(Ottawa, Canada---20 May 2026) Charlie Mortimer of Hillcrest Ottawa. National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association (NCSSAA) City Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2026 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Charlie Mortimer Awarded OFSAA’s Brian Maxwell Memorial Scholarship, Eighth Lion Since 2007

by linkinbioProvincial

OTTAWA — Charlie Mortimer has been named one of 8 recipients of the Brian Maxwell Memorial Scholarship, the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations announced, capping four years of athletic and academic achievement for the Ottawa Lions distance runner at Hillcrest High School.

The $5,000 award, presented annually to 4 male and 4 female student-athletes continuing their education at a Canadian college or university, goes to students whose character reflects the honesty, integrity and compassion Maxwell demonstrated throughout his life. Mortimer becomes the eighth Lions athlete to receive the scholarship since its inception in 2007, following Saul Taler in 2025 and Lauren Alexander in 2024.

A 10-time OFSAA qualifier, Mortimer capped his high school career with a fourth-place finish in the Open Boys 2000m steeplechase, building on a fifth-place result in Senior Boys Cross Country earlier in the year. Nationally, he placed eighth in the 5000m at the Canadian U20 Championships. He also competed on Hillcrest’s soccer and ultimate teams over his four years.

Mortimer’s leadership off the track carried particular weight. He organized the school’s intramural program for three years and served as Co-President of the Student Council in Grade 12, helping revitalize the intramural program — work that earned him two school awards and that he considers among his most meaningful accomplishments.

He maintained an average above 90% in the classroom and will study Life Sciences at Queen’s University this fall, joining Taler, last year’s Lions recipient, on campus. Mortimer has also given back to the Club directly, volunteering with youth programs and supporting the Lions’ Twilight Meets, and rounded out his high school years as a violinist in the school orchestra and guitarist outside of it.

The scholarship honours Maxwell, a distance runner who won OFSAA, Canadian junior and Canadian senior titles before making Canada’s 1980 Olympic marathon team and co-founding Power Bar with his wife, Jennifer. He died of a heart attack in 2004.

Mortimer and the seven other 2026 recipients were formally honoured Friday at a reception in Stouffville.

(Ottawa, Canada---08 July 2026) Madison White. Ottawa Summer Twilight Series Meet 6. Photograph Copyright 2026 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Golden Weekend: Ottawa Lions Haul in 13 Medals at Ontario Summer Games

by linkinbioProvincial

KITCHENER, Ont. — Eleven Ottawa Lions athletes traded club colours for “The Valley” region singlet this weekend, competing at the Ontario Summer Games in Waterloo Region. The Ontario Summer Games, held every two years, is the province’s largest multi-sport event for youth, drawing more than 4,000 athletes aged 12 to 18 and serving as an important stepping stone toward national and international competition.

Under the guidance of the Lions’ own Yolande Jones-Grande, serving as The Valley’s head coach, the contingent turned in a stellar showing on the track at Resurrection Catholic Secondary School in Kitchener, combining for 13 medals — three gold, six silver and four bronze.

Leading the medal haul was Madison White, who completed the sprint double in the para ambulatory category. The Carleton University student took top spot in the 100m Friday with a time of 17.68 seconds and followed it up Saturday with a 37.42 clocking in the 200m final.

Competing in the U16 category, Tyson Dalzell added another gold to the Lions haul, launching the 4-kilogram shot put out to 14.61 metres to win by over half a metre. Dalzell also competed in the discus, placing seventh with a throw of 26.58 metres.

Middle-distance runner Jake Claydon-St. John upgraded his U16 provincial 800m bronze from a week ago to silver at the Games, crossing the finish line in a time of 2:03.03. The John McCrae student also added a bronze medal to his collection over 1200m, narrowly edging Peninsula’s Peter Orell out for the final podium spot — 3:17.86 to 3:17.89.

Also turning in a double medal performance was Roan Gerth. The Glebe student dropped nearly three seconds from her previous best over 2000m, crossing the line in 6:39.22 for silver in the U16 category. Gerth’s performance is the second fastest in club history over the distance, trailing only former national champion Shona McCulloch. Gerth also added a silver in the 1500m steeplechase, where she finished in 5:00.81 — a second off her best.

The Lebel brothers each made their own contributions to the medal collection. Kai, the elder of the two, took home a bronze in the U16 1500m steeplechase (4:51.26) while also dropping a second off his best over 2000m. Ronan’s medal came in the U14 2000m, where he dropped more than 15 seconds from his previous best to finish in 6:24.91 and set a new club U14 record.

Coming off a provincial title in the tetrathlon last weekend, Eric Combasson added a silver in the U14 long jump (4.61m). Fellow U14 competitor Benji Fitz-Morris nabbed a silver of his own with a 36.90-second effort in the 200m hurdles — moving him to sixth on the club U14 list.

Rounding out the medal haul were Brooklyn Reesal and Oliver Jeglic. Reesal launched a massive lifetime best in the discus to capture bronze in the U16 category. The Colonel By student moved to third on the club U16 list with her 33.45m effort. Jeglic took home the bronze over 300m in the U14 category with his time of 41.50. He narrowly missed the podium in the 150m, but his 18.97-second effort did move him to second on the club U14 list.

While they did not make the podium, a quartet of Lions represented The Valley in the U14 sprint medley relay, with Ronan Lebel, Benji Fitz-Morris, Oliver Jeglic and Eric Combasson combining for a club age-class record of 4:44.47.

(Ottawa, Canada---20 June 2026) Maxime Cazabon. Athletics Canada 2026 Bell Trials Canadian Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2026 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Ottawa Lions Capture 10th U18 Provincial Title Behind 31-Medal Weekend

by linkinbioProvincial

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. — The Ottawa Lions left St. Catharines last weekend with 31 medals and its first provincial U18 team title in two years, closing out the Ontario U14/U16/U18 & CE Championships.

Our U18 team finished with an impressive 204 points, 68 clear of London Western Track and Field Club in second place, enough to secure the club’s 10th U18 team title since the championship began crowning a team winner in 2000. The Lions had last won it in 2024.

Team success came amid a broader medal haul that spanned nearly every age group at the meet. Over three days of championship action, Lions athletes combined for nine gold medals, 14 silver and eight bronze.

No Lions athlete had a busier weekend than Maxime Cazabon, who is just 16 but already competing at the top of the U18 ranks. Over three days, he ran the 100 and 200 meters, then turned to the jumps, where he swept gold in the high jump (1.94m) and triple jump (13.59m), added a silver in the long jump (6.32m), and closed out his meet with another silver as part of 4×100 relay team with Alexander Forzley, Ethan Hood, and Logan Morrice. The quartet’s time of  42.47 seconds now ranks as the second-fastest among U18 in club history.

Max Gerundin picked up a pair of medals as he completed the classic middle-distance double, winning the 800 meters in 1:53.35 and taking bronze in the 1500 in 4:01.66, before adding a fourth medal as part of the 4×400 team with Sebastian Johnson, Declan McGinnity, Ethan Hood. The team posted a speedy 3:20.57 to move to second on the U18 all-time list.

As she has done virtually all year, Anabelle Muir proved herself once again to be the class of the pole vault field. The 16-year-old cleared 3.46 meters to take top spot on the podium. Not willing to be a one-trick-pony, Muir jumped into relay duty where she was part of a fourth place finish in the 4×400 and helped the 4×800 team to silver. Running with Autumn Sakiyama, Isla Kittmer, Bianca Arabackyj, the quartet finished in 9:38.7 — good for sixth on the Club’s U18 list.

Among the club’s younger athletes, Eric Combasson repeated his victory from indoors in the U14 tetrathlon. In the race walk, Penny Roy took home the gold in the U16 1500m event.

The Lions saved two of their most complete team performances for the relays. In the 1600-meter sprint medley, the foursome of Yousef Kamel, Alexander Forzley, Logan Morrice and Timothy Kelly-MacLean won gold in 3 minutes 39.10 seconds. A few events later, Kelly-MacLean was back on the track for the 4×800-meter relay, joining Oscar Lorrain, Jake Claydon-St. John and Aidan Savka for a gold-medal time of 8:25.34 — his second gold of the meet.

Full List of Ottawa Lions Medalists

Gold

  • Noah Hollinger — Decathlon (U18)
  • Eric Combasson — Tetrathlon (U14)
  • Max Gerundin — 800m (U18)
  • Penny Roy — 1500m Race Walk (U16)
  • Maxime Cazabon — High Jump (U18)
  • Maxime Cazabon — Triple Jump (U18)
  • Anabelle Muir — Pole Vault (U18)
  • Yousef Kamel, Alexander Forzley, Logan Morrice, Timothy Kelly-MacLean — 1600m Sprint Medley (U18)
  • Oscar Lorrain, Jake Claydon-St. John, Aidan Savka, Timothy Kelly-MacLean — 4x800m (U18)

Silver

  • Parker Baetz — Decathlon (U18)
  • Kyle London — Decathlon (U20)
  • Leo Wallner — Decathlon (Open)
  • Oliver Jeglic — 300m (U14)
  • Ethan Hood — 400m (U18)
  • Norah Nitta Mackay — 400m (U18)
  • Jarred Rathwell — Javelin (U18)
  • Maxime Cazabon — Long Jump (U18)
  • Roxy Gardiner — Triple Jump (U18)
  • Norah Nitta Mackay, Roxy Gardiner, Marlowe Fabi, Bianca Arabackyj — 1600m Sprint Medley (U18)
  • Alexander Forzley, Maxime Cazabon, Ethan Hood, Logan Morrice — 4x100m (U18)
  • Sebastian Johnson, Max Gerundin, Declan McGinnity, Ethan Hood — 4x400m (U18)
  • Matisse Joly, Thomas Fenton, Brody Charbot, Silas Harding — 4x800m (U18)
  • Autumn Sakiyama, Isla Kittmer, Anabelle Muir, Bianca Arabackyj — 4x800m (U18)

Bronze

  • Oliver Jeglic — 80m (U14)
  • Sasha Stephenson — 200m Hurdles (U16)
  • Jake Claydon-St. John — 800m (U16)
  • Max Gerundin — 1500m (U18)
  • Alina Shpakovych — High Jump (U18)
  • Aidan Savka, Brock Stonham, Ethan Frizzell, Oscar Lorrain — 1600m Sprint Medley (U18)
  • Declan McGinnity, Sebastian Johnson, Yousef Kamel, Ethan Frizzell — 4x100m (U18)
  • Audrey Webb, Priya Bilcock, Hailey Hayes, Sophie Houle — 4x800m (U18)
(Ottawa, Canada---20 June 2026) Maxime Cazabon at the Canadian Track and Field Championships presented by Bell at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility. Copyright 2026 Miles Ryan Rowat / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Seven Golds Headline Lions’ 24-Medal Weekend in Windsor

by linkinbioProvincialUncategorized

The Ottawa Lions left Windsor with 24 medals, including seven gold, from the Ontario U20 and Open Track and Field Championships, this past weekend at the University of Windsor’s Alumni Stadium from Friday through Sunday.

Providing the signature performance of the Championships for the Lions, Ayoub Shangai ran away with the U20 men’s 400m title. After teammate, and reigning Canadian champion Zachary Jeggo pulled out of the final, all eyes were focused on the recent Louis-Rield graduate and he ceased the moment. 

Sitting on the field for the first three quarters of the race, Shangai dropped the hammer as he headed into the home stretch — surging clear to win by five metres in a time of 47.18 seconds. The performance trimmed more than two tenths of a second from his previous best from last June and moved him to third on the Club’s all-time U20 list. Making the even more impressive was the fact it came two hours after placing sixth in the 100m final with an all-conditions best performance of 10.57 seconds (w +2.5m/s) 

The medal haul wasn’t over for Shangai as he added a bronze medal anchoring the 4x100m a few hours later. Teaming up with Jamie Meikle, Xavier Placid and Maxime Cazabon, the quartet produced the fifth fastest U20 time in Club history — 42.13 seconds.  

Cazabon had some individual success of his own leading a Lions 1-2 finish in the U20 men’s high jump. The national bronze medalist captured provincial gold with a clearance of 1.90, while teammate Fallo Douramodou took the silver after clearing 1.85m. Cazabon rounded out the weekend by adding a second relay bronze to his collection with the 4x400m team that included Jimmy Lu Langley, Nathan Cox, and Jamie Meikle. 

On the women’s side, Shannon Dewar, Waverley Lyons, Autumn Sakiyama and Ciara Villeneuve combined to win the U20 4x800m on Saturday evening in 9:34.47. In addition to the gold medal, their performance moved the quartet to seventh all-time on the Club’s U20 list. Three of the four — Dewar, Lyons and Sakiyama — doubled back to close out the meet in the 4x400m, joining Nora Nitta-MacKay for silver in 4:01.30.

For the third straight year, the Lions senior women captured gold in the 4x400m to end the competition. This year’s team of Tatiana Pender, Sophia McIntyre, Kathryn Moreland and Amy Stieh delivered a winning time of 3:51.16 with Stieh anchoring in a strong 54.17 seconds. 

In the field, Jessica Gyamfi picked up a pair of medals. On Friday evening, the recent University of Ottawa nursing graduate took top spot in the open women’s shot put with a best throw of 13.01m to win by half a metre over London Western’s Anij Sparenberg. A day later, Gyamfi added provincial silver in the discus to go with her national bronze from June. 

Madison White rounded out the Lions’ champions. The Carleton University student swept the para ambulatory sprints, winning both the 100m and 200m.

The Lions filled out the podium across the program. Ken Lorbetskie took silver in the senior men’s 5000m, while Owen Recoskie (silver) and Barrett Goold (bronze) went two-three in the U20 men’s race. Leo Wallner (senior) and Taisei Tan (U20) each claimed silver in the 110m hurdles. Amy Stieh added bronze in the senior women’s 400m, Rose Basu bronze in the senior women’s 200m, Elizabeth Moreland bronze in the senior women’s triple jump, and Jack Mines silver in the U20 men’s discus.

The relays produced another five medals. The senior women’s 4x100m of Basu, Danica Mulvihill, Teagan Casselman and Ella-Grace Gilbert took silver. In the 4x800m, the senior men’s quartet of Lorbetskie, Matteo Padoin-Castillo, Adriano Padoin-Castillo and Dean Kontogiannis earned silver, and the U20 men’s team of Brennan Lee, Lucas Gomez, Recoskie and Goold added bronze. The U20 men’s 4x400m of Jimmy Lu Langley, Nathan Cox, Cazabon and Meikle rounded out the relay haul with bronze.

The Lions were in the hunt for team honours in both divisions. In the senior standings, they placed second with 128 points, behind champion London-Western TFC’s 192. The junior race was tighter, with London-Western on top at 155 and Ottawa second at 120.5. Neither result is final — scores in both categories won’t be settled until the combined-events championships are contested July 25-27 in St. Catharines.

(Ottawa, Canada---20 June 2026) Anabelle Muir at the Canadian Track and Field Championships presented by Bell at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility. Copyright 2026 Miles Ryan Rowat / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Lions Win Four Gold Medals at Ontario Legion Championships in Sudbury

by linkinbioProvincial

For the first time in a decade, the Ottawa Lions sent a full delegation to the Ontario Legion Track and Field Championships — and made the trip count. Athletes representing District G, which covers Eastern Ontario, combined for seven medals, including four gold, over two days of competition at Laurentian University in Sudbury on Friday and Saturday.

Anabelle Muir supplied the marquee moment, winning the U18 girls pole vault with a personal-best clearance of 3.55m, 45 centimetres clear of her nearest competitor. Muir has flourished since moving to Ottawa last year, adding 35 centimetres to her best as she now sits second on the Club’s all-time U18 list.

Fresh off winning gold with the U20 men’s 4x400m relay team at the Canadian Championships last month, Ethan Hood got his first taste of individual gold in a Lions uniform. The North Grenville Secondary School student won the U18 boys 400m in a personal-best 49.14 seconds, holding off District E’s Julio Lai-Fang (49.39) down the stretch. Hood’s time ranks sixth all-time among Lions U18 sprinters.

Every time Jarred Rathwell has stepped onto the javelin runway this season, he’s walked away with a personal best, and Saturday was no different. Competing in the U18 boys event, Rathwell threw a personal-best 54.48m with the 700-gram implement to take top spot. The St. Joseph’s student moves to fourth on the Club’s U18 all-time list with the throw.

In the rarely contested octathlon, Parker Baetz won U18 boys gold with 4,368 points across the eight-event discipline. Along the way, he set personal bests in the long jump, 100m, 400m and 1000m.

Roan Gerth turned heads in her steeplechase debut, becoming the first athlete in Club history to break five minutes over the 1500m distance. Her time of 4:59.45 was good for silver in the U16 category. The event looks like a natural fit for the Glebe student, an OFSAA finalist over 1500m who narrowly missed qualifying in the 300m hurdles during the high school season. Gerth also placed fourth in the 2000m in 6:42.16 — the second-fastest time in Club history.

Jake Claydon-St. John added U16 800m bronze in 2:01.13, two hundredths off the personal best he set at the OFSAA Championships in June. He also lowered his 1200m best to 3:20.27 to place fourth.

Brooklyn Reesal rounded out the medal count with U16 girls discus bronze, throwing 30.50m to move to seventh on the Club’s all-time U16 list. She also improved her shot put to 9.68m in Sudbury.

(Montreal, Canada---24 January 2026) /Maxime Cazabon of Ottawa Lions/ at the McGill Team Challenge held in the Tomlinson Fieldhouse on the campus of McGill University . Copyright 2026 Miles Ryan / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Cazabon Smashes Ontario Record in Pentathlon Debut to Lead Lions

by InternationallinkinbioProvincialUniversity

OTTAWA — A record-breaking performance from rising talent Maxime Cazabon highlighted a strong finish to the indoor season for the Ottawa Lions, as athletes delivered standout performances across provincial, national and international stages.

Cazabon turned heads at the Ontario Indoor Combined Events Championships in Toronto, capturing the U18 pentathlon title in his debut in the discipline. The Grade 10 standout amassed 3,366 points — a new Ontario U17 record — surpassing the previous mark of 3,134 set in 1999.

Long recognized for his jumping prowess, Cazabon showcased his versatility across all five disciplines, winning four of the five events contested. He recorded four lifetime best performances on the day and matched his seasonal best in the high jump at 1.91 metres — the second-highest clearance in Canada this season in the U18 category.

The previous weekend at the Ontario U16 and U20 Championships, Penny Roy continued her steady progression in the race walk, capturing gold in the U16 1500-metre event. The 14-year-old clocked a personal best of 9:14.26.

On the international stage, Maëliss Trapeau represented Canada at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland, narrowly missing out on a place in the semifinals of the women’s 800 metres. Trapeau crossed the line in 2:03.78, finishing just 0.58 seconds shy of advancing from her heat. The performance builds on her momentum from last season, where she reached the semifinals at the outdoor world championships.

Meanwhile, in the United States, Quinn Coughlin opened her outdoor campaign in impressive fashion at the Jack Christiansen Invitational. The first-year Colorado State athlete claimed victory in the 400-metre hurdles in 1:01.31 — the fastest season-opening performance of her career and the fourth-fastest time overall.

MRR20260221_oua_tf_626_web

Record-Setting 4×400 Leads University of Ottawa at OUA Championships

by linkinbioProvincial

The climb began last August in Ottawa.

When Leewinchell Jean, William Harris, Safwan El Mansari and David Moulongou captured bronze at the Canadian Track and Field Championships on home soil, the University of Ottawa men’s 4×400-metre relay established a foundation for what would become this season’s defining pursuit.

Over the winter, the personnel shifted — James Compeau stepped into the lead-off role — but the focus remained unchanged. Earlier this month, the Gee-Gees quartet broke a 13-year school record at Boston University, a breakthrough that signaled their progress.

On Saturday at York University, that steady ascent produced another milestone.

Compeau, El Mansari, Harris and Moulongou captured gold at the OUA championships in 3 minutes 15.71 seconds, setting a championship record and securing the first conference title in the event in program history.

The time eclipsed the previous OUA meet record of 3:15.87 set by Guelph in 2019. Ottawa led from the opening leg and never relinquished control.

Saturday’s OUA title adds another layer to a season that continues to build toward the U SPORTS Championships in Winnipeg next month.

Earlier in the day, El Mansari ran 1:19.11 to claim silver in the men’s 600 metres, then returned hours later to contribute a key leg in the championship-record relay. Teammate Thomas Senechal-Becker continued his upward trajectory, clearing a season-best 2.14 metres to earn bronze in the high jump. Jessica Gyamfi added another bronze to the Gee-Gees’ collection with a 13.27-metre throw in the women’s shot put.

In other action, a number of Lions athletes matched their podium finishes with personal-best performances.

Competing for Queen’s University, Elizabeth Vroom posted a lifetime best of 4:25.48 to claim silver in the women’s 1500 metres. It was Vroom’s second medal of the championship after anchoring the Gaels to bronze in the 4×800-metre relay.

The hurdles produced a pair of silver medals. Paulina Procyk, running for the University of Toronto, clocked a personal-best 8.46 seconds in the women’s 60-metre hurdles to secure an automatic berth to the U SPORTS Championships. On the men’s side, Western University’s David Adeleye delivered a season-best 7.89 seconds in both the preliminary and final rounds on his way to silver. Teammate Leo Wallner compiled a personal-best 4,863 points in the heptathlon to finish second and earn his first U SPORTS qualification.

Rounding out the weekend’s medalists, University of Guelph sophomore Liam Davis produced a personal-best throw of 15.95 metres in the shot put to capture silver. Davis, along with middle-distance runner Nicolas Belan, shared in Guelph’s men’s team title as the Gryphons totaled 136 points to Western’s 105.

On the women’s side, Kaiya Woodcock — a finalist in the 60 metres — celebrated as the Gryphon women secured team gold with 185 points, 52 clear of Western.

(Montreal, Canada---24 January 2026) /Maxime Cazabon of Ottawa Lions/ at the McGill Team Challenge held in the Tomlinson Fieldhouse on the campus of McGill University . Copyright 2026 Miles Ryan / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Titles, Top Finishes and a Dozen PersonalBests Mark Strong Lions Showing at Ontario U18/Open Championships

by linkinbioProvincial

Ottawa Lions athletes delivered a wide range of standout performances across sprints, jumps, throws and distance events at last weekend’s Ontario U18/Open Championships, highlighted by two event titles, multiple top-five finishes, and a dozen new personal bests.

As he has done at every championship meet he has contested over the past two seasons, Maxime Cazabon once again rose to the occasion in the U18 boys high jump, claiming the title. The Grade 10 student at Garneau secured the win with a first-attempt clearance at 1.82 metres, then went on to clear his winning height of 1.89 metres on his first try as well. Cazabon also recorded a personal best of 6.29 metres to place fourth in the long jump and added a seasonal-best 7.26 seconds in the 60m semifinals.

Also reaching the top of the podium was Anabelle Muir, who captured gold in the U18 girls pole vault with a clearance of 3.20 metres. Muir sat in second place behind Windsor Essex’s Alyssa Rizzo on countback through the early heights, but her second-attempt clearance at 3.20 metres proved decisive and secured the victory. Teammate Charlotte Morales placed fifth with a personal-best clearance of 2.35 metres.

On the track, Alexander Forzley added to the club’s medal haul in the U18 boys 200 metres, earning silver in 23.11 seconds. Earlier in the championship, the Sir Robert Borden student placed sixth in the 60m final in 7.16 seconds after advancing through the preliminary and semifinal rounds.

The final medal for the Lions came in the throws, where Sadie Gilbert competed up an age category to place third in the senior women’s shot put with a throw of 11.69 metres.

Several of the meet’s personal best performances came in the middle-distance events. In his first race since last summer’s OFSAA Championships, Luke Van Brabant produced a personal best of 4:15.09 to place eighth in the U18 boys 1500m. He followed that with a fifth-place finish in the 800m in 2:00.48 — the second-fastest performance of his career.

Brennan Lee also recorded personal bests in both of his events, running 2:01.01 for 800 metres and 4:16.44 for 1500 metres. Isla Kittmer added a new best of 10:34.53 in the U18 girls 3000 metres, finishing 12th overall.

In the field events, Roxy Gardiner bounded her way into the record books, placing fourth in the U18 girls triple jump with a leap of 11.05 metres. The performance moves Gardiner into 10th place on the club’s all-time U18 rankings in the event.

(Ottawa, Canada---11 June 2025) Sydney Smith competes in Ottawa Summer Twilight Meet #2 at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility. Copyright 2025 Miles Ryan Rowat / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Five Lions Athletes Nominated for Ontario Quest for Gold Funding

by linkinbioProvincial

A total of five Ottawa Lions athletes have been nominated through Athletics Ontario’s Quest for Gold program, which supports athletes competing in the Train to Compete and Train to Win stages of the high-performance pathway. Designed to help athletes pursue excellence at the highest levels of national and international competition, the program aims to strengthen Ontario’s presence on the national stage while contributing to Canada’s long-term international success.

Middle-distance standout Sydney Smith has been nominated for her third consecutive Full Card, which would provide $6,000 in provincial support under the program. The 28-year-old continued her dominance at the provincial level in 2025, capturing her fourth straight Ontario Senior 800-metre title. Smith carried that momentum onto the national stage, recording her strongest Canadian Championship performance to date with a fifth-place finish in the final.

Also nominated for Full Card support is André Alie-Lamarche, who has been put forward through a medical exemption following a season highlighted by a bronze medal in the 1500 metres at the Ontario Senior Championships. Despite managing setbacks, Alie-Lamarche demonstrated his continued competitiveness by running a seasonal best of 3:45.69 indoors, reinforcing his status as one of Ontario’s leading middle-distance athletes. His nomination reflects both past performance and confidence in his return to peak form.

In addition, the Lions also have three athletes nominated for Half Cards for 2026. Sprint star Jorai Oppong-Nketiah has been nominated for funding for the second year in a row after successfully defending her Canadian U20 title in the 100 metres and adding gold in the 200 metres. She closed the year ranked 13th in the world among U18 athletes, further underscoring her rapid rise on the international stage.

Continuing the youth movement, Zachary Jeggo has been nominated for a Half Card following another step forward in his development in the 400 metres in 2025. Jeggo captured silver at the Canadian U20 Championships, claimed the Ontario U20 title, and lowered his personal best to 46.62 seconds, placing him firmly among Canada’s top emerging quarter-milers. His nomination reflects both his recent results and his long-term potential.

Rounding out the group is middle-distance runner Stephen Evans, who has also been nominated for a Half Cardfollowing a campaign that included a silver medal at the Ontario Senior 800-metre Championships. A model of consistency, Evans has now been recognized through the Quest for Gold program in three successive seasons, highlighting his sustained presence at the provincial and national levels.

Final Quest for Gold card allocations are subject to confirmation by the Province of Ontario.

u16girls_aoxc2025

Historic Performances Fuel Lions at Ontario Cross Country Championships

by linkinbioMastersProvincial

Set against the rolling fairways of Lakeridge Links Golf Course in Whitby, Lions athletes braved low single-digit temperatures and even Sunday snow flurries at this year’s Ontario Cross Country Championships. But while the conditions felt more like mid-winter golf than late-fall racing, Lions athletes spent the weekend “running under par,” producing historic results, breakthrough races, and multiple podium finishes across all age groups.

One of the Championship’s defining moments came in the Para 5km, where Jacob Gauthier delivered a landmark performance, becoming the first athlete ever to win an Ontario Para Cross Country title. The visually impaired runner dominated from the gun, crossing in 20:33, more than two minutes clear of the field—a historic achievement for both the Club and the championship.

Before Gauthier’s victory, the pace was set for the Lions early on Saturday with a commanding win from Ronan Lebel, who stormed to the U12 Boys title by an impressive 19 seconds in 7:49. The victory marked his third Ontario gold in four years, adding to his U10 triumphs in 2022 and 2023, and returning him to the top of the podium after last season’s bronze.

In the U20 Men’s 8km, Queen’s University freshman Saul Taler signalled a return to top form, powering to second place in 28:12, just five seconds behind champion Oliver Crowe of Edge Sport Track Club. Taler’s rookie cross country season with the Gaels was cut short due to a mid-season infection. The Glebe Collegiate graduate’s result on Saturday is the second provincial silver of his career, following a U16 podium in 2022, and signals a strong trajectory as he prepares for the Canadian Championships at the end of the month.

The Masters contingent added to Saturday’s medal haul with an excellent set of performances. Sam Shi earned silver in the M30 division, while Liz Maguire successfully defended her W55 provincial title, and Barbara Saville added a bronze in the W60 category. The two women teamed up with Kim Howitt and Nathalie Côté to capture the W40 team championship, scoring 293 points to win by a commanding 62-point margin over Toronto West.

Showing their depth, the Lions’ U16 squads delivered matching silver medals in both the girls and boys races. The U16 Girls, one of the Club’s most consistent squads in recent memory, extended their remarkable streak with a fourth consecutive podium finish, compiling 84 points—just one point shy of gold. Isla Kittmer led the group with an eighth-place finish (16:18), with tight packing from Charlie Fee, Charlotte Eccles, and Alexandra Harris closing out the scoring. Similarly, the U16 Boys delivered a determined effort to secure team silver, scoring 82 points to finish behind the Durham Dragons. Oscar Lorrain placed fifth (13:47) to lead the charge, supported by strong runs from Graeme Siderius, Rowan Blaine, and Jaiden Taft. The result marks the Club’s first U16 Boys medal since 2022 and only the seventh podium finish in Club history in the category.

Two strong U18 performances added to Sunday’s results, with Charlie Mortimer and Kyra Lauter each turning in impressive performances. Mortimer, coming off a fifth place finish at the recent OFSAA Cross Country Championships, placed 6th in 20:23 – a second out of another top-five finish. Lauter had a strong performance in the girls race, placing 12th in 24:06, three spots better than her OFSAA finish.

With individual brilliance, team depth, and historic firsts spread across the championship program, the Lions leave Whitby with significant momentum heading into the closing chapter of the season. The Club now turns its attention to the Canadian Cross Country Championships, taking place the final weekend of the month in London where Lions athletes will look to carry their provincial success onto the national stage.