The Hornet’s Nest in Blackburn Hamlet played host to the NCSSAA East Conference Cross Country Championships on Thursday, welcoming athletes back to a familiar course that has staged multiple OFSAA Championships over the years. Competing under cool fall conditions on the rolling trails, Ottawa Lions athletes produced a number of standout performances, including two individual victories.
Leading the way was Colonel By’s Laila Lebel, who captured the Senior Girls 6km title in commanding fashion. Lebel crossed the line in 23:19.9, more than 23 seconds clear of her nearest challenger. Joining her on the podium was Hillcrest’s Emily Munro, who earned the bronze medal with a time of 24:12.0,.
The club’s second victory of the day came in the Novice Girls 4km race, where Roan Gerth of Glebe Collegiate delivered a dominant performance. Gerth stopped the clock at 14:45.3, finishing more than 37 seconds ahead of the runner-up to secure her place atop the podium.
The Senior Boys 6km race produced another dramatic finish, with Hillcrest’s Charlie Mortimer battling Owen Siderius down to the wire. The pair were separated by less than a second at the finish, with Mortimer ultimately taking the silver medal in 20:08.6. It marked the second consecutive year that the East Conference senior boys title was decided by the slimmest of margins, echoing Daniel Cova’s narrow win over Saul Taler in 2024.
In the Junior Girls 5km race, Glebe’s Reve McInnes impressed with a bronze-medal performance, clocking 20:06.7. The Grade 10 standout led a dominant Glebe team effort, as the Griffins packed four athletes into the top eight to run away with the team title, finishing with an outstanding 22 points.
Also standing out on the day was Colonel By’s Kai Lebel, who grabbed silver in the Novice Boys 4km. The Grade 9 runner, who has excelled in Athletics Ontario Championship races, crossed the line in 13:23.7 to add another podium finish for the Lions.
Rounding out the Lions medalists was Jacob Gauthier of Consortium Jules-Léger, who earned a silver medal in the Para 4km race. Gauthier, who is legally blind, finished second overall and was the top performer among visually impaired athletes. He clocked a personal best of 20:47.0, an impressive improvement of nearly four minutes from his previous best, marking a memorable achievement on the Hornet’s Nest course.
Athletes will return to the Hornet’s Nest on Thursday, October 23 for the NCSSAA Championships, the final step on the road to OFSAA, which takes place November 1 in Brampton. The top two teams in each race, along with the top five individuals not on qualifying teams, will punch their ticket to the provincial championships.
