A small but mighty contingent of Lions athletes delivered standout performances on Saturday at the Défi des Champions, hosted by the University of Sherbrooke, highlighted by two new Club age-class records and several top-tier results.
Defending national indoor bronze medallist Eli Mordel continued his strong early-season form, rewriting his own Club U18 60m hurdles record — not once, but twice. The 17-year-old opened his day by clocking 8.01 seconds in the heats, before dipping under the coveted eight-second barrier in the final to claim victory in 7.96 seconds.
Mordel also doubled up in the open pole vault, where he placed fifth overall after clearing 3.80 metres, capping off an impressive day.
The pole vault runway also proved fruitful for Club rookie Anabelle Muir, who cleared 3.00 metres in her Lions debut. The mark makes the 15-year-old the youngest female in Club history to clear the barrier, surpassing the previous age-class record of 2.80 metres, set by Amelia Wojtyk in 2018. With a personal best of 3.20 metres already to her name, Muir’s newly minted record may not stand for long.
Also among the top performers in Sherbrooke was Brock Stonham, who continued to climb the Club’s all-time lists. The 15-year-old moved into second place on the Lions’ U16 60m hurdles rankings with a run of 9.04 seconds, trailing only Club record holder Luca Nicoletti (8.74).
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, World Championship semi-finalist Maëliss Trapeau stepped well outside her usual comfort zone, contesting a 5km road race in Hyères, France, a coastal town along the Mediterranean. Better known for her exploits over 800 metres, Trapeau placed eighth in the women’s race, stopping the clock in 16:58 — just seven seconds shy of a top-five finish. Her time ranks fifth all-time in Club history.
A small group of Lions are set to compete this coming weekend in Quebec City, closing out the 2025 calendar year. Indoor competition resumes in the new year, with the Club returning to Sherbrooke on January 10.
Updated Club rankings can be found here.