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It was a successful day for some Lions runners Sunday in London, as two provincial gold and team silver and bronze made their way back to Ottawa. Lions runners swept the youth category as Farah Abdulkarim and Claire Smith  the boys and girls races respectively, both in convincing fashion.
Smith completed the 4km course in 15:32.46, half a minute ahead of her nearest competitor, Charlotte Prouse of London Legion. The victory was undoubtedly a little sweeter for Smith as it was Prouse who edged Smith for gold at the recent OFSAA Cross Country Championships. The Glebe Collegiate Institute’s result also helped the youth girls team capture bronze, with Erinn Stenman-Fahey (18), Alexa Livingstone (33), and Maggie Scheunert (46) rounding out the team effort.
In the youth boys event, Farah Abdulkarim was clearly the class of the field, claiming gold in 21:43.05, 22 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor, Miles Matthews of Windsor. His efforts were key to the youth boys team claiming team silver behind Windsor with a total of 75 points. Members of the team included Alex Bernst (15), Jonathan Favero (23) and Nicolas Gagnon (36).
The next stop for the cross country runners is the Canadian Championships, Saturday, November 30th in Vancouver, BC.

It was a true evening of excellence Saturday as the Ottawa Lions hosted their annual awards banquet at Ottawa City Hall. With nearly 200 club members and family in attendance, the club paid honour to both the past and present with yearly awards and the induction of three new members into the club hall of fame.

Heptathlete Alison Doherty (nee Armstrong), middle distance runner Stephen Agar and distance runner Sean Kaley become the fifth, sixth and seventh athletes inducted into the hall of fame, joining Glenroy Gilbert, Leslie Estwick, Grace Verbeek and Ann Peel. Combined, all three new inductees hold six club records and are featured 13 times on the club’s all time top ten list.
Doherty, known in the record books by her maiden name of Armstrong, was a perennial medalist on the national stage for a period of eight years in the 1980’s, that included one Canadian championship, one Commonwealth Games appearance, and two performances at the World University Games. She finished her career with a best performance of 5601w pts, which ranks her tenth best all-time in Canada.
Agar, a dual citizen of both Canada and Dominica, is arguably the best middle distance runner in club history featuring in the club’s top ten in all events for 800m through 5000m. Running for the Ottawa Lions, Agar represented Dominica at the 1993 World Indoor Championships, the 1994 Commonwealth Games and 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta before donning the red and white of Canada at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.
For Sean Kaley, he joined the Ottawa Lions in high school after moving to the city from Sudbury. He would quickly make a name for himself within the club, running for Canada at consecutive IAAF World Junior Cross Country Championships in 1993 and 1994 before receiving a scholarship to study at the University of Arkansas. After great success in the NCAA, would go on to make numerous national teams, including the Sydney Olympics in 2000, the Pan American and Commonwealth Games, the 1999 IAAF World Championships in Sevilla, Spain, as well as an impressive five appearances at the World Cross Country Championships.
Among the annual award winners, there were a few familiar names called out. For the 9th year in a row, hammer thrower Sultana Frizell took home the Glenroy Gilbert Award for top female athlete in a field event. Frizell, ranked 24th on the world all-time list, had a successful campaign in 2013 that included a Canadian championship and a 16th place finish at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow.
Frizell’s male counterpart, Patrick Arbour, took home the Gilbert for top male field event athlete for the fifth straight year as the former thrower turned decathlete broke the club’s 36 year old discus record. As evidence of his dominance in the field, Arbour was the top ranked  Lion in three of the six field events he competed in and ranked no lower than third in the other three. Arbour was also name the top combined events athlete after annihilating the club record in the decathlon, scoring 7592 points this season to ranked 10th all-time in Canada. He also finished the season ranked 35th in the IAAF World Combined Events Challenge standings.  
On the track, Melissa Bishop was recognized for the third time in four years as she again lowered the club and provincial 800m record, running 1:59.76 on her way to competing at the World Championships and winning bronze and silver medals at the Francophone Games.
Taking home the Gilbert award for men, on the track, was Oluwasegun Makinde who was a double gold medalist at the Francophone Games, winning both the 200m and 4x100m relay. Makinde was also an alternate on the World Championship relay team, and finished fourth over 200m at the World University Games.
Other winners on the evening included:
Most Outstanding Athlete: uOttawa X-Country / Track & Field

·         Male: Devin Biocchi
·         Female: Emma Galbraith

Most Outstanding Junior Athlete
·         Male: Adam Palamar
·         Female: Ashley Connell

Most Outstanding Youth Athlete

·         Male: Matt Bedard
·         Female: Erinn Stenman-Fahey

Most Outstanding Midget Athlete

·         Male: Owen Day
·         Female: Olivia Gaudet

Most Outstanding Bantam Athlete

·         Male: Samuel Cheff
·         Female: Lauren Gale

Most Outstanding Para-Athlete

·         Curtis Thom

Most Outstanding XC

·         Mickey Day

Most Outstanding Masters Athlete

·         Wendy Alexis
·         Joe Boland

Most Outstanding Athlete: Road Racer

·         Josh Cassidy

Sean Cole: Dedication to Club Service

·         Ryan Rowat
·         Mike McIntyre

Congratulations to Ottawa Lions sprint coach Glenroy Gilbert, who was recognized Friday night at the Sport Leadership Conference in Calgary for his work with Canada’s national relay program. Gilbert was honoured with the Petro Canada Coaching Excellence Award, which is presented annually to recognize coaches whose athletes excelled at world championships, Olympic and Paralympic Games, and at the Special Olympics World Games.
Glenroy, who took over as the head of Canada’s men’s sprint relay program following his own successful career with the national team, led the quartet of Gavin Smellie, Aaron Brown, Dontae Richards-Kwok and Justyn Warner to bronze this August at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics. It was the first medal for a Canadian relay team at the World Championships since Gilbert and company won gold in 1997.
Gilbert becomes the third Ottawa Lions coach to be awarded the Petro Canada Coaching Excellence Award, following in the footsteps of club Head Coach Andy McInnis who guided the Canadian 4x100m relay team to back to back global championships at both the 1996 Olympic Games and 1997 World Championships. In 2012, coach Ian Clark was recognized for his efforts in leading Jason Dunkerley to two podium finishes at the Paralympic Games in London.

Athletics Canada announced today that 2014 Canadian championship events for the senior and junior decathlon and heptathlon will be held in Ottawa, Ont., July 3-6 as part of the Panamerican Combined Events Cup.

Carded athletes who choose to not compete at this event will be required to compete in individual events at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Moncton, N.B.

The junior decathlon and heptathlon events at the Panamerican Combined Events Cup will serve as the selection trials for those events on Canada’s 2014 IAAF World Junior team.

This pilot project will be reviewed following the 2014 season.

Rolling Rampage 10k
Thursday 10^th October saw the annual Rolling Rampage 10K in Ottawa, an 18 loop course on Parliament Hill.  The Hill was filled with cheering students from many of the local schools, politicians, among others, including many tourists who happened to stumble upon the spectacle. 
Cassidy has won the event for the past two years, but in the best field the event has seen since moving from Toronto, Cassidy could not predict the outcome. 
“Of course I am racing to win, but in this field I could very possibly end up fifth.. I don’t know how it is going to go. But I am going to give everything I’ve got. This race means a lot to me at home.” 
Cassidy’s main competition was South African Ernst Van Dyk, who broke ahead of the pack right from the beginning of the race, until Cassidy reeled him in about 4 laps later. 
“Ernst is a legend in the sport, but in recent years has switched focus to handcycling. So despite his illustrious past career in chair racing, he hasn’t quite been in his best racing chair form for the past few years. I reeled him in quickly and so I committed to wearing him out. But it became evident he was in strong form.” 
Cassidy did the bulk of the work from the front, for 13 laps, surging ahead of Van Dyk. But like a yo-yo, Van Dyk kept coming back. Cassidy tried to move aside a few times to let Van Dyk to some of the pulling, but Van Dyk wouldn’t pull up. “At first I thought it was because I was tiring him out, but he was obviously in good form, and I read him wrong until it was too late.” 
Cassidy lead the lone pair right up until the final lap which was a furious 600m sprint. The Hill was erupting in cheering for the Ottawa born favourite. Cassidy led right up to the last incline approaching the finish, where Van Dyk pulled away enough for the win. 
“Obviously I was really frustrated with the result. I am really happy with how hard I raced, and the form I am in. I could be better, but  I didn’t know if I would finish as far back as fifth.. so one less than the best possible outcome is alright. I’m okay with it for now… but I’ll want it back next year.”
Link to photos http://www.demotix.com/search/media/rolling%20rampage
Chicago Marathon                                                                                                                                                                                                             
Cassidy left that evening for Chicago, where three days later he would defend his 2012 title amidst not only the most talented, but the largest field Chicago has had with 63 athletes at the line. The great line-up included Australian Kurt Fearnley, and Richard Coleman, Switzerland’s legendary Heinz Frei who had beaten multi world record holding teammate, Marcel Hug in the Berlin Marathon just weeks prior, South Korea’s Gyu Dae Kim,  American  Joshua George and the entire USA team, and also competing in Chicago was the Rolling Rampage winner, South Africa’s Ernst Van Dyk, among others.  
In the press conference Cassidy was asked about his form this year, “It’s been a bit of an inconsistent year with a few trials I’ve had to overcome, reasons and excuses aside, I definitely feel like I am on the up and out. I’ve been working hard. This is a great field here, and I’m not even thinking of it as defending my title. Of course I am going to try and win it, but I am going to go out and just worry about racing smart, being strong, and confident in an awesome field. I’m excited.. it’s going to be a fun day.”
Perhaps Ernst Van Dyk had something to prove, or perhaps his win in Ottawa boosted his confidence, but he led a very fast first 10k, with a pack of nine in behind. The large group stayed together until the 20Km point when Van Dyk, Fearnley, George, Frie and Bothello got a break and eased ahead by 30 seconds. Cassidy was in the chasing peloton with five other elite athletes. 
“I was in a bad position near the back of the pack when the attack happened on a turn, and I got caught. I just wasn’t in good enough form to catch them. On top of that, my shoulder was giving out, and my guts were cramping up badly as well.. it was to the point where I was thinking of pulling out. But I decided to stay strong, stay patient, and still try and make top 5.”
Cassidy, Pike and Bleakney of USA eventually caught Bothello, as the four powered on in pursuit.  Around 35km in Cassidy attacked and lost the group for a few kilometres until Bothello and Pike reeled him back in around 38km.
“I really wanted to try and win that 5th spot, and so I committed to a long attack with about 2k to go. To many it may have been risky but I stayed confident and hung in there to take 5th.  I am very happy with how I raced, considering the circumstances. I have alot of work to still do though to be back where I want to be.” 
Cassidy finished in 5^th in 1:33:30 with Ernst Van Dyk, in fine form winning again in a sprint finish with 1:30:37.  Not even a chair length behind him was Kurt Fearnley in 1:30:38, and in a outstanding performance, third went to Joshua George in the same time 1:30:38, and fourth to Heinz Frei in 1:30:31.
“I haven’t worked so hard and pushed my limits of pain this much in a while. I was proud of how strong I finished considering how I felt for a while in the middle.  It was fun though to be a part of such a great race. Ernst pushed really strong and definitely deserved the win. But I think myself along with the others will now know the kind of shape he is in heading into New York. I think everyone is eager to go at it again.”
Cassidy finishes up the season with the ING New York City Marathon on November 3rd. 
 

At the annual Athletics Ontario Awards Banquet held Saturday night in Toronto, four Lions picked up provincial hardware. Among those honoured was hammer thrower Sultana Frizell, who took home the award for Ontario’s top senior female thrower for the sixth straight year. Frizell, the only woman to win the award since its inception in 2008,  had a very successful campaign in 2013, which included winning her fourth Canadian Senior Championship in July, and a 16^th place finish at the IAAF World Championships in August.
Other victors on the evening included middle distance runners Adam Palamar and Melissa Bishop, while wheelchair racer Curtis Thom picked up the award for most outstanding track performance by a male in para-athletics.
Palamar, who received the award for top junior male distance runner, had a breakout summer in 2013. After just missing qualifying for the 1500m at the NCAA Championships in June, the University of Tulsa student returned home to finish second at the Toronto NTL stop, where he dropped nearly five seconds off his personal best, running 3:41.34. Success would continue for Palamar as he executed a very tactical race plan to finish third at the Canadian Senior Championships, before reaching the climax of his season at the NTL Vancouver stop. In Vancouver, Adam finished sixth, but his time of 3:38.92 eclipsed Kevin Sullivan’s 21 year old Canadian Junior record. The Merivale High School grad culminated his season by capturing his second straight Canadian Junior title over 1500m.
For 800m runner Melissa Bishop, the podium was a little crowded as she shared the award for top senior female distance runner with world championship teammates Sheila Reid and Kate Van Buskirk. Bishop’s season was highlighted by another personal best and provincial record, 1:59.76, her first Canadian Senior Championship and an appearance at the IAAF World Championships.
For Thom, one of Canada’s premier wheelchair races at 400m and under, 2013 was one to remember. He was awarded the After sweeping the T54 100m, 200m and 400m at the Canadian Championships, Thom rolled to gold as part of the championship record setting Canadian 4x400m relay team at the IPC Championships in Lyon, France. Thom was also a finalist over 200m and 400m at the global championships. Thom’s season culminated in a bronze medal effort at the recent Jeux de la Francophonie in Nice, France.
Also receiving consideration for provincial honours were bantam sprinter Lauren Gale, midget distance runner Owen Day, and decathletes Matthew Johnson (junior), Mark Chenery (senior) and Patrick Arbour (senior).

It’s that time of year again, as the Ottawa Lions get set to recognize the efforts of its many talented athletes and dedicated coaches and volunteers at the 2013 Ottawa Lions Awards Banquet. The ceremony will take place the evening of Saturday, November 9th at Jean Pigott Hall on the ground floor of Ottawa City Hall.
In addition to the annual awards that will be handed out, the Ottawa Lions will be inducting three outstanding former members into the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club Hall of Fame. Inductees include Olympians Stephen Agar and Sean Kaley as well as club heptathlon record holder Alison Doherty (nee Armstrong).
Tickets for the event are available for purchase at the club’s office at Terry Fox Athletic Facility or via email – [email protected]
Details:
2013 Ottawa Lions Awards Banquet
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Reception 6:00pm / Dinner and Awards 6:30pm
Jean Pigott Hall
Ottawa City Hall
110 Laurier Ave West
Tickets: $25

Oluwasegun Makinde and Melissa Bishop closed out the 7th Francophone Games with a bang today, together bringing home a complete medal set.
Makinde kicked things off with gold in the 200m, winning in 20.80 seconds. It was the second gold of the week for the University of Ottawa student after helping the Canadian 4x100m team to victory. “I just continued to stay focused on the task at hand and not get distracted,” was how Makinde explained his victory today.
With his first individual medal on the international stage, he was unable to put the accomplishment into perspective, stating only, “I’m just thankful I was able to get it. Hopefully there will be more titles in my future. ” Heading into 2014 and a  Commonwealth Games year, the victory is certainly a stepping stone for the young sprinter of 21 years. “It’s a great start to bigger things. Now it’s all about working hard, staying focused and executing when I need to. Hopefully things come together after that.”
Immediately following Oluwasegun’s performance, Melissa Bishop stepped onto the track, grabbing her first of two medals on the day as she was third across the line in the 800m. While she says 800m’s don’t always go as planned, she did reach the medal  podium as desired despite a near fall with 100m to go.  “I got tripped up the corner coming home and it threw me off a bit. First and second  place were able to pull away but they were too far ahead by the time I got my rythym back. I was able to pull away from the rest of the field just couldn’t get to the first two,” recounted Bishop following the race.
However, Bishop wasn’t finished after the 800m, stepping back on the track less than two hours ago to take part in the 4x400m relay. Running on the second leg, Melissa helped the team to a 3:34.25 clocking and a silver medal.  “The 4×400 was lots of fun! Very happy to be a part of that team and to be able to bring home two medals for Canada,” said the Eganville native. “My first two international medals are very rewarding; I know there is still lots left to come.” With the 2013 season now over and the focus shifting to the Commonwealth Games next July in Glasgow, Bishop still exercises some caution, explaining, “I don’t want to look too far ahead but every race you learn something new! “

Day four of athletics competition of the Francophone Games saw three Lions in competition with hammer thrower Sultana Frizell the only one competing in a final. After sitting in third for the majority of the competition with a best throw of 67.85m, Frizell was passed by Alexandra Travernier of France in the sixth and final round to push down into fourth.
On the track, both Melissa Bishop and Oluwasegun Makinde made it through their respective preliminaries to qualify for tomorrow’s finals. In the women’s 800m, Bishop’s  goal was  ” a top 2 finish to guarantee a spot in the final and really to just enjoy it.” Comfortably finishing second in the second semi-final in 2:06.76 achieved her goal with room to spare, noting “I thought the race went well for me, I got in a good spot and thought I responded well to others.”  Heading into tomorrow’s final, Bishop’s goal is simple, ” to be on that podium, I’d like to the end the season off well.”
After his relay gold Thursday, Oluwasegun Makinde return to the track for the 200m semi-finals. Running out of lane six in the first semi-final, Makinde ran away from the field, winning in 20.90 despite a 1.5m/s headwind. The time proved to be the fastest of the day, more than half a second ahead of the closest competitor. The former University of Ottawa Gee-Gee will again be in lane 6 for tomorrow’s final which goes at 9:30am eastern.