contested the final, finishing 12th in 3:56.56.
In the junior girls 400m, Ellie McGregor turned in a breakthrough performance, claiming bronze in a personal best of 56.82 seconds. The time ranks her 10th on the Club’s U18 all-time list.
In the sprints, Jorai Oppong-Nketiah of Louis-Riel raced to silver in the senior girls 100m final, clocking 11.88 seconds in a strong headwind. In the novice girls final, Olivia Daigle-Dasah of Franco-Cité finished eighth in 13.22.
Two Lions earned top-five finishes in the one-lap events. Quinn Coughlin placed fifth in the senior girls 400m in 56.84 seconds, while Declan McGinnity impressed with a personal best of 51.98 in the novice boys 400m—good for #2 on the Club’s U16 all-time rankings.
Over the hurdles, Zachary Benfaida of Merivale narrowly missed the podium in the junior boys 100m hurdles, placing fourth in a lifetime best of 14.20 seconds. He’ll be back in action Saturday in the 300m hurdles.
Rounding the day out in the field, Fallo Douramodou of Immaculata tied his personal best in the senior boys high jump, clearing 1.90 metres to place seventh. Mason Brennan finished 10th with a best of 1.85m. In the sand pit, Kaiya Woodcock placed sixth in the senior girls long jump with a leap of 5.28m.