Sixteen athletes from the Ottawa Lions kicked off their road to Nationals in style last Sunday, collecting a remarkable 37 medals at the Royal Canadian Legion District G Track and Field Meet held at Thousand Islands Secondary School in Brockville. With 18 golds among the haul, the regional qualifier served as a strong start toward the Legion National Championships set for August in Calgary.
Leading the charge was Eric Combasson, who stood atop the podium no fewer than three times in the U14 division, claiming gold in the 80m, 80m hurdles, and high jump. He also added silver medals in the javelin and long jump, and a bronze in the 300m—an impressive six-medal outing.
Five Lions hit national standards, earning valuable qualifications for the summer finale. Mikel Fortier delivered a strong performance in the U18 boys 2000m steeplechase, stopping the clock at 6:29.69—a personal best that clinched his ticket to Calgary. Fortier didn’t stop there, returning later to win the 3000m in 9:40.79.
Pole vaulter Eli Mordel soared to 3.30m to match the national benchmark and secure top honours in the U18 boys event. He also clocked a windy 14.50 seconds to take gold in the 110m hurdles.
Sprinter Chloë Martineau secured a coveted spot at the Ontario Championships with her runner-up finish in the U18 girls 100m. Her time of 12.65 seconds also cleared the national standard. Martineau completed her day with a victory in the 200m, running a wind-aided 26.21.
Fresh off his OFSAA triumph, Parker Baetz was a dominating force in the throws. The U18 standout notched wins in the javelin (47.76m) and shot put (12.41m), and also hit the national standard in discus with a personal best throw of 40.60m.
Elsewhere, Moussa Cisse showed continued progress with personal bests in all three of his events. He earned a silver and two bronze medals on the day and secured his Ontario Championships berth with a 12.21m leap in the triple jump.
Farrah Henderson battled the heat and came away with a golden double in the U18 girls 1500m (5:37.23) and 3000m (12:39.38), further adding to the Lions’ medal tally.
With more meets ahead before provincial and national teams are finalized, Sunday’s results showed there is much to look forward to this summer season. The next stop on the path to Calgary is the Ontario Legion Championships, set for York University July 11–12.
Let me know if you’d like a shorter version for social media, or if you’d like to highlight specific athletes in future posts.