(Ottawa, Canada---10 June 2023) Jonah Gratton of La Citadelle - Cornwall competing in the intermediate hurdles at the 2023 OFSAA Ontario High School Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2023 Geoff Robins / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Ottawa Lions Athletes Excel at EOSSAA Championships

by High Schoollinkinbio

Eleven more Lions athletes advanced to the OFSAA East Regional Championship last Thursday and Friday. Competing at the EOSSAA Track and Field Championships at Thousand Islands Secondary School in Brockville, athletes recorded 18 new personal bests and brought home six gold medals.

Quinn Coughlin was the most well decorated Lion at EOSSAA, capturing three medals including two golds. The grade 11 student at Cobden’s Opeongo High School, swept the senior girls 400 and 400 metre hurdle events, the latter in a personal best time of 1:02.70. Coughlin also added a silver over 200 metres, finishing in a time of 25.96 seconds.

Abby MacLeod of Tagwi Secondary School excelled in the short sprint events. The grade 10 student secured second place in the junior girls 100 metres with a time of 13.17 seconds and finished fourth in the 200 metres, clocking in at 27.12 seconds. Her teammate, Averi Whitton, also from Tagwi, ran her way to a bronze medal over 3000 metres, finishing with a time of 12:43.98.

North Dundas’ Connor England picked up a pair of silver medals in the junior boys 100 and 200 metres with times of 11.35 and 22.87 seconds, respectively. England also placed fifth in the 300 metres hurdles. Rowan McCooeye from St. Joseph’s (Cornwall) put his speed to good use, placing second in the 100 metres hurdles with a time of 15.66 seconds. McCooeye also put forward a pair of top-five finishes in the 100 and 200 metre events.

On the road back from injury, last year’s EOSSAA sprint king John McGowan was dethroned on Friday. The St. Michael’s student had to settle for silver in Friday’s senior boys 100 metre final as he crossed the line in a time of 11.23 seconds

Lions athletes took the top two spots in each of the senior boys hurdle events led by La Citadelle’s Jonah Gratton. The grade 11 student posted a pair of personal bests on his way to gold in times of 14.80 and 59.78 seconds respectively. 

In the sprint hurdles, it was Notre Dame’s (Carleton Place) Simon Salisbury hot on Gratton’s heels as he also posted a personal best effort to nab silver in 14.96 seconds.

Ethan Lavictoire of St. Joseph’s (Arnprior) took silver over the 400 metre hurdles in 1:02.30.

Moving up to the senior ranks didn’t slow Malachi Kenny’s medal haul in the 800 metres. Last year’s junior boys OFSAA Champion found himself on top of the podium in Brockville with a 1:58.34 effort, good for a 1.4 second victory.

In the field, Opeongo’s Liam Davis from Opeongo easily captured top spot in the senior boys shot put. Davis’ best throw on the day measured 15.37 metres, about 2.5 metres further than his nearest competitor. 

Full results from the meet are available on our website.

Updated club rankings can be found here.

(Ottawa, Canada---23 May 2024) Taisei Tan of B_rice-Desloges races in the 100m at the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association (NCSSAA) Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2024 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Lions Break Four Records; Set 140 Personal Bests at Ottawa High School Championship

by High Schoollinkinbio

Athletes at last week’s National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association (NCSSAA) championship at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility enjoyed ideal conditions as they competed for a chance to advance to the OFSAA East Regional Championships in Belleville this Thursday and Friday. A total of 83 Lions athletes progressed in 147 individual events, continuing their journey on the Road to OFSAA.

The City Championships were not just about advancing; Lions athletes delivered outstanding performances, achieving 140 personal bests over the two-day event and setting four new meet records.

Peak Academy’s Grace Streek set the tone by breaking Elizabeth Vroom’s record in the 2000-metre steeplechase in the first event of the Championship. Streek finished in a blazing 7 minutes and 6.58 seconds, nearly seven seconds faster than Vroom’s previous standard. The grade 11 student’s performance now ranks her seventh in Club history. Grace also claimed gold medals at 1500 and 3000 metres.

Zachary Jeggo of Louis-Riel made history by becoming the first athlete to break the 48-second barrier in the 400 metres at the NCSSAA Championship. The grade 11’s student’s time of 47.96 seconds surpassed Phillip Hughes’ 1986 record of 48.32 seconds.

Jeggo’s victory led a quartet of impressive performances in the senior boys’ 400 metres. Lisgar’s Stephan Balson secured silver with a time of 48.48 seconds, while Mother Teresa’s Will Sanders also broke the 50-second barrier, finishing at 49.37 – both times were personal bests. De La Salle’s Safwan El Mansari completed the top four with a time of 50.84.

Jeggo also set a personal best of 54.22 seconds in the 400-metre hurdles, ranking as the top high school performance this season and the second fastest U20 performance in Canada so far this season.

Béatrice-Desloges’ Taisei Tran nearly set two championship records in the hurdle events. He finished the 100-metre hurdles in 13.90 seconds, faster than Leewinchell Jean’s record of 13.93, but a trailing wind of 2.6 metres per second nullified the record. However, Tran redeemed himself by breaking former Lion Matt Stenson’s 28-year-old 300-metre hurdle record with a time of 40.08 seconds.

Ange-Mathis Kramo of Paul-Desmarais broke the junior boys’ 200-metre record that had stood since 1991. Kramo’s time of 22.15 seconds shaved four hundredths off the previous mark and gave him a comfortable 1.15-second margin of victory.

Kramo’s success extended beyond the 200 metres as he swept all three sprint events with personal best times. He broke the 11-second barrier in the 100 metres for the first time and set a personal best of 50.29 seconds in the 400 metres, trimming more than a second off his previous best.

Below is a list of all individual winners:

Bianca Arabackyj (De La Salle) – Novice Girls 1500m 5:04.23

Laila Lebel (Colonel By) – Novice Girls 3000m 11:22.21

Roxy Gardiner (Sir Robert Borden) – Novice Girls High Jump 1.50m

Roxy Gardiner (Sir Robert Borden) – Novice Girls Triple Jump 10.47m

Shannon Dewar (St. Francis Xavier) – Junior Girls 200m 27.06

Shannon Dewar (St. Francis Xavier) – Junior Girls 400m 59.34

Maya Allibon (John McCrae) – Junior Girls 1500m 5:08.34

Shannon Dewar (St. Francis Xavier) – Junior Girls 300m Hurdles 48.33

Salome Kuemmerle (Brookfield H) – Junior Girls High Jump 1.55m

Sophia McIntyre (St. Francis Xavier) – Senior Girls 400m 1:01.38

Jocelyn Giannotti (Holy Trinity) – Senior Girls 800m 2:21.75

Grace Streek (Peak Centre) – Senior Girls 1500m 4:42.79

Grace Streek (Peak Centre) – Senior Girls 3000m 10:50.26

Waverley Lyons (Glebe) – Senior Girls 400m Hurdles 1:09.70

Waverley Lyons (Glebe) – Senior Girls High Jump 1.50m

Balqis Chouikhi (Sir Wilfred Laurier) – Senior Girls Pole Vault 3.05m

Kaiya Woodcock (Sacred Heart) – Senior Girls Long Jump 5.73m
Sadie Gilbert (Paul-Desmarais) – Senior Girls Shot Put 10.87m

Grace Streek (Peak Centre) – Open Girls 2000m Steeplechase 7:06.58

Luke Van Brabant (Earl of March) – Novice Boys 800m 2:10.93

Luke Van Brabant (Earl of March) – Novice Boys 1500m 4:39.49

Ange-Mathis Kramo (Paul-Desmarais) – Junior Boys 100m 10.94

Ange-Mathis Kramo (Paul-Desmarais) – Junior Boys 200m 22.15

Ange-Mathis Kramo (Paul-Desmarais) – Junior Boys 400m 50.29

Brennan Lee (Mother Teresa) – Junior Boys 800m 2:04.62

Charlie Mortimer (Hillcrest) – Junior Boys 1500m 4:21.59

Charlie Mortimer (Hillcrest) – Junior Boys 3000m 9:16.21

Taisei Tan (Béatrice-Desloges) – Junior Boys 100m Hurdles 13.90

Taisei Tan (Béatrice-Desloges) – Junior Boys 300m Hurdles 40.08

Eli Mordel (Sir Robert Borden) – Junior Boys Pole Vault 3.50m

Zachary Jeggo (Louis-Riel) – Senior Boys 400m 47.96

Saul Taler (Glebe) – Senior Boys 1500m 3:58.79

Daniel Cova (Louis-Riel) – Senior Boys 3000m 9:02.41

Timeo Atonfo (Gisèle-Lalonde) – Senior Boys 110m Hurdles 14.92

Zachary Jeggo (Louis-Riel) – Senior Boys 400m Hurdles 54.22

Timeo Atonfo (Gisèle-Lalonde) – Senior Boys Long Jump 6.80m

Derek Strachan (Glebe) – Open Boys 2000m Steeplechase 6:05.60

FULL MEET RESULTS ARE AVAILABLE HERE

(Langley, Canada---28 July 2023) André Alie-Lamarche competing on day two of the Canadian Track and Field Championships at the MacLeod Athletic Park Stadium. Copyright 2023 Miles Ryan Rowat/ Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Lions Excel in Week of World Wide Competition

by Internationallinkinbio

It’s been a busy seven days in athletics for Lions members with athletes competing across six countries and putting up a number of phenomenal performances as the outdoor season swings into gear. 

At the Down The Stretch Track Festival at George Mason Stadium in Fairfax, Virginia last Friday, André Alie-Lamarche delivered a stellar performance in the men’s mile. Finishing with a time of 4:01.17, Alie-Lamarche brought the crowd to their feet as he pushed the pace over the final 400 metres. André’s result marks the eighth fastest mile in Club history.

Simultaneously, at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix held at Drake Stadium, Kevin Robertson showcased his prowess in the men’s 3000-metre steeplechase. With a time of 8:36.92, Robertson recorded the second fastest performance of his career as he rounds in to form ahead of next month’s Olympic Trials in Montreal.

Back on home soil, a small group competed at the SLS Coupe Excellence #1 held at Piste Ben Leduc in St. Laurent last Saturday – capturing two gold and a silver. Rosemary Holmes and Quinn Lyness swept the women’s and men’s 400 metre hurdles respectively. Holmes took top spot in a time of 1:04.57 while Lyness crossed the line in 56.55 seconds.

Taking silver in the women’s 200 metres was Victoria McIntyre. The 28-year-old sprinter finished in a seasonal best time of 24.76 seconds.

Rounding out the crew in Quebec, Luca Nicoletti posted a seasonal best time of 11.17 seconds for 100 metres and finished ninth at 200 metres in 22.86 seconds.

Stephen Evans ended last weekend with a seasonal best effort in Lucca, ITA. Competing at the Lucca International Meeting, Evans placed fifth over 800 metres in a time of 1 minute and 47.65 seconds. His effort in Italy currently ranks as the fourth fastest performance in Canada this season. The 27-year-old followed Sunday’s performance with another 1:47 run on Wednesday in Kladno, CZE.

Rounding out the European contingent, Lauren Gale nearly equalled her Canadian Best performance at 300 metres with a silver medal run of 36.53 seconds at the Trond Mond Games in Bergen, NOR on Wednesday. Gale then followed that up two days later in Lahti, FIN as she took top spot in the 400 metres with a blistering time of 51.37 seconds. Gale’s time in Finland is the fastest in Canada this year and just seven hundredths off her Club record.


For updated Club rankings, please visit https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ottl_rankings/

(Ottawa, Canada---10 June 2023) Zachary Jeggo of Louis-Riel - Ottawa competes in the intermediate hurdles (gold) at the 2023 OFSAA Ontario High School Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2023 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Lions shine at NCSSAA East Conference Championships with 25 gold medal haul

by High Schoollinkinbio

With the West Conference Championship already in the books, last Thursday was the kick off to the road to OFSAA for those schools in the NCSSAA East Conference. An exciting day for athletes was marked by an impressive haul of 25 individual gold medals by Ottawa Lions athletes. 

Picking right where he left off in the last high school season, Zachary Jeggo took top spot in the senior boys 400 metres and 400 metre hurdle events in convincing fashion. In both events, the grade 11 student at Louis-Riel laid down the third fastest performances of his life with times of 48.73 seconds and 56.32 seconds respectively. 

Topping the individual gold tally was Shannon Dewar of St. Francis Xavier. The grade 10 student earned top spot in the 200 and 400-metre events as well as the 300-metre hurdles. Among Dewar’s triple triumph came a new lifetime best of 58.88 seconds over 400 metres.

Glebe’s Lauren Alexander swept the senior girls middle distance events. The grade 12 student topped the 800-metre field in 2 minutes and 25.48 seconds and was first across the line at 1500 metres with a run of 4:55.38.

Charlie Mortimer of Hillcrest also completed a distance double – taking top spot in both the junior boys 1500 and 3000 metre events. Mortimer edged out Colonel By’s Owen Siderus over 3000 metres, winning 9:43.01 to 9:43.78. In contrast, he finished six and a half seconds ahead of the field at 1500 metres, crossing the line in a time of 4 minutes and 14.96 seconds. 

Béatrice-Desloges’ Taisei Tan was very impressive in the hurdle events. Tan took top spot in both the junior 100-metre and 300-metre events with times of 14.58 seconds and 41.66 seconds respectively.

In field events, Salome Kuemmerle of Brookfield topped the junior high jump with a clearance of 1.45 metres, while Deborah Bwana of Mer Bleue took first in the junior shot put with a throw of 9.88 metres. Senior competitor Katie Purves from Franco-Cite excelled in both the shot put and javelin throw, achieving distances of 9.87 metres and 26.55 metres, respectively en route to double gold.

High school action resumes this week with the NCSSAA Championships on May 22nd and 23rd at Terry Fox Athletic Facility. The top five athletes each event this week will earn a spot at the East Regional High School Championships the following week in Brockville

(Ottawa, Canada---10 June 2023) Grace Streek of Peak Centre Academy - Ottawa competing in the 3000m at the 2023 OFSAA Ontario High School Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2023 Miles Ryan Rowat / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Lions captured 28 individual titles at NCSSAA West Conference Championships

by High Schoollinkinbio

The Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club athletes put on an outstanding display at the NCSSAA West Conference Championships last Wednesday. In total, Lions athletes amassed 28 individual titles on the day as the road to OFSAA began in earnest. 

In the women’s novice division, Dahlia Loreti of Pierre Savard made a strong debut, winning both the 800-metre and 1500-metre runs with times of 2:37.98 and 5:19.74, respectively. Céline Léger from Franco-Ouest also made her mark, securing first place in the 400-metre dash with a time of 1:03.60. Roxy Gardiner of Sir Robert Borden shone in the field events, triumphing in both the high jump and triple jump with performances of 1.50 metres and 10.28 metres respectively.

In the women’s junior division, Jamie Harris from Longfields-Davidson Heights captured the 100-metre dash title with a time of 13.38 seconds, while Maya Allibon of John McCrae won the 1500-metre run, finishing in 5:18.25.

Senior competitors delivered equally impressive performances. Grace Streek from Peak Centre Academy dominated the distance events, sweeping the 1500-metre run, 3000-metre run, and 2000-metre steeplechase.

While Streek won the 1500 by five seconds in 4:49.04, it was the longer distances where she truly dominated the fields. At 3000m, the OFSAA medalist’s time of 10:40.06 was nearly 30 seconds ahead of second place Alison Soler. Over the steeple barriers, the grade 11 student was even more dominant, winning by 46 seconds – crossing in 7:20.25.

Kaiya Woodcock of Sacred Heart excelled in sprints and jumps, winning the 100-metre dash in 12.35 seconds and the long jump with a distance of 5.35 metres. Isabelle Martel from Nepean High secured first place in the 400-metre dash with a time of 1:04.04, while her teammate Stella Humeniuk won the 100-metre hurdles in 17.09 seconds. Sadie Gilbert of Paul-Desmarais also took top spot in the senior girls shot put.

In the men’s novice division, Luke Van Brabant of Earl of March showed his middle-distance prowess by winning both the 800-metre and 1500-metre runs with times of 2:12.88 and 4:40.13.

Ange-Mathis Kramo from Esc Paul-Desmarais stood out in the junior division, clinching victories in the 100-metre dash, 200-metre dash, and 400-metre dash with times of 11.25 seconds, 22.98 seconds, and 52.13 seconds, respectively. Eli Mordel of Sir Robert Borden was dominant in the hurdles, winning the 100-metre hurdles in 14.66 seconds and the 300-metre hurdles in 43.18 seconds.

Senior athlete William Sanders of Mother Teresa took first place in the 400-metre dash with a time of 50.45 seconds, while Kai Guevara-Gibson from Longfields-Davidson Heights won the long jump with a distance of 6.20 metres. James Fee of Nepean High rounded out the senior performances by winning the 2000-metre steeplechase in 6:52.09.

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May’s Athletic Triumphs: Canadian Records, High School Stars, and Exciting Competitions

by High SchoolInternationallinkinbioLocal

The month of May burst into action with remarkable performances from Lions athletes across three countries.

World Relay Championships: Lauren Gale led Canada to a new national record in the mixed 4×400 meter relay during the World Relay Championships in The Bahamas over the weekend. Gale and her team secured third place in their heat, clocking in at an impressive 3 minutes and 14.66 seconds. Although they narrowly missed the top two spots required for automatic Olympic qualification, their performance bested the previous national mark of 3:15.20 set at last year’s Canadian Championships.

Trials of Miles Friday Night Lights: André Alie-Lamarche showcased his talent by finishing fifth in the 1500 meters event at the Trials of Miles Friday Night Lights event in New York’s Icahn Stadium. Crossing the finish line in 3 minutes and 48.85 seconds, Alie-Lamarche delivered his second-best performance of the year.

Run Ottawa’s Run to Empower: In Ottawa, two Lions athletes made their mark at Run Ottawa’s Run to Empower event. Adriano Padoin-Castillo claimed victory in the open 5-kilometer race, clocking in at an impressive 16 minutes and 44 seconds. Saoirse Kealey secured a top-10 finish in the Ottawa’s Fastest Woman 5km section, crossing the line in 18 minutes and 54 seconds.

uOttawa High School Invite: The uOttawa High School Invite saw a significant turnout over both days, with outstanding performances. Stephan Balson of Lisgar dominated the senior boys’ events, setting a personal best of 10.89 seconds in the 100 meters and finishing second with a time of 21.96 seconds in the 200 meters.

Ange Mathis-Kramo from Paul-Desmarais School made an impressive start to the season by clinching victories in both the junior boys’ 100 and 200 meter events. His time of 11.09 seconds in the 100 meters set a new meet record, while his 200 meter performance of 22.42 seconds showcased his dominance in the field.

Jorai Oppong-Nketiah continued her stellar form from last season by sweeping the 100 and 200 meter events, setting new records in both categories. Her windy 100 meter time of 11.99 seconds broke a 13-year-old record, while her 200 meter victory in 25.34 seconds shaved off an impressive 2.5 seconds from the previous record set in 2023.

Looking ahead, the high school action continues with the National Capital Classic, and the outdoor season kicks off with the Spring Kick Start meet on Friday and Saturday.

For updated club rankings, visit this link.

240424_OTTL_50thBirthday_wide

Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club Celebrates 50th Anniversary

by Clublinkinbio

Today marks a significant milestone in the history of the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club as we celebrate our 50th anniversary. Since the first practice was held on April 25, 1974, led by head coach Bob Staveley and a team of dedicated individuals, the club has been a cornerstone of athletics in the Ottawa region for half a century.

In its inaugural year, the East Ottawa Lions, as they were initially known, held their first practice at the old Canadian Forces Base Rockcliffe track. Under the leadership of Bob Staveley, the club welcomed athletes aged 12 and up, with a mission to provide opportunities for youth in track and field within the community. Originally sponsored by the East Ottawa Lions Club, the club’s membership was initially limited to athletes residing within specific boundaries north of the Queensway and east of the Rideau River.

Reflecting on the early days of the club, Staveley at the time remarked, “There was a need for a second track and field club in the city, and I’m proud to have been a part of establishing the Lions.” Assisted by a team of dedicated coaches including Owen Froggett, Ken Parker, Rae Ellen Desloges, Dick Cardill, and Greg Moses, the club quickly gained momentum, fostering talent and passion for athletics in the region.

The original Board of Directors, led by President Major Angus Read and Vice-President Bob Staveley, played a pivotal role in shaping the club’s direction and ensuring its success in the years to come.

Over the past five decades, the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club has grown from its humble beginnings to become a powerhouse in Canadian athletics, producing 22 Olympians, 17 Paralympians, nearly 200 international medals, over 1700 national championship medals, and in excess of 3600 provincial medals. The club’s legacy extends beyond the track, instilling values of dedication, perseverance, and sportsmanship in generations of athletes.

As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, we extend our gratitude to all past and present members, coaches, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters who have contributed to the success and longevity of the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club. Here’s to the next fifty years of excellence in athletics!

(Langley, Canada---27 July 2023) Kevin Robertson competing on day one of the Canadian Track and Field Championships at the Macleod Athletic Park Stadium. Copyright 2023 Miles Ryan Rowat/ Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Robertson moves to second on all-time steeplechase list

by Clublinkinbio

After a 2023 season which saw steeplechaser Kevin Robertson qualify for his first NCAA Championship, win a bronze medal at the Canadian Championships, and take top spot at the NACAC U23 Championships you may be left wondering what could he have in store for an encore. Friday night in Charlottesville, VA we got a pretty good glimpse and the future is bright. 

Opening his season at the Virginia Grand Prix, Robertson easily took top spot in his heat of the 3000 metre steeplechase in a personal best time of 8 minutes and 33.88 seconds. The Syracuse University student won by more than 11 seconds over Princeton’s Jackson Shorten. Robertson placed eighth overall.

In addition to a new lifetime best for Robertson, his performance Friday evening had him leap frog Joshua Karaja into second place on the Club’s all-time list. Alain Boucher set the current Club standard of 8:33.65 at the Commonwealth Track and Field Challenge in Sydney in 1990.

In Louisiana with the national team in preparation for the upcoming World Athletics Relay Championships, Lauren Gale took home a pair of fourth place finishes at the LSU Alumni Gold Meet. Gale  improved her seasonal best over 200 metres to 23.30 seconds in Baton Rouge – moving into third spot on the early season national rankings. Over 400 metres, Gale finished the one lap race in 52.42 seconds, two hundredths off her season’s best. . 

On the road, Josh Cassidy completed his second marathon in the span of a week rolling to an eighth place finish in the wheelchair section of the London Marathon Sunday morning. Following his fifth place finish in Boston on Monday, Cassidy finished the 26.2 mile course in a time of 1:35.40 – a scant seven seconds off another fifth place finish. 

Despite being on the other side of the country, there were a number of familiar faces on the start line of this year’s Vancouver Sun Run 10km. First across the finish line among the small group was Kyle Porter, who placed 32nd overall with a 31:58 clocking. Behind Porter were a pair of masters runners, Jay Sneddon and Sam Shi, who finished 25th and 42nd respectively in the men’s 30-34 age category. Jay was clocked in 34 minutes and 27 seconds, while Sam set a new lifetime best of 36 minutes and 16 seconds. 

For updated Club rankings, click here.

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Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club Announces Exciting Opportunities for Athletes, Coaches, and Volunteers

by Clublinkinbio

The Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club is proud to announce a series of exciting opportunities aimed at fostering growth, development, and community engagement within the sport of athletics.

As Ottawa emerges as a central hub for Track and Field and Cross Country, the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club is committed to providing a platform for athletes, coaches, parents, and volunteers to thrive on provincial, national, and international stages.

Over the past decade, Ottawa has played host to a prestigious lineup of major events, solidifying its status as a premier destination for athletics. These events include the Canadian Track and Field Championships, Canadian Cross Country Championships, and various other national and international competitions.

In preparation for the upcoming events, the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club is pleased to offer a range of opportunities for individuals to get involved and enhance their experience in the sport.

Coach and Officials Education:

  • Run, Jump, Throw Clinic: Taking place on May 12th at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility, this clinic provides newcomers to coaching and seasoned athletes alike with the chance to bolster their skills and gain valuable experience. Registration is open here.
  • Officials – Para Ready Seminar: In conjunction with the Spring Kick Start event on May 11th-12th, a para-ready officiating seminar will be held to equip officials with the necessary skills to work with para-athletes. Registration details will be available soon.
  • AO Officials Evolution Seminars: On April 25th and 27th, Athletics Ontario will host seminars in Ottawa to introduce interested individuals to the world of officiating in Track and Field. Registration is now open here.
  • Throws Clinic: Athletes, coaches, teachers, and officials are invited to participate in a throws clinic on May 5th at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility. Learn more and register here.

Volunteer Opportunities:
The Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club relies on the support of volunteers to ensure the success of its events. Opportunities to volunteer include:

  • High School Series: Volunteers are needed for events such as the Raven Relays, uOttawa High School Invite, and National Capital Classic. Volunteers can earn credits towards the 2024-2025 program. Details can be found here.
  • Spring Kick Start: Volunteers are needed for the event on May 11th-12th.
  • Twilight Series: Volunteers are essential for the success of these weekly events from June 5th to August 14th. Express interest here.
  • Lees Dome Fundraising Project: Volunteers are urgently needed for a major fundraising project to support the 2024-2025 season. Details can be found here.
  • Race Weekend: Volunteers are needed for various roles during the Ottawa Race Weekend from May 24th-26th. Express interest here.

“We are thrilled to offer these opportunities for individuals to engage with the sport of athletics and contribute to our vibrant community,” said Richard Johnston, Executive Director of the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club. “Whether you’re an athlete, coach, parent, or volunteer, there’s something for everyone to get involved and make a difference.”

For more information about these opportunities and how to get involved, please visit Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club or contact Richard Johnston at rjohnston@ottawalions.com.

Copyright Brian Rouble/Shuttered Moments

Cassidy finishes fifth in Boston Marathon

by Internationallinkinbio

While Monday marked the 128th running of the Boston Marathon, it was the 14th time Josh Cassidy had taken his position on the startling line of the renowned event  in the suburb of Hopkinton, MA. The three-time Paralympian would be fifth across the finish line in the wheelchair division, achieving a remarkable time of 1 hour 26 minutes and 15 seconds under near perfect conditions.

The Boston Marathon course is known for its rapid start, with a 100-ft elevation drop in the first half-mile. Cassidy wasted no time, swiftly propelling himself from 20th to fourth place, reaching speeds of up to 65 km/h on the initial downhill stretch. “You want to build momentum quickly, so I was pleased with my strong start,” Cassidy shared on Instagram, reflecting on his performance.

Throughout the race, Cassidy maintained a steady pace, fluctuating between fourth and eighth positions. With just 5 kilometres to go, the race intensified into an all-out sprint as Cassidy found himself neck-and-neck with Japanese racers Sho Watanabe and Kota Hokinoue. Watanabe would ultimately finish five seconds ahead in fourth place, while Hokinoue crossed the line four seconds later in sixth place.

Looking ahead, Cassidy sees Monday’s race as a turning point in his season. “It was a challenging start to the marathon season in Tokyo and L.A.,” he remarked in a post-race Instagram video. “Though there’s still ground to cover to reach the top, I’m proud of the progress made in just a few weeks.”

Cassidy’s marathon journey continues as he sets his sights on the upcoming London Marathon this weekend in the UK.