KINGSTON, ON — It was a standout two days of competition for the Ottawa Lions athletes at the EOSSAA Track and Field Championships, held Thursday and Friday at the Invista Centre in Kingston. The Lions sent a strong contingent of athletes representing schools across the region, and they delivered in a big way — collecting 23 medals, setting 36 personal bests, and sending 22 athletes to next week’s OFSAA East Regional Championship in Brockville.
The Lions claimed 9 gold medals, 5 silver, and 9 bronze across a wide range of events, with standout performances in sprints, middle distance, hurdles, jumps, and throws.
Junior Distance Dominates
The Lions’ junior distance athletes were among the most dominant of the entire meet. Oscar Lorrain of L’Escale swept the Junior Boys distance events, winning gold in both the 1500m (4:14.78) and 3000m (9:04.73) with lifetime best performances. Isla Kittmer of MacKenzie Community School was equally impressive on the girls’ side, earning silver in both the 800m (2:24.26) and 1500m (4:47.89), and taking gold in the 3000m (10:25.93) to complete a remarkable three-event run of her own. Kittmer’s 1500m and 3000m performances were not only personal bests but also new school records, capping off an exceptional two days of racing.
Junior Throws Dominated by Paterson
Megan Paterson of Carleton Place was dominant in the Junior Girls throws, winning gold in both the Shot Put (12.65m, PB) and Discus (34.15m) to claim two individual titles. Paterson also added a personal best in the javelin. Jarred Rathwell of St. Joseph’s (Renfrew) also had an outstanding meet, qualifying for regionals in all three Junior Boys throw events with personal best performances — finishing fourth in the Shot Put (12.47m), fifth in the Discus (38.98m), and earning bronze in the Javelin (46.88m).
Bianconi Sisters Lead Junior Girls
Mya Bianconi of Almonte had an outstanding meet, setting a pair of personal bests en route to winning gold in the Junior Girls 400m (1:01.93) and bronze in the 300m Hurdles (48.23). Her sister Karissa Bianconi earned bronze in the 200m (27.95, PB) and fifth in the 300m Hurdles (51.01) to advance to regionals.
Also from Almonte, Daria Sullivan made good on her EOSSAA debut by taking silver in the Novice Girls 100m with a personal best time of 12.94.
Junior Boys Hurdles and Jumps Shine
Brock Stonham of St. Joseph’s (Renfrew) was a double gold medallist in the Junior Boys events, winning the 100m Hurdles (14.72, PB) and the Pole Vault (3.40m, PB). Weston Wilkes of Perth complemented Stonham, earning bronze in the 100m Hurdles (15.06, PB), gold in the 300m Hurdles (42.27, PB), and fifth in the Triple Jump (11.38m). Hudson Gibbs of Holy Trinity (Cornwall) added a bronze in the Pole Vault (2.35m).
Senior Sprints Deliver Multiple Medals
The Senior Boys sprints were a highlight on the track, with Jamie Meikle of St. Michael taking silver in the 100m (11.13w) and Logan Morrice, also of St. Michael, earning fifth in the 100m (11.30w) and bronze in the 200m (23.44). Ethan Hood of North Grenville rounded out an impressive senior sprint group, winning gold in the 400m (50.01, PB) and silver in the 200m (23.33, PB).
On the girls’ side, Claire Smith of Embrun qualified in both the 100m (fifth, 12.92) and 200m (sixth, 27.06), while Annabella Curtis of La Citadelle earned a pair of bronze medals in the 400m (1:01.41, PB) and 800m (2:21.90).
A Pair of Strong Performances from Max Gerundin
Max Gerundin of Bishop Smith may have left without a medal, but his performances were among the most impressive of the meet as he advanced to regionals. Competing in arguably the deepest fields of the championship, he finished fourth in the Senior Boys 800m in 1:54.88 — more than 10 seconds clear of fifth place — and sixth in the 1500m in 3:58.23, with the next closest finisher more than 23 seconds behind him. The 800m time moved him to ninth on the all-time Club U18 list, cementing the strength of the performance.
Looking Ahead to OFSAA East Regional
In total, 22 Ottawa Lions athletes qualified in 40 individual events for the OFSAA East Regional Championship, set to take place next week in Brockville. Combined with the results from the NCSSAA Championships, there will be more than 100 Lions athletes in Brockville vying for a spot at the OFSAA Championships June 4-6 in St. Catherines.
Full results are available at https://cstiming.com/events/19/print