(Ottawa, Canada---20 January 2024) Jorai Oppong-Nketiah competing at the 15th annual uOttawa Winter Classic by the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club at the Dome @ Louis-Riel. Copyright 2024 Miles Ryan Rowat / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Sprinters heat up track at uOttawa Winter Classic

by linkinbioLocalUniversity

A chill in the air outside, did nothing to cool the performances inside the Dome @ Louis-Riel this past weekend. With nearly 400 athletes in attendance for the 15th annual uOttawa Winter Classic, Lions athletes brought the heat, setting the stage for two days of intense competition and unforgettable moments.

Outstanding Performances:
The meet produced an impressive total of 90 personal bests, reflecting the commitment and hard work of our athletes. Among the standout performances, Jorai Oppong-Nketiah stole the spotlight by breaking the Club U18 60-meter record. In the heats, Oppong-Nketiah set the new record with a time of 7.61 seconds. She followed up with a 7.62 run in the final, securing second place behind the University of Ottawa’s Katie Manor, who triumphed with a 7.61 clocking.

Günther’s Triumphs:
Nina Günther showcased her prowess with a remarkable double feat. On Friday night, she placed third over 3000 meters, breaking the 10-minute barrier with a time of 9 minutes and 57.70 seconds—marking her as the 42nd woman in Club history to achieve this milestone. Günther doubled back on Saturday, conquering the 1500 meters with a swift time of 4:32.18.

University of Ottawa Gee-Gees Dominance:
The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees made a resounding statement at the meet. The women’s 4×200-meter relay team—comprising Bianca Borgella, Emma Martins, Katie Manor, and Sarah Ouangre—claimed victory Friday night with a time of 1:42.57, ranking as the sixth fastest performance in school history. Notably, the quartet’s time currently stands as the 7th fastest in USports this season.

More Victories and Records:
The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees continued their dominance by narrowly winning the 4×400-meter relay in a time of 3:55.33, and securing the 6th position in USports rankings. Third year human kinetics student Vienna Courteau soared to victory in the long jump with a leap of 5.25 meters, while graduate student Heather Grandy secured her third triple jump competition win of the season with an impressive 11.50-meter jump. Ella Gilbert set a new Carleton Ravens record in the triple jump, bounding out to 10.73 meters.

Field Events Excellence:
Jessica Gyamfi of the Gee-Gees claimed second place in the women’s shot put with a personal best throw of 12.39 meters, propelling her to 11th in the USports rankings. She also dominated the weight throw at 14.05 meters. Brianna Asiamah of Carleton emerged victorious in the shot put with a best throw of 13.09 meters.

Men’s Events Highlights:
In the men’s 1000 meters, Lucas Zanetti secured the top spot with a time of 2:31.97, while Cameron Robertson and Eli Mordel showcased their prowess in the pole vault, each clearing a personal best height of 3.20 meters. Connor Fraser of the Carleton Ravens continued his unbeaten streak in the shot put, dominating with a best throw of 14.84 meters and currently holding the 7th position in USports rankings.

Up next:
The varsity programs return to action on Friday as day one of the famed McGill Team Challenge kicks off at Tomlinson Fieldhouse on the campus of the Montreal based school.

Results

Photos

Ottawa Lions Rankings

University of Ottawa Gee-Gee Rankings

Carleton Ravens Rankings

20240118_uottawa_winter_class_meet_day_1

15th uOttawa Winter Classic Kicks Off a Year of Track and Field Excellence by Ottawa Lions

by linkinbioUniversity
[Ottawa, January 19, 2024] – The Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club is set to launch the track and field season with the 15th uOttawa Winter Classic, a two-day premier event featuring top university teams from the OUA, RSEQ, and AUS conferences. The competition will take place tonight and tomorrow at The Dome @ Louis-Riel.

This event marks the first of an impressive lineup of 20 track and field meets hosted by the Ottawa Lions in 2024. With nearly 450 entries, the uOttawa Winter Classic promises to be a showcase of exceptional talent and fierce competition. Athletes from 11 university teams will compete in various track and field disciplines, providing spectators with thrilling performances and highlighting the dedication and skill of these student-athletes.

Highlighted Athletes:

– The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees boast five athletes currently ranked among the top-12 nationally, led by André Alie-Lamarche, who holds the fifth-fastest time in the men’s 3000 metres.

– The Carleton Ravens will be led by the shot put duo of Brianna Asiamah and Connor Fraser, who are ranked third and seventh in the nation, respectively.

– Keep an eye out for Jorai Oppong-Nketiah, the double Canadian U16 sprint champion, who will kick off her season in the 60 and 300-metre events.

Event Details:

– Date: January 19-20, 2024
– Location: The Dome @ Louis-Riel, Ottawa, ON

Participating University Teams:
1. Ottawa Gee-Gees
2. Carleton Ravens
3. Queen’s Gaels
4. RMC Paladins
5. Toronto Varsity Blues
6. York Lions
7. McGill Redbirds and Martlets
8. Sherbrooke Vert et Or
9. Laval Rouge et Or
10. Montreal Carabins
11. Dalhousie Tigers

Quotes:

“We are thrilled to kick off the track and field season with the uOttawa Winter Classic, the first of 20 meets we will host in 2024,” said head coach Richard Johnston. “This event not only highlights the incredible talent of our student-athletes but also sets the stage for an exciting year of competition. We are particularly proud to showcase the outstanding performances of our featured athletes from the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees and the Carleton Ravens.”

Event Schedule:

Friday, January 19
Track events begin at 7:30pm

Saturday, January 20
Track events begin at 11:30pm
Field events begin at 11:00pm

Full schedule available on our website.

Heat sheets available on our website.

Live results available at https://liveresults.ottawalions.com/

(Canton, United States---02 December 2023) Brianna Asiamah competes at the Saints Holiday Relays held at Newell Fieldhouse. Copyright 2023 Miles Ryan Rowat / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Carleton Raven Throwers Shine in Sherbrooke

by linkinbioUniversity

Opening the 2024 calendar year with a bang were a pair of Carleton Raven throwers who demonstrated their potential as formidable contenders in this year’s USports competition. At the Université de Sherbrooke Vert et Or competition, which saw a total of 28 new lifetime bests, shot putters Connor Fraser and Brianna Asiamah set new school records.

Fraser, a second-year criminology student at Carleton, has maintained his momentum since securing a Canadian U20 title in the summer. Breaking the school record in his season opener before Christmas, he extended it further on Saturday, crossing the 15-meter barrier with a winning throw of 15.20 meters. This accomplishment places the 19-year-old seventh in the national university rankings.

Asiamah, a graduate student transfer, has made a significant impact on Carleton athletics in her brief four months on campus. Like Fraser, Asiamah has twice broken the Carleton women’s shot put record in the early season, reaching 13.31 meters in her Saturday victory. The Master’s in Social Work student currently holds the third position in the early season USports rankings, just two centimeters shy of the auto-qualifying standard for her third consecutive trip to the national championships.

Aria MacDonald, a fellow Raven and a third-year architecture student, also left her mark in Sherbrooke. Finishing the 1000-meter event in 3 minutes and 7.16 seconds, she claimed fifth place overall, surpassing the previous Carleton record of 3:11.90 set in 2017 by Zeena Rashid.

For the Gee-Gees, the second and third best female triple jumpers in school history took the top two spots in Sherbrooke. Heather Grandy secured the gold with a jump of 11.55 meters, while Sarah Ouangre achieved the second-best jump of her career at 11.20 meters.

Also standing atop the medal podium on Saturday were Alexandra Telford and Maria Okwechime. Telford, making her debut at 600 meters, led the 22-woman field with a time of 1 minute and 36.35 seconds. Okwechime, last year’s Canadian Championships winner, opened her season with a leap of 5.70 meters.

At the Can Am Classic in Windsor, David Adeleye claimed victory in the 60-meter hurdles. The fourth-year student at the University of Toronto covered the five barriers in 8.10 seconds, currently ranking him second in USports.

Full results from Sherbooke are available on our website.

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

For updated uOttawa rankings, please visit https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/uottawatf_rankings/

For updated Carleton rankings, please visit https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ravenstf_rankings/

(Canton, United States---02 December 2023) Ella-Grace Gilbert, Quinn Coughlin, Bianca Borgella, Katie Manor, Emma Martins, and Rose Basu competes at the Saints Holiday Relays held at Newell Fieldhouse. Copyright 2023 Miles Ryan Rowat / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Lions set five meet records at St Lawrence

by linkinbioUniversity

The Lions family of athletes didn’t just start their season off on the right foot; they set a new standard at the Saints Holiday Relays in Canton, NY, last Saturday. Dominating in 19 out of 28 events, they not only showcased their prowess but also shattered five meet records. The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees claimed the women’s team title.

The women’s 60-meter final epitomized their dominance, featuring Lions, Ravens, and Gee-Gees in six of the eight lanes. The University of Ottawa’s Katie Manor emerged as the champion, clocking 7.60 seconds, marking the second-fastest performance of her career. Completing the Gee-Gee sweep were Bianca Borgella (7.66) and Emma Martins (7.86) in second and third, respectively.

Borgella’s time of 7.66 seconds was a significant improvement, shaving more than a tenth of a second off her previous best set a year ago. This promising start sets her on a path for a podium run at the Paralympic Games in Paris next summer.

In the challenging 500 meters, Lions runners Quinn Coughlin and Zachary Jeggo claimed golds and set records. Coughlin’s time of 1 minute and 21.32 seconds surpassed the previous mark by three tenths of a second. Jeggo cut nearly a full second from the men’s record, clocking 1 minute and 6.97 seconds.

At 600 meters, David Moulongou demolished his own meet record, winning comfortably in 1 minute and 21.85 seconds, nearly three and a half seconds faster than last year.

Triple jumper Heather Grandy added to the list of records with her winning leap of 11.62 meters, surpassing her 11-year-old personal best. The graduate student at the University of Ottawa returned to the sport last season after a six-year hiatus, having competed for Dalhousie University during her undergraduate years.

Carleton Raven throwers Connor Fraser and Brianna Asiamah set school records. Fraser topped the men’s shot put with a heave of 14.83 meters, adding a foot to Alec Jeffery’s previous standard. Asiamah began her Raven career on the right foot with a shot put record of 12.66 meters, the farthest indoor throw of her career.

After an outstanding cross-country season, André Alie-Lamarche started his indoor season with a lifetime best over 3000 meters at Boston University. The fourth-year University of Ottawa student moved to number two in school history with a time of 8 minutes and 14.51 seconds, improving his own personal best by nearly nine seconds.

Results from the Saints Holiday Relays can be found on our website.

Photos from the Saints Holiday Relays are available on Mundo Sport Images.

For updated Lions/Gee-Gees/Ravens All-Time Rankings, visit:

If you post on social media please tag @mundosportimages on Instagram or tag Mundo Sport Images on Facebook. (Ottawa, Canada---02 October 2021) Andre Alie-Lamarche (Ottawa Gee-Gees) competing in the University Men’s / Open Men’s race at the 2021 Capital Cross Country Challenge held at Mooney’s Bay in Ottawa. Photograph 2021 Copyright Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images

Collegiate Cross Country Season Ends on High Note on Both Sides of Border

by linkinbioUniversity

The collegiate cross country season culminated this past weekend in a series of outstanding performances for Lions athletes. With athletes competing in both the USports Championships in London as well as NCAA Regional Championship events south of the border there was plenty to celebrate. 

Alie-Lamarche tops Lions performances at USports Championship

University of Ottawa student athlete André Alie-Lamarche demonstrated the marked improvement he has shown all season with his 28th place finish. The result was a significant improvement from his 43rd position in 2022. 

On the women’s side in London, Olivia Baggley, capped off an incredible rookie season at the University of New Brunswick, placing 60th overall. The AUS Rookie of the Year’s performance played a crucial role in the Reds’ 8th place team finish.

Last year’s USports Rookie of the Year, Lizzy Vroom placed 66th in this year’s Championship. The second year engineering student was the fourth scorer for the Queen’s Gaels as they finished 10th in the team standings.

Seaby and Stonham finish rookie campaign on high note

Maddie Seaby, the freshman dynamo from the University of Louisville, blazed a trail at the NCAA Division I Southeast Regiona in Spartanburg, SC. Seaby secured an 81st place finish individually and helped the Cardinals to an impressive 9th place team finish. 

Three time zones over in the California capital of Sacramento, Louise Stonham capped off her rookie season with Long Beach State University by placing 93rd in the NCAA West Regional. As the second scorer for Long Beach, Stonham helped her school to an  18th place team finish. 

The Lions will finish off the cross country season a week from Saturday at Mooney’s Bay with the Canadian Cross Country Championships. Seaby, Baggley, and Vroom will lace them up in the Women’s U20 championship where they will be looking to help secure another podium finish for the Lions after back-to-back national titles at the U18 level the past two years. 

(Ottawa, Canada---30 September 2023) Elizabeth Vroom (623 W) of the Queen's University Golden Gaels races at the 2023 Capital XC Challenge at Mooney’s Bay Park in Ottawa. Photograph Copyright 2023 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Alie-Lamarche and Vroom named OUA All-Stars; Baggley wins AUS Rookie of the Year

by linkinbioUniversity

While the final weekend in October usually has most people consumed with Halloween preparations, we were busy with cross country championships. It was conference championship season for universities on both sides of the border this weekend with some very notable performances by some Lions runners.

Leading the list of performances this weekend, André Alie-Lamarche and Elizabeth Vroom were each recognized as Second Team All-Stars for their finish at the OUA Cross Country Championships in Waterloo. On the East Coast, Olivia Baggley was named women’s Rookie of the Year at the Atlantic University Sport Championships.

As he has done all year, Alie-Lamarche was the top men’s runner for the Gee-Gee’s, placing eighth over the eight-kilometre race. The fourth year student pushed hard to maintain his season long run of podium performances, sitting fourth heading into the final two-kilometres. Despite dropping back in the final standings, his finish was the best of his OUA career. The Gee-Gee men placed 11th overall as a team, amassing 298 points.

For Vroom, her 14th place finish was a solid improvement on her 25th place finish in 2022. The reigning USports Rookie of the Year was the top finisher for a Queen’s women’s team that placed fourth overall – the first time she’s led the team all season. 

The top runner for the Gee-Gee women was rookie Melina Hamel, who placed 46th overall in a time of 32 minutes and 9.5 seconds.

At the AUS Championships in Halifax, Olivia Baggley placed 10th overall for the University of New Brunswick Reds in a time of 32 minutes and 11 seconds to finish as the highest ranked rookie. Baggley was the third scorer for the Reds, helping them to a second place finish overall. 

Racing at the RSEQ Championships in Rawdon, Quebec, Aria MacDonald was the top finisher for the Carleton Raven women. The third year student was 35th overall in a time of 33:33.9. For the Raven men, David Birinberg was 59th across the line in a time of 28:25.9.

South of the border, Louise Stonham and Maddie Seaby each scored for their respective schools at their conference championship. At the Big West Championship in Nipomo, CA Stonham was the fourth scorer for Long Beach State, finishing the six-kilometre course in 22:12.0 to place 34th. At the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship in Tallahassee, FL Seaby was the fifth scorer for the University of Louisville with her 21:49.2 clocking for 95th. 

For full results, please consult the following websites:

OUA Cross Country Championship

RSEQ Cross Country Championship

AUS Cross Country Championship

Big West Cross Country Championship

ACC Cross Country Championship

(Ottawa, Canada---30 September 2023) Nina Gunther (546) of the Ottawa Lions, Kylee Fowler (496) of the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, Melina Hamel (498) of the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, Saoirse Kealy (86) of the Carleton University Ravens races at the 2023 Capital XC Challenge at Mooney’s Bay Park in Ottawa. Photograph Copyright 2023 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Cassidy wins Toronto Marathon; Günther and Alie-Lamarche make podium in Sherbrooke

by linkinbioUniversity

A week after a fifth place finish in the Chicago Marathon, Joshua Cassidy found himself atop the podium in Toronto. Competing at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, the two-time Paralympian broke his own course record by more than two minutes with his 1:37:36 clocking to win the event for the second straight year. 

Cassidy was a big proponent of bringing a wheelchair division to the Toronto Waterfront Marathon and helping organizers with feedback on the course, logistics and the link. “This year we brought out a couple more racers to test out the course, and looking forward to bringing more international athletes to Toronto in the future,” he said on his Instagram account following the race. 

In Quebec, a strong group of harriers took to the campus of the University of Sherbrooke for their Cross Country Invitational run. Leading the way for the second competition in a row was the pair of Nina Günther and André Alie-Lamarche. 

Coming off a victory in Ottawa, Günther was third across the line in the longer eight kilometre race in Sherbrooke. The former University of Ottawa student finished in a time of 31 minutes and 12 seconds to equal l’Université de Montréal’s Elodie De Coene, who was awarded the silver. 

Leading the way for the Carleton Ravens was Aria MacDonald, who placed 11th in the university women’s section. Last year’s Ontario U20 bronze medalist crossed the line in a time of 32 minutes and 41 seconds. Melina Hamel was again the top finisher for the Gee-Gee women, as she finished 14th in 33:01.

Alie-Lamarche continued his strong season on Saturday with his third podium performance. The fourth year student at the University of Ottawa took home the silver medal on the eight kilometre course, crossing the line with a time of 25 minutes and 15 seconds – just six seconds back of winner Thomas Laviolette of l’Université de Montréal.

Joining Alie-Lamarche in the top-25 was teammate William McLeish at 23rd. 

The top runner for the Carleton Ravens was again David Birinberg who placed 43rd in a time of 28 minutes and 50 seconds. 

Full results from the Sherbrooke event are available on the SportChrono website. 

Copyright Brian Rouble/Shuttered Moments

Cassidy finishes 5th in Chicago Marathon

by InternationallinkinbioUniversity

While the fall conjures up ideas of a cross country season, it also features some top notch road racing opportunities. Making a good use of one of those opportunities was Joshua Cassidy who rolled his way to a fifth place finish in the Chicago Marathon. 

With a time of 1:33:29, Cassidy put up his fastest marathon performance since 2019, finishing less than two minutes off the podium. The two-time Paralympian will be at it again Sunday morning as he takes to the streets of Toronto for the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon where he will be looking to defend his title from a year ago. 

In cross country, Maddie Seaby helped her Louisville Cardinals to an 11th place finish on Friday at the Arturo Barrios Invitational in College Station, Texas. Seaby, who is in her first year with the Cardinals, finished the six kilometre course in a time of 20 minutes and 51.5 seconds to place 64th overall in the field of 385. 

Staying south of the border, Louise Stonham placed 15th this morning at the Highlander Invitational in Riverside, California. Stonham completed the six kilometre run in 20 minutes and 51.8 seconds to help Long Beach State University to the women’s team title. 

Closer to home, Elizabeth Vroom helped the Queen’s Gaels to fourth place finish at the Bayfront Open in Hamilton. Vroom was the second scorer for the Gaels, placing 21st over the eight kilometre course. Freya Hurst was 65th overall for the Gaels. 

(Ottawa, Canada---30 September 2023) Nina Gunther (546) of the Ottawa Lions races at the 2023 Capital XC Challenge at Mooney’s Bay Park in Ottawa. Photograph Copyright 2023 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Günther tops field at Capital XC

by High SchoollinkinbioLocalUniversity

A week after a second place finish in New York, Nina Günther moved up a spot to take the win yesterday in the open women’s race at the Capital XC Challenge. The former Gee-Gee runner kept the visiting Queen’s Gaels from a complete sweep of the podium with her victory. Günther bested  Lauren Lowther by more than six seconds to win in a time of 23 minutes and 13.45 seconds on the six kilometre course. 

Running for Queen’s, Elizabeth Vroom placed fourth in the 36 runner field with a time of 23:55.11. The top runner for the Gee-Gees was Melina Hamel in 21st, while Bryn Reyonds was first across the line for the Carleton Ravens in 26th. 

Like Günther, the Gee-Gee’s André Alie-Lamarche found his way back on the podium as well this week. Following his win at St. Lawrence, Alie-Lamarche placed third behind the Queen’s Gaels’ duo of Miles Brackenbury and Jude Wheeler-Dee. André crossed the finish line of the six kilometre course in a time of 18 minutes and 52.45 seconds, about just a few strides back of silver. 

David Birinberg of the Ravens was his team’s top finisher, crossing in 21:05.29 for 22nd place. 

Friday’s high school section saw a number of Lions ascend the podium. Joceyln Giannotti and Grace Streek finished second and third respectively in the varsity girls four kilometre race. Kyra Lauter took top spot in  the junior varsity race. 

On the boy’s side, it was a clean sweep in the varsity section with Noah Smith of Immaculata taking top spot. Following next were training partners Matteo Padoin-Castillo and Cohen Kaye. Charlie Mortimer was the boys junior varsity champion. 

Elsewhere in cross country action, Maddie Seaby made her NCAA debut for the Louisville Cardinals as she placed 73rd in the Live in Lou XC Classic. At the North Carolina Open/Masters XC Championships, Gilles Frenette placed second in the 45-49 category and tenth overall.

Full results from the Capital XC Challenge and a link to photos are available at https://ottawalions.com/results/2023-results/

If you post on social media please tag @mundosportimages on Instagram or tag Mundo Sport Images on Facebook. (Ottawa, Canada---02 October 2021) Andre Alie-Lamarche (Ottawa Gee-Gees) competing in the University Men’s / Open Men’s race at the 2021 Capital Cross Country Challenge held at Mooney’s Bay in Ottawa. Photograph 2021 Copyright Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images

Victory in New York easy as pie for Alie-Lamarche

by linkinbioUniversity

When the bus of Lions, Gee-Gees and Ravens returned from Saturday’s Hoffmann Invitational cross country race in Canton, New York they had an unusual item to declare as they re-entered Canada – pie. Yes, seven athletes had the dubious distinction of bringing some back to Canada, an honour bestowed upon those who placed among the top-15 finishers in each of the men’s and women’s races on the St. Lawrence University campus. 

André Alie-Lamarche garnered his prized pie after taking top spot in the men’s contest. The fifth-year political science student finished the eight-kilometre course in a time of 25 minutes and 17.2 seconds – more than nine seconds ahead of St. Lawrence’s Michael Skutt in second. Alie-Lamarche’s teammate Zach Sikka also picked up a pie with his 14th place finish (27:17.4). Combined, the Gee-Gee men finished third overall with 71 points – 20 back of second place Plattsburgh State.

On the women’s side, five runners ran their way to pie. Nina Günther was the top finisher in the six-kilometre race, placing second in 22 minutes and 32.3 seconds for the Lions. Also cracking the top-10 were Carleton’s Saorise Kealy (7th) and the Gee-Gee’s Melani Hamel (10th). Finishing right behind Hamel were Bryn Reyonds (Carleton) and Kylee Fowler (uOttawa) to round out the pie winners. 

Elsewhere on the weekend, Elizabeth Vroom and Olivia Baggley both posted top-30 finishes at the Vigars and Salter Western Invitational in London. Vroom, a second year engineering student at Queen’s University, placed 22nd among the field of 130-plus runners in a time of 31 minutes and 19.6 seconds. Her finish helped the Gaels to a fifth place team finish, while Baggley was the top finisher for the University of New Brunswick Reds, finishing the eight-kilometre course in 31:39.4 to place 29th overall.

Cross country action returns to the nation’s capital this week with the Capital XC Challenge taking place Friday and Saturday. 

Full results from the Hoffmann Invitational can be found on our website.