(Quebec City, Canada---23 February 2024) Brianna Asiamah competes in the shot put at the 2024 RSEQ University Championships held at the University of Laval. Photograph Copyright 2024 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Shot putters lead Ravens at RSEQ Championship

by linkinbioProvincialUniversity

While Canadians associate winter with ice, the slippery surface is not something typically associated with indoor track and field. However, the Carleton University throwers may beg to differ after their slippery experience at the RSEQ Championships in Quebec City last weekend.

Competing on a well-worn portable circle at the PEPS (Pavillon de l’éducation physique et des sports de l’Université Laval), Carleton’s two nationally ranked shot putters had to adjust to their environment when they discovered they could nearly skate across the shot put ring. 

Graduate student Brianna Asiamah shifted her entire approach to the event because of the circle’s slippery feeling. Despite Asiamah scaling back her full rotation throw down to a half turn, she still emerged victorious with a winning throw of 12.48 metres on her first attempt. While the distance was nearly a metre off her school record, Asiamah finished more than a metre and a half ahead of her nearest competitor. With her victory, Brianna also secured her third straight ticket at the USports Championship.

In the men’s shot put, second year student Connor Fraser may have benefitted from his years of experience playing competitive hockey as he seemed unfettered by the slippery conditions. Fraser pushed the 16 pound ball out to a distance of 15.05 metres, less than a foot off his school record, to claim the silver medal. 

On the track, McGill University sophomore Luca Nicoletti had a very productive first RSEQ Championship after missing last season to an injury. Nicoletti opened the weekend of competition on Friday night by helping the Red Birds to victory in the 4×200 metre relay. He would follow up on day two with an individual medal of his own. The engineering student was clocked in a time of 35.71 seconds as he took home the bronze over 300 metres. 

To close out the RSEQ Championships,Audrey Gilmour picked up a bronze medal of her own in the 4×400 metre. Also running for McGill, Gilmour ran the third leg for the Martlets as they finished in 4:00.55, just seven tenths of a second behind Sherbrooke’s silver medal run.

For complete results and photos from the RSEQ Championships, please visit our results page.

For updated Carleton Ravens all-time rankings, please visit https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ravenstf_rankings/

(Ottawa, Canada---16 August 2023) Wendy Alexis competes in the 200m at Ottawa Summer Twilight Series Meet #11. Copyright 2023 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images.

Lions take home five gold from Ontario Masters Championship

by MastersProvincial

Just a week following the Canadian Masters Championships, a small but mighty pride of Lions took to the track at York University for the Ontario Masters Championships. The group of five athletes took home a total of seven medals including five gold. 

As she did a week ago in Montreal, Wendy Alexis easily took home the top spot in the women’s 65 and over 60 and 200 metre titles. Alexis’ winning times of 8.92 and 30.67 are the fastest times in the world for any woman in her age category. 

A pair of gold medals came from 76-year-old jumper Stan Seitz.  The veteran of masters athletics cleared a height of 1.15 metres in the M75 high jump before leaping out to 2.15 metres in the long jump. With his two medals, Seitz has now accumulated over 45 provincial and national medals in his masters career.

Gilles Frenette rounded out the list of gold medalists as he took top spot in the M45 Mile steeplechase. While not typically a contested race indoors, Frenette crossed the line in 5 minutes and 54.87 seconds to claim top spot. 

Sam Shi and Mike McInerney rounded out the medal winners for the Lions with silver and bronze medals respectively. Both awards came over 1500 metres, where Shi placed in the M30 event with his 4:33.59 effort and McInerney went 5:16.89 in the M55 event. 

(Windsor, Canada---23 February 2024) David Adeleye competing on Day 1 of the 2024 OUA Track And Field Championships in the Dennis Fairall Fieldhouse on the campus of the University of Windsor. Copyright 2024 Miles Ryan Rowat / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Adeleye’s U23 record leads four medal haul from OUA Championships

by linkinbioProvincialUniversity

This year’s OUA Track and Field Championships were a bit of a breakthrough out party for fourth year hurdler David Adeleye. Almost hard to believe for a man in his final year of undergraduate study who holds medals in the sprint hurdles from both USports and the Canadian outdoor championships. 

However, in Friday night’s 60 metre hurdle final, Adeleye did something that had escaped in his previous two attempts – he found his way on to the medal podium at the OUA Championship. In what was likely a preview of the USports final, David took home the silver medal in a club U23 record 7.88 second while the University of Guelph’s Craig Thorne was first across the line in 7.76. 

Adeleye was not the only Lion’s hurdler competing for the Varsity Blues to put forward a breakthrough performance. Paulina Procyk laid down back-to-back lifetime bests in the semi-finals and final to finish fifth overall with a blazing time of 8.63 seconds. The performance puts Procyk sixth on the Club’s U23 all-time list and qualified her for the USports Championship.

For the second year in a row, Lizzy Vroom helped Queen’s University to a bronze medal and  school record in the 4×800 metre relay. However, Vroom was not the only Lion helping the Gaels make a 4×800 podium. First year commerce student Nolan Legare led off the men’s squad as they ran a seasonal best of 7:43.33 to claim the silver medal and secure their spot at the USports Championship.

In the penultimate event of the Championship the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees women’s 4×400 metre relay team captured the school’s sole medal of the championship. Running out of the “slow” section, the quartet of Kathryn Moreland, Katie Manor, Sia Mahajan, and Doyin Ogunremi posted a time of 3:55.34, a scant one one hundredth off their seasonal best, to place ahead of Lakehead University. The Gee-Gees last medal in the 4×400 had come nearly a decade ago at the 2015 championships.

While the Gee-Gees were only able to produce one podium finish, they did post their fair share of near misses. In total, the Gee-Gees produced five fourth place finishes over the two day event.

Kicking off the wave of near medal performances was shot putter Jessica Gyamfi on Friday night. The second year nursing student came as close as one could possibly imagine to the podium. With a personal best effort of 12.83 metres, Gyamfi actually finished in a tie for bronze, but lost on the count back as her second best throw was a single centimetre behind that of Guelph’s Meghan Mori. 

Shortly after Gyamfi, Kathryn Moreland culminated the five discipline pentathlon with a fourth place finish. The second year student could take solace in the fact she too set a personal best – amassing a total of 3333 points. 

Doyin Ogunremi, followed as the next event on the track in the 300 metres.The graduating senior posted her fastest time ever on a 200 metre track, crossing the line in 39.77 seconds. Unfortunately for Ogunremi, Western’s Tieghan Wallace narrowly edged her out from the previous heat of the event by a scant five hundredths of a second. 

On the final day of competition, sprinter Katie Manor was part of two fourth place finishes. Over 60m, the third year student lost a tight battle with York’s Janae Brown on the line – 7.54 to 7.56 seconds. Later in the day, Manor led off a Gee-Gees 4×200 metre squad that included Emma Martins, Doyin Ogunremi, and Bianca Borgella which finished in 1:43.07, to finish one place off the podium.

Full results from the championship can be found on our website.

Updated rankings are also available:

Ottawa Lions
University of Ottawa Gee-Gees
Carleton University Ravens

20231114_Kevin_Robertson_AOXC

Robertson and Lebel win provincial cross country titles

by linkinbioMastersProvincial

From under-10 to masters runners, triumph echoed throughout the Lions squad at Sunday’s Ontario Cross Country Championships. Battling it out on a challenging course at Toronto’s Downsview Park, the Lions captured six individual medals along with three team medals.

For the first time in more than a decade, a Lions runner took home a provincial senior title as Kevin Robertson took top spot in the men’s eight-kilometre race. The NACAC U23 steeplechase champion bested Melika Ghali of Monarch Athletics Club with a time time of 25 minutes and 6 seconds. 

Also running their way to the top of the podium was Ronan Lebel, who topped the U10 boys race for the second year in a row. Lebel won the one kilometre race in 3 minutes and 58 seconds. Finishing two seconds behind him Ronan was teammate Gustave Côté Hughes for silver. 

Our masters runners brought home a trio of medals led by defending national champion Liz Maguire. The class of the Women’s 55-59 category, Maguire finished the five-kilometre course in 20 minutes and 44 seconds – 13 seconds ahead of second place finisher Christy Barber of the Toronto Harriers. 

Kimberley Howitt nabbed a silver in the Women’s 35-39 category and Jay Sneddon nabbed a bronze in the Men’s 30-34 category. Sneddon’s performance also led the Lions to a team silver in the same category with the help from teammates Fritzlor Auguste and Sam Shi.

In her first post collegiate season, Nina Günther has had tremendous success on the cross country trails this fall. While, she narrowly missed yet another podium performance on Sunday, the University of Ottawa graduate was fifth across the line in the senior women’s eight-kilometre race with a time of 30 minutes and 25 seconds. Teammed with Aria MacDonald (12th), Melina Hamel (13th) and Kylee Fowler (15th) the Lions senior women brought home provincial silver. 

Sunday’s medal for the women was the Club’s first senior team medal at the provincial championships since 2008. That year, the team of Dana Buchanan, Julia Hicks, Robyn Erickson, and Lisa Benzthe were Ontario champions.

Rounding out the medal haul was the U16 girls team, which took home silver behind a dominating win from the Newmarket Huskies. Scoring for the Lions were Kyra Lauter (16), Laila Lebel (20), Dahlia Loreti (21), and Riley Daniels (29). With  a total of 86 points, the quartet narrowly edged out the Durham Dragons and their 89 points.

Full results from Sunday’s races are available online at https://results.raceroster.com/v2/en-US/results/e6jyuaqn3wcjc7nf/results

Oppong-Nketiah_Borgella_AO_AOY

Borgella and Oppong-Nketiah Named Athletes of the Year

by linkinbioProvincial

In the dynamic world of Ontario athletics, two exceptional young sprint talents have been shining brightly in 2023. On Saturday night at the Athletics Ontario Awards Gala, Bianca Borgella and Jorai Oppong-Nketiah were honoured with prestigious awards, highlighting their remarkable achievements in their respective categories.

Bianca Borgella: Para Track Female Athlete of the Year

A resounding round of applause goes to Bianca Borgella, who has been named Athletics Ontario’s Para Track Female Athlete of the Year. This recognition is a testament to her incredible journey in the world of para athletics. Her accolades in 2023 include a pair of medals (silver and bronze) at the World Para Athletics Championship and consistent success on both national and international stages. Her remarkable dedication and determination have not only secured her a place in the record books but have also placed her on a path to competing at the Paralympic Games next summer in Paris. 

Jorai Oppong-Nketiah: U16 Female Athlete of the Year

Jorai Oppong-Nketiah’s meteoric rise in the world of athletics continues to leave us in awe. She has earned the well-deserved title of Athletics Ontario’s U16 Female Athlete of the Year. Her performance in 2023, especially at the Ontario U14/U16/U18 Championships and the Legion Nationals, showcased her exceptional talent. Her record-breaking run in the U16 girls’ 100 meters made her the Ontario Champion and highlighted her as the second-fastest 15-year-old female sprinter in Canadian history. Jorai’s accolades are not just a testament to her remarkable speed but also her dedication and hard work.

Conclusion: Bianca Borgella and Jorai Oppong-Nketiah have not only marked 2023 as a year of exceptional achievements but have also cemented their places as shining stars in the world of athletics. Bianca’s recognition as Para Track Female Athlete of the Year and Jorai’s title as U16 Female Athlete of the Year are well-deserved honours that acknowledge their talent and dedication. As they continue to inspire athletes across Ontario and beyond, we eagerly anticipate the next chapter in their remarkable athletic journeys. Congratulations to these two incredible athletes who have truly earned their places in the spotlight.

(Ottawa, Canada---05 June 2021) Barclay Frost receiving an appreciation award for a lifetime of officiating from Ottawa Lions Executive Director Richard Johnston at the Ottawa High Performance Weekend, held at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility. Photograph copyright 2021 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images

Barclay Frost honoured with Athletics Ontario Hall of Fame induction

by linkinbioProvincial

The Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club are proud to celebrate the recent induction of local official Barclay Frost into the Athletics Ontario Hall of Fame in the Builder Category. The induction, recognizing a remarkable 65-year journey of dedication to athletics, took place Saturday night during Athletics Ontario’s annual Awards Gala and honours Barclay’s profound contributions as an athlete, coach, educator, official, and executive.

Barclay Frost, an Ottawa native and a true all-around sportsman, began his journey in athletics by setting a high school record in the high jump and subsequently became a Canadian U18 high jump champion. Over the years, he excelled in multiple sports but remained deeply committed to track and field.

As an educator for 34 years, Barclay’s communication skills allowed him to not only teach his students but also to inspire them to engage with sports. He coached numerous elementary school teams to championships, leaving a lasting impact on young athletes.

Barclay’s impressive journey as an official spans 54 years, and he remains one of Canada’s top officials. He has officiated at all levels, from high school meets to the Summer Olympics, always displaying his in-depth knowledge of the rule book and exceptional communication with athletes and coaches.

His contributions extended beyond the track; Barclay held numerous executive roles in organisations aimed at enhancing the sport of Track and Field. He is instrumental in the staging of the Ottawa Sports Awards Dinner, which annually honours outstanding amateur athletes in the city and he has been an ardent supporter of the Lions members in being recognized in the city’s sporting community.

In recognition of his dedication and contributions, Barclay has received several prestigious awards, including induction into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 and being selected for the Athletics Canada National Officials Committee Wall of Honour in 2021.

Barclay’s legacy as an athlete, coach, educator, and official has left an indelible mark on the world of athletics. His induction into the Athletics Ontario Hall of Fame is a testament to his lifelong commitment and outstanding achievements.

Sultana Frizell celebrates bronze medal in hammer throw at 2015 Pan Am Games. Copyright Miles Ryan Rowat

Sultana Frizell joins Athletics Ontario Hall of Fame

by linkinbioProvincial

The Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club is thrilled to extend its heartfelt congratulations to Canadian Olympian Sultana Frizell on her well-deserved induction into the Athletics Ontario Hall of Fame. This prestigious recognition is a testament to Frizell’s outstanding accomplishments, particularly in the hammer throw, and marks another historic milestone in her illustrious athletic career. The induction ceremony took place this past Saturday as part of Athletics Ontario’s annual Awards Gala.

Sultana Frizell, a name synonymous with excellence in Canadian athletics, enjoyed an athletics career spanning nearly two decades that saw her represent Canada internationally on 18 separate occasions. Her journey in the sport began at the young age of 14 where she took home a pair of national titles from the Royal Canadian Legion Championships. A year later she was Canadian Under-20 Champion in the shot put and would compete for Canada in a dual meet against the United States.

Frizell’s journey would only continue upwards from there, winning 13 Canadian age-class titles by the time she enrolled as a freshman at the University of Georgia. At the age of 23, Frizell set her first Canadian record in the hammer throw and subsequently broke it three more times that same year en-route to qualifying for her first Olympic team in Beijing.

Over the following 10 years, Frizell would break the Canadian record in the hammer throw five more times – extending the mark out to what was then a North American record of 75.73 metres in 2014. During the same period, the Perth native made her second Olympic team (2012), represented Canada at three World Championships, won two Commonwealth Games titles, and was twice a medallist at the Pan American Games.

Beyond her 7 Canadian senior titles and 12 national records in the hammer throw and weight throw, Frizell’s greatest legacy in the sport will be on the people around her. Undeniably one of the most loved personalities in our sport, Frizell’s success in the field helped inspire a generation of female throwers in Canada the likes of which we have never seen before. One of the kindest people you will meet, she has always been willing to take the time to help younger athletes get better at their craft.

As the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club, we stand alongside Athletics Ontario in applauding Frizell’s remarkable career and recognizing her invaluable contributions to the sport and her role as a true Canadian sporting icon. Her story is a source of inspiration for all who share a passion for track and field.

(Ottawa, Canada---19 July 2024) Daniel Cova competing at Ottawa Summer Twilight #7 at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility. Copyright 2024 Miles Ryan Rowat/ Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Lions bring home 19 medals and 1 record from Ontario U14/U16/U18 Championships

by linkinbioProvincial

Heading into last weekend’s Ontario U14/U16/U18 Championship Lions athletes held 13 individual provincial age class records. However, after Jorai Oppong-Nketiah stepped off the Western Alumni Stadium track following the 100 metres, the total had risen to 14.

In her first year of track and field competition at the club level, Jorai has made a big splash, and last weekend’s performance was just the latest on her list of summer success. 

With a silver medal from the provincial U20 championship last month, Jorai was certainly a favourite to take top spot in the U16 girls 100 metre event. She started off the competition on the right foot as she broke a 40 year old Club record for both U16 and U18 athletes with a time of 11.85 seconds. 

Unwilling to let her new record last as long as the previous one, Oppong-Nketiah trimmed another seven hundredths of a second off her best in the final. With a blazing time of 11.78 seconds, the soon-to-be grade 10 student was not only Ontario Champion, but she had also bested Makenzy Pierre-Webster’s seven year old provincial U16 record of 11.81 seconds. 

While Athletics Canada does not keep national records for the U16 age category, we have discovered that Jorai’s time is the second fastest ever recorded in Canada by a 15-year-old girl. The top time of 11.58 seconds belongs to Saskatchewan’s Jenni Hucul.

Oppong-Nketiah’s gold was 1 of 19 medals won by the Lions over the weekend – including 6 gold. 

Taking home half of those gold medals was Daniel Cova. The 16-year-old took top spot in each of the 2000 metre steeplechase and 3000 metres with a two second margin of victory in each race. Cova’s 3000 metre winning time of 8 minutes and 46.67 seconds is the ninth fastest in Club history in the U18 category. 

The Louis-Riel student also added a gold medal as part of the sprint medley relay. Running the anchor leg, Cova helped the team of Safwan El Mansari, Janssen Assogba,  and Ladi Ogunmekan set a new U18 Club record time of 3 minutes and 36.64 seconds. 

Rounding out his haul, Cova all garnered a bronze in the 1500 metres to bring his total to four.

Also pulling in multiple medals were Timeo Atonfo and Maxime Cazabon. Together the pair combined for a further seven medals.

Atonfo was a double bronze medalist in the horizontal jumps. The Gisele-Lalonde student produced jumps measuring 6.64 and 13.80 metres in the long jump and triple jump respectively. 

In addition to his jumping success, Atonfo was also a key member of the medal winning 4×100 and 4×400 metre teams. Running lead off in the 4×100 with Ladi Ogunmekan, Mukhtar Raji, and Janssen Assogba, Atonfo picked up a silver medal with a 43.99 second clocking. Teammed with Eric Zielonka, Jonah Gratton, and Ethan Lavictoire, Timeo picked up a second silver in the 4×400 metre relay.

Competing in his first Ontario Championship, Maxime Cazabon made a big splash as the 13-year-old won a full set of medals. He kicked things off with a silver in Friday night’s 300 metre final by running a Club U14 record of 39.29 seconds. Cazabon added a bronze in the 80 metres before ending with gold in the high jump following a 1.60 metre clearance.

Other medalists from the weekend include the following:

Bronze – Safwan El Mansari (U18 400m)
Silver – Atalia Williams (U14 80m)
Silver – Sofia Lefaivre,Maya Allibon,Kyre Lauter,Bianca Arabackyj (U16 4x800m)
Bronze – Charlie Mortimer,Luke Van Brabant,Yousef Kamel,Yusuf Elmasry (U16 4x800m)
Gold – Charlie Mortimer (U16 1500m Steeplechase)
Bronze – Eric Zielonka (U18 400m Hurdles)
Silver – Atalia Williams (U14 150m)

Complete results from the Championship can be found on our website.

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

(Ottawa, Canada---12 July 2023) Stan Seitz competing in Ottawa Summer Twilight #6. Photograph Copyright 2023 Miles Ryan Rowat / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Lions win 29 medals at Ontario Masters Championships

by linkinbioMastersProvincial

This year’s Ontario Masters Outdoor Track and Field Championships was undoubtedly the best in recent memory for the Lions. Club athletes took home an eye popping 29 medals including 18 gold. On top of that, six meet records were set including a brand new provincial masters record.

Taking home two of those medals was the ageless jumper, Stan Seitz. At 75 years young, Seitz set an M75 record in the high jump with his clearance of 1.20 metres. A three time champion in the high jump at the Canadian Masters Championships, Stan equalled the previous record of 1.10 metres on his opening height before making successive first attempt clearances at 1.15 and 1.20 metres. 

Seitz’s other gold came from the pole vault where he cleared 2.35 metres for victory. 

Making a splash in his masters championship debut, Andrew Heffernan set three championship records. Heffernan, who is more widely known for his success guiding athletes on the international para athletics circuit, set meet records in both the M30 800 and 1500 metre events. 

Heffernan posted a winning time of 2 minutes and 3.09 seconds in the 800, trimming more than two seconds off the previous championship mark set by Trevor Van Nest in 2002. Teammate Fritzlor Auguste picked up the silver in 2:11.90.

Over 1500 metres, the pair of Heffernan and Auguste finished first and second respectively. Andrew’s winning time of 4 minutes and 24.07 seconds was 19 seconds faster than the previous mark set by Jimmy Semes in 2011. Fritzlor finished in 4:49.37.

Teaming up with Michael Conway, Gilles Frenette, and Auguste, Heffernan got his third Championship record in the M30 4×400 metre relay. The quartet took the gold in a time of 3 minutes and 52.20 seconds. 

In another relay, the team of Lionale Nahum, Neil Fine, Michel Smith, and Sancho McCann set a new championship record in the M35 4×100 metre relay. The quartet got the stick around in a time of 50.12 seconds. 

Rounding out the championship records for the Lions, William McLeish set a new mark in the M30 5000 metres. His time of 16 minutes and 6.02 seconds bested the previous standard of 16:22.21 set by Dan Way in 2017. McLeish was also the lead in a Lions sweep of the podium with clubmates Jay Sneddow (16:46.27) and Sam Shi (17:33.10) finishing in the silver and bronze medal positions respectively. 

Below is the full list of Lions medal winners from the Championship.

Ashley Crawford – Silver 100m (W35)

Danette Nearing-Guibord – Gold 100m (W60)

Wendy Alexis – Gold 100m (W65)

Sancho McCann – Gold 100m (M40)

Ashley Crawford – Silver 200m (W35)

Danette Nearing-Guibord – Gold 200m (W60)

Wendy Alexis – Gold 200m (W65)

Sancho McCann – Gold 200m (M40)

Erinn Joseph – Gold 400m (W30)

Ashley Crawford – Gold 400m (W35)

Jodi Forster-Molstad – Bronze 400m (W45)

Andrew Heffernan – Silver 400m (M30)

Michael Conway – Silver 400m (M35)

Marino Sani – Bronze 400m (M60)

Andrew Heffernan – Gold 800m (M30)

Fritzlor Auguste – Silver 800m (M30)

Michael Conway – Gold 800m (M35)

Andrew Heffernan – Gold 1500m (M30)

Fritzlor Auguste – Silver 1500m (M30)

William McLeish – Gold 5000m (M30)

Jay Sneddon – Silver 5000m (M30)

Sam Shi – Bronze 5000m (M30)

Gilles Frenette – Gold 3000m Steeplechase (M45)

Neil Fine – Gold High Jump (M35)

Stan Seitz – Gold High Jump (M75)

Stan Seitz – Gold Pole Vault (M75)

Tom Pincombe – Silver Discus (M45)

Lionel Nahum,Neil Fine,Michel Smith,Sancho McCann – Gold 4x100m (M35)

Michael Conway,Gilles Frenette,Fritzlor Auguste,Andrew Heffernan – Gold 4x400m (M30)

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

For complete results from the Championship, please visit Ontario Masters Outdoor Track and Field Championship

(North York, Canada---15 July 2023) Connor Fraser of Ottawa Lions T.F.C. competing on day two of the Ontario U20/Open Track and Field Championships at the Toronto Track and Field Centre. Copyright 2023 Miles Ryan Rowat/ Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Lions take home 26 medals from Ontario Championships

by linkinbioProvincial

A downpour on Saturday was not enough to dampen the spirits of the Ottawa Lions. Competing at the Ontario U20/Open Track and Field Championships Saturday at the Toronto Track and Field Centre, Lions athletes amassed an impressive 26 medals, including 10 gold medals. 

In the team standings, the Lions amassed 178.5 points to finish second in the U20 Championship behind London Western. The senior squad garnered 144 points as they finished in third position.

An impressive 57 personal bests were set by Lions over the three day competition. Chief among those outstanding performances was Connor Fraser who put forward the best throws of his life to take spot in both the U20 shot put and discus. 

Fraser added more than a metre to his previous best in the shot put as he dropped the six kilogram ball out at 16.58 metres. In fact, each one of the Carleton University student’s measured exceeded his previous best heading into the competition. 

It was a case of last minute heroics in the discus for Fraser. Sitting in second for almost the entire competition, the 19-year-old unleashed a massive throw on his final effort, landing the 1.75kg platter out at 50.00 metres. His effort catapulted him into the gold medal position and London Western’s Jeremy Vandenboorn was unable to respond on the final throw of the competition. 

Sydney Smith and Elizabeth Vroom each repeated as Ontario Champions in Toronto. 

Smith narrowly edged out York University Track Club’s Sonia Gaskin by four hundredths of second to claim her second straight provincial 800 metre title. The 26-year-old stopped the clock at an eye popping 2 minutes and 3.76 seconds as she took nearly a full second off her previous lifetime best set at last year’s championship. 

Domination was the name of the game for Vroom. The Queen’s University student comfortably took top in the U20 women’s 2000 metre steeplechase in a time of 7 minutes and 5.05 seconds – 42 seconds ahead of second place. 

Stepping down in distance to 800 metres, Vroom added a bronze medal to her collection on the final day of the competition. A strong kick down the final home stretch pushed Vroom past a couple runners and on to the podium as she stopped the clock at a personal best time of 2:13.77. 

For Alexandra Telford and David Adeleye their respective hurdle wins over the weekend were career firsts for each athlete. 

Fresh off a flight from Belgium and a new lifetime best at 400 metres, Telford took quick control of the women’s 400 metre hurdle final. Coming off the final curve with a comfortable lead, the 27-year-old cruised home in a winning time of 1:00.19. The victory was Telford’s first individual gold medal at the Ontario Championships after five previous relay titles.

In Adeleye’s case, his victory in Saturday’s 110 metre hurdle final was the first Ontario Championship of any kind. The University of Toronto student came ever so close to breaking the 14 second barrier for the second time in his career as he stopped the clock in 14.01 seconds.

Lions athletes also added gold medals in the U20 men’s and Open Women’s 4×100 metre relays in addition to sweeping the Open Men’s and Women’s 4×800 metre events. 

Updated Club rankings can be found at https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ottl_rankings/

Meet results and pictures from the Ontario Championships can be found on our website.