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Lions athletes enjoyed a historic weekend, achieving numerous outstanding performances on both sides of the border. From Massachusetts to Montreal, and even at home in Ottawa, records fell and personal bests were shattered.

At the Harvard Invitational in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Sydney Smith sprinted to an impressive 1:13.16 finish in the 500m race. She crossed the line just a hair’s breadth behind former three-time All-American Bianca Stubler. Smith’s time is the second fastest in club history, trailing only Club record holder Esther Akinsulie.

Liam Davis made a splash at the York Open. Competing in only his fourth-ever weight throw competition, the University of Guelph rookie launched the 35 pound ball an impressive 17.64 metres. This remarkable throw not only secured the third-best mark in club history but also surpassed the USports standard of 17.05 metres, positioning him as a serious national contender.

Meanwhile, in Montreal, at the Ontario vs Quebec U16 Duel Meet at Complexe Sportif Claude Robillard, Maxime Cazabon was a double-winner. He dominated the competition with victories in both the high jump (1.88m) and the 60m sprint (7.32s) moving to second on the Club’s U16 all-time list in both events. Cazabon’s high jump performance was just nine centimetres shy of Olympian Brian Marshall’s club U16 record, while his lightning-fast 60m sprint moved him into second place on the club’s all-time list, surpassing even two-time Olympian Oluwasegun Makinde.

The record-setting spree continued at the Louis-Riel Dome in Ottawa, where the Lions hosted their first-ever Field Events and Relays Meet. Jessica Gyamfi etched her name in the University of Ottawa record books, setting two new marks. She first broke the weight throw record with a 15.98 metres effort, edging past Ty Coulter’s 2018 mark. Gyamfi then shattered the shot put record with a throw of 13.22 metres, surpassing Christina Hertner’s 2018 distance.

Carleton University’s Brianna Asiamah also rewrote her school’s shot put record for the third time. Her Sunday throw landed at 13.36 metres, adding five centimetres to her previous best.

The outstanding performances of both Asiamah and Gyamfi earned them automatic berths to the USports Championships, capping off a truly historic weekend for the Lions.

The athletes will be back in action this weekend, with the Lions travelling to Boston for a series of competitions at Boston College, Harvard, and Boston University.

A weekend of competition spanning two countries saw Lions athletes deliver nearly 40 personal bests and claim 14 victories. The McGill Team Challenge in Montreal and the Saints Indoor Invitational in New York provided the stage for a host of standout performances.

Gyamfi Dominates Throws at St. Lawrence

Jessica Gyamfi of the University of Ottawa turned in a stellar performance at the Saints Indoor Invitational, claiming victories in both the shot put and weight throw. Gyamfi’s 12.92m throw in the shot put narrowly edged Carleton’s Brianna Asiamah by a mere centimeter to secure gold. She followed that up with a commanding performance in the weight throw, launching the second-best throw of her career at 15.20m to win by nearly half a metre.

Carleton freshman Veronica Tedford also delivered a noteworthy performance, setting a personal best of 11.40m in the weight throw to finish seventh.

Courteau Shines in the Pentathlon

At McGill, Vienna Courteau led the charge for the Gee-Gees with an impressive pentathlon victory on Friday. Courteau tallied a career-best 3,380 points, aided by personal bests in the 60m hurdles (9.00), long jump (5.55m), and 1000m (2:40.59). Her teammate, Kathryn Moreland, secured second place with 3,300 points, boosted by strong performances in the 60m hurdles (9.67) and 800m (2:21.48).

Vroom Excels in Middle Distances

Fresh off a personal best in the 3000m last week in Ottawa, Queen’s University’s Elizabeth Vroom continued her streak of lifetime bests with impressive performances in the 1000m and 1500m in Montreal. Vroom clocked 2:58.34 in the 1000m before delivering a swift 4:32.27 in the 1500m, placing fourth and shaving 1.5 seconds off her previous best from the 2023 Canadian U20 Championships. Her 1500m time now ranks 13th in U SPORTS.

Moreland Takes Triple Jump Crown

Elizabeth Moreland added another highlight to the Gee-Gees weekend, winning the triple jump at McGill with a lifetime best of 11.42m. The jump moves her into fourth place on the University of Ottawa’s all-time rankings.

Mordel Soars in Pole Vault

In the men’s pole vault at McGill, Eli Mordel delivered a standout performance, clearing 4.16m for fourth place. This marked a significant improvement from his previous best of 4.00m, achieved at the Ontario Legion Championship last summer. Carleton’s Nathan Parlebas also impressed, clearing 3.86m to secure seventh place and strengthen his position as the second-best vaulter in Carleton’s history.

Oppong-Nketiah and Kramo Sprint to Victories

Jorai Oppong-Nketiah continued her impressive run of form, capturing first place in the women’s 60m at St. Lawrence. Her time of 7.58 seconds was the second-best of her career after last week’s U18 record setting performance.

In the men’s events, Oppong-Nketiah’s training partner, Ange-Mathis Kramo, delivered dominant performances to secure top spots in both the 200m (22.31) and 400m (49.75), narrowly missing meet records in each event.

Results and photos from the weekend can be found on our website.