MRR20250118_uOttawa_Winter_Classic_076-Enhanced-NR_web

Sprint Stars and Record Breakers: Lions Dominate Indoor Opener

by linkinbioLocalUniversity

Lions athletes wasted no time in re-writing the Club record book last Friday and Saturday at the uOttawa Winter Classic. With over 120 athletes competing under the Lions banner, the two-day meet at the Louis-Riel Dome delivered a spectacular showcase of talent. Nearly 100 personal bests, over 20 all-time top 10 performances and three new Club records highlighted the weekend.

First to set a new standard was reigning sprint queen Jorai Oppong-Nketiah. The 16-year-old outclassed the much older field in the women’s 60 metres by posting the fastest time in qualifying at 7.55 seconds. Opting to sit out the final after experiencing minor discomfort, Oppong-Nketiah’s time was strong enough to hold up as a new personal best and Club U18 record. The previous standard of 7.61 had been set by Jorai at the same meet in 2024. 

Adding to the excitement, training partner Ange-Mathis Kramo twice added his name to the record book. The 16-year-old matched Dorbor Kollie’s long-standing 60m mark of 7.01 seconds from 2015 and broke Zachary Jeggo’s 300m record with an impressive 34.17-second run, eclipsing the previous mark of 34.21 seconds

Meanwhile, the spotlight on sprints continued with Stephan Balson, who delivered a head-turning performance in the 60 metres. Balson’s 6.84-second effort not only secured him second place overall but also tied him for third on the all-time U20 list alongside two-time Olympian Oluwasegun Makinde.

Success wasn’t limited to individual efforts. The University of Ottawa’s 4x800m relay team of Fred Parent, Max Wilson, Adriano Padoin-Castillo, and Safwan El Mansari turned heads with a time of 7:55.95, to place third in Friday night’s race. Their performance also ranked eighth in school history and the fastest since 2016, reflecting the growing depth of talent in the middle-distance program.

Notable performances extended beyond the sprints and relays. Carolin Evers, a German exchange student who competed for her native country at last summer’s European Under-18 Championship, cleared 1.66m to win the women’s high jump. The clearance ranks her third among U18s in Club history. In the weight throw, Amy Roy secured a personal best of 12.92m, moving her into seventh in the U20 rankings.

The weekend also saw a pair of record-breaking performances from Joshua Foster, a Carleton Raven rookie. Foster shattered school records in the triple jump (14.60m) and long jump (7.23m), with the latter surpassing the qualifying standard for this year’s USports Championship in Windsor.

First year University of Ottawa standout Safwan El Mansari continued to impress in the early season. The Telfer School student won the 1000 metres with a time of 2:28.39 to move into seventh on the Club’s U20 rankings. Meanwhile, Shannon Dewar made her mark in the U18 women’s 600m, clocking a time of 1:37.45 to move to ninth in Club history.

The indoor season continues today in Montreal with the first day of competition at the McGill Team Challenge. From there the focus shifts to Canton, NY where the pride will head to St. Lawrence University for some action against our southern friends.

For update stats from this season visit:

https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ottl_rankings/ (Ottawa Lions)

https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/uottawa_rankings/ (uOttawa Gee-Gees)

https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ravenstf (Carleton University)

240424_OTTL_50thBirthday_wide

Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club Celebrates 50th Anniversary

by Clublinkinbio

Today marks a significant milestone in the history of the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club as we celebrate our 50th anniversary. Since the first practice was held on April 25, 1974, led by head coach Bob Staveley and a team of dedicated individuals, the club has been a cornerstone of athletics in the Ottawa region for half a century.

In its inaugural year, the East Ottawa Lions, as they were initially known, held their first practice at the old Canadian Forces Base Rockcliffe track. Under the leadership of Bob Staveley, the club welcomed athletes aged 12 and up, with a mission to provide opportunities for youth in track and field within the community. Originally sponsored by the East Ottawa Lions Club, the club’s membership was initially limited to athletes residing within specific boundaries north of the Queensway and east of the Rideau River.

Reflecting on the early days of the club, Staveley at the time remarked, “There was a need for a second track and field club in the city, and I’m proud to have been a part of establishing the Lions.” Assisted by a team of dedicated coaches including Owen Froggett, Ken Parker, Rae Ellen Desloges, Dick Cardill, and Greg Moses, the club quickly gained momentum, fostering talent and passion for athletics in the region.

The original Board of Directors, led by President Major Angus Read and Vice-President Bob Staveley, played a pivotal role in shaping the club’s direction and ensuring its success in the years to come.

Over the past five decades, the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club has grown from its humble beginnings to become a powerhouse in Canadian athletics, producing 22 Olympians, 17 Paralympians, nearly 200 international medals, over 1700 national championship medals, and in excess of 3600 provincial medals. The club’s legacy extends beyond the track, instilling values of dedication, perseverance, and sportsmanship in generations of athletes.

As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, we extend our gratitude to all past and present members, coaches, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters who have contributed to the success and longevity of the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club. Here’s to the next fifty years of excellence in athletics!

1975 EOL Banquet

First Club practice held 47 years ago today

by linkinbioLocal

Like many of you, I have spent a fair amount of time cooped up in the house since the pandemic began. I’ve spent some of my time revamping sections of the website, making some big updates to Club stats (more on that to come in the next few weeks), and even complied a few top ten lists. While compiling the lists I began to research a fair bit about the Club’s history and one day, last fall, came across a pair of articles describing the first days of the East Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club, as the Club was known as for the first 15 plus years of its existence.

On April 25, 1974 the East Ottawa Lions held their first practice at the old Canadian Forces Base Rockcliffe track. Scheduled for 6:15pm that Thursday night, under the leadership of head coach Bob Staveley, practice began for “boys  age 12 and up and girls 11 years of age or over” according to an article in The Ottawa Journal. Given the Club’s original sponsorship by the East Ottawa Lions Club, original membership in the Club was restricted to “athletes living within the boundaries north of the Queensway and east of the Rideau River.”

Staveley, who had long believed there had been a need for a second track and field club in the city, established the Lions after having served as the Head Coach of the Ottawa Kinsmen Harriers Track and Field Club for five years. According to The Journal, the original coaches included Owen Froggett, who would help Staveley oversee the field events. Ken Parker, who later founded the Ottawa Athletic Club Racing Team, was the Club’s original distance coach. He was assisted by Rae Ellen Desloges. The sprinters were coached by Dick Cardill, previously of the the Harriers, and his assistant – Greg Moses of Almonte.

The original Board of Directors was led by president Major Angus Read, with Staveley serving as vice-president. Yvon Lanctin was the original treasuer and Froggett the secretary with Paul Moxon sitting as a member at large.