All posts by : Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club

The Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club are pleased to announce they will play host to the 2014 Athletics Ontario Junior/Senior Championships July 19-20, 2014 at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility at Mooney’s Bay. Ottawa won the right to host the event Thursday night, beating out a bid from London. It will be a busy week of athletics for the nation’s capital in July as Ottawa will also play host to a High Performance Twilight Meet the evening of July 16 and the 3rd Panamerican Combined Events Cup/Canadian Combined Events Championship, which runs July 16-18. The combination of events, dubbed “Athletics Week in Ottawa” by Lions executive director Andy McInnis is expected to bring in more than 700 athletes and coaches to Ottawa.
These events are being made possible by support from Sport Canada, the North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletics Association, Ottawa Tourism, Adidas, Scotiabank, Athletics Canada and Athletics Ontario.
The tentative schedule of the week is listed below:
Wednesday, July 16, 2014

• Panamerican Combined Events Cup for Youth (U18) and Junior (U20) Ages – Day 1
• The Canadian Junior Combined Events Championships (U20) – Day 1
• High Performance Twilight Meet (7-10pm)

Thursday, July 17, 2014

• Panamerican Combined Events Cup for Youth (U18) and Junior (U20) Ages – Day 2 (conclusion)
• The Canadian Junior Combined Events Championships (U20) – Day 2 (conclusion)
• Panamerican Combined Events Cup for Open Division / IAAF Combined Events Challenge Series – Day 1
• The Canadian Senior Combined Events Championships – Day 1

Friday, July 18, 2014

• Panamerican Combined Events Cup for Open Division / IAAF Combined Events Challenge Series – Day 2 (conclusion)
• The Canadian Senior Combined Events Championships – Day 2 (conclusion)
• Panamerican Combined Event Cup & Canadian Championship Awards Dinner (City Hall) – 8:00 pm

Saturday, July 19, 2014

• Day 1 – Athletics Ontario Junior and Senior Track & Field Championships (10am to 9pm – 2 sessions)

Sunday, July 20, 2014

• Day 2 – Athletics Ontario Junior and Senior Track & Field Championships (10am to 5pm – 2 sessions)

This is in response to an article on the Ottawa Lions Track & Field Club that appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on December 7, 2013. ­­­­
Dear members,
We are proud to have been a participant in a process that eventually saw the City of Ottawa acquire a $2.3 million improvement to the Terry Fox Track & Field facility at an eventual cost to the City of approximately a sixth of the total price. This was possible thanks to the federal Recreation Infrastructure Canada (RInC) grant which provided two thirds of the funding from the federal and provincial governments. We commend the City’s vision in seeing this through. It is an excellent example of what can be done for the citizens of Ottawa when the federal and provincial governments, the City, and a user group – the Ottawa Lions membership – come together in partnership to improve an important City asset.
This project was a necessity for the future of the facility, as the track had deteriorated to an unsafe state, even with annual patchwork repairs. The City’s Parks and Recreation and Engineering Departments wisely chose a design and materials that will maximize the usage and the durability of the Terry Fox track.  The restoration of the track was conducted under contracts awarded by the City and supervised by its project manager and construction engineers. The Club fully supported the decision and the process.
The project represents a significant financial commitment for the Ottawa Lions. Our members, who ultimately pay the bills, are to be commended for the support they have shown for this project, for their sport and for the Ottawa community.  It is difficult to find another example in Ottawa – or elsewhere for that matter – where a not-for-profit sport club has committed to paying almost $400,000 to the rehabilitation of a facility which it does not own, does not control and for which the general public has full access.  The Ottawa Lions made this commitment to preserve our sport, both for our members and for the community at large.
Over the life of the new track, more than 100,000 Ottawa area school children, and many others, will use Terry Fox for a wide variety of events, including the series of elementary and high school track and field meets held each spring. In 2013 alone, more than 8,400 students, both elementary and high school, participated in track and field events at Terry Fox. The upgraded facility has also enabled Ottawa to host many prestigious events including two Panamerican Combined Events Cups, two Canadian Youth Championships and multiple provincial championships. In addition to providing Ottawa with the profile it deserves, these events bring in substantial tourist dollars to the city.
It is also important to note that while the Ottawa Lions is a significant contributor to the upgrade of the Terry Fox Athletic Facility, it continues to pay an annual rental to the City to be able to run its many programs and for seasonal use by its members, which is offset only in part by a sustaining grant from the City. This rent is determined on a basis comparable to what other sports clubs pay the City for enjoyment of City facilities.
As you may know our programs service more than 1,200 athletes of varying abilities from youth athletes (ages 7-10), who form the majority of our membership, through to our high performance members and even up to our world champion masters athletes. Our youngest member is seven years old, our oldest is eighty.  The large majority of our adult coaches are highly qualified and volunteer their time.  We offer integrated programs for both our able-bodied athletes and athletes with a disability. Did you know five members of our club represented Canada at the 2012 Olympics with a further 10 participating in the Paralympic Games, including double medalist Jason Dunkerley with his guide runner Joshua Karanja?  In 2013, Ottawa Lions athletes competed in the World Championships, the World Youth Championships, the World University Games, the World Masters Games, the World Masters Championships and the Jeux de la Francophonie as well as all Canadian championships.
Let us recognize the new and improved Terry Fox Track & Field facility for what it is: a positive step forward for sport and recreation in the City, available to every citizen of Ottawa.
Sincerely,

 
 
 
Mark Phillips
President
Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club

Its been one heck of a year for runner Claire Smith, and it ended with a bang on Saturday as the grade 11 student at Glebe Collegiate finished fourth at the Canadian Junior Cross Country Championship in Vancouver, BC. Crossing the line in 18:15.86, Smith finished 2.73 seconds out of bronze, but can take solace in the fact her performance has qualified her to represent Canada at the NACAC Cross Country Championships next February in Mt. Irvine, Trinidad and Tobago. Coach, Kirk Dillabaugh says Smith ran a very smart race, even leading through the first kilometre, but relinquished the lead to eventual champion Heather Petrick shortly thereafter. ” Claire went with the chase pack and they left everyone else pretty quickly.  She looked really good.  Claire moved up into third in the final 400m, but [Jamie] Phelan had a better kick down the final stretch,” explained Dillabaugh.

It was a successful day for some Lions runners Sunday in London, as two provincial gold and team silver and bronze made their way back to Ottawa. Lions runners swept the youth category as Farah Abdulkarim and Claire Smith  the boys and girls races respectively, both in convincing fashion.
Smith completed the 4km course in 15:32.46, half a minute ahead of her nearest competitor, Charlotte Prouse of London Legion. The victory was undoubtedly a little sweeter for Smith as it was Prouse who edged Smith for gold at the recent OFSAA Cross Country Championships. The Glebe Collegiate Institute’s result also helped the youth girls team capture bronze, with Erinn Stenman-Fahey (18), Alexa Livingstone (33), and Maggie Scheunert (46) rounding out the team effort.
In the youth boys event, Farah Abdulkarim was clearly the class of the field, claiming gold in 21:43.05, 22 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor, Miles Matthews of Windsor. His efforts were key to the youth boys team claiming team silver behind Windsor with a total of 75 points. Members of the team included Alex Bernst (15), Jonathan Favero (23) and Nicolas Gagnon (36).
The next stop for the cross country runners is the Canadian Championships, Saturday, November 30th in Vancouver, BC.

It was a true evening of excellence Saturday as the Ottawa Lions hosted their annual awards banquet at Ottawa City Hall. With nearly 200 club members and family in attendance, the club paid honour to both the past and present with yearly awards and the induction of three new members into the club hall of fame.

Heptathlete Alison Doherty (nee Armstrong), middle distance runner Stephen Agar and distance runner Sean Kaley become the fifth, sixth and seventh athletes inducted into the hall of fame, joining Glenroy Gilbert, Leslie Estwick, Grace Verbeek and Ann Peel. Combined, all three new inductees hold six club records and are featured 13 times on the club’s all time top ten list.
Doherty, known in the record books by her maiden name of Armstrong, was a perennial medalist on the national stage for a period of eight years in the 1980’s, that included one Canadian championship, one Commonwealth Games appearance, and two performances at the World University Games. She finished her career with a best performance of 5601w pts, which ranks her tenth best all-time in Canada.
Agar, a dual citizen of both Canada and Dominica, is arguably the best middle distance runner in club history featuring in the club’s top ten in all events for 800m through 5000m. Running for the Ottawa Lions, Agar represented Dominica at the 1993 World Indoor Championships, the 1994 Commonwealth Games and 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta before donning the red and white of Canada at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.
For Sean Kaley, he joined the Ottawa Lions in high school after moving to the city from Sudbury. He would quickly make a name for himself within the club, running for Canada at consecutive IAAF World Junior Cross Country Championships in 1993 and 1994 before receiving a scholarship to study at the University of Arkansas. After great success in the NCAA, would go on to make numerous national teams, including the Sydney Olympics in 2000, the Pan American and Commonwealth Games, the 1999 IAAF World Championships in Sevilla, Spain, as well as an impressive five appearances at the World Cross Country Championships.
Among the annual award winners, there were a few familiar names called out. For the 9th year in a row, hammer thrower Sultana Frizell took home the Glenroy Gilbert Award for top female athlete in a field event. Frizell, ranked 24th on the world all-time list, had a successful campaign in 2013 that included a Canadian championship and a 16th place finish at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow.
Frizell’s male counterpart, Patrick Arbour, took home the Gilbert for top male field event athlete for the fifth straight year as the former thrower turned decathlete broke the club’s 36 year old discus record. As evidence of his dominance in the field, Arbour was the top ranked  Lion in three of the six field events he competed in and ranked no lower than third in the other three. Arbour was also name the top combined events athlete after annihilating the club record in the decathlon, scoring 7592 points this season to ranked 10th all-time in Canada. He also finished the season ranked 35th in the IAAF World Combined Events Challenge standings.  
On the track, Melissa Bishop was recognized for the third time in four years as she again lowered the club and provincial 800m record, running 1:59.76 on her way to competing at the World Championships and winning bronze and silver medals at the Francophone Games.
Taking home the Gilbert award for men, on the track, was Oluwasegun Makinde who was a double gold medalist at the Francophone Games, winning both the 200m and 4x100m relay. Makinde was also an alternate on the World Championship relay team, and finished fourth over 200m at the World University Games.
Other winners on the evening included:
Most Outstanding Athlete: uOttawa X-Country / Track & Field

·         Male: Devin Biocchi
·         Female: Emma Galbraith

Most Outstanding Junior Athlete
·         Male: Adam Palamar
·         Female: Ashley Connell

Most Outstanding Youth Athlete

·         Male: Matt Bedard
·         Female: Erinn Stenman-Fahey

Most Outstanding Midget Athlete

·         Male: Owen Day
·         Female: Olivia Gaudet

Most Outstanding Bantam Athlete

·         Male: Samuel Cheff
·         Female: Lauren Gale

Most Outstanding Para-Athlete

·         Curtis Thom

Most Outstanding XC

·         Mickey Day

Most Outstanding Masters Athlete

·         Wendy Alexis
·         Joe Boland

Most Outstanding Athlete: Road Racer

·         Josh Cassidy

Sean Cole: Dedication to Club Service

·         Ryan Rowat
·         Mike McIntyre

Congratulations to Ottawa Lions sprint coach Glenroy Gilbert, who was recognized Friday night at the Sport Leadership Conference in Calgary for his work with Canada’s national relay program. Gilbert was honoured with the Petro Canada Coaching Excellence Award, which is presented annually to recognize coaches whose athletes excelled at world championships, Olympic and Paralympic Games, and at the Special Olympics World Games.
Glenroy, who took over as the head of Canada’s men’s sprint relay program following his own successful career with the national team, led the quartet of Gavin Smellie, Aaron Brown, Dontae Richards-Kwok and Justyn Warner to bronze this August at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics. It was the first medal for a Canadian relay team at the World Championships since Gilbert and company won gold in 1997.
Gilbert becomes the third Ottawa Lions coach to be awarded the Petro Canada Coaching Excellence Award, following in the footsteps of club Head Coach Andy McInnis who guided the Canadian 4x100m relay team to back to back global championships at both the 1996 Olympic Games and 1997 World Championships. In 2012, coach Ian Clark was recognized for his efforts in leading Jason Dunkerley to two podium finishes at the Paralympic Games in London.

Athletics Canada announced today that 2014 Canadian championship events for the senior and junior decathlon and heptathlon will be held in Ottawa, Ont., July 3-6 as part of the Panamerican Combined Events Cup.

Carded athletes who choose to not compete at this event will be required to compete in individual events at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Moncton, N.B.

The junior decathlon and heptathlon events at the Panamerican Combined Events Cup will serve as the selection trials for those events on Canada’s 2014 IAAF World Junior team.

This pilot project will be reviewed following the 2014 season.

Rolling Rampage 10k
Thursday 10^th October saw the annual Rolling Rampage 10K in Ottawa, an 18 loop course on Parliament Hill.  The Hill was filled with cheering students from many of the local schools, politicians, among others, including many tourists who happened to stumble upon the spectacle. 
Cassidy has won the event for the past two years, but in the best field the event has seen since moving from Toronto, Cassidy could not predict the outcome. 
“Of course I am racing to win, but in this field I could very possibly end up fifth.. I don’t know how it is going to go. But I am going to give everything I’ve got. This race means a lot to me at home.” 
Cassidy’s main competition was South African Ernst Van Dyk, who broke ahead of the pack right from the beginning of the race, until Cassidy reeled him in about 4 laps later. 
“Ernst is a legend in the sport, but in recent years has switched focus to handcycling. So despite his illustrious past career in chair racing, he hasn’t quite been in his best racing chair form for the past few years. I reeled him in quickly and so I committed to wearing him out. But it became evident he was in strong form.” 
Cassidy did the bulk of the work from the front, for 13 laps, surging ahead of Van Dyk. But like a yo-yo, Van Dyk kept coming back. Cassidy tried to move aside a few times to let Van Dyk to some of the pulling, but Van Dyk wouldn’t pull up. “At first I thought it was because I was tiring him out, but he was obviously in good form, and I read him wrong until it was too late.” 
Cassidy lead the lone pair right up until the final lap which was a furious 600m sprint. The Hill was erupting in cheering for the Ottawa born favourite. Cassidy led right up to the last incline approaching the finish, where Van Dyk pulled away enough for the win. 
“Obviously I was really frustrated with the result. I am really happy with how hard I raced, and the form I am in. I could be better, but  I didn’t know if I would finish as far back as fifth.. so one less than the best possible outcome is alright. I’m okay with it for now… but I’ll want it back next year.”
Link to photos http://www.demotix.com/search/media/rolling%20rampage
Chicago Marathon                                                                                                                                                                                                             
Cassidy left that evening for Chicago, where three days later he would defend his 2012 title amidst not only the most talented, but the largest field Chicago has had with 63 athletes at the line. The great line-up included Australian Kurt Fearnley, and Richard Coleman, Switzerland’s legendary Heinz Frei who had beaten multi world record holding teammate, Marcel Hug in the Berlin Marathon just weeks prior, South Korea’s Gyu Dae Kim,  American  Joshua George and the entire USA team, and also competing in Chicago was the Rolling Rampage winner, South Africa’s Ernst Van Dyk, among others.  
In the press conference Cassidy was asked about his form this year, “It’s been a bit of an inconsistent year with a few trials I’ve had to overcome, reasons and excuses aside, I definitely feel like I am on the up and out. I’ve been working hard. This is a great field here, and I’m not even thinking of it as defending my title. Of course I am going to try and win it, but I am going to go out and just worry about racing smart, being strong, and confident in an awesome field. I’m excited.. it’s going to be a fun day.”
Perhaps Ernst Van Dyk had something to prove, or perhaps his win in Ottawa boosted his confidence, but he led a very fast first 10k, with a pack of nine in behind. The large group stayed together until the 20Km point when Van Dyk, Fearnley, George, Frie and Bothello got a break and eased ahead by 30 seconds. Cassidy was in the chasing peloton with five other elite athletes. 
“I was in a bad position near the back of the pack when the attack happened on a turn, and I got caught. I just wasn’t in good enough form to catch them. On top of that, my shoulder was giving out, and my guts were cramping up badly as well.. it was to the point where I was thinking of pulling out. But I decided to stay strong, stay patient, and still try and make top 5.”
Cassidy, Pike and Bleakney of USA eventually caught Bothello, as the four powered on in pursuit.  Around 35km in Cassidy attacked and lost the group for a few kilometres until Bothello and Pike reeled him back in around 38km.
“I really wanted to try and win that 5th spot, and so I committed to a long attack with about 2k to go. To many it may have been risky but I stayed confident and hung in there to take 5th.  I am very happy with how I raced, considering the circumstances. I have alot of work to still do though to be back where I want to be.” 
Cassidy finished in 5^th in 1:33:30 with Ernst Van Dyk, in fine form winning again in a sprint finish with 1:30:37.  Not even a chair length behind him was Kurt Fearnley in 1:30:38, and in a outstanding performance, third went to Joshua George in the same time 1:30:38, and fourth to Heinz Frei in 1:30:31.
“I haven’t worked so hard and pushed my limits of pain this much in a while. I was proud of how strong I finished considering how I felt for a while in the middle.  It was fun though to be a part of such a great race. Ernst pushed really strong and definitely deserved the win. But I think myself along with the others will now know the kind of shape he is in heading into New York. I think everyone is eager to go at it again.”
Cassidy finishes up the season with the ING New York City Marathon on November 3rd.