Ottawa Lions athletes delivered dominant performances on Wednesday at the NCSSAA West Conference Cross Country Championships, winning four of the six races contested on the wooded trails surrounding Bell High School. The club’s athletes took top spot in both junior races and placed three athletes in the top four of both senior races, setting a strong tone heading into next week’s city championships.
In the Senior Girls 6km, Kyra Lauter (Collège Catholique Franco-Ouest) moved up two spots from her 2024 finish to capture the win in 22:53.3, nearly a full minute ahead of club mate Edie Petrescu-Comnene (Nepean), who clocked 23:50.6 for silver. Maya Allibon rounded out the Lions’ top finishers with a strong fourth-place performance in 24:34.7, helping the club secure three of the top four positions in the field.
The Senior Boys 6km race came down to the wire, with Owen Recoskie (Longfields Davidson Heights) finishing just 1.5 seconds behind the winner from Sacred Heart to claim silver in 20:06.1. Recoskie’s performance marked a strong improvement after placing fourth in 2024. Jackson McKercher (John McCrae) was close behind in third with a time of 20:10.1, while Dean Kontogiannis (Earl of March) secured fourth in 20:38.5, giving the Lions another trio inside the top four.
Brady Charbot (St. Francis Xavier) was in a class of his own in the Junior Boys 5km, crossing the line in 17:34.6 to win by a commanding 54 seconds. The victory marked his second straight West Conference title after winning the novice boys race last year. The Junior Girls race produced a Lions sweep, as Charlotte Eccles (Nepean), Alexandra Harris (John McCrae), and Charlie Fee (Nepean) went 1-2-3. Eccles led the charge with a winning time of 19:46.4, followed by Harris in 20:03.2 and Fee in 20:06.4, showcasing the club’s impressive depth in the age group.
In the Novice Girls 4km, Keira Ganton (Maplewood SS) edged out clubmate Saoirse Hoogenraad (Longfields Davidson Heights) in a tight finish, winning in 15:20.2 to Hoogenraad’s 15:22.1. On the boys’ side, Jaiden Taft was narrowly denied gold, finishing second in 13:30.6, just 2.1 seconds behind the winner.
All runners have advanced to next week’s NCSSAA City Championships, where they will look to build on their strong conference performances in pursuit of qualification for the OFSAA Championships set for Brampton on November 1.