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Zachary Jeggo capped a historic high school career in style Saturday, leading Louis-Riel to a record-breaking day at the OFSAA Track and Field Championships and nearly toppling a Canadian interscholastic record that has stood since 1985.

The senior from Louis-Riel blazed to gold in the senior boys 400-metre hurdles, stopping the clock at 51.76 seconds—the second-fastest time ever run in Canadian high school history. The performance came within a hair of the 40-year-old OFSAA and Canadian Interscholastic record of 51.68, set by Lions alumnus Phillip Hughes. Jeggo’s victory also marked his third consecutive OFSAA title in the intermediate hurdles, having won the 300m hurdles as a junior and the 400m variant last season. His time now ranks No. 2 in club history among U20 athletes.

Sir Wilfrid Laurier’s Kyle London nearly joined him on the podium, finishing fourth in a personal best 53.35 seconds—his second lifetime best in as many days. The performance moved him to eighth on the club’s U20 all-time list.

Cova Earns Second Medal, McGregor Moves into Club Top 10

Not long after Jeggo’s triumph, fellow Louis-Riel senior Daniel Cova capped his own decorated high school career with a bronze medal in the senior boys 3000 metres. Cova clocked 8:22.54, the second-fastest time of his career, earning his third OFSAA medal overall after claiming cross country gold in the fall and 1500m bronze on Friday.

In the junior girls 800 metres, Ellie McGregor of Immaculata earned her second podium finish of the weekend. The Grade 10 standout ran a seasonal best 2:12.34 to take bronze in a tightly contested finish, edged out at the line by Indie Bennett of Adam Scott. McGregor’s time moves her to No. 10 on the club’s U18 all-time list.

Baetz Unleashes Clutch Throw for Gold

Parker Baetz of Holy Trinity saved his best for last in the junior boys javelin, unleashing a personal best of 54.13 metres in the fifth round to surge from sixth place to gold. The mark added over half a metre to the PB he set two weeks earlier at the OFSAA East Region Championships. Baetz’s win also completed a Lions sweep of the junior javelin, following Mallea McMullin’s gold on Friday.

Relay Gold Seals Team Title for Louis-Riel

In the final event of the championships, Louis-Riel’s open boys 4x400m relay squad delivered a thrilling finish. Led by Ayoub Shangai (48.8), Daniel Cova (51.5), and Zachary Jeggo (46.8), the three Lions roared to victory in 3:18.17, securing the first-ever OFSAA boys 4x400m relay title by an Ottawa-based school.

The win also clinched the senior boys team title for Louis-Riel—the first by a local school since Brookfield High School in 1979.

Final Day Highlights

• Eli Mordel of Sir Robert Borden cleared a personal best of 4.30m in the senior boys pole vault to finish fifth. His clearance moves him to sixth on the club’s U20 all-time list.
• Charlie Mortimer, a silver medallist in the steeplechase on Friday, came back to finish seventh in the 3000m, running six seconds faster than his previous best (8:34.00). His time now ranks fourth among club U18 athletes.
• Alexandra Harris, a standout in the novice girls division, placed fifth in the 3000m in 10:29.52, moving to ninth on the club’s U16 list.

A Strong Finish to a Stellar Weekend

In total, Lions athletes captured 13 medals over the three-day championship, closing the OFSAA season on a high. For many, including Jeggo, Cova, Grace Streek, Quinn Coughlin, and a host of graduating seniors, Saturday marked their final lap in high school competition.

The future, however, looks just as bright.

A provincial title defense, a club record rewrite, and multiple trips to the podium highlighted a successful second day of competition for Ottawa Lions athletes at the OFSAA Track and Field Championships in Toronto.

In the field, Mallea McMullin of Louis-Riel set the tone for the day as she successfully defended her provincial title in the junior girls javelin. The reigning champion launched a winning throw of 39.32 metres—more than 2.5 metres clear of the competition—to secure her second straight OFSAA gold. AY Jackson’s Abby Lorz finished 15th on the day following a best throw of 27.10 metres.

Charlie Mortimer delivered one of the standout performances of the day, storming to a silver medal in the open boys 2000m steeplechase with a time of 5:56.30. The Hillcrest standout shattered his previous best by 13 seconds and obliterated the Club’s previous U18 record of 6:04.47 in the process.

Distance specialist Grace Streek added another medal to her growing collection, capturing bronze in the open girls 3000m steeplechase. Her time of 7:01.14 was the second fastest of her career and marked her fourth career OFSAA track medal, completing the full set of gold, silver, and bronze. Franco Ouest’s Tessa Knight clocked 7:21.70 for ninth place, her second personal best in as many days.

On the track, Zachary Jeggo added to his remarkable OFSAA résumé, earning silver in the senior boys 400m with a time of 47.26. It marks the fifth career OFSAA medal for the Louis-Riel student. Fellow Lion Ange-Mathis Kramo placed fourth in 48.57, narrowly missing his PB, while Stephan Balson was unable to finish the race.

Middle-distance star Daniel Cova added to the medal haul with a gutsy bronze in the senior boys 1500m. The Louis-Riel athlete dropped a massive personal best of 3:47.25—improving four seconds on the time he set in Thursday’s heats. The result moves Cova to #7 on the Club’s U20 all-time list. Saul Taler of Glebe also contested the final, finishing 12th in 3:56.56.

In the junior girls 400m, Ellie McGregor turned in a breakthrough performance, claiming bronze in a personal best of 56.82 seconds. The time ranks her 10th on the Club’s U18 all-time list.

In the sprints, Jorai Oppong-Nketiah of Louis-Riel raced to silver in the senior girls 100m final, clocking 11.88 seconds in a strong headwind. In the novice girls final, Olivia Daigle-Dasah of Franco-Cité finished eighth in 13.22.

Two Lions earned top-five finishes in the one-lap events. Quinn Coughlin placed fifth in the senior girls 400m in 56.84 seconds, while Declan McGinnity impressed with a personal best of 51.98 in the novice boys 400m—good for #2 on the Club’s U16 all-time rankings.

Over the hurdles, Zachary Benfaida of Merivale narrowly missed the podium in the junior boys 100m hurdles, placing fourth in a lifetime best of 14.20 seconds. He’ll be back in action Saturday in the 300m hurdles.

Rounding the day out in the field, Fallo Douramodou of Immaculata tied his personal best in the senior boys high jump, clearing 1.90 metres to place seventh. Mason Brennan finished 10th with a best of 1.85m. In the sand pit, Kaiya Woodcock placed sixth in the senior girls long jump with a leap of 5.28m.

Maxime Cazabon delivered Ottawa’s first gold of the OFSAA Track and Field Championships on Thursday, soaring to victory in the novice boys high jump with a personal best clearance of 1.92 metres. The triumph adds two centimetres to the Canadian indoor U16 champion’s previous best and moves the Garneau standout within striking distance of Olympian Brian Marshall’s club U16 record of 1.97m.

On the track, Daniel Cova continued his strong season, leading all qualifiers in the senior boys 1500 metres with a personal best of 3:51.44. Fellow Lion Saul Taler also secured a place in Friday’s final, finishing just shy of his lifetime best in 3:56.14.

In the junior boys 1500m, Max Gerundin nabbed the 12th and final qualifying spot in a tactical heat, clocking 4:11.50. Alexandra Harris made a strong impression in the novice girls 1500m, slicing five seconds off her best to run 4:47.83 to book a spot in the final. The cross country medallist will look to add more hardware on the track in Friday’s final.

All four Lions entries in the 2000m steeplechase advanced to the final, with Charlie Mortimer and Mikel Fortier moving on in the open boys division, and Grace Streek and Tessa Knight doing the same on the girls’ side.

Streek, a three-time OFSAA medalist heading into the meet, will look to add to her resume in Friday’s final.

In 400m qualifying, junior Ellie McGregor lowered her week old personal best, crossing in 57.14 to win her heat. Declan McGinnity advanced in the novice boys race, and senior Quinn Coughlin moved on comfortably in her division.

The senior boys 400m qualifiers were dominated by the Lions, with three of four advancing to the final. Zachary Jeggo led the charge with a smooth 47.63, the second-fastest time of the day. Stephan Balson followed in 48.05, qualifying fourth overall, while Ange-Mathis Kramo shaved more than half a second off his personal best to advance in fifth at 48.41. Ayoub Shangai narrowly missed joining them, placing ninth in 48.70—a personal best that moves him to No. 5 on the Club’s U18 all-time list.

In field event action, Sadie Gilbert placed sixth in the senior girls shot put with a best of 11.20m. Timeo Atonfo finished ninth in the senior boys triple jump at 13.74m. Roxy Gardiner also placed ninth in the junior girls long jump with a leap of 5.10m, while Noah Hollinger took 10th in the junior boys triple jump at 12.54m.