Toronto, ON -- 10 August 2018: Canadian head coach Glenroy Gilbert at the 2018 North America, Central America, and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) Track and Field Championships held at Varsity Stadium, Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images).

Gilbert and U18 XC girls recognized as best in city

When Glenroy Gilbert stepped off the track for the final time as an athlete he knew he didn’t want to stray too far from the sport that took him from the sand pits of Laurentian High School to the top of the Olympic podium. Less than a year later, Gilbert was back in the sport as a coach. In the 20 years that have followed, the man affectionately known as “G” has again risen to the top of his craft. On Wednesday night, he was once again recognized as Ottawa’s Male Coach of the Year – the fifth time he has been bestowed the honour.

It was a banner year for Gilbert in 2022. The national team head coach led Canada to its highest ever finish at the World Athletics Championship, a tie for sixth with China. However, in the eyes of most, Gilbert’s major success will be as the leader the men’s relay program and the image of Andre DeGrasse crossing the finish line of the 4×100 in Eugene, arms fully stretched out in celebration, as Canada claimed its first global title in the event since 1997. Coincidentally, Gilbert was a member of that team too. 

With his fifth Coach of the Year Honour, Gilbert inches closer to famed Carleton basketball Coach Dave Smart’s record of six. 

After reaching the top of the podium at the Canadian Cross Country Championships last November, the Lions U18 Girls were named Ottawa’s Female Team of the Year. It is the second straight year the team has been honoured at the Ottawa Sport Awards. 

Led by scorers Amelia Van Brabant, Joceyln Giannotti, Louise Stonham, and Quinn Coughlin the U18 girls team enjoyed a 30 point cushion over second place South Simcoe Dufferin. The victory was the Club’s 12th national team title and the team became only the second in Club history to win back-to-back championships.

On an individual level, Lauren Gale was recognized as the City’s top performer in Athletics. The 23-year old had the best season of her career as she set three new Canadian Records indoors and was a first team All-American in the 400 metres after her eighth place finish. She continued the strong running outdoors, setting new Club records at 200 and 400 metres and helping the Lions set a new Canadian Club Record in the 4×400 metre relay. Her season culminated at the World Championships where she became the first Club member to ever compete in two individual events at a global championship.

A triple gold medalist at the Canadian Championships, Bianca Borgella was recognized as Ottawa’s top Parasport athlete. The University of Ottawa student set national records in both the T13 100 and 400 metres enroute to gold medals at the national championships before anchoring the Lions U20 4×100 team to gold. Borgella finished the 2022 season ranked third and seventh globally in the 100 and 400 metre events respectively. 

Saul Taler was recognized as the city’s top cross country runner for 2022. The grade 10 Glebe student had a impressive string of performances last fall, beginning with a gold medal at the OFSAA championships – the first by a Lions since 2017. He followed that performance up with a silver medal at the Ontario U16 Championships where he also led the Lions to a team title. He rounded out the season with a top-50 finish in the U18 boys race at the Canadian Championships.

Matteo Padoin-Castillo was recognized as a member of Immaculata High School’s OFSAA winning junior boy’s cross country team. Matteo finished 54th overall in the race and was Immaculata’s third scorer. 

Former Lions, Mike Evelyn (bobsleigh) and Mirela Rahneva (skeleton) were also recognized Wednesday as the top athletes in their respective sports at the Ottawa Sport Awards. Both athletes were members of Team Canada at the Beijing ‘22 Olympic Winter Games last February. 

(Ottawa, Canada---08 June 2022) David Adeleye racing in the 110m hurdles competing at Ottawa Summer Twilight Series Meet Three. 2022 Copyright Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images

Adeleye’s U23 Club record highlights 17 medal haul at Kane Invite

Along David Adeleye’s relatively short career as hurdler, his progression has been marked by continuous small improvements – the kind more likely to be found in the hundredths rather than the tenths of a second. The third year student at the University of Toronto knocked a few more hundredths of a second off his 60 metre hurdles best Saturday afternoon on his way to setting a new Club Under-23 record . 

Racing at the Kane Invitational in Ithaca, New York, Adeleye bested the field with a 7.91 second clocking to edge past the previous standard of 7.92 seconds set by Sekou Kaba in 2012 when he won the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (now USports) Championship. Now sitting third on the Club’s all-time list, David will undoubtedly turn his attention towards Kaba’s 7.77 second best and Charles Allen’s Club record of 7.70.

Adeleye’s victory was 1 of 17 medals on the day for the Lions family, including four other golds. Gee-Gee athletes were responsible for the remaining victories.

David Moulongou took top spot in the 600 metres with a time of 1:22.85. The second year student was joined on the podium by teammate Lucas Zanetti who finished a half second back to take third. 

High jumper Thomas Senechal-Becker continued his strong season, picking up his third victory. The Canada Games silver medalist cleared 2.06 metres for the second week in a row as he was unchallenged by second place finisher Smith Charles of Cornell who finished 14 centimetres back. 

It was a sweep for both the men’s and women’s 4×400 metre relays teams on Saturday. The men’s quartet of Fabrice Nonez, Thomas Kukla-Colby, Lucas Zanetti, and David Moulongou enjoyed a comfortable 14 second margin of victory, finishing in a time of 3:26.17 – their second fastest time of the season.  The women’s team of Sia Mahajan, Brooklyn McCormik, Doyin Oguremi, and Kennedy Banton-Lindsay enjoyed a similar dominating performance as the won in 4:04.44 – exactly 13 seconds ahead of second place Binghamton. 

Below is a full list of the remaining medalists from the Kane Invitational.

Silver

Paulina Procyk (UofT) – 200m (26.04)
Doyin Ogunemi – 300m (40.60)
Brooklyn McCormik – 600m (1:38.50 PB)
Vienna Courteau – Long Jump (5.41m PB)

Bronze

Laura Cross – 600m (1:42.62 PB)
Pippa Norman – 3000m (10:49.22 PB)
Paulina Procyk (UofT) – 60m Hurdles (8.81)
Elizabeth Moreland – High Jump (1.48m)
Ella Lalonde – High Jump (1.48m)
Michael Pinnock – 300m (36.21)
Jackson Colquhoun – Triple Jump (13.57m PB)

(Ottawa, Canada---26 November 2022) Jay Sneddon (1586-- MAXCXS) competing in the 2022 Athletics Canada Cross Country Championships. Photograph Copyright 2022 Miles Ryan / Mundo Sport Images.

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Ottawa to host 2023 Canadian Cross Country Championships

Athletics Canada is pleased to announce that the 2023 Canadian Cross-Country Championships, known in short as ACXC, will take place at Mooney’s Bay and Terry Fox Athletic Facility, in Ottawa, for the second consecutive year.

The Athletics Canada Competition Committee has decided to return to Mooney’s Bay’s hilly course, following an athlete, coach and volunteer survey that gave the 2022 event a ranking of 8.8/10 for its level of participation, organization, scheduling and course quality. This year’s edition will take place on Saturday, November 25.

“After an outstanding 2022 Championships held under clear skies and relatively warm temperatures, we are thrilled to return to Ottawa and the course at Mooney’s Bay,” said Chris Winter, Director of Domestic Programs and Safe Sport at Athletics Canada. “We heard it loud and clear from our athletes, coaches, and spectators that the course, organization, atmosphere, and competition in Ottawa was first rate and we are eager to build on that success to deliver an even better Championships in 2023.”

Once again this year, the Ottawa Lions and Run Ottawa will work in tandem with Athletics Canada to host the event. Ian Fraser, executive director at Run Ottawa, said his team was proud of last year’s championship weekend, but is preparing to outdo itself this November.

“We listened to participant feedback from 2021 (when we hosted in Wesley Clover Parks) and made the 2022 experience memorable for them,” he said. “We are very excited about the Championships returning to Ottawa for 2023 and we’re looking forward to building on last year’s success!”

The news was also well-received by Ottawa Tourism, as President and CEO Michael Crockatt said the organization was honoured to once again welcome the country’s largest cross-country championship.

“As the capital city of Canada, Ottawa is proud to once again play host to such a prestigious event and to showcase our city’s world-class facilities, vibrant culture, and warm hospitality,” he said. “We look forward to welcoming back Canada’s most talented runners and their families, and we are confident that they will have an unforgettable experience and will leave with unforgettable memories.”

The 2023 Championships will be the third of five Canadian Championships to be held in a six year span with the Lions set to also host the 2025 and 2026 Canadian Track and Field Championships at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility.

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Evans moves to #2 on all-time list at McGill

Thirteen hundredths of a second. That’s how close Stephen Evans was to setting a new Club record Friday night at the McGill Team Challenge in Montreal. A two lap specialist, Evans recorded a personal best time of 2 minutes and 22.59 seconds as he was narrowly edged at the line by Queen’s University’s Jude Wheeler-Dee in the 1000 metre contest. Evans now ranks second in Club history for both the 800 and 1000 metre events and third in the 600. 

Evans’ performance was just one of 13 medals and 36 personal bests set by Club athletes in Montreal. Among the medalists was his training partner, Sydney Smith who took top spot in Friday’s 1000 metres (2:48.59) and followed up with a silver at 600 (1:31.87) the following day.

Also reaching the top of the podium was the University of Ottawa’s Thomas Senechal-Becker. The second year student took top place in the high jump with a clearance of 2.06 metres. The mark surpassed the USports qualifying standard and also moved him into third on the Gee-Gees’ all-time list. 

Staying in the field, Elizabeth Moreland picked up a pair of medals in the high jump and triple jump. The second year University of Ottawa student set a new lifetime best Friday in the triple jump as she bounded out to a distance of 10.99 metres to place second in the competition. She followed that up Saturday with a clearance of 1.55 metres and a share of the bronze medal. 

Over at the women’s shot put, Brianna Asiamah and Jessica Gyamfi placed second and third respectively. Asiamah pushed the four kilogram ball out to 11.96 metres while Gyamfi was a metre back at 10.90.

For Vienna Courteau, Friday’s pentathlon was the first of her career, but that didn’t stop the second year Gee-Gee from putting forward a podium performance. Vie, as she is affectionately known, produced lifetime bests in both the high jump and shot put enroute to a score of 3021 points and a bronze medal finish. 

Back on the track, Lizzie Vroom produced the fastest 1500 metres of her life as she ran her way to bronze. The first year Queen’s University student was visibly excited as she crossed the line in 4 minutes and 36.18 seconds – trimming nearly four seconds off her previous best. 

Other medals in Montreal came from Alexandra Telford (300m silver), Fabrice Nonez (60m Hurdle bronze), and the quartet of Fabrice Nonez, David Moulongou, Lucas Zanetti, and Andre Alie Lamarche (4x400m bronze).

To see full results and photos from McGill, visit https://ottawalions.com/results/2023-results

To view updated all-time lists and athlete profiles, please visit:

Ottawa Lions – https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ottl_rankings/

Ottawa Gee-Gees – https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/uottawatf_rankings/

Carleton Ravens – https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ravenstf_rankings/

(Langley, British Columbia ---25 June 2022) Lauren Gale competing on day four of the Canadian Track and Field Championships at McLeod Athletic Park.

Photograph 2022 Copyright Miles Ryan Rowat / Mundo Sport Images

Gale and Manor set records at Winter Classic

This past weekend the Lions hosted the Ottawa Winter Classic – the first indoor track and field meet in the City since February 29, 2020. After the nearly three year wait, the athletes did not disappoint with a number of exciting performances – including a staggering 113 personal bests.

Heading the list of performances was undoubtedly Lauren Gale and her pair of wins in both the 60 and 300 metre events. Gale started the day with successive lifetime bests in the heats and final of the 60 metre, trimming more than a tenth from her previous standard as she won in 7.55 seconds. 

The 23-year-old then followed it up with a dominating victory at 300 metres as she crossed the line in a time of 37.19 seconds – nearly a full second ahead of 2022 World Championship teammate Aiyanna Brigite Stiverne. Gale’s time broke the previous Dome record of 37.49 set by Amonn Nelson in 2010 and also moved her up one spot into second on the Club’s all-time list.

Finishing second to Gale in the 60 metres, Katie Manor also managed to etch her name in the record books Saturday. The second year psychology student at the University of Ottawa posted a time of 7.57 seconds in the final to best the previous Gee-Gees record jointly held by Christianne Lela and Charifa Labarang at 7.61 seconds. Manor also ran her way to a new lifetime best of 40.07 seconds for 300 metres.

Sydney Smith took a step into the Club’s all-time top 10 list in the 1000 metres with her victory on Saturday. Smith out-kicked former Lion Emma Galbraith over the final 200 metres to win in a personal best time of 2 minutes and 47.60 seconds. The performance moved Smith to equal number seven in the Club with her former Colonel By Secondary School coach, Nathalie Coté.

On the men’s side, David Moulongou took top spot in the 600 metres with a personal best time of 1:20.06. The second year University of Ottawa student led virtually from wire to wire as he outpaced teammate Lucas Zanetti, who finished a second and a half back in second.  Moulongou’s performance also moves the 19-year-old to number eight on the Club’s all-time U23 list.

Other notable performances included Nina Gunther and Noémie Beareguard’s victories at 1500 and 3000 metres respectively. The two Gee-Gees each won in personal best times and Gunther’s time of 4:38.38 moved her into the USports top-12.

For full results, please visit: https://ottawalions.com/2023-results/2023-university-of-ottawa-winter-classic/

To view updated Club and Varsity Program Rankings, please visit:

Club: https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ottl_rankings/

University of Ottawa: https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/uottawatf_rankings/

Carleton University: https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ravenstf_rankings/

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Annual General Meeting to be held February 6th via Zoom

The Ottawa Lions will host their Annual General Meeting (AGM) on the evening of
Monday, February 6, 2023, at 8:30pm EST. All members are invited to attend.
The Agenda for the AGM will be posted on the Ottawa Lions website. For further
information or to suggest additional discussion items for the upcoming meeting,
please reach out to Jennifer Dumoulin, President of the Board of Directors for the
Ottawa Lions Track & Field Club via email at president@ottawalions.com.

REGISTRATION LINK:
http://www.trackiereg.com/2023-ottlagm

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email. Meeting details will
be sent out the morning of February 6th, 2023.

(Canton, United States---03 December 2022) Nina Günther competing in the 2022 St Lawrence University Saints Holiday Relays. Photograph Copyright 2022 Miles Ryan / Mundo Sport Images.

If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Gee-Gees and Ravens set 29 personal bests in Sherbrooke

The varsity programs at both the University of Ottawa and Carleton University kicked off the 2023 calendar this past weekend – competing at l‘Université de Sherbrooke Vert et Or Invitation. While most athletes had only just completed their first full week of training following the holidays, that did not stop the 43 athletes competing from setting 29 new personal bests during the competition. 

A pair of Gee-Gee athletes took home gold medals from Saturday’s trip to Quebec. On the track, Nina Gunther broke the three minute barrier for the first time in the 1000 metres, winning in 2 minutes and 57.39 seconds. The graduate student in Sport Management has had a strong season for the Gee-Gees after previously competing for the Carabins de l‘Université de Montréal as an undergraduate. Gunther had also opened the season with a victory in the mile at the Saints Holiday Relays before Christmas. 

Brianna Asiamah was the other Gee-Gee to ascend to podium Saturday, taking top spot in her speciality – the shot put. The third-year social work student pushed the 4 kilogram shot out to a distance of 12.53 metres to leave herself 22 centimetres clear of silver. The Holy Trinity graduate’s winning throw also surpassed her previous best of 12.51 metres set in December. 

Also picking up a medal in the shot put ring was first year Carleton student Connor Fraser. The Immaculate graduate who is more known for his success in the discus ring heaved the shot out to an impressive 13.73 metres. Fraser’s throw is a massive personal best in his first season with the senior implement and moves him to number two on the Raven’s all-time list. 

Staying with the field events, a trio of triple jumpers hopped, skipped and jumped their way on to the podium. Heather Grandy and Jackson Colquhoun took silver in the women’s and men’s competitions respectively. Grandy, who is currently pursuing a masters degree in biomedical engineering, leapt to a personal best distance of 11.14 metres, while Colquhoun’s leap of 13.39 metres was the third best of his career. Elizabeth Moreland also added a bronze in the women’s triple jump with a best of 10.47 metres.

Back on the track, Fabrice Nonez set a personal best for the second meet row enroute to a silver in the 60 metre hurdles. Nonez lowered his best to 8.64 seconds in Saturday’s heats before crossing the line in 8.65 seconds in the final.

Gee-Gee’s Sia Mahajan, Katie Manor, Courtney Cenac, and Doyin Oguremi teammed up for bronze in the 4×400 metre relay. The quartet finished in a time of 4 minutes and 9.45 seconds.

Saturday’s competition also featured a masters section to complement the University/Open races. Michael Conway took top spot in the 600 metres with a winning time of 1:31.13. Teammate Gilles Frenette finished 10 seconds back in second. Mike McInerney was the top finisher in the 1000 metres with a time of 3:14.97

For full results from Saturday’s competition, please visit ottawalions.com/results/2023-results

(Ottawa, Canada---08 June 2022) David Adeleye racing in the 110m hurdles competing at Ottawa Summer Twilight Series Meet Three. 2022 Copyright Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images

Adeleye and Procyk run to podium in Toronto

With the new year just nine days old, the first competition of the season is already in the rear view mirror. Saturday’s Sharon Anderson Memorial at the University of Toronto was an opportunity to bust some rust after the holidays for a small contingent of Lions athletes attending university in the GTA. 

Hurdler David Adeleye continued the strong running we saw from him before the holidays as he topped the 60 metre hurdles in a speedy 8.00 seconds. The third year kinesiology student was the class of the field winning by more than three tenths over University of Toronto teammate Adam Exley. 

Without the hurdles in his way Adeleye put up a personal best performance in the flat 60. David was first across the line in the “B” final in a time of 7.06 seconds as he placed ninth overall. His previous best of 7.10 seconds was set in January 2020. 

Paulina Procyk, also running in the blue and white of Toronto, had two of the speediest performances of her life Saturday. Coming off a personal best of 7.78 seconds in the flat 60 at the Greg Page Relays in December, Procyk laid down a 7.82 second clocking in the heats before finishing ninth in the final with a time of 7.89. 

Over the 60 metre hurdles, Procyk placed third in a time of 9.07 seconds – just shy of her lifetime best of 9.00. Millie Cameron, who attends York University, finished 12th overall in a time of 10.93. 

The return to competition will be back in full swing this coming weekend as the both varsity programs and the Lions head to Sherbrooke for the Vert et Or Invitational. 

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2022: A year to remember for Lions

With the final days of 2022 in our sight, we thought it best to take one final look in the rear view mirror and celebrate all the fantastic accomplishments of Lions athletes over the past 12 months. 

While domestically the season was a little slow to start with the delay in the OUA and RSEQ seasons and the continued closure of the Dome @ Louis-Riel, south of the border collegiate athletes were kicking off 2022 on the right foot. Leading the way was Colorado State senior Lauren Gale who opened with back-to-back indoor personal bests at 200 and 400 metres and Southeastern Louisiana thrower Tommy Nedow who went undefeated during the month of January.

Even before the sun had set on the first month of the year, the record books were being re-written. Gale continued her speedy ways by breaking Esther Akinsulie’s 13-year-old Club record in the 400 metres at competition in Boulder, CO. On the same weekend, Sydney Smith returned to action for the first time in two years and promptly broke the University of Ottawa’s school record in the 500 metres. 

February brought with it the Winter Olympics in Beijing and while there were no athletics events on the schedule, three former Club athletes were in attendance. Former hurdles champion Cody Sorenson and former thrower Mike Evelyn were teammates on Canada’s bobsled teams, while Mirela Rahneva, a former youth program member, finished fifth in the women’s skeleton event.

As the NCAA indoor season came to a close, Lauren Gale took down two of the longest standing Canadian indoor records on the books – setting new marks for the 200 and 400 metres. Gale’s times of 23.00 and 51.64 seconds bettered the marks of two of Canada’s greatest female sprinters – Anglea Bailey and Jillian Richardson. The pair’s records had stood for 38 and 30 years respectively

Not done with adding her name to the record books, following the NCAA Championships Gale boarded a plane bound for Belgrade,Serbia where she would run the lead off leg for Canada at the World Athletics Indoor Championships. The 22-year-old and her teammates smashed the national 4×400 metre relay record which had been set when Gale was just two months old. 

Back in Canada, the OUA and RSEQ Conference Championships produced a total of seven medals. One household was responsible for all the gold medals as roommates Sydney Smith and Alexandra Telford took home three between them. Smith captured her first OUA title by winning the 600 metres while Telford was victorious in the 60 metre hurdles and 300 metres at the RSEQ Championship – both in Carleton record times.

A new name joined the medal podium at the USports Championship with the University of Toronto’s David Adeleye nabbing a bronze in the 60 metre hurdles after setting a personal best in the heats. Employing an unconventional pathway, Alexandra Telford nabbed her bronze medal in the 300 metres from the slower section after setting yet another Carleton record. 

While athletes transitioned to the outdoor season there was no let up in the quality of the performances on the track. Sharelle Samuel opened her season with four straight victories in the 400 metre hurdles, culminating in a personal best run of 58.23 seconds at Auburn. The Harvard senior’s time is the third fastest in Club history. 

Steeplechaser Kevin Robertson also managed to etch his name in the record books early in the season. The Syracuse junior won his heat at the Virginia Challenge in an impressive 8 minutes and 46.98 seconds to set a new Club U23 record and move to fourth on the all-time list. 

Not one to miss out on an opportunity to re-write the record books, Lauren Gale was back in top form by the time the Mountain West Conference Championships rolled around in mid-May. Gale became the only athlete in conference history to go undefeated in the 400 metres as she set a new Club record of 51.30. In the half lap race, the Olympian dipped under the 23 second barrier for the first time, setting a new standard of 22.82 seconds. Both performances would qualify Gale for the World Championships.

Back home, the Lions played host to the NACAC Combined Events Area Championship which saw American Michelle Atherley and Bahamian Ken Mullings earn automatic qualification to the World Athletics Championship in Oregon. 

June produced a cornucopia of noteworthy performances with the month littered with championships. 

First out of the gate was the return of the OFSAA Track and Field Championships after a two year hiatus. In total, the Lions athletes amassed 14 medals from the Championship, 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 while clubmate Gillian Porter took the silver in 7:01.47. It was an impressive debut at the OFSAA Championships for Vroom who had only joined the Club months earlier following a very successful soccer career with Ottawa South United Soccer Club. 

Also stepping atop the OFSAA podium were Vroom’s training partner Amelia Van Brabant in the senior girls 3000 metres, William Sanders in the junior boys 400 metres, and Kai Gibson in the novice boys high jump. 

One week later Club athletes returned to the Toronto Track and Field Centre at York University for the Ontario U20 and Open Championships. By the time the three day competition had concluded the Lions had amassed a second straight provincial U20 title and an impressive 33 medals, including 12 golds. 

Two golds came from thrower Tommy Nedow who produced winning efforts in both the discus (49.30m) and hammer throw (52.87m). For good measure, Nedow also added a bronze in the shot put, making him the only individual triple medalist for the Lions. 

Following a two week pause the Lions boarded the plane and headed westward for the Canadian Championships in Langley, BC. While the Club contingent was smaller than recent years, the performances remained top of the table as the Lions secured 19 medals in total including three national records.

Two of those records were set by Bianca Borgella as she put on a performance to remember at her first Canadian Championship. The 19-year-old visually impaired athlete broke both of her own Canadian T13 records in the 100 and 400 metres enroute to a pair of gold medals. She then capped off the championship by anchoring the Club’s U20 women’s 4×100 metre relay to a national title.

It was another relay which would produce the final national record. Running in the penultimate event of the Championship – the women’s 4×400 metre relay – the quartet of Doyin Ogunremi, Sydney Smith, Alexandra Telford, and Lauren Gale laid down an eye popping 3:35.46 effort to be crowned Canadian Champions and set a new Canadian Club Record. The performance shaved nearly five seconds off the previous standard set by the former Speed River Track Club in 2019.  

A week after a disappointing result for Stephen Evans at the Canadian Championships, the 800 metre runner returned to the track in Marietta, GA to produce the performance of his life. Finishing sixth at the American Track League event, Evans’ time of 1:47.30 was nearly a full second faster than his best entering the season and left him just six hundredths short of Richard Brant’s 1987 Club record. 

The same weekend also saw six Lions qualify for the Canada Summer Games as members of Team Ontario. David Adeleye, David Moulongou, Tommy Nedow, Doyin Ogunremi, and Leo Wallner all qualified by virtue of winning their individual event while Luca Nicoletti qualified after finishing second to Moulongou in the 400 metre hurdles. Despite not making Team Ontario Bianca Borgella once again set Canadian T13 Records at both 100 and 400 metres. 

As the season progressed through July, Lauren Gale made her World Championship debut in Oregon. Gale became the first club member to ever compete in two individual events at the World Athletics Championship, finishing 26th and 29th respectively in the 200 and 400 metres. Shortly after finishing the 200 metre heats, it was discovered Lauren had a stress reaction in her foot and was forced to withdraw from the 4×400 relay and the Commonwealth Games. 

Carrying the flag for Canada into the Opening Ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games was Paralympian Joshua Cassidy. The 2010 Commonwealth bronze medalist became just the second Lion to be named flag bearer for Team Canada following Sultana Frizell’s carrying of the closing ceremonies at the 2014 Games in Glasgow. Cassidy would place fourth in the T53/54 marathon and fifth in the 1500 metres. 

Closer to home, the Ontario Summer Games in Mississauga produced a handful of medal performances for the Lions. Represented by Quinn Coughlin, Zachary Jeggo, and Matteo Padoin-Castillo the trio captured four individual medals including one gold. 

The month also saw the conclusion of the Canadian Track and Field League’s inaugural season. The brainchild of Lion Quinn Lyness had a successful debut that culminated in Ottawa with the League final and featured a number of Lions athletes.

July concluded with the U14, U16, and U18 Ontario Championships in London where the Lions captured 17 medals. Steeplechasers Daniel Cova (U16 Boys) and Louise Stonham (U18 girls) each took home provincial gold, while the quartet of Nolan Legare, Jay Yetman, Janssen Assogba, and Adriano Padoin-Castillo were victorious in the 1600 metre sprint medley. 

August kicked off with the Royal Canadian Legion Championships in Sherbrooke and gave a preview of what could be an exciting future for a few athletes. 

Will Batley was crowned the fastest 15 year old in Canada by virtue of his victory in the U16 100 metres and he backed that up with silver in the 200 metres. Batley also anchored the U16 4×100 relay to a national championship. 

Relay teammates Timeo Atonfo (100H) and Mason Brennan (200H) each made individual podium appearances before running for Gold with Batley. Atonfo also helped the U18 boys 4×400 relay to a Canadian bronze. 

In the field, Kai Gibson showed he is one to keep an eye on as he nabbed a pair of silver medals in both the triple jump and high jump. 

Moving through August, the Club’s masters athletes brought home an impressive 13 medals, including 10 gold from the Ontario Championship. As well, we saw the culmination of our 35th year of our famous Ottawa Summer Twilight Meet series. An impressive 11 meets were held every Wednesday from June 1 to August 10. 

Also in August, Ottawa was selected to host the 2025 and 2026 Canadian Track and Field Championships. The announcement marked the return of the event to the nation’s capital after previously hosting in 2017 and 2018.

The summer season came to a close with the Canada Summer Games in Thorold, Ontario – just outside St. Catherines and the seven Club athletes competing ensured it ended with a bang. The Lions garnered a total of seven medals in athletics just five years removed from failing to send a single athlete to the multi-sport event in the Club’s history. 

The hurdling duo of David Adeleye (110H) and David Moulongou (400H) each had the meet’s of their lives as they both set new personal bests enroute to individual silver medals. Adeleye also picked up a gold as part of Team Ontario’s 4×100 relay team, while Moulongou and Luca Nicoletti won bronze in the 4×400. 

Tommy Nedow continued his strong summer of performances with bronze medals in both the shot put and discus.

In addition to the six Lions competing in athletics, heptathlete Audrey Goddard represented Team Ontario in volleyball – finishing sixth. 

September brought us our second Awards Banquet on the high jump apron at Terry Fox. The annual gala recognized the many outstanding performances and contributions to the Club. Among the celebrated were Gilbert Award Winners for Lauren Gale (Women’s Track), Audrey Goddard (Women’s Field), David Adeleye (Men’s Track), and Tommy Nedow (Men’s Field).

As we moved into October, the cross country season began to heat up with our annual Capital XC Challenge and included conference championships for our varsity runners. The OUA Championships produced an OUA All-Star designation for Gee-Gee’s runner Noemie Beauregard after her 14th place finish.

November marked the return of the OFSAA Cross Country Championships for athletes in Ottawa following the event’s cancellation in 2020 and self-imposed travel restrictions in 2021. However, the Lions celebrated the event’s return with a pair of individual medal performances. 

Saul Taler of Glebe took home his first OFSAA title, winning the junior boys 5 kilometre event. The other medal came from Grace Streek who battled more than just her opponents on the way to a bronze in the junior girls race. Streek had to win an appeal of the OFSAA transfer policy before she was allowed to compete for Peak Academy this fall. 

On the team side, Matteo Padoin-Castillo took home team gold with his Immaculata teammates in the junior boys event. Lauren Alexander led Glebe to a silver medal in the senior girls race with her seventh place finish. 

The USports Championship followed a week later in one of the most wet and wild races in recent memory. Running in the remnants of what was Hurricane Nicole, competitors were treated to strong winds coupled with significant rainfall. 

However, Mother Nature could not slow the efforts of Elizabeth Vroom as she placed 29th overall to earn USports Rookie of the Year honours. Vroom and Gillian Porter helped the Queen’s Gaels to a 10th place finish. 

A day later, in much drier conditions, the Lions went to battle atop Fort Henry Hill at the Ontario Cross Country Championships. The sole individual gold medal of the day went to U10 boys champion Ronan Lebel, while the Club picked up six other individual medals. On the team front, the Lions swept both U16 team titles and added a silver in the U18 girls event.

The cross country season concluded at home with the Canadian Championships. In stark contrast to the frigid conditions of the 2021 event, this year’s championships were downright balmy. Held on a revamped Mooney’s Bay course, the spectator friendly layout was a hit with most everyone. Well, maybe not the hill repeats, but we digress.

For the second year in a row, the Lions U18 girls captured team gold. Led by scorers Amelia Van Brabant, Joceyln Giannotti, Louise Stonham, and Quinn Coughlin the U18 girls team enjoyed a 30 point cushion over second place South Simcoe Dufferin. The victory was the Club’s 12th national team title and the team became only the second in Club history to win back-to-back championships.

Liz Maguire was the top finisher in the W55 masters event becoming the first individual champion from the Club since Alain Boucher topped the M45 category at the 2009 championship. Also in the masters event, Fritzlor Auguste took home the silver medal in the M30 category. 

The end of 2022 is any indication of what is in store in 2023, then there is much to look forward to. Collegiate seasons got off to a roaring start in December with notable performances by Audrey Goddard, David Adeleye, and Bianca Borgella. 

Goddard kicked off her university career at Western with an impressive 3526 point total to win the pentathlon at the Saginaw Valley State Holiday Open and move to fifth in Club history.

Continuing where he left off in the outdoor season, Adeleye opened his season with the University of Toronto with a pair of 60 metre hurdle bests – including dropping under eight seconds for the first time. His time of 7.98 seconds moves him to third in Club history. 

Next was Bianca Borgella absolutely smashing the competition at the Saints Holiday Relays and taking top spot in the 60 metres with a personal best effort of 7.78 seconds. The visually impaired was certainly signalling to the world that she will be a force to be reckoned with as she battles for a spot at the IPC World Athletics Championship. 

Well, if you’ve made it this far in our year in review – I applaud you. This was far from a quick read, but certainly an important one. Over the past 10 years of overseeing this website, it’s the celebrating of successes and sharing of stories that I have enjoyed the most. 

Thanks for reading!

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Kyra Lauter wins bronze at Spartan Kids World Championship

Not many athletes get the opportunity to say they won a medal at a world championship. Over the weekend, Lions runner Kyra Lauter got that opportunity, taking home a bronze medal from the Spartan Kids World Championship in Sebring, Florida.

The Franco-Ouest grade nine student placed third in the 12-14 year old category, completing the two mile course in 24 minutes and 23 seconds. The Spartan race is not your average cross country race though, incorporating between 15 and 20 obstacles for athletes to overcome such as rope climbing, spear throwing, and conquering a six foot wall on the way to the finish line. 

Kyra qualified for the World Championships after a pair of podium finishes in local races this past summer. First was a silver medal performance at the Ottawa Spartan Race in May followed by a victory in Mont-Tremblant a month later. 

The 14-year-old’s success in the Spartan Races is not unique among Club members. Reigning Canadian U20 3000 metre steeplechase silver medallist Louise Stonham won bronze in the same 12-14 age category at the 2019 Spartan Kids World Championships.

Lauter’s result in Florida marked the end to a very successful fall season in which she placed 56th in the novice girls race at the OFSAA Cross Country Championships and followed it up by being the Lions fifth scorer on the Ontario Champion U16 girls cross country team.