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Lions add three more medals on day three of Canadian Championships

by linkinbioNational

With temperatures in Langley soaring above 30 degrees centigrade in the first heat wave of the BC summer, the Ottawa Lions raised their game to meet the scorching temperatures on the track. The Lions amassed three more medals on day three of competition at the Canadian Track and Field Championships to bring their total to nine. 

When Bianca Borgella started her track career in earnest, a little more than a year ago, the personal bests and Canadian records came fast and furious for the T13 visually impaired athlete. It seemed almost as though she would run a new record every week in 100 metres at one point. Then the records stopped, but that all changed Saturday night at the Canadian Track and Field Championships. 

Powered by a quicker than normal start, Borgella ran away from a field that included Paralympic bronze medalist Marissa Papaconstantinou and burst through the finish line in a time of 12.43 seconds. The performance trimmed a full tenth of a second off her previous best, and Canadian T13 record, set last August at the final Twilight Meet of the season. 

The victory moved Borgella’s record to a perfect 2-0 at the Championship after she had won the ambulatory 400 metres the night before – also in a T13 Canadian Record time. 

For Lauren Gale, she learned a valuable lesson Saturday night in the 400 metre final – better to trip out of the blocks than at the end of the race. Despite a stumble out of the blocks, the Olympian regained her stride and sprinted her way to a silver medal in a time of 51.61 seconds. 

“It’s close to a personal best,” Gale noted positively about her race. “I’m happy to come second at Canadian nationals. I’m excited.”

The next stop for the 22-year-old will be the start line in Eugene, OR for the World Championships, which begin July 15. Gale, who bettered the World Athletics standard, is expected to be formally announced as a member of Team Canada this coming week. 

Out in the field, Tommy Nedow found the perfect time to launch the best throw of his season. The Brockville native whirled the two kilogram platter out to 53.07 metres on his third throw to secure the silver medal. 

Saturday’s silver medal was Nedow’s second medal in the senior discus competition, having captured the bronze three years ago in Montreal. 

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Vroom and Stonham lead medal haul on day two of Canadian Championships

by linkinbioNational

On the second day of the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Langley, BC the Lions added five medals to their haul, including the first two golds.

The day ended with bang as the duo of Elizabeth Vroom and Louise Stonham ran their way to the top two spots on the medal podium. Vroom continued her unbeaten streak in the steeplechase this year, taking the 3000 metre race in a personal best time of 10:40.33 – making her the 16th fastest Canadian U20 runner in history. 

Stonham wasn’t far behind her teammate, as she dipped under 11 minutes for the first time, crossing the line in 10:58.66 for silver.

The ladies made it three straight Canadian U20 Championships where the Lions placed two runners on a steeplechase podium. Kevin Robertson and Will Cox went 1-3 at the 2019 Championships, while Jonathan Rioux and Andre Alie-Lamarche placed 2-3 in 2018. 

Bianca Borgella nabbed the other gold medal on day two, as she dominated the field in the para ambulatory 400 metres. The 19-year-old Borgella took off like a bolt of lightning out of the blocks, blowing past the competition to win in a time of 1:02.19. The performance bettered her own Canadian T13 record by more than a second and a half.

“Tired. Lactic,” were the first two words out of Audrey Goodard’s mouth following the final event of the two day U20 heptathlon. After a personal best in the event, 2:34.05, Goddard had amassed 4480 points to share the silver with London Western’s Robin Selkirk. 

The seven event competition was a learning experience for the future Western University student. “I have a lot more left than I think,” explained Goddard. “When I think that I don’t, I can push.”

Goddard’s medal was the first for a U20 heptathlete from the Lions since Olivia Leon’s silver in 2016. Her point total was also the third highest for a U20 athlete in Club history. 

Picking up his second medal of the championship was Josh Cassidy as he won a bronze in the para wheelchair 1500 metres. The Paralympian, who finished in a time of 3:26.62, will now refocus his efforts to the marathon, which he will compete in at the Commonwealth Games in August before taking on some fall marathon races. 

(Langley, British Columbia ---23 June 2022) Josh Cassidy competing on day two of the Canadian Track and Field Championships at McLeod Athletic Park. Photograph 2022 Copyright Miles Ryan Rowat / Mundo Sport Images

Cassidy takes silver in 800m; Goddard second after day one of heptathlon

by linkinbioNational

The first day of competition at the 2022 Canadian Track and Field Championships featured only one final for Lions athletes, but it was enough to produce the first medal of the championship. Josh Cassidy took home the silver medal in the wheelchair 800 metres Thursday with a time of one minute and 42.31 seconds.

The defending champion in the event, from 2019, pushed the pace early while battling strong headwinds on the home stretch. Cassidy had a firm hold on the lead through about 550 metres before veteran Alexandre Dupoint used the wind at their backs to swing past him as they entered the final 200. Cassidy tried to respond, but could not find a way past Dupont on the homestretch.

He will try to get back on top of the podium today with the wheelchair 1500 metre final set to go at 4:40 pm Pacific. 

Day one also brought about the start of the heptathlon with Audrey Goddard and Brooklyn McCormick contesting the U20 and open competitions respectively. 

Goddard got off to a strong start in the 100 metre hurdles, her forte,and kept things rolling from there to a day one score of 2770 points to sit in second place after day one. 

The recent Merivale high school graduate was succinct in her characterization of her first heptathlon experience. “It was good.” 

Goddard had a consistent day one with marks of 14.70 seconds in the hurdles, 1.54 metres in high jump, 8.50 metres in shot put and 26.08 in the 200 metres.  “Nothing was amazing for me,” she said of her performances. But everything was “ok”.

McCormick, also competing in her first heptathlon, sits in 14th place after day one with 2137 points. 

The heptathlon finishes today with the long jump, javelin, and 800 metres starting at 9:30 am local time. 

OTTAWA, ON -- 08 July 2018: Saj Alhaddad racing in the 400m hurdles final at the 2018 Athletics Canada National Track and Field Championships held at the Terry Fox Athletics Facility in Ottawa, Canada. (Photo by Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images).

Lions ready to take on nation in Langley

by linkinbioNational

Over the Rockies to the lower mainland we go. Since Monday, Lions athletes have been making their way to the city Langley, a suburb on the far outskirts of Vancoucver to fight for national medals. It’s a first for many of these athletes, as the U20 contingent have been left without a championship since 2019. While a select number of athletes had the pleasure of competing at last year’s Olympic Trials, this is also the first taste of national level competition for many since before the pandemic. 

In total, 37Lions athletes will be fighting for a spot on the podium this weekend at McLeod Athletic Park, where action gets going today. Among the favourites are Lauren Gale and Josh Cassidy. Both athletes have already been named to Team Canada for this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK. It is anticipated Gale will also be named to the World Championship team, having bettered the 400 metre standard of 51.35 last month at the Mountain West Conference Championships. Gale, will also be among the medal favourites in the 200 metres, as she enters the competition with a season’s best and Club record of 22.82 seconds. 

Cassidy, a veteran of two Paralympic Games, will be looking to add to his large collection of national medals as he contests both the T54 800 and 1500 metres this week. Bouncing back from the Notwill Grand Prix in May where he failed to complete a race, Cassidy will be looking to find the form that saw him capture a trio of gold medals (800m/1500m/5000m) three years ago in Montreal.

Looking to find his way back on the national podium will be Saj Alhaddad in the 400 metres hurdles. The 30-year old has been a fixture in the national final for the past decade and enters the competition with the third fastest seed time. With already four Canadian medals to his name, look for Alhaddad to challenge his season’s best of 51.92 seconds set just two weeks ago at the Ontario Championships, where he ran to a silver medal. 

A triple medalist at the Ontario Championships, Tommy Nedow, will drop the hammer throw and focus his efforts on the shot put and discus this weekend in Langley. With a seed performance of 52.35 metres this season, Nedow is in a tight race to reclaim the bronze he won in 2019. In the shot put, the Southeastern Louisiana graduate will find himself in a tough battle for a medal in the shot put. Tommy enters the competition ranked 4th, but seeds three through six are all within 71  centimetres of each other. 

With Lions record holder Melissa Bishop-Nriagu not competing this season as she is pregnant with her second child, the women’s 800 metre gold is wide open. Hoping to find herself in the final mix is Sydney Smith. The University of Ottawa graduate student is coming off a new personal best of 2:05.35 set at the recent Ontario Championships and will be looking to secure herself a spot in the final where anything can happen. 

The men’s 800 metres will see Stephen Evans go after his first national medal. The former USports champion has found himself in multiple national finals in the past, but is still looking to make the breakthrough to that podium appearance. Evans appears primed for the task having set personal bests both indoors and out this season, was victorious in both Montreal and Guelph stops on the National Track Tour, the later included Evans’ first sub 1:48 run. 

A strong contingent of women will lead the U20 Lions into Langley. Elizabeth Vroom is the top seed entering the 3000 metre steeplechase following her Ontario Championship victory. Vroom, whose mark of 10:58.23  is nearly 15 seconds faster than the next entry, will be joined in the final by teammate Louise Stonham, who could also find herself on the podium. 

Training partners Amelia Van Brabant and Maddie Seaby will continue their season’s long duel at 3000 metres. The pair will enter the competition with the fourth and fifth fastest time respectively – an impressive feat for the two 17 year olds. . 

Finally, sprinter Katie Manor will look to turn a pair of provincial medals into national ones. . Manor produced a silver (100m) and gold (200m) and appears ready to elevate her running even further. Entering with personal bests of 11.94 seconds (100m) and 24.75 seconds (200m), the University of Ottawa student is ranked 6th and 9th respectively. 

Competition Schedule (All times in PST)

Thursday, June 23

09h30 U20 Heptathlon 100H Audrey Goddard
09h35 Open Heptathlon 100H Brooklyn McCormick
09h55 Open Women 400m Qualifying Helena Jovic/Doyin Ogunremi
10h55 U20 Men 100m Qualifying Seiyf Gebara/Luca Nicoletti
11h00 U20 Heptathlon High Jump Audrey Goddard
11h00 Open Heptathlon High Jump Brooklyn McCormick
11h10 Open Women 100m Qualifying Coralie Ostertag
11h25 Open Men 100m Qualifying Bertwin Ben-Smith/Michael Pinnock/Zach Bryant/Denzel Martineau
12h15 U20 Women 200m Qualifying Emma Martin
12h25 Open Women 200m Qualifying Doyin Ogunremi/Coralie Ostertag
12h45 Open Men 200m Qualifying Bertwin Ben-Smith/Michael Pinnock/Zach Bryant/Denzel Martineau
14h30 U20 Heptathlon Shot Put Audrey Goddard
14h30 Open Heptathlon Shot Put Brooklyn McCormick
16h45 Para Wheelchair 800m Final Josh Cassidy
17h00 U20 Heptathlon 200m Audrey Goddard
17h05 Open Heptathlon 200m Brooklyn McCormick

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Lions clinch U20 provincial title; hold narrow lead in Open Championship

by linkinbioProvincial

With a locked up U20 team title and a hand on the Open crown, the Ontario Championships would have to be considered a success for the Lions. A success that included For the second year in a row the Lions left the Ontario Championship with a U20 title with some hardware in tow, as they clinched the team title with an impressive 33 medals, including 12 gold. 

The U20 Lions clinched their second straight provincial title by amassing 208.5 points over the three day competition, nearly double last year’s winning score. While the U20 Championship will officially end late July with the hosting of the Combined Events Championship, the Lions’ 92 point lead over London Western is mathematically impossible to overcome. 

For the Open Championship, the Lions were able to put 166.5 points on the board to hold a 10.5 point lead over Royal City Athletics Club. However, it is London Western with 140.5 that poses the greatest threat to the Lions title hopes with multiple athletes likely to contest the Combined Events Championship. 

Setting the tone for the weekend were a trio of teenage steeplers in Gillian Porter, Zachary Sikka, and Elizabeth Vroom. Porter and Sikka each won their respective U20 events by more than 10 seconds, while Vroom moved up to the open 3000m steeple event to take silver in 10:58.23 – the second fastest time ever by a junior in Club history. 

Taking home an impressive three individual medals was thrower Tommy Nedow. The Brockville native produced gold medal efforts in both the discus (49.30m) and hammer throw (52.87m). 

Nedow’s gold in the discus completed a full set of medals in the open discus after bronze in 2018 and silver in 2019. As well, his hammer throw victory was the first by a male Lion since James Fahie’s victory in 1994 – four years before Nedow was born. 

Rounding out the medal haul on the weekend was a bronze in the shot put for Nedow, who produced a best throw of 15.49 metres on his final effort. 

Sprinter Katie Manor had a big weekend on the track that included three personal best performances, a silver medal, and her first provincial title. The University of Ottawa student started the championship off right by producing the fastest time in the U20 women’s 100 metre qualifying – a personal best of 11.94 seconds. She followed it up with a similarly fast 11.96 clocking in the final to place second.

Over 200 metres, Manor continued her strong running, clipping nearly four tenths off her personal best in the heats with a time of 24.90 seconds to lead qualifying. Not to be outdone, she followed it up in the finals with an impressive 24.75 second showing and a gold medal. So far this season, Manor has erased 1.3 seconds off her personal best.

Audrey Goddard added to the gold medal count with her victory in the U20 women’s 100 metre hurdles on Saturday. The 18 year old produced back-to-back personal bests in the heats and finals en-route to a narrow victory over Robyn Larkan of Toronto Racers (14.34  to 14.39). Goddard’s winning time moved her to eighth on the Club’s U20 all-time list. 

The final individual gold came from Sydney Smith in the open women’s 800 metres on Sunday. Competing in her first 800 of the season, Smith appeared well seasoned as she bided her time before a well timed kick for home in the final 100 metres sealed the victory for her. Smith’s winning time of 2:05.35 was a massive improvement over her previous best of 2:12.88 and moves her to seventh on the Club’s all-time list. 

Below is a complete list of medal winners from the weekend:

Gillian Porer – Gold (U20 Women 2000m Steeplechase)
Zachary Sikka – Gold (U20 Men 3000m Steeplechase)
Audrey Goddard – Gold (U20 Women 100m Hurdles)
Tommy Nedow – Gold (Open Men Discus)
Tommy Nedow – Gold (Open Men Hammer Throw)
Katie Manor – Gold (U20 Women 200m)
Sydney Smith – Gold (Open Women 800m)
Vanessa Lu Langley, Doyin Ogunremi, Paulina Procyk, Maria Okwechime – Gold (Open Women 4x100m)
Elizabeth Vroom, Gillian, Porter, Lauren Alexander, Freya Hurst – Gold (U20 Women 4x800m)
Brooklyn McCormick, Grace Munro, Olivia Baggley, Charlotte Murchison – Gold (Open Women 4x800m)
Helena Jovic, Alexandra Telford, Sydney Smith, Doyin Ogunremi – Gold (Open Women’s 4x400m)
Luca Nicoletti, Nolan Legare, Thomas Kukla-Colby, David Moulongou – Gold (U20 Men’s 4x400m)
Elizabeth Vroom – Silver (Open Women 3000m Steeplechase)
Maria Okwechime – Silver (Open Women Long Jump)
Katie Manor – Silver (U20 Women 100m)
Olivia Baggley – Silver (U20 Women 3000m)
Saj Alhaddad – Silver (Open Men 400m Hurdles)
Luca Nicoletti – Silver (U20 Men 200m)
Audrey Goddard, Mattson Strickler, Cora McQuinn, Bianca Borgella – Silver (U20 Women 4x100m)
Seiyf Gebara, Luca Nicoletti, David Moulongou, Leo Wallner – Silver (U20 Men 4x100m)
Fabrice Nonez, Saj Alhaddad, André Alie-Lamarche, Leewinchell Jean – Silver (Open Men’s 4x400m)
Coralie Ostertag, Kelly Brennan, Audrey Gilmour, Emily Brennan – Silver (Open Women’s 4x100m)
Mattson Strickler – Bronze (U20 Women 400m)
Alexandra Telford – Bronze (Open Women 400m)
Alexandra Telford – Bronze (Open Women 400m Hurdles)
Tommy Nedow – Bronze (Open Men Shot Put)
Emily Brennan – Bronze (U20 Women 400m Hurdles)
David Moulongoou – Bronze (U20 Men 400m Hurdles)
Elizabeth Moreland – Bronze (U20 Women Triple Jump)
Stephen Evans – Bronze (Open Men 800m)
Zachary Sikka, Jack Link, Kyle Porter, Nolan Legare – Bronze (U20 Men 4x800m)
Audrey Gilmour, Emily Brennan, Grace Munro, Mattson Stickler – Bronze (U20 Women 4x400m)
Brooklyn McCormick, Stephanie Leask, Sia Mahajan, Kelly Brennan – Bronze (Open Women’s 4x400m)

(York, Canada — 3 June 2022) L-R, William Bigler of Appleby College - Oakville, William Sanders of Mother Teresa - Ottawa, Chris Jackson of St. Mary's - Kitchener competing in the junior boys 400m final at the 2022 OFSAA Ontario High School Track and Field Championships held at the Toronto Track and Field Centre at York University. 2022 Copyright Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images.

Lions take home 14 medals from OFSAA Championships

by High SchoollinkinbioProvincial

For the high school athletes of the Ottawa Lions, it was a long two year hiatus, but they returned to the OFSAA Championships this past weekend in Toronto without missing a beat. In total, the athletes amassed 14 medals, including four golds, and one Canadian Interscholastic Record. 

The national record went to Elizabeth Vroom in the 2000 metre steeplechase as the grade 12 student won the event in a blistering six minutes and 52.19 seconds. Teammate Gillian Porter took home the silver in 7:01.47, while Louise Stonham placed 5th in 7:14.90.

The aptly named Vroom is a relative newcomer to the sport, having only joined the Club this past winter. The Sir Wilfred Laurier student has translated her successful playing time on the pitch with the Ottawa South United Soccer Club to the track quite well, setting meet records at every competition in the lead up to the OFSAA Championships. 

Vroom’s run now ranks as the second fastest U20 performance in Club history behind former Canadian record holder Danelle Woods.  

Also running to the top of the OFSAA podium this weekend were Vroom’s training partners Amelia Van Brabant and Maddie Seaby. The pair swept the top two spots in the women’s 3000m. Amelia Van Brabant took home the gold in a personal best nine minutes and 47.94 seconds, while Seaby followed behind in 9:55.43 – also a personal best. 

Vroom just missed a second OFSAA medal in the 3000, taking fourth in a personal best 10:03.51. Louise Stonham rounded out the group with her sixth place finish in a lifetime best of 10:09.13.

Mother Teresa student William Sanders continued his dominance of the junior boys 400 metres on Friday afternoon, capturing his first OFSAA gold medal in a personal best time of 51.51 seconds. Sanders, who had won every race prior to the provincial championships by nearly two seconds or more, took a hold of the lead at the 200 metre mark, and withstood the late charges from William Bigler to win by nearly a quarter of a second. 

Off the track, Kai Gibson captured the only other gold medal of the weekend in the novice boys high jump. The grade nine student from Longfields-Davidson Secondary School cleared 1.80 metres to claim top spot. Second place finisher Jeramiah Zomerman of Chatham Christian also cleared 1.80 metres, but Gibson took top spot by virtue of his first attempt clearance of the height. 

A complete list of all the medal winners from this year’s OFSAA Championship are included below.

Novice BoysKai GibsonLongfields-DavidsonHigh JumpGOLD – 1.80m
Junior BoysDustin ColdreyColonel ByShot PutBRONZE – 14.01m
Senior BoysConnor FraserImmaculataDiscusSILVER – 47.71m
Open GirlsElizabeth VroomSir Wilfred Laurier2000m SteeplechaseGOLD – 6:52.19
Open GirlsGillian PorterFrano-Cité2000m SteeplechaseSILVER – 7:01.47
Senior GirlsAudrey GoddardMerivale100m HurdlesSILVER – 13.99
Novice GirlsQuinn CoughlinOpeongo400mSILVER – 57.88
Senior BoysLuca NicolettiPaul-Desmarais110m HurdlesBRONZE – 14.14
Junior BoysWilliam SandersMother Teresa400mGOLD – 51.51
Novice BoysWill BatleyWest Carleton100mBRONZE – 11.38
Senior GirlsAmelia Van BrabantEarl of March3000mGOLD – 9:47.94
Senior GirlsMaddie SeabyCarleton Place3000mSILVER – 9:55.43
Senior BoysLuca NicolettiPaul-Desmarais400m HurdlesSILVER – 54.62
Novice GirlsQuinn CoughlinOpeongo800mSILVER – 2:18.14
Helena Jovic competes at the Bob Vigars Classic in London, Ontario, Sunday, May 29, 2022. Mundo Sport Images/ GEOFF ROBINS

Lions set bests and win medals at Bob Vigars Classic

by linkinbioNationalProvincial

The National Track and Field Tour rolled its way into southwestern Ontario for its third stop on Sunday at the Bob Vigars Classic in London. The largest outing of the early outdoor season for the Lions saw 20 athletes compete at Western University’s Alumni Stadium – pulling in a number of personal bests and six podium performances. 

Rachael Burrows captured the three Lions victoires Sunday, sweeping all three sprint events. The Paralympian rolled her way to victories over 100, 200, and 400 metres in times of 23.61, 46.75, and 1:34.52 respectively. 

Also on the sprint straightaway, Kathryn Manor and Bertwin Ben-Smith each produced lifetime bests to earn spots in their respective 100 metre elite finals. 

Manor, who just wrapped up her first year at the University of Ottawa, dipped under the 12-second barrier for the first time in her career in the heats to claim the eighth spot in the final with a time of 11.96 seconds. The time makes Manor the fourth fastest U20 woman in Club history. She would place eighth in the final with a time of 12.12.

Ben-Smith trimmed one one-hundredth of a second off his best in the heats as clocked in at 10.72 seconds. The University of Guelph graduate followed up in the final with an all-conditions equaling best of 10.68 seconds to finish sixth. 

David Moulongou and Sydney Smith, competing at 400 metres, also found their way on to the “PB train”. Moulongou trimmed five hundredths of a second off his best, crossing the line in 49.60 seconds on his way to a second place finish in the open section. Smith showed she was nothing if not consistent in her fourth place finish in the elite section. The University of Ottawa graduate student matched her best of 55.59 seconds set just two weeks prior in Ottawa. 

The other medal on the track came from Helena Jovic as she took home the bronze in the 400 metre hurdles. The University of Toronto student crossed the line in 1:03.55.

In the field, Emma Dobson-Takoff produced a best leap of 11.01 metres, just three centimetres off her best, in the triple jump to place third. Also in the horizontal jumps, Maria Okwechime exceeded her lifetime best with a windy 5.70 metre leap to finish just off the podium in fourth. 

(Ottawa, Canada---08 July 2017) Katarina Vlahovic, Keira Christie-Galloway competing in the U20 100m hurdle final at the 2017 Canadian Track and Field Championships. (Photo by Sean W Burges / Mundo Sport Images).

Tough weekend for Lions at NCAA Preliminaries

by linkinbioNationalUniversity

A spot at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships was on the line this past weekend for three Lions athletes as they took part in regional events at the University of Indiana (East) and the University of Arkansas (West). 

Syracuse runner Kevin Robertson got the action started last Wednesday night in the 3000 metre steeplechase finishing 39th in the field of 48.  Racing in the second of three quarter final heats, the third year student was two seconds back of the leaders by the second pass of the finish line. With laps between 76 and 80 seconds, Robertson was unable to narrow the gap and finished in a time of nine minutes and 9.22 seconds. 

At McDonnell Field in Arkansas, Keira Christie-Galloway closed out her collegiate career Thursday night with a fourth place finish in her first round heat of the 100 metre hurdles. The Arizona State runner’s time of 13.52 seconds was a scant four hundredths of second outside of a qualifying spot. 

Lauren Gale looked primed to return to the NCAA Championships next month after comfortably winning her 400 metre heat at the West Preliminary on Thursday night. Running out of lane two, the six time Mountain West Conference 400 metre champion finished two tenths ahead of Baylor’s Kavia Francis in a time of 52.40. 

However, Gale’s fortunes were not as good yesterday in the quarter final. After narrowly missing qualifying in the 4×100 relay early in the session, Gale dropped out of the 400 metre quarter final almost immediately after the gun went off, according to the school’s press release. As a result she did not compete in the 4×400 relay.

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Michelle Atherley and Ken Mullings take home NACAC gold in Ottawa

by Internationallinkinbio

By: Pippa Norman

The final day of the NACAC Combined Events Championship came to a thunderous conclusion today, with American Michelle Atherley and Bahamian Ken Mullings walking away as Area Champions.

Finishing with 6029 points, Atherley described her second day of competition as being full of highs and lows. She said her results in long jump and javelin were close to her lowest marks this season, but she managed to stick to her goal of running under 2:12 in her 800m.

On her way to the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon this summer with today’s first place finish, Atherley said for now, she’s excited to just relax.

“I’m looking forward to sleeping… I think my body really needs it,” she said. “I can’t wait to go home and see my friends.”

Fellow American Ashtin Mahler held second place for most of the day, before dropping out of the competition just before the 800m. In search of that World Championship qualifying score, Mahler decided to re-focus her energy into an upcoming World Combined Events Challenge competition in Spain.

Garnering a silver medal, Canadian Nicole Ostertag finished 228 points behind Atherley. Despite an afternoon scare in which Ostertag said she hit her javelin off her head, she still managed to pull out a personal best in every event and exceed her expectations.

“I’m really happy with that score,” said Ostertag of her personal best performance. “I didn’t come into this meet, thinking I could score that high. But I kept focused in each event and it ended up adding up.”

In the men’s decathlon, Bahamian Ken Mullings maintained his lead from day one, finishing with an overall score of 7537, a mere 197 points away from his personal best. Winning javelin was a highlight for Mullings, he said.

“Javelin was one of my weakest throwing events and now it’s getting up there with one of my strongest,” Mullings said.

He added that even without strong decathlon athletes such as Damien Warner or Lindon Victor present, Mullings’ victory still means a lot to him.

“At least now I can say I’m the champion of NACAC,” Mullings said. “I’m still happy because I got to win for the Bahamas.”

Finishing 1087 points behind Mullings, Canadian Shawn Beaudoin moved up in the standings today to snag a silver medal. Beaudoin said he struggled to return to the competition after over an hour delay due to lightning, but overall, he was happy with the consistency of his performance.

“It could have been a better score, for sure. But I’m happy to have won a medal,” he said.

Canadian Rostam Turner dropped from second to third place on day two of the competition, with an overall score of 6344. Finishing without a height in pole vault, Turner said he didn’t meet his expectations for the meet, but medalling was still important to him.

“It means a lot. It’s always a big deal, winning a medal at an international event,” Turner said.

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Combined event athletes descend on Canadian capital to vie for Area Championship and spot at World Championships

by Internationallinkinbio

By: Pippa Norman

A fierce competition is descending upon the Terry Fox Athletic Facility this weekend, as athletes from North America, Central America and the Caribbean arrive to compete in the NACAC Combined Events Championship.

Hosted by the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club, the two-day championship will feature women competing in the heptathlon and men competing in the decathlon.

Leading the American contingent are former NCAA Champions Ashtin Mahler and Michelle Atherley. The pair are coming off a 2-3 finish at last weekend’s USA Championships in Arkansas and looking to finalize their spot in this summer’s World Championships.

A win this weekend in Ottawa will provide either woman with an automatic World Championship qualification that comes from being an Area Champion. The other will be looking for valuable performance points to improve their world rankings and find their way in to the global top-24 ranking to secure a spot on Team USA for the upcoming championships.

Donning the maple leaf this weekend will be Team Canada athletes Nicole Ostertag, Rostam Turner, Maddison Lawrence and Shawn Beaudoin.

Ostertag, a university senior and member of the Saskatoon Track and Field Club, won silver in the indoor pentathlon at the 2020 U SPORTS championships. More recently, she garnered multiple PBs and a new personal best of 5443 points in the heptathlon at the Bryan Clay Invitational in California.

Coming off a heel injury that put Ostertag out of commission for close to a year, she said she’s excited for the chance to compete this weekend.

“Because I’ve been injured, I haven’t been able to train as much as I’d like,” Ostertag said. “But in the past month or so I’ve been able to do more training and get some technical work in, so I’m excited to put that practice to use in competition.”

Unlike Ostertag, who was named to Team Canada in April, this won’t be Turner’s first time representing Canada on an international stage. A member of the Okanagan Athletics Club, Turner competed for Canada at the 2017 Francophone Games, in addition to winning the heptathlon at the U SPORTS championships that same year. 

Representing Canada this weekend adds another layer of adrenaline to the competition, Turner said.

“It’s super exciting and fun to represent Canada,” Turner said. “I guess [there’s] a little more pressure, but I feel like sometimes it can be a good thing.”

Turner said his goal for the weekend is to take it one event at a time and put up a “big score at the end” for an overall personal best. Turner’s current personal best is 7601 points in decathlon.

Alysha Newman, two-time Olympic pole vaulter, is another Canadian athlete with something to prove this weekend. Newman recently added heptathlon to her skillset after a concussion last year forced her to take a break from pole vault.

“[The plan] wasn’t really to take [heptathlon] up, it was to stay in shape and get ready for when the doctors cleared me to pole vault again,” Newman said. “I happened to just end up falling in love with it and being pretty good at it.”

Heading into her first ever heptathlon competition, Newman said her goal is to finish an entire two days of competition with a score in every event.

“I just want to make sure I can get through the whole thing,” Newman said.

Competition kicks off Saturday morning at 10 a.m. tomorrow and concluded Sunday around 6 p.m.