It was a banner day for Ottawa Lions sprinters at Sunday’s Bob Vigars Classic in London, with the men’s 400 metres stealing the spotlight.
Zachary Jeggo delivered a headline-worthy performance in the elite section, storming to a new Club U20 record of 46.62 seconds out of lane one. His time currently ranks first among Canadian juniors in 2025 and sixth overall in the country this season.
His performance came on the heels of a breakout run by Ayoub Shangai in the open section, where the 16-year-old chopped more than a second off his previous best to clock 47.39—snatching the Club U18 record from Jeggo himself. Not far behind, teammate Ange-Mathis Kramo dipped under 48 seconds for the first time, stopping the clock at 47.71, good for second all-time in the U18 rankings and eighth on the U20 list.
In all, five Lions men broke 49 seconds in the event, with William Sanders (48.32) and David Moulongou (48.64)adding depth to an already formidable group.
On the women’s side, Ellie McGregor continued her stellar outdoor campaign in the 800 metres, running 2:11.12 to move into eighth all-time on the Club’s U18 list. Just a stride behind, Brooklyn McCormick posted a personal best 2:11.23, marking the fastest performance of her career.
Jorai Oppong-Nketiah also impressed, registering her two fastest times of the season. The defending national U18 champion clocked 11.59 in the 100m and 24.38 in the 200m, with both performances aided by wind readings exceeding the allowable limit for record purposes.
Other strong showings included Jessica Gyamfi, who threw 13.65m to place fifth in the women’s shot put, and Maria Okwechime, who finished second in the long jump with a leap of 5.67m.
With the Canadian Track and Field Championships just over a month away, Sunday’s meet marked an encouraging step forward for many Lions as they tune up for the summer’s biggest stage.
Updated Club rankings are available at https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ottl_rankings/