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Lions Athletes Shine at Myrtle Beach Collegiate Challenge

by High Schoollinkinbio

After a week of training under the sun in what has become an annual pilgrimage to South Carolina, Ottawa Lions athletes kicked off their outdoor season with a strong showing at the Myrtle Beach Collegiate Challenge, posting multiple personal bests and top finishes.

Leading the way was Daniel Cova, who delivered a pair of standout performances – taking top spot in the1500 metres and capturing a bronze over 3000 metres. The future Iona University student eclipsed the four-minute barrier for the first time, taking victory in a time of 3 minutes and 59.27 seconds. At 3000 metres, Cova took home bronze and another personal best with a time of 8:36.55 – to move to 16th on the Club’s all-time U20 list.

Teammate Mikel Fortier also excelled at 1500 and 3000 metres, posting new lifetime bests in both events. Fortier, became the 24th U18 athlete in Club history to break 9 minutes for 3000m when he placed 14th in 8:59.15. At 1500m, Fortier won bronze behind Cova, running a personal-best 4:14.56.

Coming off a strong indoor season, Ellie McGregor demonstrated she’s well positioned to excel this spring on the high school circuit. The grade 10 student at Immaculata placed 13th in the Collegiate section of the 400 metres in a speedy 57.96 seconds – just three hundredths off her personal best. Teammate Shannon Dewar finished 22nd in 59.38 seconds and earlier won the open section of the 800 meters in 2:20.91, trimming nearly four seconds from her previous best.

Sprinter Livia Buffone also produced a pair of impressive results in both of the short sprints. Buffone opened with an impressive early season personal best of 12.89 seconds in the 100 metres – leading the Lions’ women. As a follow up, she trimmed a half second off her previous best at 200 metres, placing 30th in the Collegiate section in 26.84 seconds. 

Relays provided another highlight for the Lions, as the men’s 4×800-meter relay team of Brennan Lee, Charlie Mortimer, Mikel Fortier, and Daniel Cova combined for a time of 8:13.33, securing a strong seventh-place finish. In addition to the impressive finish, the time ranks as the fourth fastest among U20 men in Club history. The 4×200 relay team of Jonah Gratton, Jesse Costanzo, Xavier Placid, Jamie Meikle also ran their way into the top-10 rankings. The quartet placed 13th in the Collegiate men’s relay with a time of 1:32.30 – the seventh fastest for a U20 relay team in Club history.

With the outdoor season now underway, the Ottawa Lions’ athletes have set a high standard, and their performances in Myrtle Beach signal an exciting path ahead as they prepare for the high school and summer seasons.

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Lions Look to Make a Statement in Myrtle Beach Season Opener

by High Schoollinkinbio

More than 30 high school athletes from the Ottawa Lions have spent the past week training under the South Carolina sun, preparing for the outdoor season at a camp that has become an annual tradition. Now, after days of intensive workouts, they will put their training to the test at the Myrtle Beach Collegiate Challenge.

Among the notable competitors is Daniel Cova, who returns to the track for the first time since capturing OFSAA gold in cross country and leading the U18 boys to a bronze medal at the Canadian Championships. Known for his prowess in the steeplechase, the Louis-Riel student is set to race in the 1500 and 3000 meters, as well as the 4×800-meter relay. Cova, who holds personal bests of 4:00.00 in the 1500m and 8:44.56 in the 3000m, will be looking to translate his endurance and closing speed into a strong season opener.

Charlie Mortimer, a winner in last year’s open mile event, will be stepping up in distance this weekend, joining Cova in the 3000 meters. Mortimer, who owns a personal best of 8:48.87 in the 3000m, will be aiming to test his strength over the longer race and build momentum for the outdoor season.

On the sprints side, Ellie McGregor will compete in the 400 meters, where she holds a personal best of 57.93. The Immaculata student last raced at the Ravens Last Chance meet, where she clocked 1:34.62 in the 600 meters, moving to fourth on the club’s all-time list—suggesting a strong speed endurance base she will be looking to exploit in her 400m opener.

Amy LeBlanc is also set for a strong showing following an indoor season that saw her set personal bests of 7.99 in the 60 meters and 42.78 in the 300 meters. This weekend, she will look to challenge her outdoor marks of 12.37 in the 100 meters and 25.54 in the 200 meters.

With a mix of returning athletes and fresh talent, the Ottawa Lions are poised to make an impact as they open their outdoor campaign in Myrtle Beach.

For live results, visit Snap Timing.

(Ottawa, Canada---04 November 2024) Daniel Cova of ESP Louis-Riel (Ottawa) competing in the Senior Boys race at the 2024 OFSAA Cross Country Championships at Mooney's Bay Park.. . Copyright 2024 Miles Ryan / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Historic Win for Cova, Podium Finish for Harris Highlight Lions’ OFSAA Success

by High SchoollinkinbioProvincial

When Ottawa last hosted the OFSAA Cross Country Championships in 2011 at the Hornet’s Nest in Gloucester, it was Lion Yves Sikubwabo who claimed the senior boys title. Thirteen years later, Ottawa saw another Lion rise to the top at Ontario’s premier high school event.

Following a second-place finish at the National Capital Championships, Louis-Riel’s Daniel Cova arrived at OFSAA with determination. The grade 12 student surged to the front early in the six-kilometre race, taking command of the 273-strong field. Holding a seven-second lead at the halfway mark, Cova powered through to claim a six-second victory, clocking in at 19:32.02. This triumph makes Cova the 16th Ottawa Lion to capture an OFSAA XC title and only the fifth senior boy to do so.

While Cova capped off his high school cross country journey with a win, NCSSAA Champion Alexandra Harris of John McCrae made an impressive debut in the novice girls division. In seventh place halfway through the four-kilometre race, Harris increased her pace, ultimately overtaking Martingrove Collegiate’s Mackenzie Sherwin in the final 100 metres to secure bronze in 15:33.29.

Louis-Riel’s senior boys team added to the Lions’ success, earning team bronze with key performances from Mikel Fortier, Cohen Kaye, and Olivier Young, who placed 37th, 100th, and 135th, respectively.

Notable top-20 finishes from the Lions also included Mackenzie Community School’s Isla Kittmer, who placed 12th in the novice girls race with a time of 15:54.35, and Glebe’s Saul Taler, who finished 12th in the senior boys race with a time of 20:12.81. Taler’s performance helped Glebe secure a seventh-place finish in the team standings.

Additional Results from OFSAA by Race Category:

Novice Girls

  • Reve McInnes, NC Glebe Collegiate (Ottawa): 52nd place, 16:49.76
  • Charlie Fee, NC Nepean HS (Ottawa): 60th place, 16:57.35
  • Kira Coldrey, NC Colonel By SS (Ottawa): 88th place, 17:23.46
  • Alyssa Nash, NC ESP De La Salle (Ottawa): 99th place, 17:42.66
  • Julie Cabasson, NC Colonel By SS (Ottawa): 151st place, 18:32.15
  • Mia Lloyd, NC Sir Robert Borden HS (Nepean): 259th place, 22:42.53

Novice Boys

  • Rowan Blaine, EO Glengarry DHS (Alexandia): 49th place, 15:01.05
  • Declan McGinnity, NC All Saints CHS (Kanata): 113th place, 15:40.23
  • Maxime Cazabon, NC ESC Garneau (Orleans): 225th place, 17:17.41

Junior Girls

  • Riley Daniels, NC The Element HS (Ottawa): 27th place, 20:30.82
  • Bianca Arabackyj, NC ESP De La Salle (Ottawa): 54th place, 21:15.43
  • Dahlia Loreti, NC ESC Pierre Savard (Barrhaven): 77th place, 21:49.57
  • Emily Munro, NC Hillcrest (Ottawa): 115th place, 22:42.33
  • Brynn Blackadder, NC South Carleton HS (Richmond): 170th place, 23:41.64
  • Olivia Gardiner, NC Colonel By SS (Ottawa): 193rd place, 24:23.68

Junior Boys

  • Luke Van Brabant, NC Earl of March SS (Kanata): 56th place, 18:24.71
  • Samuel Schuler, EO North Dundas DHS (Winchester): 89th place, 19:00.32
  • Jakob Lafferty, NC St. Pius X CHS (Ottawa): 123rd place, 19:26.66

Senior Girls

  • Grace Streek, NC Peak Centre Academy (Kanata): 24th place, 24:14.45
  • Tessa Knight, NC ESC Franco Cite (Ottawa): 26th place, 24:15.31
  • Ciara Villeneuve, NC ESC Paul Desmarais (Stittsville): 37th place, 24:34.87
  • Bridget Jeffrey, NC St. Francis Xavier (Ottawa): 39th place, 24:40.04
  • Kyra Lauter, NC ESC Franco Ouest (Ottawa): 40th place, 24:40.76
  • Kate Johnston-Zemek, NC Ashbury College (Ottawa): 107th place, 26:26.25
  • Bronwyn O’Ray, NC ESC Paul Desmarais (Stittsville): 111th place, 26:32.43
  • Adrienne Fraserwalls, NC ESC Franco Cite (Ottawa): 112th place, 26:33.17

Senior Boys

  • Charlie Mortimer, NC Hillcrest (Ottawa): 21st place, 20:33.49
  • Noah Smith, NC Immaculata (Ottawa): 30th place, 20:48.04
  • Jackson McKercher, NC John McCrae SS (Ottawa): 79th place, 21:41.46
  • Brennan Lee, NC St. Mother Teresa (Barrhaven): 83rd place, 21:46.10
  • Conlin Burnett, NC Lisgar Collegiate (Ottawa): 86th place, 21:46.43
  • Barrett Goold, NC Sir Robert Borden HS (Nepean): 91st place, 21:56.65
  • Austin Walker, NC Colonel By SS (Ottawa): 111th place, 22:17.58
  • Matteo Padoin-Castillo, NC Immaculata (Ottawa): 128th place, 22:33.61
  • Dean Kontogiannis, NC Earl of March SS (Kanata): 139th place, 22:42.18

Full results from the Championship can be found on TrackDatabase.com

Championship Photos are available from Mundo Sport Images

(Ottawa, Canada---23 May 2024) Saul Taler of Glebe Collegiate - Ottawa races in the 100m at the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association (NCSSAA) Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2024 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

On the road to OFSAA: 41 Lions Qualify for Provincial High School Championship

by High Schoollinkinbio

With Ottawa set to host the OFSAA Cross Country Championships this year, the number of qualifying spots at the NCSSAA Championships was doubled, giving local athletes more opportunities to compete at the provincial high school meet. Lions athletes seized the chance, with 41 athletes securing their spots at OFSAA either through team qualifications or individual performances.

To reach OFSAA, the top four teams in each event advanced to the provincial championship, while individual athletes qualified by placing among the top 10 non-team finishers.

Novice Girls 4km

After claiming the West Conference title a week earlier, John McCrae’s Alexandra Harris added city champion to her resume as she topped the Novice Girls 4km field with a time of 16 minutes and 18.9 seconds. Joining Harris on the podium was Reve McInnes of Glebe CI, who nabbed the bronze medal in a 17:06.2.

On the team side, Kira Coldrey led her Colonel By Cougars to top spot with her fifth place finish overall. Coldrey was helped by fellow Lion Matilda Edwards who placed seventh overall. 

Joining these three ladies in the Novice Girls race at OFSAA will be:

  • Charlie Fee (Nepean) 3rd Place Team
  • Mia Lloyd (Sir Robert Borden) 4th Place Team
  • Alyssa Nash (De La Salle) 9th Place 

Junior Girls 5km

East Conference champion Laila Lebel of Colonel By claimed another victory, finishing nine seconds clear of the field in 20:56.5. Close behind was The Element’s Riley Daniels, who finished second in 21:05.1. West champion Dahlia Loreti from Pierre Savard took bronze with a time of 21:12.8.

Lebel’s win contributed to Colonel By’s silver in the team event. Olivia Gardiner (29th) joined Lebel in the team effort, while Alexis McElheran finished 62nd to help Glebe secure bronze.

Individuals punching their ticket to OFSAA included: 

  • Bianca Arabackyj (De La Salle) 4th Place 
  • Emily Munro (Hillcrest) 11th Place 
  • Brynn Blackadder (South Carleton) 15th Place 

Senior Girls 6km

St. Francis Xavier’s Bridget Jeffrey claimed the Senior Girls’ city title, finishing in 22 minutes and 40.6 seconds. Her victory capped a Lions sweep of the top five, with Peak Centre Academy’s Grace Streek taking silver in 23:00.4 and Franco-Cité’s Tessa Knight earning bronze. Ciara Villeneuve (Paul-Desmarais) finished fourth in 23:23.3, and Kyra Lauter (Franco-Ouest) took fifth with 23:32.2.

In the team standings, Olivia Voros helped Nepean secure first place with her 44th-place finish. Kate Johnston-Zemek’s 20th-place effort led Ashbury to second, while Bronwyn O’Ray and Villeneuve guided Paul-Desmarais to third. Rounding out the team qualifiers, Maya Allibon (19th) and Abby Thompson (54th) lifted John McCrae into fourth.

Additional qualifiers advancing to OFSAA include:

  • Adrienne Fraserwalls (Franco Cité) 14th Place 

Novice Boys 4km
All Saints’ Declan McGinnity led the Lions in the Novice Boys race, finishing ninth to secure an individual OFSAA spot. Joining him is Garneau’s Maxime Cazabon, who, despite being better known for high jumping, placed in the top 20 with a time of 16:51.5 to help his team win the title. 

Junior Boys 5km
Luke Van Brabant from Earl of March took the top spot in the Junior Boys 5km race, finishing in 18:24.0. Van Brabant also helped Earl advance to OFSAA as a team with their third place finish. Joining him in the qualification pool is Jakob Lafferty from St. Pius X, who finished 17th in 20:04.7 to secure the final individual qualification spot. 

Senior Boys 6km
Former OFSAA Cross Country gold medalist Saul Taler proved he’s ready for a second provincial title, winning the city championship with a dominant 18:28.3 finish. After a friendly finish with clubmate Daniel Cova at the East Conference meet, Taler surged ahead this time, claiming victory by an 18-second margin. Cova took silver but led his Louis-Riel Rebelles to the team title over Taler’s Glebe Gryphons, aided by strong performances from Mikel Fortier (7th) and Cohen Kaye (12th).

First-year senior Charlie Mortimer of Hillcrest rounded out the podium with a 19:10.7 finish.

Qualifying for OFSAA through team performances were Austin Walker (16th) for third-place Colonel By, along with Noah Smith (6th) and Matteo Padoin-Castillo (20th) from fourth-place Immaculata.

Additional individual qualifiers included:

  • Conlin Burnett (Lisgar), 10th place
  • Barrett Goold (Sir Robert Borden), 15th place
  • Dean Kintogiannis (Earl of March), 23rd place

The OFSAA Cross Country Championships are scheduled for Monday, November 4 at Mooney’s Bay Park. For full details, visit the Championship Website.

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On the Road to OFSAA: Lions Excel at NCSSAA Cross Country Conference Championships

by High Schoollinkinbio

For the first time in 13 years, the Ontario High School Cross Country Championships are returning to Ottawa. This year’s crop of runners took their first strides toward OFSAA glory this past week, battling it out for conference bragging rights at the NCSSAA Championships.

The East Conference Championships kicked things off last Wednesday at the Hornet’s Nest in Blackburn Hamlet, where Ottawa Lions athletes captured three individual titles.

In the Novice Girls 4k, Reve McInnes (Glebe CI) claimed silver with a time of 15:57, followed closely by Kira Coldrey (Colonel By SS), who took bronze in 16:10.

The Junior Girls 5k saw an impressive victory from Laila Lebel (Colonel By SS), crossing the line in 19:49. Hot on her heels was Riley Daniels (The Element HS), who secured the silver medal with a time of 20:08.

In the Senior Girls 6k, Tessa Knight (ÉSC Franco-Cité) continued the Lions’ success, winning gold by a comfortable 10-second margin, clocking in at 24:19.

The Senior Boys 6k produced a thrilling finish as Daniel Cova (ÉSP Louis-Riel) and Saul Taler (Glebe CI) crossed the line almost in unison. Cova was awarded the victory by just 0.2 seconds, with both athletes finishing at 20:01.

The following day, attention shifted to the West Conference Championship at the Kanata Recreation Centre, where Lions athletes delivered similarly outstanding performances.

In the Novice Girls 4k, Alexandra Harris (John McCrae SS) dominated the field, winning gold with a time of 15:28. Charlie Fee (Nepean HS) took the silver medal, finishing more than a minute later in 16:30.

Dahlia Loreti (ÉSC Pierre-Savard) claimed the Junior Girls 5k crown with a time of 20:31, while Luke Van Brabant (Earl of March SS) showcased his strength by winning the Junior Boys 5k in 17:38.

The Senior Girls 6k saw a Lions podium sweep. Bridget Jeffrey (St. Francis Xavier HS) took gold in 23:17, followed by Grace Streek (Peak Centre Academy) in silver with a time of 24:04, and Kyra Lauter (CC Franco-Ouest) rounding out the top three with bronze in 24:22.

On the boys’ side, it was another Lions sweep as Jackson McKercher (John McCrae SS) led the way in the Senior Boys 6k, winning in 20:29. Brennan Lee (St. Mother Teresa HS) finished just two seconds behind to claim silver in 20:31, while Barrett Goold (Sir Robert Borden HS) took bronze in 20:41.

Next up is the NCSSAA Championships, scheduled for Thursday, October 24, in Kanata. Athletes will have the chance to qualify for the provincial championships by finishing in the top two in any of the six team title races or being among the top five finishers not on a qualifying team.

Good luck to all the runners as they continue their journey toward OFSAA!

(Ottawa, Canada---10 June 2023) Zachary Jeggo of Louis-Riel - Ottawa competes in the intermediate hurdles (gold) at the 2023 OFSAA Ontario High School Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2023 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Jeggo leads 19 medal haul for Lions at OFSAA Championship

by High Schoollinkinbio

Ottawa Lions athletes made a remarkable impact at last weekend’s OFSAA Track and Field Championship in London as they captured an impressive 19 medals. In addition to the hardware collection, which included seven golds, the more than 50 athletes in attendance also set a total of 38 personal bests over the three day event.

As he did a year ago, Zachary Jeggo took home gold in both the 400 metres and intermediate hurdles.The Louis-Riel student produced lifetime bests in each of the two finals he contested. 

In the flat 400 final, Jeggo lined up inside of Clubmate Stephan Balson who took the race out hard and had a narrow edge as the pair entered the home stretch. However, over the final 100 Jeggo showed why he’s become king of the 400 as he crossed the finish line in a blazing 47.82 seconds. Balson finished in the silver medal position with a time of 48.27. 

Over the hurdles, Jeggo utilised his superior speed to run away from the competition, as he took down the defending champion in time of 53.72 seconds. The performance moved Zachary to 10th on the Club’s All-Time U20 list.

After a bronze last year, Grace Streek added a gold and silver medal to her OFSAA medal collection. The grade 11 student took top spot in the 2000 metre steeplechase with a time of 7 minutes and 1.61 seconds, finishing four seconds ahead of second place. At 3000 metres, Streek put forward a strong finish to pull herself from fourth into the silver medal position over the final 200 metres. 

Ange-Mathis Kramo made a significant mark at the OFSAA Track and Field Championship, capturing the junior boys’ 200-metre title and narrowly missing the top spot in the 100 metres by a mere 0.01 seconds. Kramo’s victory in the 200 metres, clocking in at an impressive 21.69 seconds, not only secured him the gold but also marked an upgrade from his silver in 2023. The Paul-Desmarais student’s time ranks second all-time for U18 in Club history. Over 100 metres, Kramo’s remarkable time of 10.72 seconds gave him the silver and moved him to equal third on the U18 list.

Winning the novice girls long jump with a personal best leap of 5.41 metres was Tahlia Aird-Greaves. The Gisele-Lalonde students jump bettered Keira Christie-Galloway’s 10-year-old U16 Club record of 5.38 metres. 

Similar to Christie-Galloway, Aird-Greaves also demonstrated some prowess in the sprint hurdles as she nabbed bronze, finishing in a personal best of 11.75 seconds. Her hurdle time was just six-hundredths of a second short of Christie-Galloway’s Club U16 record.

Rounding out the list of double medalists was Taisei Tan who quickly signalled he was a force to be reckoned with in the hurdles. The grade 10 student grabbed silver and bronze in the sprint and intermediate hurdle events respectively. Tan’s time of 39.45 seconds in the 300 metre hurdles now ranks him 9th all-time among U18 runners.

A pair of medals came in the open men’s 2000 metre steeplechase as Glebe’s Derek Strachan won the event in a personal best time of 6:00.83. Joining Derek on the podium was training partner Daniel Cova who placed third at 6:06.94. Cova’s time was also a lifetime best. With their efforts, Strachan moved to tenth  on the Club’s U20 list while Cova moved to third on the U18 list.

Rounding out the list of gold medal winners was Eli Mordel, who captured top spot in the junior boys pole vault. The grade 10 student at Sir Robert Bordern was the only jumper to clear 3.95 metres – securing his first OFSAA victory. Mordel’s leap was a 45 centimetre improvement on his East Regional winning jump and moved him into seventh on the Club’s U18 all-time list. 

Other medalists from the OFSAA Championships included:

Quinn Coughlin – Senior Girls 400m Hurdles (Silver)
Safwan El Mansari – Senior Boys 800m (Silver)
Maxime Chartrand – Novice Boys Pole Vault (Bronze)
Balqis Chouikhi – Senior Girls Pole Vault (Bronze)
Liam Davis – Senior Boys Shot Put (Bronze)

This year’s medal haul was the largest since 2009 when Club athletes won 22 medals. The highest total is 25 medals from the 2007 Championships held in Ottawa. 

For updated Club rankings, please visit https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ottl_rankings

(Ottawa, Canada---23 May 2024) Eli Mordel of Sir Robert Borden - Ottawa races in the 100m at the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association (NCSSAA) Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2024 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

More than 50 Lions qualify for OFSAA Track and Field Championship

by High Schoollinkinbio

When the final performance was recorded Friday afternoon in Belleville an impressive 50 Lions athletes had qualified for the pinnacle of high school track and field in Canada – the OFSAA Championships. In total, Lions athletes qualified in 77 individual events over the two-day event, winning an impressive 24 events and setting one new meet record.

A total of four athletes qualified in the maximum of three individual events led by first year senior competitor Grace Streek. The grade 11 student continued her record run in the open girls 2000 metre steeplechase as she nearly broke the 7-minute barrier with her 7:00.04 clocking. The performance is the sixth fastest in Club history. Streek also took top spot in the senior girls 3000 metres and added a silver at 1500m. 

Gisèle-Lalonde’s Tahlia Aird-Greaves sped her way into her first OFSAA Track and Field appearance. The grade nine student nabbed gold in the novice girls long jump event with a leap of 5.03 metres (#5 U16) and picked up a pair of silvers in both the 100 metres (12.48w) and 80 metre hurdle (12.12w) events.

Rounding out the quartet of triple qualifiers were Sir Robert Borden’s Eli Mordel and Colonel By’s Laila Lebel. Mordel took top spot in the junior boys pole vault with a leap of 3.50 metres and added silver and bronze in the 300 and 100 metre hurdles respectively. 

Lebel successfully qualified in all three of the novice girls distance races from 800 through 3000 metres. Over the longest distance, the grade nine student won convincingly in 11 and 10.00 seconds – a full 12 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor. Lebel took home silver over 1500 metres (5:01.78) and was fourth at 800 metres (2:27.82).

Three other Lions were double gold medal winners at the regional championship – Quinn Coughlin, Zachary Jeggo, and Taisei Tan. 

Coughlin and Jeggo each took home gold in the senior 400 metre and 400 metre hurdle events. Coughlin, a grade 11 student at Opeongo High School, set a new personal best of 1:01.90 in the hurdles and also ran a seasonal best 57.21 in the flat 400. Coming off personal bests at the City Championships, Jeggo posted times of 48.19 and 55.46 in the flat and hurdle events respectively.

Rounding out the double gold medalists, Taisei Tan took home top spot in both the junior boys sprint (13.71w) and intermediate hurdles (40.53). 

Lions complete list of OFSAA individual qualifiers:

Gold – Bianca Arabackyj Novice Girls 1500m – 4:54.43 (De La Salle)

Gold – Laila Lebel Novice Girls 3000m – 11:10.00 (Colonel By)

Gold – Tahlia Aird-Greaves Novice Girls Long Jump – 5.03m (Gisèle-Lalonde)

Gold – Shannon Dewar Junior Girls 400m – 1:00.40 (St. Francis Xavier)

Gold – Quinn Coughlin Senior Girls 400m – 57.21 (Opeongo)

Gold – Grace Streek Senior Girls 3000m – 10:23.87 (Peak Centre)

Gold – Quinn Coughlin Senior Girls 400m Hurdles – 1:01.90 (Opeongo)

Gold – Waverley Lyons Senior Girls High Jump – 1.56m (Glebe)

Gold – Kaiya Woodcock Senior Girls Long Jump – 5.21m (Sacred Heart)

Gold – Sadie Gilbert Senior Girls Shot Put – 10.98m (Paul-Desmarais)

Gold – Grace Streek Open Girls 2000m Steeplechase – 7:00.04 (Peak Centre)

Gold – Luke Van Brabant Novice Boys 800m – 2:07.30 (Earl of March)

Gold – Zachary Benfaida Novice Boys 300m Hurdles – 43.00 (Merivale)

Gold – Ange-Mathis Kramo Junior Boys 200m – 22.33 (Paul-Desmarais)

Gold – Taisei Tan Junior Boys 100m Hurdles – 13.71 (Béatrice-Desloges)

Gold – Taisei Tan Junior Boys 300m Hurdles – 40.53 (Béatrice-Desloges)

Gold – Eli Mordel Junior Boys 300m Hurdles – 3.50m (Sir Robert Borden)

Gold – Zachary Jeggo Senior Boys 400m – 48.19 (Louis-Riel)

Gold – Timeo Atonfo Senior Boys 110m Hurdles – 14.24 (Gisèle-Lalonde)

Gold – Zachary Jeggo Senior Boys 400m Hurdles – 55.46 (Louis-Riel)

Gold – Liam Davis Senior Boys Shot Put – 16.56m (Opeongo)

Gold – Daniel Cova Open Boys 2000m Steeplechase – 6:08.86 (Louis-Riel)

Gold – Maxime Chartrand Novice Boys Pole Vault – 2.75m (Louis-Riel)

Gold – Balqis Chouikhi Senior Girls Pole Vault – 3.25m (Wilfrid Laurier)

Silver – Tahlia Aird-Greaves Novice Girls 100m – 12.48 (Gisèle-Lalonde)

Silver – Bianca Arabackyj Novice Girls 800m – 2:24.76 (De La Salle)

Silver – Laila Lebel Novice Girls 1500m – 5:01.78 (Colonel By)

Silver – Riley Daniels Novice Girls 3000m – 11:12.12 (The Element)

Silver – Tahlia Aird-Greaves Novice Girls 80m Hurdles – 12.12 (Gisèle-Lalonde)

Silver – Abby MacLeod Junior Girls 1000m – 12.63 (Tagwi)

Silver – Shannon Dewar Junior Girls 200m – 26.33 (St. Francis Xavier)

Silver – Kaiya Woodcock Senior Girls 100m – 11.88 (Sacred Heart)

Silver – Jocelyn Giannotti Senior Girls 800m – 2:20.84 (Holy Trinity)

Silver – Grace Streek Senior Girls 1500m – 4:40.42 (Peak Centre)

Silver – Luke Van Brabant Novice Boys 1500m – 4:23.80 (Earl of March)

Silver – Zachary Benfaida Novice Boys 100m Hurdles – 15.43 (Merivale)

Silver – Ange-Mathis Kramo Junior Boys 100m – 10.81 (Paul-Desmarais)

Silver – Eli Mordel Junior Boys 300m Hurdles – 41.11 (Sir Robert Borden)

Silver – Stephan Balson Senior Boys 400m – 48.49 (Lisgar)

Silver – Saul Taler Senior Boys 800m – 1:56.78 (Glebe)

Silver – Saul Taler Senior Boys 1500m – 3:58.48 (Glebe)

Silver – Daniel Cova Senior Boys 3000m – 8:45.21 (Louis-Riel)

Silver – Simon Salisbury Senior Boys 110m Hurdles – 14.32 (Notre Dame)

Silver – Kyle London Senior Boys 400m Hurdles – 56.72 (Wilfrid Laurier)

Silver – Timeo Atonfo Senior Boys Long Jump – 6.60m (Gisèle-Lalonde)

Silver – Derek Strachan Open Boys 2000m Steeplechase – 6:12.89 (Glebe)

Bronze – Riley Daniels Novice Girls 1500m – 5:02.31 (The Element)

Bronze – Roxy Gardiner Novice Girls High Jump – J1.48m (Sir Robert Borden)

Bronze – Abby Lorz Novice Girls Javelin – 31.21m (AY Jackson)

Bronze – Salome Kuemmerle Junior Girls High Jump – 1.45m (Brookfield)

Bronze – Sophia McIntyre Senior Girls 400m – 1:00.72 (St. Francis Xavier)

Bronze – Jocelyn Giannotti Senior Girls 1500m – 4:42.26 (Holy Trinity)

Bronze – Connor England Junior Boys 100m – 11.16 (North Dundas)

Bronze – Connor England Junior Boys 200m – 23.11 (North Dundas)

Bronze – Charlie Mortimer Junior Boys 3000m – 9:04.50 (Hillcrest)

Bronze – Eli Mordel Junior Boys 100m Hurdles – 14.12 (Sir Robert Borden)

Bronze – Stephan Balson Senior Boys 200m – 21.98 (Lisgar)

Bronze – William Sanders Senior Boys 400m – 49.18 (Mother Teresa)

Bronze – Safwan El Mansari Senior Boys 800m – 1:57.16 (De La Salle)

Bronze – Jonah Gratton Senior Boys 110m Hurdles – 14.47 (La Citadelle)

Bronze – Eric Zielonka Senior Boys 400m Hurdles – 58.02 (Brookfield)

Bronze – Sophia Procter Novice Girls Pole Vault – J2.30m (Ashbury)

4th – Laila Lebel Novice Girls 800m – 2:27.82 (Colonel By)

4th – Dahlia Loreti Novice Girls 1500m – 5:05.97 (Pierre Savard)

4th – Meredith McCabe Junior Girls 400m – 1:02.44 (Lisgar)

4th – Naomi Olberg Junior Girls Long Jump – 5.02m (Lisgar)

4th – Amy LeBlanc Senior Girls 200m – 25.54 (St. Francis Xavier)

4th – Lauren Alexander Senior Girls 1500m – 4:47.15 (Glebe)

4th – Waverley Lyons Senior Girls 400m Hurdles – 1:07.41 (Glebe)

4th – Andromeda Bromwich Senior Girls High Jump – J1.50m (Colonel By)

4th – Katie Purves Senior Girls Shot Put – 10.06m (Franco-Citea)

4th – Brennan Lee Junior Boys 800m – 2:03.34 (Mother Teresa)

4th – Noah Smith Senior Boys 3000m – 9:01.40 (Immaculata)

4th – Mason Brennan Senior Boys 110m Hurdles – 14.79 (Colonel By)

4th – Jonah Gratton Senior Boys 400m Hurdles – 58.31 (La Citadelle)

4th – Kyra Dobson Takoff Junior Girls Pole Vault – J2.45m (Sir Robert Borden)

4th – Maxime Chartrand Novice Boys 300m Hurdles – 44.70 (Louis-Riel)

(Ottawa, Canada---10 June 2023) Jonah Gratton of La Citadelle - Cornwall competing in the intermediate hurdles at the 2023 OFSAA Ontario High School Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2023 Geoff Robins / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Ottawa Lions Athletes Excel at EOSSAA Championships

by High Schoollinkinbio

Eleven more Lions athletes advanced to the OFSAA East Regional Championship last Thursday and Friday. Competing at the EOSSAA Track and Field Championships at Thousand Islands Secondary School in Brockville, athletes recorded 18 new personal bests and brought home six gold medals.

Quinn Coughlin was the most well decorated Lion at EOSSAA, capturing three medals including two golds. The grade 11 student at Cobden’s Opeongo High School, swept the senior girls 400 and 400 metre hurdle events, the latter in a personal best time of 1:02.70. Coughlin also added a silver over 200 metres, finishing in a time of 25.96 seconds.

Abby MacLeod of Tagwi Secondary School excelled in the short sprint events. The grade 10 student secured second place in the junior girls 100 metres with a time of 13.17 seconds and finished fourth in the 200 metres, clocking in at 27.12 seconds. Her teammate, Averi Whitton, also from Tagwi, ran her way to a bronze medal over 3000 metres, finishing with a time of 12:43.98.

North Dundas’ Connor England picked up a pair of silver medals in the junior boys 100 and 200 metres with times of 11.35 and 22.87 seconds, respectively. England also placed fifth in the 300 metres hurdles. Rowan McCooeye from St. Joseph’s (Cornwall) put his speed to good use, placing second in the 100 metres hurdles with a time of 15.66 seconds. McCooeye also put forward a pair of top-five finishes in the 100 and 200 metre events.

On the road back from injury, last year’s EOSSAA sprint king John McGowan was dethroned on Friday. The St. Michael’s student had to settle for silver in Friday’s senior boys 100 metre final as he crossed the line in a time of 11.23 seconds

Lions athletes took the top two spots in each of the senior boys hurdle events led by La Citadelle’s Jonah Gratton. The grade 11 student posted a pair of personal bests on his way to gold in times of 14.80 and 59.78 seconds respectively. 

In the sprint hurdles, it was Notre Dame’s (Carleton Place) Simon Salisbury hot on Gratton’s heels as he also posted a personal best effort to nab silver in 14.96 seconds.

Ethan Lavictoire of St. Joseph’s (Arnprior) took silver over the 400 metre hurdles in 1:02.30.

Moving up to the senior ranks didn’t slow Malachi Kenny’s medal haul in the 800 metres. Last year’s junior boys OFSAA Champion found himself on top of the podium in Brockville with a 1:58.34 effort, good for a 1.4 second victory.

In the field, Opeongo’s Liam Davis from Opeongo easily captured top spot in the senior boys shot put. Davis’ best throw on the day measured 15.37 metres, about 2.5 metres further than his nearest competitor. 

Full results from the meet are available on our website.

Updated club rankings can be found here.

(Ottawa, Canada---23 May 2024) Taisei Tan of B_rice-Desloges races in the 100m at the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association (NCSSAA) Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2024 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Lions Break Four Records; Set 140 Personal Bests at Ottawa High School Championship

by High Schoollinkinbio

Athletes at last week’s National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association (NCSSAA) championship at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility enjoyed ideal conditions as they competed for a chance to advance to the OFSAA East Regional Championships in Belleville this Thursday and Friday. A total of 83 Lions athletes progressed in 147 individual events, continuing their journey on the Road to OFSAA.

The City Championships were not just about advancing; Lions athletes delivered outstanding performances, achieving 140 personal bests over the two-day event and setting four new meet records.

Peak Academy’s Grace Streek set the tone by breaking Elizabeth Vroom’s record in the 2000-metre steeplechase in the first event of the Championship. Streek finished in a blazing 7 minutes and 6.58 seconds, nearly seven seconds faster than Vroom’s previous standard. The grade 11 student’s performance now ranks her seventh in Club history. Grace also claimed gold medals at 1500 and 3000 metres.

Zachary Jeggo of Louis-Riel made history by becoming the first athlete to break the 48-second barrier in the 400 metres at the NCSSAA Championship. The grade 11’s student’s time of 47.96 seconds surpassed Phillip Hughes’ 1986 record of 48.32 seconds.

Jeggo’s victory led a quartet of impressive performances in the senior boys’ 400 metres. Lisgar’s Stephan Balson secured silver with a time of 48.48 seconds, while Mother Teresa’s Will Sanders also broke the 50-second barrier, finishing at 49.37 – both times were personal bests. De La Salle’s Safwan El Mansari completed the top four with a time of 50.84.

Jeggo also set a personal best of 54.22 seconds in the 400-metre hurdles, ranking as the top high school performance this season and the second fastest U20 performance in Canada so far this season.

Béatrice-Desloges’ Taisei Tran nearly set two championship records in the hurdle events. He finished the 100-metre hurdles in 13.90 seconds, faster than Leewinchell Jean’s record of 13.93, but a trailing wind of 2.6 metres per second nullified the record. However, Tran redeemed himself by breaking former Lion Matt Stenson’s 28-year-old 300-metre hurdle record with a time of 40.08 seconds.

Ange-Mathis Kramo of Paul-Desmarais broke the junior boys’ 200-metre record that had stood since 1991. Kramo’s time of 22.15 seconds shaved four hundredths off the previous mark and gave him a comfortable 1.15-second margin of victory.

Kramo’s success extended beyond the 200 metres as he swept all three sprint events with personal best times. He broke the 11-second barrier in the 100 metres for the first time and set a personal best of 50.29 seconds in the 400 metres, trimming more than a second off his previous best.

Below is a list of all individual winners:

Bianca Arabackyj (De La Salle) – Novice Girls 1500m 5:04.23

Laila Lebel (Colonel By) – Novice Girls 3000m 11:22.21

Roxy Gardiner (Sir Robert Borden) – Novice Girls High Jump 1.50m

Roxy Gardiner (Sir Robert Borden) – Novice Girls Triple Jump 10.47m

Shannon Dewar (St. Francis Xavier) – Junior Girls 200m 27.06

Shannon Dewar (St. Francis Xavier) – Junior Girls 400m 59.34

Maya Allibon (John McCrae) – Junior Girls 1500m 5:08.34

Shannon Dewar (St. Francis Xavier) – Junior Girls 300m Hurdles 48.33

Salome Kuemmerle (Brookfield H) – Junior Girls High Jump 1.55m

Sophia McIntyre (St. Francis Xavier) – Senior Girls 400m 1:01.38

Jocelyn Giannotti (Holy Trinity) – Senior Girls 800m 2:21.75

Grace Streek (Peak Centre) – Senior Girls 1500m 4:42.79

Grace Streek (Peak Centre) – Senior Girls 3000m 10:50.26

Waverley Lyons (Glebe) – Senior Girls 400m Hurdles 1:09.70

Waverley Lyons (Glebe) – Senior Girls High Jump 1.50m

Balqis Chouikhi (Sir Wilfred Laurier) – Senior Girls Pole Vault 3.05m

Kaiya Woodcock (Sacred Heart) – Senior Girls Long Jump 5.73m
Sadie Gilbert (Paul-Desmarais) – Senior Girls Shot Put 10.87m

Grace Streek (Peak Centre) – Open Girls 2000m Steeplechase 7:06.58

Luke Van Brabant (Earl of March) – Novice Boys 800m 2:10.93

Luke Van Brabant (Earl of March) – Novice Boys 1500m 4:39.49

Ange-Mathis Kramo (Paul-Desmarais) – Junior Boys 100m 10.94

Ange-Mathis Kramo (Paul-Desmarais) – Junior Boys 200m 22.15

Ange-Mathis Kramo (Paul-Desmarais) – Junior Boys 400m 50.29

Brennan Lee (Mother Teresa) – Junior Boys 800m 2:04.62

Charlie Mortimer (Hillcrest) – Junior Boys 1500m 4:21.59

Charlie Mortimer (Hillcrest) – Junior Boys 3000m 9:16.21

Taisei Tan (Béatrice-Desloges) – Junior Boys 100m Hurdles 13.90

Taisei Tan (Béatrice-Desloges) – Junior Boys 300m Hurdles 40.08

Eli Mordel (Sir Robert Borden) – Junior Boys Pole Vault 3.50m

Zachary Jeggo (Louis-Riel) – Senior Boys 400m 47.96

Saul Taler (Glebe) – Senior Boys 1500m 3:58.79

Daniel Cova (Louis-Riel) – Senior Boys 3000m 9:02.41

Timeo Atonfo (Gisèle-Lalonde) – Senior Boys 110m Hurdles 14.92

Zachary Jeggo (Louis-Riel) – Senior Boys 400m Hurdles 54.22

Timeo Atonfo (Gisèle-Lalonde) – Senior Boys Long Jump 6.80m

Derek Strachan (Glebe) – Open Boys 2000m Steeplechase 6:05.60

FULL MEET RESULTS ARE AVAILABLE HERE

(Ottawa, Canada---10 June 2023) Zachary Jeggo of Louis-Riel - Ottawa competes in the intermediate hurdles (gold) at the 2023 OFSAA Ontario High School Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2023 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Lions shine at NCSSAA East Conference Championships with 25 gold medal haul

by High Schoollinkinbio

With the West Conference Championship already in the books, last Thursday was the kick off to the road to OFSAA for those schools in the NCSSAA East Conference. An exciting day for athletes was marked by an impressive haul of 25 individual gold medals by Ottawa Lions athletes. 

Picking right where he left off in the last high school season, Zachary Jeggo took top spot in the senior boys 400 metres and 400 metre hurdle events in convincing fashion. In both events, the grade 11 student at Louis-Riel laid down the third fastest performances of his life with times of 48.73 seconds and 56.32 seconds respectively. 

Topping the individual gold tally was Shannon Dewar of St. Francis Xavier. The grade 10 student earned top spot in the 200 and 400-metre events as well as the 300-metre hurdles. Among Dewar’s triple triumph came a new lifetime best of 58.88 seconds over 400 metres.

Glebe’s Lauren Alexander swept the senior girls middle distance events. The grade 12 student topped the 800-metre field in 2 minutes and 25.48 seconds and was first across the line at 1500 metres with a run of 4:55.38.

Charlie Mortimer of Hillcrest also completed a distance double – taking top spot in both the junior boys 1500 and 3000 metre events. Mortimer edged out Colonel By’s Owen Siderus over 3000 metres, winning 9:43.01 to 9:43.78. In contrast, he finished six and a half seconds ahead of the field at 1500 metres, crossing the line in a time of 4 minutes and 14.96 seconds. 

Béatrice-Desloges’ Taisei Tan was very impressive in the hurdle events. Tan took top spot in both the junior 100-metre and 300-metre events with times of 14.58 seconds and 41.66 seconds respectively.

In field events, Salome Kuemmerle of Brookfield topped the junior high jump with a clearance of 1.45 metres, while Deborah Bwana of Mer Bleue took first in the junior shot put with a throw of 9.88 metres. Senior competitor Katie Purves from Franco-Cite excelled in both the shot put and javelin throw, achieving distances of 9.87 metres and 26.55 metres, respectively en route to double gold.

High school action resumes this week with the NCSSAA Championships on May 22nd and 23rd at Terry Fox Athletic Facility. The top five athletes each event this week will earn a spot at the East Regional High School Championships the following week in Brockville