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Lions celebrate success of 2022-23 season at awards banquet

by ClublinkinbioLocal

Under the famous sunset of the Terry Fox Athletic Facility, the Ottawa Lions celebrated the best of the 2022-2023 season Saturday night at their annual Awards Banquet. The evening provided all involved with an excellent opportunity to celebrate the many accomplishments of the past season including a second straight Canadian Championship for our U18 girls cross country team, multiple international medalists, and a number of Canadian records. 

The highest honour bestowed upon a Lions athlete is the Gilbert Award, named in honour of Olympic Champion Glenroy Gilbert. Handed out to the most outstanding male and female athletes in the Club for both track and field events. 

For the second straight season, Lauren Gale took home the honour in the women’s track category. The 23-year-old set a new Club record this year at 300 metres with a time of 37.02 seconds. Gale now holds Club sprint records at 200, 300, and 400 metres. 

In addition to her record setting performance, the 2020 Olympian took home bronze and silver medals in the 200 and 400 metres respectively at the Ontario Championships. As well, she finished the season ranked second nationally over 200 metres.

Long jumper Maria Okwechime took home the award for top female in the field events. Okwechime moved to number four on the Club’s all-time list early this season with a leap of 6.13 metres at the Bob Vigars Classic. She would equal the mark two months later as she finished in the top spot at the Canadian Championships. 

On the men’s side, the track award was shared between two recent victors – David Adeleye and Stephen Evans. Adeleye, the winner in 2022, set a Club U23 record indoors over the 60 metre hurdles and followed that up outdoors with his first ever sub-14 second 110 metre hurdles race. The University of Toronto student was also named to his first national team in athletics, representing Canada at the NACAC U23 Championships. Adeleye rounded out his season with his first senior national medal, finishing in the bronze medal position.

Evans finally produced the breakthrough season he had been working for. After besting the Club’s 1000 metre record indoors, the University of Ottawa graduate focused his attention on one of the longest standing records – the 800 metres. The previous mark of 1:47.24 had been set nine years before Evans was born, and in the national final Evans bested it by more than two tenths on his way to picking up his first national medal – bronze. 

Bianca Borgella was recognized for the third straight year as the Club’s top para athlete. The Sam Estwick Award winner had a banner season in 2023 that included her first national team appearance. Competing at the World Para Athletics Championship in Paris, Borgella signalled to the world that she will be a strong medal contender next year at the Paralympics. The University of Ottawa student captured bronze in the T13 100 metres and silver in the 200 metres – both in Canadian record time.

Among the age group award winners, Connor Fraser and Elizabeth Vroom each took home top honours in the Under-20 category. Fraser was a double provincial champion in the shot put and discus in addition to winning gold in the shot put at the Canadian Championships. Vroom placed second in the 3000 metre steeplechase at nationals and was provincial champion. The Queen’s University student also took home the honour of Most Outstanding Cross Country performer. 

Quinn Coughlin and Zachary Jeggo continued what has felt like the longest game of “anything you can do, I can do” as the pair took home top honours among U18 athletes. The pair of grade 11 students had dominating seasons in both the 400 and 400 metre hurdles, with each finishing fourth in both events at the Canadian U20 Championships and picking up a pair of individual medals at the Royal Canadian Legion Championships. 

Topping the U16 category were a pair of record breakers in sprinters Jorai Oppong-Nketiah and Ange-Mathis Kramo. Oppong-Nketiah was a dominating force this summer taking top spot at the provincial championships with the second fastest 100 metres in Canadian history by a 15-year-old. She would follow that up a week later by becoming the first woman in Club history to claim gold in both the 100 and 200 metres at a single Legion National Championship. 

Kramo smashed the Club’s U16 record at 300 metres with a dazzling 35.64 second clocking this summer. The Paul Desmarais student also posted top-5 all-time performances over 100 and 200 metres and helped the Lions’ U20 4×100 metre relay to a provincial title. 

Honours in the Under-14 category went to Atalia Williams and Maxime Cazabon. The pair combined for four medals at the Ontario Championships. Cazabon was provincial champion in the high jump and completed the full set of medals with silver in the 300 metres (Club U14 Record) and bronze over 80 metres. Williams captured a pair of silver medals over 80 and 150 metres.

The remaining award winners were as follows:

  • Mike Conway & Erinn Joseph – Masters
  • Nina Günther & Liz Maguire – Road Running
  • Saul Taler – Cross Country
  • Seb Lalonde & Kirk Dillabaugh – Sean Cole Memorial Award (Dedication to Club Service)

For a full list of current and past award winners, please visit the Annual Awards section of our website.

(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 sets new Twilight record

by linkinbioLocal

A Twilight Meet Record, a number five all-time performance, and nearly 70 personal bests. If you said “What are three things that happened last night,” you would be right.

With our squad split between hosting the third Twilight Meet of the summer and competing in the Royal City Inferno, the Lions put up a great series of performances.

Kicking off the night in style was Lauren Gale as she opened the Twilight #3 with a meet record at 400 metres in her season opener at the distance. The Club record holder crossed the line in 53.28 seconds to best the previous standard of 53.52 set by Windsor’s Nicole Sassine in 2016. Finishing in second was OFSAA champion Quinn Coughlin in 57.88 seconds. 

Also in Ottawa, one of the Club’s newest members, Malachi Kenny made a dazzling debut as he took top spot in the men’s 800 metres. Covering the two lap distance in 1:57.24, Kenny bested his junior boys winning time from the recent OFSAA Track and Field Championships. The Bishop Smith student’s time is the sixth fastest in Club history by a U17 athlete.

In Guelph, Sydney Smith ran a new personal best over 800 metres to move into fifth on the Club’s all-time list. The University of Ottawa graduate found herself in a field akin to a national final and rose to the occasion, crossing the line in 2 minutes and 4.75 seconds. Her time is now ranked 10th in Canada this year.

At 1500 metres, André Alie-Lamarche bettered his near year old personal best with his ninth place finish at the Inferno. Alie-Lamarche stopped the clock at 3 minutes and 48.10 seconds – exactly a tenth of a second faster than his previous best set at last season’s Canadian Track and Field League Final. He now ranks 24th in Club history.

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

(York, Canada — 3 June 2022) Timeo Atonfo of Gis?le-Lalonde - Ottawa competing in the sprint hurdle heats 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.

Records fall as Lions begin road to OFSAA Championships

by High SchoollinkinbioLocal

The march to the OFSAA Track and Field Championships has begun and three athletes have already made it known they should be considered forces to be reckoned with after record setting performances at both the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association East and West Conference Championships taking place last week. 

In just her first high school season, Jorai Oppong-Nketiah quickly made her name known as one to keep an eye out. The grade nine student at Pierre-de-Blois set records in both the 100 and 200 metre sprint events at the West Conference Championship.

Oppong-Nketiah bested former Lion Remy Wade’s 10 year old 100 metre record in the preliminary rounds, stopping the clock at 12.39 seconds. Wade’s old mark was 12.44 seconds. Jorai was a hair slower in the final, finishing in 12.40 seconds. 

Over 200 metres, Oppong-Nketiah equalled the meet record of 26.03 seconds in the heats before taking top spot in the final with a blazing time of 25.96 seconds. The previous record had been set by Shelani Fernando in 2010. 

At the East Conference Championship, it was the wind that kept Timeo Atonfo from breaking a pair of records for the second year in a row. The Gisèle-Lalonde student captured top spot in the junior boys long jump with a leap of 6.44 metres to eclipse Japhet Divita’s seven year old mark of 6.40. 

The record is the second long jump record for Atonfo at the East Conference meet. He set the novice boys mark a year ago.

On the track, Atonfo topped the junior 100 metre hurdle race with an impressive 14.04 second clocking – besting the previous meet record by more than three tenths of a second. Unfortunately for the grade 10 student, the wind gauge registered a trailing wind in excess of the allowable 2.0 metres per second (+2.6), nullifying the record.

Atonfo made it a three gold medal day as he hopped, skipped, and jumped his way to top place in the triple jump. His best mark of the day was 13.04 metres, more than 1.2 metres ahead of second place. 

Rounding out the record breakers was Olivia Baggley in the senior girls 3000 metres as he took down Alex McGowan’s nine year old mark of 10:21.96. The Gloucester senior completed the seven and half lap race in 10 minutes and 20.83 seconds to best the next closest competitor by nearly two full minutes. 

All three athletes and a host of others will compete this Wednesday and Thursday at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility for a spot at the East Regional Championship. The top five finishers at the city championship will advance to regionals.

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

For full results from the East and West Conference Meets as well as the LCIAA and UOVHSAA Meets, please visit https://ottawalions.com/results/2023-results/

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

by ClublinkinbioLocal

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. 

(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

by linkinbioLocalUniversity

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/

(Ottawa, Canada---10 August 2022) Adriano Padoin-Castillo competing in the 10,000m at Ottawa Summer Twilight Series meet #12. 2022 Copyright Photograph Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images.

Padoin-Castillo tops podium at Great Big Cookie Run

by linkinbioLocal

While the focus for many Lions runners may have been on cross country championships over the past week, a little five kilometre road race along the Rideau Canal enticed a few runners to lace up their shoes Saturday. The free cookies at the finish line of Run Ottawa’s Great Big Cookie run may have also helped.

The top of the podium had some very familiar names with Adriano Padoin-Castillo taking top spot in the men’s race with a personal best time of 16 minutes and 16.0 seconds. Clearly the Immaculata student still had some juice in the legs following Thursday’s run at the NCSSAA Cross Country Championships.

Also cracking the top-10 were Jay Sneddon and Gavin Westbrook who placed sixth and seventh respectively. Sneddon edged out Westbrook by just two seconds, finishing in 16 minutes and 47.0 seconds. Another notable finish goes to Jason Dunkerley and guide runner Alex Berhe who finished 14th and 15th with equal times of 17:25.

On the women’s side, it was former Lion and current CTV Ottawa journalist Leah Larocque taking top spot in 18 minutes and 7.0 seconds. She was followed by 15-year old Lion Grace Streek in second with a time of 18:21.0. It was the second race in three days for Streek as the grade 10 student had finished third in the junior girls cross country race at the City Championship to earn a spot at this week’s OFSAA Championship.

Full results from the Great Big Cookie Run can be found on Sport Stats. 

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Lions run well at Capital XC Challenge

by High SchoollinkinbioLocalUniversity

With the sun shining and temperatures hovering in the mid-teens, it was a beautiful weekend for a cross country meet. In total, more than 750 athletes ran through the park at Mooney’s Bay, on one of Canada’s most unique and challenging courses, at the annual Capital XC Event this past Friday and Saturday.

The event opened with the high school girls junior varsity event, where St. Pius X’s Isabella Chiumera took top spot in the four kilometre race. Chiumera’s time of 15:05.51 was nearly 11 seconds ahead of the Lions’ Grace Streek, while Quinn Coughlin of Opeongo rounded out the podium in third. 

Malachi Kenny of Pembroke’s Bishop Smith High School was the winner of the junior varsity boys contest in 13 minutes and 4.41 seconds. Kenny edged out Glebe’s Saul Taler, who finished just five seconds behind on the four kilometre course.

There were some popular faces atop the varsity girls podium as Lion Louise Stonham took top place in the five kilometre event. Stonham finished in 18 minutes and 11.89 seconds, about 100 metres ahead of training partner Lauren Alexander who was competing for Glebe. Ariel Gibbons of Renfrew rounded out the podium in 19:44.89.

Records are made to be broken and that is exactly what the top three finishers in the varsity boys did in Friday’s final race. The trio of Robin Lefebvre, Derek Strachan, and Ilyass Kasmi all improved on the previous record of 16:02.07 set by Angus Skinner last season. Lefebcvre took nearly 20 seconds off the previous standard as he crossed the line in 15 minutes and 43.52 seconds. Strachan was eight seconds back in silver, while Kasmi finished in 15:55.91 for third. 

Saturday featured the University/Open sections where McGill and Queen’s Universities won the men’s and women’s titles respectively. The University of Ottawa finished third in both races. 

McGill was led to victory by Matthew Beaudet, who won the six kilometre race in a time of 18 minutes and 37.07 seconds. While Jude Wheeler-Dee and Roman Mironov of Queen’s rounded out the podium. The top finisher for the Gee-Gees was André Alie-Lamarche who placed sixth in a time of 19:21.48. Nicholas Pedersen was the top runner for the Lions in eighth.

On the women’s side, Becca Brennan of Monarch Athletics took top spot with a time of 22 minutes and 30.95 seconds. The former Lion and Gee-Gee was followed closely behind the University of Ottawa’s Noemie Beauregard in 22:33.23. Manon Plouvier of Queen’s rounded out the podium in third. 

In the elementary school races, Lions athletes took home three of the six team titles. Elmdale Public School captured the U10 boys and girls titles, while Collège Notre-Dame took home the U14 boys title. 

2021-22 OTTL Presidents Award

Lions celebrate tremendous season at annual awards banquet

by linkinbioLocal

Saturday night marked the second year in a row the Ottawa Lions gathered under the big top at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility to celebrate another great year of athletics at our annual awards banquet. During the most complete season since the start of the pandemic, the Lions had plenty to celebrate including a Canadian Cross Country Championship, Ontario U20 team title, and six new Canadian records by Lions athletes. 

The Gilbert Awards, named in honour of Olympic champion Glenroy Gilbert, are handed out annually to the most outstanding male and female athletes in the Club for both track and field events. Saturday’s victors – Lauren Gale, David Adeleye, Audrey Goddard, and Tommy Nedow – were all first time recipients. A feat that had not occurred in more than twenty years. 

Lauren Gale had a lot to celebrate during the 2021-22 season. The recent graduate of Colorado State University had a dream season that included Canadian Indoor Records at 200 (23.00) and 400 metres (51.64). In addition, Gale was part of Canada’s 4×400 metre record setting relay team at the World Indoor Championships (3:31.45). 

Outdoors, Gale set Club records at 200 (22.82) and 400 metres (51.30), and anchored the Canadian Club Record 4×400 metre relay team at the Canadian Championships with a time of 3:35.46. Gale also competed in both the 200 and 400 metres at the World Championships, and was named to both the Commonwealth and NACAC Championship teams.

The 2022 season was a case of performing when it mattered for the 20-year-old David Adeleye. The University of Toronto student posted personal bests at every national event he ran this season. This included a run of 8.07 seconds in the 60 metre hurdles at the USports Championship where he would take the bronze medal. At the Canadian Championships, he ran a personal best 14.34 seconds en-route to a fifth place finish. Finally, at the Canada Summer Games, Adeleye broke the previous Games record with a personal best run of 14.03 seconds to take home the silver in the 110 metre hurdles.

Tommy Nedow’s victory kept the men’s field event Gilbert Award in the family for another year as his older brother Tim had won on the previous six occasions. Nedow was recognized for a strong season that included a silver medal in the discus at the Canadian Championships and provincial titles in both the discus and hammer throw. The Brockville native concluded his season at the Canada Summer Games where he captured a pair of bronze medals in the discus and shot put for Team Ontario.

Heptathlete Audrey Goddard took home the female field event honour, the first for a U20 woman in Club history. Goddard had a strong first season in the combined events posting the third highest mark in the Club U20 heptathlon rankings when she scored 4480 points to place second at the Canadian U20 Championships. Goddard also scored a wind-aided 4658 points to place second at the Canada Summer Games Trials. 

This year’s Sam Estwick Memorial Awards – given to the top para athlete’s in the Club – went to Bianca Borgella and Joshua Cassidy. 

Borgella took home Canadian titles in both the 100 (12.43) and 400 (1:02.19) metre para ambulatory races in national record times. As well, the University of Ottawa student anchored the Lions U20 Women’s 4×100 metre relay team to national gold.

Borgella followed up her performance at nationals by breaking her national 100 metre record a couple weeks later with a time of 12.37 at the Canada Summer Games Trials, which ranked her second globally in the T13 category. Similarly, over 400 metres, Borgella lowered her national record to 1:00.84 – a time which ranks seventh in the world among T13 runners.

Cassidy was a double medalist in the para wheelchair 800 (silver) and 1500 (bronze) metres at the Canadian Championships this year. As well, Cassidy represented Canada in the 1500 metres and the marathon at the Commonwealth Games, where he was also Canada’s flag bearer for the opening ceremonies.

Elizabeth Vroom was recognized as the Most Outstanding U20 Female following an exceptional rookie season in athletics. The former soccer star won all but two steeplechase events she entered this year. Vroom set a personal best of 10:40.33 to win the Canadian U20 3000 metre steeplechase title and also set an OFSAA Record of 6:52.19 to win the provincial high school title. Both performances rank second on the Club’s all-time U20 lists behind former Canadian U20 Record Holder Danelle Woods.

Vroom’s only two losses came while competing against older competition at the Ontario Open Championships and Canada Summer Games Trials. In both instances she finished in the silver medal position.

The award for Most Outstanding U20 Male was shared by a pair of 400 metre hurdlers and Canada Games teammates – David Moulongou and Luca Nicoletti. 

Moulongou had a breakout season in the 400 metre hurdles that found him in both the Canadian U20 and Canada Summer Games finals. The University of Ottawa student saved his best performance for his last competition of the year, running a massive personal best of 52.79 seconds to place second at the Canada Summer Games. 

After a strong high school season, Nicoletti took home bronze in the 400 metre hurdles at the Canadian U20 Championship before placing fifth at the Canada Summer Games. Provincially, Nicoletti was also a silver medalist in the U20 200 metres. 

On the relay front, both Moulongou and Nicoletti helped Team Ontario to a bronze in the 4×400 at the Canada Summer Games. This was in addition to gold and silver medals in the 4×400 and 4×100 metre relays respectively at both the Canadian and Ontario U20 Championships.

Amelia Van Brabant was named Most Outstanding U18 Female for the second year in a row while Nolan Legare received the top male award. 

Van Brabant was a triple medalist at the Ontario U18 Championships, taking silver over 3000 metres, bronze in the 1500 metres, and adding silver as part of the 4×800 metre team. Nationally, the Earl of March student was fifth over 3000 metres at both the Canadian U20 and Royal Canadian Legion Championships. Van Brabant was also part of the bronze medal winning 4×400 metre relay at the Canadian U20 Championships.

Legare was a double silver medalist at 400 and 800 metres at the Ontario U18 Championships. In relay action, he also took home gold in the U20 4×400 and U18 Sprint Medley relays at the provincial championships. On the national stage, Legare was 6th in the 400 metres at the Royal Canadian Legion Championships and was part of bronze medal winning 4×100 and 4×400 metre relay teams.

Quinn Coughlin, a double bronze medalist at the Ontario Summer Games, took home the award for Most Outstanding U16 Female. The award on the men’s side was shared between Royal Canadian Legion medalists Will Batley and Timeo Atonfo. 

In the masters category a pair of double gold medalists at the provincial championships took home the honour – Kimberley Howitt and Club founder Bob Staveley.

Nico Pedersen was named the Club’s Most Outstanding Road Racer and coach Thomas Faour was presented with the Sean Cole Memorial Award for dedication to Club service. 

In cross country, provincial champion Amelia Van Brabant took home her second award of the evening, while Zachary Sikka, the Lions top finisher at the 2021 Canadian Championships, was the men’s winner.

Other awards presented on the evening went to Alec Jeffrey and Alexandra Telford as the Most Outstanding Athletes on the Carleton Ravens varsity team. This year’s winners of the Denis Landry Award for Most Outstanding Athletes with the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees went to Sydney Smith and Thomas Senechal-Becker. 

For a full list of current and past award winners, please visit the Awards and Records section of our website. 

Josh Cassidy Rio

Cassidy inducted in to Toronto Wall of Honour

by linkinbioLocal

It was not something he was aiming for, but Josh Cassidy’s induction into the Toronto Sport Hall of Honour on Friday was a worthy distinction for the national team veteran. The Toronto Sport Hall of Honour celebrates the exceptional contributions and accomplishments of those who have inspired and/or brought recognition to Toronto through sport. Cassidy was one of 18 inductees in the 2022 Class.

The three time Paralympian was inducted as the Para Athlete of The Year for his achievements in 2019. During that season Cassidy took home the top spot at the Los Angeles Marathon despite breaking his chair less than 24 hours before the race, he placed sixth at the Tokyo Marathon, and swept the 800, 1500, and 5000 metre events at the Canadian Championships. 

“These sorts of things aren’t what you aim for, but deeply gratifying to be recognized for the whole journey,” said Cassidy of the induction.  “Through triumphs and defeats, for all the hard work, dedication and commitment to a lifetime of sport. It couldn’t happen without the coaches, therapists, and community of support.” 

Terry-Fox-Aerial_1440

Ottawa to host 2025 and 2026 Canadian Track and Field Championships

by linkinbioLocalNational

The Canadian Track and Field Championships are coming back to the nation’s capital. Athletics Canada announced today that the 2025 and 2026 editions will be held in Ottawa at Terry Fox Athletic Park, site of the 2017 and 2018 editions.

“We’re pleased to return to Ottawa, the 2017 and 2018 editions of the Canadian Track and Field Championships were some of the best editions ever staged,” said Mathieu Gentès, Chief Executive Officer, Athletics Canada. “Spectator attendance, grassroots integration, and a first-rate sport and entertainment experience were major focus points, the Athletics Canada team looks forward to working with the Ottawa Lions and national and local partners to springboard off those 2017 and 2018 success stories.”

The Canadian Track and Field Championships serve as the national championship for U20, Open and Para Athletics categories. The 2025 edition will serve as World Trials for the 2025 World Athletics Championships to be held in Tokyo, Japan.

“The Ottawa Lions look forward to working with Athletics Canada and the City of Ottawa to bring another exciting set of Championship meets to the nation’s capital in 2025 and 2026,” said Richard Johnston, Executive Director, Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club. “The expansive Ottawa Lions Track and Field programs and partners in the community, will be vital to the volunteer base and operations, while serving as a great platform to incorporate grassroots programming into the event, attract a new fan base and create a memorable experience for those competing and those attending.”

Earlier this summer, Athletics Canada announced that the 2024 Bell Olympic and Paralympic Track and Field Trials will take place in Montreal. The 2023 edition of the event is set for Langley, British-Columbia, July 27 – 30.