Numbers_blue

By the numbers: The best of 2021

by linkinbioStatistics

As we prepare to say goodbye to 2021, we take one final pause to look back at the top performances of the year gone by. While the Canada had next to no indoor season in ’21, the performances outdoor more than made up for it as Lions athletes prepared for the Tokyo Olympics and captured the Ontario U20 team title for the first time since 2014. To identify the best performances of the year, the IAAF Scoring Tables for Athletics were utilized identify the top 20 performances for both men and women.

Making her third Olympic team in 2021, Melissa Bishop-Nriagu once again topped the female charts with her 1 minutes and 58.36 second clocking at a Sunset Tour event in early July. The victory in the California capital was worth an impressive 1192 points, 22 better than the second best performance of the year – also belonging to Bishop-Nriagu in the form of a new Club record at 1500m.

Rounding out the top three performances on the women’s side was fellow Olympian Lauren Gale. The Colorado State University senior’s 51.96 second run at the NCAA West Preliminary helped secure her spot on the Canadian 4×400 metre relay team and was worth 1128 points. Gale also racked up top performances in the 60, 100, and 200 metre events.

The third and final Lions Olympian in 2021 was shot putter Tim Nedow, who topped the men’s side yet again. Nedow’s Olympic qualifying performance of 21.11 metres to win an early season meet in Pennsylvania was worth an impressive 1187 points on the IAAF Tables.

Posting the second best performance was the man who posted the second best time in Club history for 800 metres – Stephen Evans. Running at an American Track League event in Memphis, Evans stopped the clock at 1 minute and 48.28 seconds to amass 1076 points. Evans also topped 1000 points for 1000 metres in his recent season opener at the York Lions open back on December 4.

The complete listing of top performances is included below. As we have done previously, athletes could only score once per event.

Women

1. Melissa Bishop-Nriagu, 800m, 1:58.36 – 1192 points
2. Melissa Bishop-Nriagu, 1500m, 4:04.42 – 1170 points
3. Lauren Gale, 400m, 51.96 – 1128 points
4. Lauren Gale, 200m, 23.15 – 1118 points
5. Farah Jacques, 100m Hurdles, 13.28 – 1111 points
6. Keira Christie-Galloway, 60m Hurdles, 8.31i – 1091 points
7. Keira Christie-Galloway, 100m Hurdles, 13.51 – 1082 points
8. Maeliss Trapeau, 800m, 2:04.72 – 1079 points
9. Lauren Gale, 55m, 6.94i – 1067 points
10. Lauren Gale, 100m, 11.67 – 1058 points
11. Farah Jacques, 200m, 24.26 – 1011 points
12. Alexandra Telford, 400m Hurdles, 1:00.35 – 1011 points
13. Farah Jacques, 100m, 11.95 – 1001 points
14. Alexandra Telford, 400m, 55.79 – 984 points
15. Madison Clarke, 800m, 2:10.94 – 975 points
16. Kathryn Manor, 60m, 7.74i – 975 points
17. Devyani Biswal, 100m Hurdles, 14.39 – 969 points
18. Madison Clarke,Helena Jovic,Alexandra Telford,Doyin Ogunremi, 4x400m, 3:52.44 – 957 points
19. Helena Jovic, 400m Hurdles, 1:02.27 – 956 points
20. Doyin Ogunremi, 300m, 40.15 – 949 points

Men

1. Tim Nedow, Shot Put, 21.11 – 1187 points
2. Stephen Evans, 800m, 1:48.28 – 1076 points
3. Phillip Frank, Heptathlon, 5385i – 1008 points
4. Stephen Evans, 1000m, 2:26.09i – 1004 points
5. Leewinchell Jean, 400m Hurdles, 52.86 – 992 points
6. Bertwin Ben-Smith, 100m, 10.73 – 967 points
7. Bertwin Ben-Smith, 200m, 21.80 – 952 points
8. Thomas Nedow, Discus, 53.74 – 945 points
9. Thomas Nedow, Shot Put, 16.93 – 938 points
10. Kevin Robertson, Mile, 4:15.90i – 934 points
11. Phillip Frank, Long Jump, 7.04i – 931 points
12. Luca Nicoletti, 200m, 21.97 – 929 points
12. Owen Day, 800m, 1:55.65i – 922 points
13. David Adeleye, 110m Hurdles, 14.84 – 920 points
14. Saj Al-Haddad, 400m Hurdles, 54.53 – 916 points
15. Bertwin Ben-Smith, 300m, 35.49i – 913 points
16. Stephen Evans, 400m, 49.18 – 907 points
17. Luca Nicoletti,Leewinchell Jean,Fabrice Nonez,David Moulongou, 4x100m, 42.40 – 907 points
18. Owen Day, Mile, 4:18.57i – 902 points
19. Yasser Riad, 1000m, 2:31.26i – 896 points
20. Ryan Thomsen, Decathlon, 6486 – 894 points

OTTAWA - October 2, 2021: Zach Quevillon and the Aspire group at the 2021 Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club Annual Awards Banquet held at the Terry Fox Athletics Facility. Photograph Copyright 2001 Miles Rowat

Lions celebrate the best of past two year at awards banquet

by linkinbioLocalStatistics

For the first time in Club history, the Ottawa Lions gathered on the Mondo surface at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility to celebrate their annual awards banquet. Last night’s ceremony was a unique event as it also served to recognize the stand out efforts from the COVID shortened 2019-20 season. In total, 22 athletes were recognized for their outstanding achievements on the track and in the field, while the Sean Cole Memorial award for dedication to Club service was presented to long time official Rick Watkins for the leadership he has shown in building a strong team of officials in the Ottawa area in recent years.

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. Olympians Tim Nedow and Melissa Bishop-Nriagu captured their sixth and seventh Gilbert awards respectively, while 800 metre runner Stephen Evans and javelin thrower Olivia Merritt were both first time Gilbert winners Saturday night.

Saturday night’s victory was the sixth straight of Nedow in the men’s field event category, equaling the Club best of former decathlete Patrick Arbour. The Brockville native surpassed the Olympic shot put standard with a heave of 21.11 metres in his opening meet of the season back in April to qualify for his second Games. Hampered by an injury in Tokyo, Nedow placed 31st.

Melissa Bishop-Nriagu took home top honours among female track athletes for the seventh time and the first since the birth of her daughter Corinne in 2018. The 31 year old qualified for her third Olympic Games on the strength of a seasonal best effort of one minute and 58.36 for 800 metres. Bishop-Nriagu also experimented with the 1500 metres more in 2021, shattering her previous Club record by nearly five seconds and just missing out on the Olympic standard in a second event.

Fellow 800 metre runner Stephen Evans took home his first Gilbert Award for men’s track on the strength of a new personal best effort that moved him to second on the Club’s all-time list. The former USports champion  consistently ranked among the top 800 metre runners in Canada throughout he season and culminated his season with a personal best performance of 1:48.28 to place second at in an American Track League.

Olivia Merritt finished the 2021 season ranked among the top javelin throwers in Ontario on the strength of a new personal best effort of 45.08 metres at one of our summer Twilight Meets. Merritt’s throw also moved her to tenth on the Club’s all-time rankings in the event.

The most outstanding athletes in the under-20 category went to a pair of athletes who each produced international level performances in 2021. Sprint hurdler David Adeleye, who took home the honour for top male, just dipped under the global standard for this year’s World U20 Championships with his 14.14 second clocking en route to a third place finish at the Ontario championships.

Bianca Borgella set multiple Canadian records in all three of the sprint events in the T13 category in 2021 including besting the 100 metre standard for the Tokyo Paralympic Games. The University of Ottawa student was a finalist over 200 metres at the provincial championships and helped anchor the Lions to a second place finish in the 4×100 metre relay.

With the honour last night, Borgella became the second T13 athlete in Club history to be named most outstanding U20 athlete. Three time Paralympic medalist Stuart McGregor received the same honour in 1998. In addition to her U20 award, Bianca also received the Sam Estwick Memorial Award for most outstanding para athlete.

Luca Nicoletti took home the honour of most outstanding male in the under-18 category after capture the under-16 award two years ago. Nicoletti had a splendid season on the track, moving to number five all-time on the U18 200 metre list with a blistering 21.97 second clocking and nabbing one gold and three silvers at the Ontario Championships.

The top under-18 athlete on the women’s side was distance runner Amelia Van Brabant. The grade 11 student had a break out summer on the track that saw her smash personal best across all her events – highlighted by a 9:57.73 clocking to win gold over 3000 metres at the Ontario Under-20 Championships. It was the seventh fastest time among U18 women in Club history.

The honour of most outstanding U16 female was shared between the pair of Koree Yach and Joceyln Giannotti. Yach was a gold medalist as part of the U18 winning 4×800 relay that recorded the fifth fastest time at that age level in Club history and recorded the third fastest 2000 metre steeplechase among U16 athletes in the Club. Giannotti was a bronze medalist at 2000 metres at the Ontario U16 Championships.

Serge Faucher, a double gold medalist over 200 and 400 metres at the Ontario Masters Championship, took home the honour of most outstanding male masters athlete. Similarly, Kimberley Howitt received top billing as female masters athlete for her double gold at 400 and 800 metres at the provincial championships.

The Lions also recognized Olympic team members Melissa Bishop-Nriagu, Lauren Gale, Tim Nedow, and head coach Glenroy Gilbert as recipients of the President’s Award, handed out annually to athletes who represented their country on a national team in international competition.

Below is a complete list of those recognized last night.

Gilbert Awards (Senior)

Female
Track: Melissa Bishop-Nriagu
Field: Olivia Merritt

Male
Track: Stephen Evans
Field: Tim Nedow

Most Outstanding U20

Female: Bianca Borgella
Male: David Adeleye

Most Outstanding U18

Female: Amelia Van Brabant
Male: Luca Nicoletti

Most Outstanding U16

Female: Koree Yach and Jocelyn Giannotti
Male: Not Awarded

Most Outstanding U14

Female: Not awarded
Male: Not awarded

Denis Landry Award (Most Outstanding  University of Ottawa)

Female: Madison Clarke (2020) / Maeliss Trapeau (2021)
Male: Kyle Sprague (2020) / Quinn Lyness (2021)

Most Outstanding Carleton University

Female: Pippa Norman (2020)
Male: Michael Pinnock (2020)

Sam Estwick Award (Most Outstanding Para Athlete)

Bianca Borgella

Most Outstanding Cross Country 

Female: Ivy Bialowas (2021)
Male: Kevin Robertson (2020) / Sebastian Cino (2021)

Most Outstanding Masters

Female: Wendy Alexis (2020) / Kimberley Howitt (2021)
Male: Serge Faucher (2021)

Most Outstanding Road Racing

Not awarded

Most Outstanding Combined Events

Not awarded

Sean Cole Memorial Award (Dedication to Club Service)

Rick Watkins

President’s Award (National Team Member)

Kevin Robertson (2020 Pan Am Cross Country)
Melissa Bishop-Nriagu (2021 Olympic Team)
Lauren Gale (2021 Olympic Team)
Tim Nedow (2021 Olympic Team)
Glenroy Gilbert (2021 Olympic Team)

Appendix 20 - RED-S-Survey-CSI-Pacific

Looking for athletes to participate in study on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)

by linkinbioStatistics

Dear Canadian Athletes,

We’re reaching out to see if you would possibly considering being part of an online questionnaire/study  (20-30 min), assessing potential signs and symptoms of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) in athletes (female and male, recreational to high performance, able bodied and para-athletes, ages >15 years old)?

This study is a large rolling entry study over the next many months.  This international athlete survey part of the study will be open for that time period as well, but we will do a few concerted efforts for people to hopefully participate.

Thank you so much, and appreciate any help/support we can get.

Trent & Ida (on behalf of entire senior research team outlined below, plus many more collaborators in Canada).

 

Background:

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) – a concept identified and supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – characterizes a range of negative health (impaired endocrine function, bone health, illness and injury, potentially elevated protein requirements) and performance (endurance and strength) outcomes that result from chronic (>weeks to months) low energy availability (EA). Despite wide recognition of its significance for athlete health and performance, our ability to correctly assess and diagnose RED-S remains poor. Furthermore, awareness of RED-S among elite athletes, coaches and physicians remains poor.

In order to enhance our understanding on various RED-S risk factors and to improve our ability to screen athletes for RED-S, we are distributing a questionnaire (20-30 min) that asks athletes questions around potential RED-S signs and symptoms.

Target:

With the questionnaire we are targeting athletes, female and male, recreational to high performance, able bodied and para-athletes, ages >15 years old.

Survey Link in 4 languages:

English: https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/REDS-Global

French:  https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/REDS-Global?lang=fr

Japanese: https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/REDS-Global?lang=ja

Spanish: https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/REDS-Global?lang=es

What is in it for athletes?

RED-S concerns high performance junior and senior athletes around the world, where effects are seen beyond the degree of success at major championships, including the cost of health care and long-term consequences for athletes diagnosed with RED-S. The results of these studies will: 1) inform us of the best parameters to use in the early diagnosis, and management of RED-S; 2) provide information of the prevalence and severity of the problem across sports, and in females and males, at various athlete levels as well as produce global prevalence data on RED-S; 3) provide further information and education on the risks of long-term RED-S and of the ways in which the athlete can avoid developing RED-S.  We hope these outcomes will inform improved RED-S diagnoses and ultimately the health and performance of athletes in the future.

 

Please let us know if you have extra questions,

The Research Team,

iheikura@csipacific.ca

tstellingwerff@csipacific.ca

 

Research team:

Principal Investigator:
Trent Stellingwerff, Ph.D., FACSM
Director of Performance Solutions, Innovation & Research 
Canadian Sport Institute Pacific (CSI Pacific) / University of Victoria (UVIC) / University of British Columbia

Co-Investigator:
Ida Heikura, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral research fellow
UVIC / CSI Pacific

Collaborators:

Margo Mountjoy, MD PhD, CCFP (sem) FCFP FACSM Dip Sport Med, IOC Medical Commission-Games group, FINA Sports Medicine, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada

Paddy McCluskey, MD, Chief Medical Officer, CSI Pacific, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Kathryn Ackerman, MD, MPH, FACSM, Medical Director, Female Athlete Program, Division of Sports Medicine Boston Children’s Hospital;  Associate Director, Sports Endocrine Research Lab, Neuroendocrine Unit Massachusetts General Hospital;  Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School; Team Physician, USA Rowing, USA

Louise Burke, OAM PhD APD, Chair of Sports Nutrition, Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Exercise and Nutrition Research Program, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia

 

To contact us, please email at: redsstudy@csipacific.ca

OTTAWA, ON -- 07 July 2018: Tim Nedow throws in the shot put to wTim Nedow throws in the shot put to win for a sixth consecutive titlein for a sixth consecutive title at the 2018 Athletics Canada National Track and Field Championships held at the Terry Fox Athletics Facility in Ottawa, Canada. (Photo by Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images).

By the numbers: The best of 2020

by linkinbioStatistics

As we get set to usher in a new year, we pause to look back on the year that was. While the number of performances this year was certainly hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, there were still many great performances to celebrate. Using the IAAF Scoring Tables of Athletics for both indoor and outdoor competition, we have ranked the top 20 performances of 2020 below.

Despite a pandemic shortened season that saw Tim Nedow compete just twice indoors, the 2019 World finalist in the shot put again topped the men’s list with an impressive 1175 points. Nedow, who has now topped the list in all four iterations we have prepared did so on the strength of his 20.90 metre heave to win the Meyo Invitational in South Bend, Indiana back in February. The only other male to crack the 1100 point barrier was 800 metre runner Stephen Evans. The former USports champion ran a indoor personal best of one minute and 49.24 seconds in Boston, to notch 1103 points.

On the women’s side, Melissa Bishop-Nriagu took top spot with 1170 points thanks to a two minute and 0.98 second clocking at an indoor race at Boston University, 15 points clear of Shona McCulloch who posted an impressive 9:31.95 clocking for 3000 metres at an indoor race in Seattle. Bishop-Nriagu ended up posting three of the top six performances this year with a run of 2:39.96i for one kilometre (1130 points) and culminated her season with a 1:28.02 clocking over 600 metres, worth 1098 points, to set a new Twilight Meet record.

Two other women surpassed 1100 points this season. Maeliss Trapeau, reached 1106 points with a new 800 metre personal best 2:03.20, while Lauren Gale set a new indoor best for 400 metres with a time of 53.48 seconds to win the Mountain West Conference title. Gale’s performance was worth 1104 points according to the tables.

As was done for past seasons, athletes could only be listed once per event, but were able to appear across multiple events. Also, events run at the Louis-Riel Dome were scored using the outdoor tables.

Men

1. Tim Nedow, Shot Put, 20.90(i) – 1175 points
2. Stephen Evans, 800m, 1:49.24(i) – 1103 points
3. Farah Abdulkarim, 10000m, 28:27.34 – 1090 points
4. Owen Day, 800m, 1:50.77(i) – 1058 points
5. Sebastian Saville, 800m, 1:51.04 – 1050 points
6. Owen Day, Mile, 4:06.86(i) – 1043 points
7. Sebastian Saville, 600m, 1:18.69 – 1004 points
8. Stephen Evans, 600m, 1:18.82 – 999 points
9. Farah Abdulkarim, 3000m, 8:13.68(i) – 998 points
10. Phillip Frank, Heptathlon, 5259(i) – 982 points
11. Sebastian Saville, 1000m, 2:27.76(i) – 969 points
12. Leewinchell Jean, 60m Hurdles, 8.24 – 966 points
13. Ryan Thomsen, Heptathlon, 5157(i) – 961 points
14. Oluwasegun Makinde, 60m Hurdles, 8.26 – 960 points
15. Phillip Frank, 60m, 6.99 – 944 points
16. Phillip Frank, 60m Hurdles, 8.34(i) – 936 points
17. Quinn Lyness, 500m, 1:05.34(i) – 934 points
18. Farah Abdulkarim, 5000m, 14:32.86(i) – 932 points
19. Quinn Lyness, 600m, 1:20.79 – 925 points
20. Ryan Thomsen, High Jump, 1.99(i) – 905 points

Women

1. Melissa Bishop-Nriagu, 800m, 2:00.98(i) – 1170 points
2. Shona McCulloch, 3000m, 9:31.95(i) – 1155 points
3. Melissa Bishop-Nriagu, 1000m, 2:39.96(i) – 1130 points
4. Maeliss Trapeau, 800m, 2:03.20 – 1106 points
5. Lauren Gale, 400m, 53.48(i) – 1104 points
6. Melissa Bishop-Nriagu, 600m, 1:28.02 – 1098 points
7. Farah Jacques, 60m Hurdles, 8.31(i) – 1091 points
8. Lauren Gale, 200m, 24.16(i) – 1068 points
9. Maeliss Trapeau, 600m, 1:31.19(i) – 1066 points
10. Madison Clarke, 600m, 1:30.59(i) – 1057 points
11. Madison Clarke, 1000m, 2:47.05(i) – 1043 points
12. Farah Jacques, 60m, 7.55(i) – 1035 points
13. Sharelle Samuel, 400m, 55.35(i) – 1034 points
14. Madison Clarke, 800m, 2:09.06 – 1006 points
15. Sharelle Samuel, 200m, 24.88(i) – 1003 points
16. Sydney Smith, 600m, 1:33.29(i) – 1001 points
17. Madison Clarke, 1500m, 4:29.19(i) – 998 points
18. Madison Clarke, Rebecca Brennan, Sydney Smith, Marie-Eve Dahms, 4x400m, 3:50.31(i) – 997 points
19. Maeliss Trapeau, 400m, 55.59 – 991 points
20. Alexandra Telford, 300m, 39.39 – 990 points