(St. Catharines, Canada---05 June 2026) Taisei Tan of Beatrice-Desloges. OFSAA Track and Field Championships . Photograph Copyright 2026 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Lions Claim Seven Medals at OFSAA Championships

by High Schoollinkinbio

Maxime Cazabon arrived at the OFSAA Track and Field Championships in St. Catharines as the reigning novice high jump champion. He left as something considerably more.

The Garneau student successfully defended his title in the junior boys high jump, clearing 2.00 metres for the first time in his life to claim gold. However, for Cazabon, his OFSAA success wasn’t all about the high jump — excelling in the horizontal jumps as well, taking gold in the triple jump and finishing a narrow fourth in the long jump.

In the first round of the triple jump, Cazabon shattered his lifetime best, leaping out to 14.10m. The impressive leap effectively wrapped up the competition in the opening round, as he would go on to win by more than a metre over the field. He was equally impressive on the long jump runway, unleashing a lifetime best of 6.57m to finish fourth — just five centimetres off the podium.

Anabelle Muir was every bit the favourite heading into the junior girls pole vault, and she delivered. The Glebe Collegiate athlete was never seriously threatened, dropping only one attempt across the entire competition — a first-attempt miss at 3.20m — before successive clearances up to 3.50m as she equaled her personal best from East Regionals. Training partner Charlotte Morales of Lisgar also cleared a lifetime best, making her way over 3.00 metres to place fifth.

In his final OFSAA competition, Ange-Mathis Kramo added a pair of silver and bronze medals to bring his career total to five. The Paul-Desmarais athlete placed second in the senior boys 400m with a 48.02 second effort on Friday before returning Saturday to claim bronze over 200m in 21.53. 

Taisei Tan made his third career trip to the OFSAA podium in his final go round. Beatrice-Desloges student set a personal best of 14.15 seconds in the 110m hurdle prelims before returning to claim bronze in the final at 14.22 seconds. Tan also placed 10th in the 400m hurdles at 56.00.

For the third time this season, Eli Mordel cleared 4.60m in the pole vault. This time it earned the Sir Robert Borden student a bronze medal at the provincial championships. The future York University student had a perfect competition through his personal best height – making four heights on four attempts. In addition to his vaulting success, Mordel also ran to a fourth place finish in the senior boys 110m hurdles in 14.23 seconds – just a whisker behind Taisei Tan. 

Mallea McMullin continued her annual pilgrimage to the OFSAA javelin podium in St. Catharines. The Louis-Riel student placed second in the senior girls event with a throw of 40.37m in just her first season competing in the senior category. It is McMullin’s third consecutive OFSAA javelin medal, following gold in the novice division two years ago and gold in the junior division last year.

Jarred Rathwell’s bronze in the junior boys javelin was one of the meet’s more dramatic finishes. The St. Joseph’s (Renfrew) athlete fouled on each of his first two throws before launching a personal best of 51.47m on his third attempt to jump into medal contention. Pushed to fourth in the fourth round, Rathwell refused to yield — unleashing a 52.97m throw on his final attempt, adding another metre and a half to his PB and throwing himself back onto the podium.

Norah Nitta Mackay did not medal in the senior girls 400m, but her championship told its own story. The Holy Trinity athlete ran a personal best in the heats, then obliterated that mark in the final, taking more than a second off a PB that was less than 24 hours old. Her fourth-place finish in 55.89 seconds also cracked the Ottawa Lions’ all-time U18 top-10 rankings — a performance that bodes extremely well heading into the summer season.

The medals told only part of the Lions’ story in St. Catharines. Roxy Gardiner’s 11.34m triple jump in the senior girls event wasn’t enough to crack the podium, but it was good enough to rank among the best in Ottawa Lions history — appearing in both the U18 and U20 all-time top-10 lists. Jake Claydon-St. John wrote himself into the club record books twice over in the novice boys division, with his 400m (53.12) and 800m (2:01.11) both joining the all-time rankings. Roan Gerth did the same in the novice girls 1500m, running a personal best of 4:46.49 in the heats to earn her place among the Club’s all-time performers — before going just a shade slower in the final.

Full list of Lions results

Novice Boys
Jake Claydon-St. John — 400m — 53.12 (12th)
Jake Claydon-St. John — 800m — 2:01.11 (4th)
Jake Claydon-St. John — 1500m — 4:23.62 (13th)
William Lussier — 100m — 11.53 (7th)
William Lussier — 200m — 24.19 (10th)
Jaiden Taft — 1500m — 4:19.24 (7th)
Jaiden Taft — 3000m — 9:54.88 (15th)
Kai Lebel — 3000m — DNF

Novice Girls
Roan Gerth — 1500m — 4:46.58 (7th)
Roan Gerth — 3000m — 10:37.08 (4th)
Brooklyn Reesal — Discus — 30.12m (6th)
Sasha Stephenson — 80m Hurdles — 13.47 (8th)

Junior Boys
Maxime Cazabon — High Jump — 2.00m (1st)
Maxime Cazabon — Long Jump — 6.57m (4th)
Maxime Cazabon — Triple Jump — 14.10m (1st)
Gavin Bowling — 400m — 53.24 (18th)
William Burges — Discus — 41.71m (17th)
Brody Charbot — 3000m — 9:35.44 (15th)
Ethan Frizzell — 100m Hurdles — 13.99 (5th)
Declan McGinnity — 200m — 23.90 (16th)
Declan McGinnity — 400m — 50.68 (6th)
Oscar Lorrain — 1500m — 4:09.29 (8th)
Oscar Lorrain — 3000m — 9:06.71 (6th)
Jarred Rathwell — Javelin — 52.97m (3rd)
Brock Stonham — 100m Hurdles — 14.84 (8th)
Brock Stonham — Pole Vault — 3.45m (13th)
Weston Wilkes — 300m Hurdles — 42.52 (15th)

Junior Girls
Anabelle Muir — Pole Vault — 3.50m (1st)
Reem Alabed — 3000m — 10:37.49 (10th)
Mya Bianconi — 300m Hurdles — 52.85 (6th)
Mya Bianconi — 400m — 1:00.91 (17th)
Charlotte Eccles — 1500m — 4:52.80 (17th)
Charlotte Eccles — 3000m — 10:36.74 (9th)
Isla Kittmer — 1500m — 4:47.96 (13th)
Isla Kittmer — 3000m — 10:31.69 (6th)
Reve McInnes — 1500m — 4:51.28 (15th)
Reve McInnes — 3000m — 10:36.67 (8th)
Charlotte Mills — Discus — 25.05m (16th)
Charlotte Mills — Shot Put — 10.49m (17th)
Charlotte Morales — Pole Vault — 3.00m (5th)
Olivia Daigle-Dasah — 200m — 26.53 (12th)
Megan Paterson — Discus — 34.41m (4th)
Megan Paterson — Shot Put — 11.85m (7th)
Autumn Sakiyama — 400m — 1:01.57 (14th)
Autumn Sakiyama — 800m — 2:19.89 (11th)

Senior Boys
Ange-Mathis Kramo — 200m — 21.53 (3rd)
Ange-Mathis Kramo — 400m — 48.02 (2nd)
Eli Mordel — 110m Hurdles — 14.23 (4th)
Eli Mordel — Pole Vault — 4.60m (3rd)
Taisei Tan — 110m Hurdles — 14.22 (2nd)
Taisei Tan — 400m Hurdles — 56.00 (10th)
Ethan Hood — 400m — 49.61 (15th)
Max Gerundin — 800m — 1:56.25 (5th)
Charlie Mortimer — 3000m — 8:44.43 (10th)
Parker Baetz — Pole Vault — 3.70m (13th)
Ayoub Shangai — 200m — 22.64 (14th)
Ayoub Shangai — 400m — 48.47 (6th)
Xavier Placid — 100m — 11.21 (21st)

Senior Girls
Mallea McMullin — Javelin — 40.37m (2nd)
Mallea McMullin — Discus — 26.19m (22nd)
Norah Nitta Mackay — 400m — 55.89 (4th)
Norah Nitta Mackay — 400m Hurdles — 1:06.40 (17th)
Roxy Gardiner — High Jump — 1.55m (5th)
Roxy Gardiner — Triple Jump — 11.34m (8th)
Teagan Casselman — 200m — 25.41 (13th)
Livia Buffone — 100m — 12.68 (16th)
Livia Buffone — 200m — 25.75 (20th)
Maya Allibon — 1500m — 4:55.57 (20th)
Annabella Curtis — 800m — 2:20.09 (19th)
Shannon Dewar — 800m — 2:19.85 (17th)
Jorai Oppong-Nketiah — 100m — 11.90 (DNS – Final)
Kyra Lauter — 3000m — 10:32.92 (18th)
Laila Lebel — 1500m — 5:03.04 (22nd)
Laila Lebel — 3000m — 10:31.16 (17th)
Audrey Sirnik — Long Jump — 4.63m (23rd)
Audrey Sirnik — Triple Jump — 10.15m (23rd)

Open Boys
Charlie Mortimer — 2000m Steeplechase — 5:58.41 (4th)

Open Girls
Charlotte Fee — 2000m Steeplechase — 7:34.45 (16th)
Kyra Lauter — 2000m Steeplechase — 7:17.59 (8th)

Intellectually Impaired
Dylan DeBoer — 100m — 13.32 (10th)

(Brockville, Canada---29 May 2026) Eli Mordel of Sir Robert Borden. OFSAA East Regional Track and Field Qualifier, held at the Thousand Islands Secondary School. Photograph Copyright 2026 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Muir and Mordel Vault to Meet Record, Lead Lions at OFSAA East Regionals

by High Schoollinkinbio

Brockville, ON – It was an event to remember for Lions athletes at last week’s OFSAA East Regional Championships in Brockville. A total of 51 athletes punched their tickets to the provincial championships with 81 individual qualifying performances, while Club athletes set 88 personal bests — capped by two outstanding meet records.

The performance of the meet belonged to Glebe’s Anabelle Muir, who rewrote the junior girls pole vault record book en route to gold. Muir secured victory with a first-attempt clearance of 3.05m before pushing the bar to 3.21m — a new meet record height — and sailing over that on her first attempt as well. She continued her clinical competition with a first-attempt clearance of 3.35m, then cleared her winning height of 3.50m on the second try, setting a new lifetime best and cementing her place in the record books.

The effort has Muir ranked first in Ontario heading into this weekend’s OFSAA Championships and places her third on the Ottawa Lions’ all-time U18 rankings. In her other event, Muir was seventh in the junior girls 300m hurdles in 48.43.

Eli Mordel also left his mark on the record books in the senior boys pole vault, clearing 4.52m to break a standard that had stood since 2017. The Sir Robert Borden senior was efficient and unflappable despite blustery conditions, clearing every height on his first attempt before falling on his final bar of 4.65m, which would have been a personal best.

Mordel’s clubmate Taisei Tan had a championship of his own, sweeping both hurdles events. Tan opened with a win in the 400m hurdles, edging Cobourg’s Sebastian Kwasnicki by 16 hundredths of a second to cross in 55.14, then returned the following day to set an all-conditions best of 13.99 seconds in the 110m. Mordel was right behind him in second, rounding out a strong two-day showing for the pair.

Grade 10 Garneau student Maxime Cazabon had arguably the most complete championship of any Lion on the weekend, taking gold in both the junior boys high jump and triple jump while adding a silver in the long jump. His high jump clearance of 1.95m — the second-best of his life — was his best of the high school season, peaking at just the right time.

Cazabon was equally successful in the horizontal jumps, bounding out to a winning mark of 12.91m in the triple jump and posting a 6.43m effort in the long jump. With OFSAA just days away, Cazabon showed he is primed for a multi medal leap at the provincial event. 

Carleton Place’s Megan Paterson was untouchable in the junior girls throws, sweeping gold in both the shot put and discus. Her winning discus throw of 36.62m — a new lifetime best — came more than eight metres clear of clubmate and silver medalist Charlotte Mills of Osgoode. Paterson then put the shot out to 11.30m for a second title, with Mills placing third.

Louis-Riel’s Ayoub Shangai finished second in all three senior sprint events. After an opening day silver over 200m (21.81), the grade 12 student returned on Friday for all-conditions best of 10.55 seconds in the 100m — aided by a 3.4 m/s trailing wind — finishing runner-up to Frontenac’s Wyatt Lee, the current intercollegiate record holder. Over 400m, Shangai crossed in 48.18 seconds, just two hundredths back of training partner Ange-Mathis Kramo of Paul-Desmarais, who claimed gold in 48.16 — the same finishing order as the City Championships.

Full list of OFSAA Qualifiers (individual events only)

William Lussier – Silver – Novice Boys 100 Metre – 11.38 (2.4)
William Lussier – Silver – Novice Boys 200 Metre – 23.43 (1.4)
Jake Claydon-St. John – Silver – Novice Boys 400 Metre – 53.69
Jake Claydon-St. John – Gold – Novice Boys 800 Metre – 2:01.37
Roan Gerth – Fourth – Novice Girls 1500 Metre – 4:52.77
Jaiden Taft – Silver – Novice Boys 1500 Metre – 4:14.00
Jake Claydon-St. John – Fourth – Novice Boys 1500 Metre – 4:18.89
Roan Gerth – Gold – Novice Girls 3000 Metre – 10:43.13
Jaiden Taft – Silver – Novice Boys 3000 Metre – 9:21.66
Kai Lebel – Fourth – Novice Boys 3000 Metre – 9:30.36
Sasha Stephenson – Bronze – Novice Girls 80 Metre Hurdles – 13.16 (2.1)
Sasha Stephenson – Silver – Novice Girls 300 Metre Hurdles – 47.71
Landon Hopwood – Bronze – Novice Boys Long Jump – 5.79m (NWI)
Brooklyn Reesal – Gold – Novice Girls Discus Throw – 28.62m
Olivia Daigle-Dasah – Bronze – Junior Girls 200 Metre – 26.08 (-1.1)
Declan McGinnity – Fourth – Junior Boys 200 Metre – 23.27 (-0.7)
Mya Bianconi – Bronze – Junior Girls 400 Metre – 1:00.83
Autumn Sakiyama – Fourth – Junior Girls 400 Metre – 1:01.29
Declan McGinnity – Gold – Junior Boys 400 Metre – 52.12
Gavin Bowling – Bronze – Junior Boys 400 Metre – 53.16
Autumn Sakiyama – Silver – Junior Girls 800 Metre – 2:23.14
Isla Kittmer – Silver – Junior Girls 1500 Metre – 4:47.39
Reve McInnes – Bronze – Junior Girls 1500 Metre – 4:53.33
Charlotte Eccles – Fourth – Junior Girls 1500 Metre – 4:55.61
Oscar Lorrain – Fourth – Junior Boys 1500 Metre – 4:08.46
Isla Kittmer – Gold – Junior Girls 3000 Metre – 10:29.15
Reem Alabed – Silver – Junior Girls 3000 Metre – 10:35.23
Reve McInnes – Bronze – Junior Girls 3000 Metre – 10:36.06
Charlotte Eccles – Fourth – Junior Girls 3000 Metre – 10:36.39
Oscar Lorrain – Silver – Junior Boys 3000 Metre – 9:03.73
Brody Charbot – Fourth – Junior Boys 3000 Metre – 9:18.71
Ethan Frizzell – Gold – Junior Boys 100 Metre Hurdles – 13.86 (2.1)
Brock Stonham – Silver – Junior Boys 100 Metre Hurdles – 14.36 (2.1)
Mya Bianconi – Gold – Junior Girls 300 Metre Hurdles – 46.17
Weston Wilkes – Fourth – Junior Boys 300 Metre Hurdles – 42.93
Maxime Cazabon – Gold – Junior Boys High Jump – 1.95m
Anabelle Muir – Gold – Junior Girls Pole Vault – 3.50m
Charlotte Morales – Bronze – Junior Girls Pole Vault – 2.90m
Brock Stonham – Bronze – Junior Boys Pole Vault – 3.25m
Maxime Cazabon – Silver – Junior Boys Long Jump – 6.43m (NWI)
Maxime Cazabon – Gold – Junior Boys Triple Jump – 12.91m (NWI)
Megan Paterson – Gold – Junior Girls Shot Put – 11.30m
Charlotte Mills – Bronze – Junior Girls Shot Put – 10.60m
Megan Paterson – Gold – Junior Girls Discus Throw – 36.62m
Charlotte Mills – Silver – Junior Girls Discus Throw – 28.42m
William Burges – Silver – Junior Boys Discus Throw – 42.76m
Jarred Rathwell – Bronze – Junior Boys Javelin Throw – 49.18m
Jorai Matthea Oppong-Nketiah – Gold – Senior Girls 100 Metre – 11.84 (3.3)
Livia Buffone – Bronze – Senior Girls 100 Metre – 12.29 (3.3)
Ayoub Shangai – Silver – Senior Boys 100 Metre – 10.55 (3.4)
Jorai Matthea Oppong-Nketiah – Silver – Senior Girls 200 Metre – 25.14 (0.8)
Livia Buffone – Bronze – Senior Girls 200 Metre – 25.28 (0.8)
Teagan Casselman – Fourth – Senior Girls 200 Metre – 25.61 (0.8)
Ayoub Shangai – Silver – Senior Boys 200 Metre – 21.81 (-0.6)
Ange-Mathis Kramo – Bronze – Senior Boys 200 Metre – 22.00 (-0.6)
Norah Nitta Mackay – Gold – Senior Girls 400 Metre – 57.08
Ange-Mathis Kramo – Gold – Senior Boys 400 Metre – 48.16
Ayoub Shangai – Silver – Senior Boys 400 Metre – 48.18
Ethan Hood – Bronze – Senior Boys 400 Metre – 49.35
Annabella Curtis – Silver – Senior Girls 800 Metre – 2:16.98
Shannon Dewar – Fourth – Senior Girls 800 Metre – 2:17.94
Max Gerundin – Fourth – Senior Boys 800 Metre – 1:53.72
Maya Allibon – Bronze – Senior Girls 1500 Metre – 4:42.91
Laila Lebel – Fourth – Senior Girls 1500 Metre – 4:46.59
Laila Lebel – Silver – Senior Girls 3000 Metre – 10:27.30
Emily Munro – Bronze – Senior Girls 3000 Metre – 10:27.84
Kyra Lauter – Fourth – Senior Girls 3000 Metre – 10:30.40
Charlie Mortimer – Bronze – Senior Boys 3000 Metre – 8:58.94
Taisei Tan – Gold – Senior Boys 110 Metre Hurdles – 13.99 (3.2)
Eli Mordel – Silver – Senior Boys 110 Metre Hurdles – 14.22 (3.2)
Norah Nitta Mackay – Silver – Senior Girls 400 Metre Hurdles – 1:05.22
Taisei Tan – Gold – Senior Boys 400 Metre Hurdles – 55.14
Roxy Gardiner – Bronze – Senior Girls High Jump – 1.50m
Eli Mordel – Gold – Senior Boys Pole Vault – 4.52m
Parker Baetz – Fourth – Senior Boys Pole Vault – 3.45m
Audrey Sirnik – Fourth – Senior Girls Long Jump – 5.00m (NWI)
Roxy Gardiner – Gold – Senior Girls Triple Jump – 11.30m (NWI)
Audrey Sirnik – Fourth – Senior Girls Triple Jump – 10.94m (NWI)
Mallea McMullin – Fourth – Senior Girls Discus Throw – 29.69m
Mallea McMullin – Gold – Senior Girls Javelin Throw – 43.61m
Kyra Lauter – Gold – Open Girls 2000 Metre Steeplechase – 7:28.16
Charlotte Fee – Bronze – Open Girls 2000 Metre Steeplechase – 7:33.34
Charlie Mortimer – Gold – Open Boys 2000 Metre Steeplechase – 6:11.02
Dylan DeBoer – Silver – Intellectually Imp. Boys 100 Metre – 12.96 (3.6)

Full results available on CSTiming.com

(Ottawa, Canada---29 May 2025) Max Gerundin competes at the 2025 OFSAA East Region Qualifier Track and Field meet. Photograph Copyright 2025 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Lions Roar at EOSSAA as 22 Athletes Punch Their Tickets to Brockville

by High Schoollinkinbio

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

(Ottawa, Canada---20 May 2026) Ange Mathis Kramo of Paul Desmarais. National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association (NCSSAA) City Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2026 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Three Records, 150+ Regional Qualifiers Highlight Lions Showing at NCSSAA Championships

by High Schoollinkinbio

Personal bests piled up by the hour. Championship records disappeared. By the end of the two-day meet, Ottawa Lions athletes had qualified for next week’s OFSAA East Regional Championships in more than 150 events.

In total, Lions athletes combined for 122 personal bests, nine new all-time club top-10 performances, and more than 80 individual regional qualifiers at this year’s NCSSAA Track and Field Championships, highlighted by three championship records and a remarkable collection of multi-event champions.

Ange-Mathis Kramo capped a superb senior boys sprint campaign with a championship record in the 200m, clocking 21.29 seconds on the opening day of the two-day event to trim 15 hundredths of a second off the previous standard set in 2024. After breaking the record in the preliminaries with a wind-aided 21.26, the Paul-Desmarais senior returned in the final to take advantage of the only wind-legal 200m final of the day.

Kramo was pushed to the line by training partner Ayoub Shangai of Louis-Riel, who narrowly missed the previous record himself while finishing second in 21.56. The performance moved Shangai to eighth on the club’s U20 all-time list.

A similar story unfolded the following day in the 400m, where Kramo captured another title in 48.59 — just five hundredths of a second ahead of Shangai.

As she has all season, Anabelle Muir soared to another standout performance in the junior girls pole vault. The Grade 10 Glebe student shattered the championship record by clearing 3.47 metres, winning by more than two feet over training partner Charlotte Morales. The performance moved Muir to third on the club’s U18 all-time list and remains the top junior girls clearance in Ontario this season.

The pair later finished in the same 1-2 order in the 300m hurdles, though Muir’s margin of victory was far narrower as she edged Morales 49.20 to 49.40.

Mallea McMullin had already entered the championships holding the junior javelin record, but this year she made her mark at the senior level as well. McMullin launched the 600-gram implement 42.23 metres to break an eight-year-old championship record before returning to capture the senior girls discus title with a personal best performance, establishing herself as one of the region’s top throwing threats heading into next week’s regional championships.

Beyond the records, the Lions produced a remarkable collection of multi-event champions across nearly every discipline.

Roxy Gardiner was at the top of her game in the senior girls jumps, capturing gold in the high jump (1.57m), long jump (5.33m), and triple jump (11.23m) — all lifetime best performances. Maxime Cazabon matched the feat in the junior boys division, winning the high jump (1.80m), long jump (6.55m PB), and triple jump (13.04m) to complete a clean sweep of the horizontal and vertical jumps.

In the girls events, Sasha Stephenson doubled in the novice hurdles, winning both the 80m hurdles and 300m hurdles while also adding bronze in the 200m. Osgoode’s Charlotte Mills ruled the throwing circle in the junior division, sweeping the shot put and discus titles, while Holy Trinity’s Norah Nitta Mackay topped the podium in both the senior girls 400m and 400m hurdles.

Jorai Oppong-Nketiah once again asserted herself as one of the province’s premier sprinters, capturing senior girls gold in both the 100m (12.13) and 200m (24.69).

On the boys side, novice standout William Lussier proved untouchable in the short sprints, winning both the 100m and 200m while adding silver in the 400m. Jake Claydon-St. John controlled the novice boys middle-distance races, earning victories in both the 400m and 800m, while Jaiden Taft swept the novice boys 1500m and 3000m titles.

Distance success continued through the older age groups as Brody Charbot captured junior boys gold in both the 1500m (4:21.69) and 3000m (9:38.95). Charlie Mortimer completed a distance double of his own, winning the senior boys 3000m and open boys steeplechase, while Kyra Lauter mirrored the feat on the girls side with victories in the senior girls 3000m and open girls steeplechase — both in personal best performances of 10:30.37 and 7:31.13 respectively.

Senior standout Eli Mordel added another pair of victories for the Lions, winning both the senior boys 110m hurdles and pole vault (4.50m).

The full contingent now turns its attention to the OFSAA East Regional Championships, to be held at Thousand Islands Secondary School in Brockville next week. With records already in hand and gold medals across every age group, the Lions travel with considerable momentum as they prepare to qualify for OFSAA.

Full meet results can be found on our website.

(Ottawa, Canada---14 May 2025) Jorai Matthea Oppong-Nketiah of Louis-Riel - Ottawa competes at the NCSSAA East Conference Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2025 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Meet Records, Sprint Sweeps Highlight Lions Showing at East Conference Championships

by High Schoollinkinbio

Ottawa Lions athletes delivered a number of commanding performances at last Thursday’s NCSSAA East Conference Championships at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility. Among the highlights were more than 120 personal bests and multiple championship records rewritten throughout the day.

Louis-Riel’s Jorai Oppong-Nketiah not only claimed double gold in the senior girls sprints, but also set a pair of meet records in the process. The University of Kentucky-bound senior captured the 100 metres in 11.92, lowering her own championship record by four hundredths of a second. She later added the 200-metre title after running a meet-record 24.75 in the preliminaries before crossing the line in 25.73 in the final.

Classmate Ayoub Shangai completed the rare sprint treble in the senior boys division, winning the 100 metres in 10.92, the 200 metres in 22.13, and the 400 metres in 50.45. Like Oppong-Nketiah, Shangai’s top 200-metre performance came in the preliminaries, where he posted a personal-best 21.66 — narrowly missing Olympian Segun Makinde’s meet record of 21.62 set in 2009.

Continuing the Louis-Riel success into the field events, Grade 11 student Mallea McMullin dominated the senior girls javelin, launching the 600-gram implement 42.00 metres — more than 10 metres clear of the field and just 20 centimetres shy of the meet record set in 1981. McMullin also topped the discus standings with a throw of 28.14 metres to secure her second gold medal of the day.

St. Francis Xavier’s Shannon Dewar earned a pair of victories in the senior girls middle-distance events, taking the 400 metres in 59.18 before adding the 800-metre title in 2:23.34.

In the junior girls distance events, Glebe’s Reve McInnes swept all three races, winning the 800 metres (2:38.06), 1500 metres (5:08.53), and 3000 metres (11:10.96).

Hillcrest’s Emily Munro added another distance double for the Lions in the senior girls category, winning both the 1500 metres in 4:58.54 and the 3000 metres in 10:44.28.

Glebe’s Anabelle Muir led the way in the junior girls hurdles events, capturing the 80-metre hurdles title in 13.48 before winning the 300-metre hurdles in 50.22. Earlier this spring, Muir also established a new East Conference record in the pole vault after clearing 3.46 metres at a pre-season competition.

Staying in the field events, Garneau’s Maxime Cazabon put together a strong multi-event performance in the junior boys division. Cazabon tied for top spot in the high jump after clearing 1.80 metres and captured the triple jump title with a personal-best leap of 13.27 metres.

The novice girls division featured a standout performance from Glebe’s Roan Gerth, who completed a unique triple by winning the 1500 metres in 5:10.96, the 3000 metres in 11:45.74, and the 300-metre hurdles in 49.17 — narrowly missing the 32-year-old meet record of 48.89. Her combination of endurance and hurdling ability could make her a natural fit for the steeplechase in the years ahead.

In the novice boys sprints, Mer Bleue’s William Lussier swept the 100 metres (11.62), 200 metres (24.14), and 400 metres (57.02).

Osgoode’s Dylan Deboer added another meet record to the Lions tally in the intellectually impaired 100 metres, trimming 14 hundredths off his own championship standard from last season in a winning time of 13.75.

(Ottawa, Canada---07 May 2026) Claydon St John runs the 800m at the National Capital High School Track and Field Invitational. Photograph Copyright 2026 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Lions Athletes Shine Through Tough Conditions at West Conference Championships

by High Schoollinkinbio

OTTAWA — Cold temperatures, rain and swirling winds made for less-than-ideal conditions Wednesday at the NCSSAA West Conference Championships at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility, but Ottawa Lions athletes still delivered a series of standout performances across the track and field events.

From the sprints to the distance races and field events, Lions athletes combined for numerous individual titles and several multi-event victories as the road to OFSAA officially got underway.

Among the day’s top performances was a dominant triple victory from John McCrae’s Jake Claydon-St. John in the novice boys division. The Grade 9 student captured the 400 metres in 55.51, returned to win the 800 metres in 2:12.55, and later closed out his afternoon with a victory in the 1500 metres in 4:31.22 — one of the most impressive all-around performances of the meet.

John McCrae also swept the senior distance events as Maya Allibon and Adam Yakimchuk each completed middle-distance doubles.

Allibon controlled both of her races, winning the senior girls 800 metres in 2:24.44 before returning to claim the 1500 metres in 5:03.83, taking both events by comfortable margins. Yakimchuk matched the feat on the boys side, capturing the senior 1500 metres in 4:19.71 and the 3000 metres in 9:22.10.

In the senior boys sprints, Paul-Desmarais standout Ange-Mathis Kramo cruised to victory in both of his events despite the difficult conditions. The Grade 12 student captured the 200 metres in 22.42 before adding the 400-metre title in 51.64.

All Saints student Declan McGinnity put together an impressive triple victory of his own in the junior boys division, winning the 200 metres (24.62), 400 metres (53.22) and 800 metres (2:22.21).

Holy Trinity’s Teagan Casselman led the way in the senior girls sprints, sweeping the 100 metres (13.14), 200 metres (27.37) and 100-metre hurdles (18.26).

Teammate Norah Nitta Mackay picked up victories in both the 400 metres and 400-metre hurdles, clocking 58.98 and 1:10.78 respectively.

In the field events, Sir Robert Borden’s Roxy Gardiner claimed a trio of titles as she dominated the jumps competition. The first-year senior athlete won both the long jump (5.16m) and triple jump (10.73m), while also sharing top spot in the high jump at 1.40 metres.

Eli Mordel also had a strong day for the Borden Bengals, winning the senior boys 110-metre hurdles in 15.65 and adding a silver medal in the long jump with a leap of 5.90 metres. Results from earlier season competitions were used to determine the pole vault standings, where Mordel’s 4.60-metre clearance was credited as a new meet record.

The novice girls sprint events saw Sacred Heart’s Michelle Nalwoga sweep both the 100 metres (14.14) and 200 metres (28.45), while Nepean’s Sasha Stephenson claimed victories in both hurdle events, winning the 80-metre hurdles in 14.16 and the 300-metre hurdles in 51.18.

Full meet results are available at Ottawa Lions Results Page

(Ottawa, Canada---01 August 2025) Mallea McMullin competes on Day 3 of the Canadian Track and Field Championships presented by Bell at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility. Copyright 2025 Miles Ryan / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Lions Athletes Rewrite the Record Books at National Capital Classic

by High Schoollinkinbio

OTTAWA — Less than a week away from the city conference championships, Lions athletes delivered a number of standout performances at the National Capital Classic Day 1 Meet. Among the highlights were a 41-year-old school record, a pair of meet records in the pole vault and a record setting performance from a two-time defending provincial champion.

Megan Paterson of Carleton Place was the story of the field events. The junior discus thrower broke a school record that had stood since 1985, launching the one kilogram disc 35.77 metres. Paterson’s winning throw also moved her to fifth on the club’s all-time U18 list and set a new meet standard. She wasn’t done there, adding a win in the javelin and silver in the shot put to show she will be ready for next week’s Lanark County Championships.

Mallea McMullin, a two-time defending OFSAA javelin champion, reinforced her status as one of the region’s premier throwers with a meet record in the senior girls javelin. The Louis-Riel standout dominated the event, launching the 600 gram javelin out to 41.84 metres to surpass the previous standard of 39.20 metres set in 2007 and finishing nearly 15 metres clear of the field. Showing her range across the throws, McMullin also captured gold in the discus.

Emerging star Anabelle Muir cleared 3.46 metres in the girls open pole vault to set a meet record and move to third on the club’s all-time U18 list. Muir’s clearance is more than a foot above last year’s junior girls OFSAA winning height. The grade 10 Glebe student also placed second in the junior girls 300 metre hurdles.

Eli Mordel of Sir Robert Borden was equally dominant in the boys open pole vault, clearing 4.20 metres to break his own meet record. The senior also won the 110 metre hurdles in a windy  14.16 seconds and took top spot in the long jump.

Roan Gerth had a day to remember in the distance and hurdles events. The grade nine Glebe student won the girls 300 metre hurdles in 49.48 seconds to set a meet record, a performance that now ranks 10th on the club’s all-time U16 list. She also won the open 2000 metre steeplechase in 7:56.39, to rank fifth all-time for club U16 athletes. Gerth finished the day off with a third-place finish in the 1500 metres.

The steeplechase was full of great performances for Lions athletes. Kai Lebel finished third in the boys event in 6:52.60 to rank second all-time among club U16 athletes. On the girls side, Keira Ganton and Anika Zahab finished fourth and fifth respectively, with their times slotting them sixth and seventh on the club’s all-time U16 list.

Roxy Gardiner of Sir Robert Borden rounded out the notable performances, placing first in the girls open triple jump with a mark of 11.13 metres that moves her to eighth on the club’s all-time U18 list. The grade 11 student also took top spot in the high jump at 1.50 metres. 

Full meet results are available on our website.

(Ottawa, Canada---01 August 2025) Jorai Oppong-Nketiah competes on day four of the Athletics Canada 2025 Bell Trials Canadian Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2025 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Oppong-Nketiah, Kramo Lead Record-Breaking Day at Ravens Relays

by High Schoollinkinbio

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Lions officially kicked off the capital’s high school track and field season Thursday, hosting the Ravens Relays at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility.

With more than 1,000 entries, the meet once again served as an early-season benchmark for athletes across the region — and a strong opening statement from Lions athletes.

In total, club athletes combined for four meet records and more than 100 personal best performances over the course of the day.

Leading the way were the sprinters as both the girls and boys varsity 100 metre records fell to Lions athletes.

On the women’s side, Jorai Oppong-Nketiah, who delivered a dominant performance in the senior girls’ 100 metres. The Louis-Riel standout twice dipped under the previous meet standard – first running 12.18w in the heats before setting the official mark of 12.13 in the final. 

On the boys’ side, Ange-Mathis Kramo of Paul-Desmarais matched the meet record set by Lion Stephan Balson two years ago with his time of 10.85 seconds. Training partner Ayoub Shangai finished a hair behind in 10.90 seconds. Impressive for the three performances is they were all set without the use of starting blocks. 

In an early test of her speed, 800 metre star Ellie McGregor was the class of the varsity girls 400 metres. The grade 11 student from Immaculata finished 40 metres clear of the field, crossing the line in 57.40 seconds to better the previous record of 57.84 set last year by Lion Quinn Coughlin.

Middle-distance strength was also on display, highlighted by Jake Claydon-St. John of John McCrae. Competing in the junior varsity boys 800 metres, Claydon-St. John ran 2:05.97 to establish a new meet record by over a second and a half. He also posted a third place finish over 400m. 

Another record nearly fell In the varsity boys 110-metre hurdles where Taisei Tan dominated the field with a 14.17 second clocking to win by nearly two seconds. Unfortunately for Tan, the wind was a hair above the legal limit at 2.1 m/s. Tan was also dominant in the 300 metre hurdles, posting a time of 39.14 seconds – nearly four seconds ahead of his nearest competitor. 

The high school season continues this week with the uOttawa High School Invitational as the athletes build towards the NCSSAA Conference Championships the week of May 11th.

(Ottawa, Canada---01 August 2025) Ange-Mathis Kramo competes on Day 3 of the Canadian Track and Field Championships presented by Bell at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility. Copyright 2025 Miles Ryan / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Kramo Hits World U20 Standard, Leads Lions at Shamrock Invitational

by High Schoollinkinbio

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — A group of Ottawa Lions high school athletes closed out their March Break training camp with a series of breakthrough performances at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational, highlighted by five marks that entered the club’s all-time top-10 list and a total of 24 personal bests across 34 competitors.

Held annually at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium, the meet has become a staple on the Lions’ spring calendar, offering athletes an early-season opportunity to test their fitness against deep collegiate and high school fields.

Leading the charge was Paul Desmarais senior sprinter Ange-Mathis Kramo, who signaled his form for the upcoming championship season with a trio of strong performances. Kramo narrowly missed advancing from the 100-metre preliminaries despite a solid 10.79-second effort on Friday, but rebounded in emphatic fashion a day later. He clocked personal bests of 21.11 seconds in the 200 metres and 47.28 seconds in the 400 metres, placing second and first, respectively, in the collegiate sections. The marks rank as the second and third-fastest U20 performances in club history and both surpassed the entry standards for this summer’s World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Livia Buffone also opened her outdoor season in impressive form, continuing a trend of early-season progress in Myrtle Beach. The Grade 11 student from Glebe Collegiate ran a personal best of 12.45 seconds in the 100 metres, finishing 32nd in a field that included competitors up to six years her senior. The performance marked a significant improvement, trimming more than two tenths of a second off her previous best.

Buffone later returned to the track as part of the Lions’ 4×200-metre relay team alongside Roxy Gardiner, Norah Nitta Mackay and Marlowe Fabi. The quartet combined to run 1:45.78, recording the fourth-fastest U18 time in club history.

Another top-10 performance came in the women’s 4×800-metre relay, where Shannon Dewar, Isla Kittmer, Kyre Lauter and Maya Allibon captured bronze in 9:42.81. Kittmer led the team with a 2:24 split, while her teammates each contributed strong 2:26 legs in a well-balanced effort.

Kittmer also found individual success, running 5:19.61 in the mile to place 13th. The performance moved her to seventh on the club’s U18 all-time list.

On the men’s side, Max Gerundin continued his strong run of form following his recent Canadian indoor medal, producing a personal best of 1:55.56 in the 800 metres to secure a top-10 finish in the collegiate section.

With the outdoor season now underway, the Shamrock Invitational once again provided a valuable benchmark for the Lions’ developing athletes, many of whom will look to build on these early results as they turn their focus toward the spring high school season.

(Ottawa, Canada---04 November 2024) Novice Boys generic running up "The Hill" at Mooney's Bay at the 2024 OFSAA Cross Country Championships. Photograph Copyright 2024 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Lions Impress with Strong Showings at OFSAA Cross Country Championships

by High SchoollinkinbioUniversity

Ottawa Lions athletes capped off an outstanding cross country season with a series of strong performances at the OFSAA Cross Country Championships held Saturday at Heart Lake Conservation Area in Brampton. With three dozen Lions athletes lining up across the seven divisions, several cracked the top 20 in deep provincial fields.

Leading the way on the senior side was Charlie Mortimer of Hillcrest, who battled through the challenging 6-kilometre course to finish fifth in the Senior Boys race with a time of 19:12.29. The result marked a significant improvement from his 21st-place showing last year and capped a stellar high school season that also included a city title.

Led by Kyra Lauter, the Lions had two athletes finish among the top 20 in the Senior Girls race. The Franco-Ouest student placed 15th—her highest-ever OFSAA cross country finish—in 22:58.26, while Colonel By’s Laila Lebel followed close behind in 19th at 23:13.57.

A strong Lions contingent made its presence felt in the Junior Girls race, with three athletes finishing inside the top 30. Reve McInnes (Glebe) led the charge with a 19th-place finish in 19:52.80. Along with teammate Leonie Ravard (68th), Glebe finished fourth overall in the team standings. A similar one-two Lions punch helped Nepean High School to a fifth-place finish, just six points behind Glebe. The Knights were led by Charlie Fee’s 20th-place finish in 19:56.37 and Charlotte Eccles’s 45th-place result, while John McCrae’s Alexandra Harris, the defending Novice Girls bronze medalist, was 28th in 20:11.82. 

The EOSSA Champion Oscar Lorrain rose to the occasion again in the Junior Boys race, producing the top finish for the Lions. The L’Escale student narrowly missed the top 10, clocking 17:00.62 for 11th. St. Francis Xavier’s Brody Charbot was 76th overall, while Glengarry’s Rowan Blaine placed 83rd.

In the Novice Girls race, Roan Gerth (Glebe) continued her strong rookie campaign with a 13th-place finish in 16:11.57. The NCSSAA Champion also led Glebe to a fifth-place finish in the team standings, just 45 points shy of the podium. 

Jaiden Taft had the race of his season in the Novice Boys event. The AY Jackson student cracked the top 10, finishing ninth in 14:23.13, just a week after placing fourth at the NCSSAA Championships. Colonel By’s Kai Lebel followed in 37th, helping the Cougars to an eighth-place team finish with 395 points, narrowly missing sixth by four points.

Competing in the Para division, Jacob Gauthier (Jules-Léger) clocked 22:41.69 to finish 36th overall, ranking as the top visually impaired athlete in the province.

With the high school season now complete, these Lions athletes will turn their attention towards the Athletics Ontario Championships in two weeks’ time and for the older athletes, eyes will also be on the Canadian Championships later this month in London.

Lions South of the Border

A day before OFSAA kicked off, Maddie Seaby was in action Friday at the Atlantic Coast Conference Cross Country Championships in Louisville, Kentucky. The Louisville junior placed 84th overall for the host Cardinals in 21:01.3on the 6km course. Racing together as a tightly packed unit, the Cardinals finished 11th in the team standings with 265 points, recording a spread of only 33 seconds between their top five scorers—the third-best spread in the 18-team field. Next up for Seaby will be the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships in Charlottesville, Va., on November 14, where athletes will vie for berths at the NCAA Championships.

On the roads, Joshua Cassidy continued his comeback season with an eighth-place finish in the men’s wheelchair division of the New York City Marathon on Sunday morning. The veteran racer crossed the line in 1:43:38, capping a year that’s seen him balance recovery from a shoulder injury with a steady return to form.

Full Lions Results from OFSAA

Senior Girls (6km)

15. Kyra Lauter (Franco-Ouest ESC) – 22:58.26
19. Laila Lebel (Colonel By SS) – 23:13.57
62. Edie Petrescu-Comnene (Nepean HS) – 24:34.19
84. Emily Munro (Hillcrest HS) – 25:02.76
259. Sophie Edwards (Colonel By SS) – 30:50.04

Senior Boys (6km)

5. Charlie Mortimer (Hillcrest HS) – 19:12.29
86. Jackson McKercher (John McCrae SS) – 21:11.53
91. Aidan Snow (ÉSC Paul-Desmarais) – 21:15.65
104. Olivier Young (Louis-Riel ESP) – 21:28.73
162. Max Gerundin (Bishop Smith CHS) – 22:15.72
246. Matisse Joly (Louis-Riel ESP) – 24:27.04
DNF. Mikel Fortier (Louis-Riel ESP)

Junior Girls (5km)

19. Reve McInnes (Glebe CI) – 19:52.80
20. Charlie Fee (Nepean HS) – 19:56.37
28. Alexandra Harris (John McCrae SS) – 20:11.82
45. Charlotte Eccles (Nepean HS) – 20:41.68
53. Kira Coldrey (Colonel By SS) – 20:52.32
68. Leonie Ravard (Glebe CI) – 21:09.31
127. Anabelle Muir (Glebe CI) – 22:32.21
164. Isla Kittmer (MacKenzie CS) – 23:18.13
203. Helena Winkel (Nepean HS) – 24:27.37

Junior Boys (5km)

11. Oscar Lorrain (ÉSC l’Escale) – 17:00.62
76. Brody Charbot (St. Francis Xavier HS) – 18:29.06
83. Rowan Blaine (Glengarry DHS) – 18:35.44

Novice Girls (4km)

13. Roan Gerth (Glebe CI) – 16:11.57
45. Keira Ganton (Maplewood) – 17:11.04
53. Saoirse Hoogenraad (Longfields-Davidson Heights SS) – 17:17.38
72. Priya Bilcock (Nepean HS) – 17:37.70
111. Anna Hennigar (Nepean HS) – 18:13.12

Novice Boys (4km)

9. Jaiden Taft (AY Jackson SS) – 14:23.13
37. Kai Lebel (Colonel By SS) – 14:52.81
103. Patrick Badgley (Sir Wilfrid Laurier SS) – 15:41.01

Para 4km

36. Jacob Gauthier (Jules-Léger CC) – 22:41.69