Under brilliant blue skies and in front of a packed home crowd at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility, Jorai Oppong-Nketiah delivered a statement performance, sprinting to her second consecutive Canadian U20 100-metre title. The 17-year-old electrified the stadium with a seasonal-best 11.44 seconds in the semi-final before storming to victory in the final, capping off a golden moment on a picture-perfect day for the Ottawa Lions.
After a string of close finishes earlier in the season, including a loss to Speed Academy’s Elizabeth Tannis at both the OFSAA Championships and the Ontario U20 final, Oppong-Nketiah flipped the script when it mattered most—stopping the clock at 11.48 to reclaim the national crown. She’ll be back in action Sunday in the 200m semi-finals, looking to improve upon her silver medal finish from last year.
In the U20 men’s 400 metres, Zachary Jeggo returned to the podium for the second consecutive year, claiming bronze with a blistering 46.87—the second-fastest time of his career. The race was the deepest in championship history, requiring 47.67 just to make the final. Teammate Ange-Mathis Kramo continued his strong meet with a sixth-place finish in a personal best 47.33, his second PB in as many days.
Earlier in the day, Jeggo led a strong Lions contingent in the 400-metre hurdles qualifying rounds. The reigning national U20 silver medallist comfortably advanced to Saturday’s final with a 53.56 clocking, the second-fastest time in U20 men’s qualifying. David Moulongou, coming off a PB at the World University Games, looked sharp once again with a 52.72, ranking him fifth overall. On the women’s side, Alexandra Telford and Rosemary Holmes both earned return trips to the national final, qualifying third and seventh respectively in the open women’s 400m hurdles.
Olympian Lauren Gale came agonizingly close to the podium in the open women’s 400 metres, finishing fourth in 51.81 seconds. Running from lane 7, Gale went out hard and held a medal position until the closing strides, ultimately falling just short in one of the day’s most thrilling finishes.
In the senior women’s 800m semi-finals, both Maëliss Trapeau and Sydney Smith secured spots in Saturday evening’s final. Trapeau looked composed and in control, cruising to a win in her heat with a time of 2:03.85, while Smith claimed an automatic qualifier with her third-place finish in 2:04.53.
In field event action, Eli Mordel equalled his personal best in the pole vault, clearing 4.30 metres to place sixth in the U20 men’s final. Mallea McMullin delivered a solid effort in the U20 women’s javelin, finishing seventh with a throw of 36.24 metres.
Meanwhile, in the open women’s shot put, Lions throwers were in the mix throughout. Brianna Asiamah landed just outside the medals in fourth with a best of 13.03 metres, while teammate Jessica Gyamfi followed closely in fifth at 12.68 metres.
The action continues Saturday, culminating in on Sunday at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility. For full schedule, tickets, and event info, visit athletics.ca.
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