(Canton, United States---21 September 2024) Melani Hamel of Ottawa University [SO] competing at the Ronald C Hoffman XC Invitational on the campus of St Lawrence University 2024 Miles Ryan / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Hamel Leads Gee-Gees in Sherbrooke; Cassidy Races in Chicago

by linkinbioUniversity

In a final tune-up before their respective conference championships later this month, the University of Ottawa and Carleton University cross country teams descended on the University of Sherbrooke for the Vert et Or Invitational. Several athletes from the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club turned in impressive performances, showcasing their endurance and competitive spirit in the gruelling races.

As she has done all season, Melina Hamel was once again the top finisher for the Gee-Gees women, completing the 8-kilometre race in 32:01 to place 11th overall. Hamel’s strong performance sets the stage as she leads the Gee-Gees into the OUA Championships in less than two weeks.

For the Carleton Ravens, Sara Gross was first across the line, placing 34th in the field of 67 with a time of 34:17. Kylee Fowler, running second for uOttawa, wasn’t far behind, securing 40th place in 34:50.

Zoe Gardiner of McGill finished 18th for the Martlets. In her first season running cross-country with the Montreal university, Gardiner appears poised to make an impact at the upcoming RSEQ Championships.

In the men’s 8km race, the Gee-Gees were led by Zachary Sikka, who secured one of his best performances of the season, placing 31st in a competitive field of 97 runners with a time of 27:31. Teammate Nicolas Abanto Ennsfollowed closely, finishing 42nd in 27:47.

Meanwhile, on Friday, two Lions athletes participated in the Marauder 8k in Hamilton as part of their OUA preparations. Elizabeth Vroom of Queen’s University placed 35th overall in 31:09, finishing as the seventh scorer for the Gaels. Jocelyn Giannotti, in her rookie campaign for the Guelph Gryphons, placed 39th in 31:21.2, also as the seventh scorer for her team.

On the world stage, Lions’ wheelchair racer Josh Cassidy took part in the prestigious Chicago Marathon, finishing 10th in a highly competitive field with a time of 1:33:17.

After a great start that saw him in the lead pack through five kilometres, Cassidy eventually fell off the pace. At the 27km mark, Cassidy joined a pack of 11 racers fighting for position as they reeled in the athlete in 6th place.

“I made my move with 1km to go,” Cassidy posted to Instagram following the race. “In 6th at 41 kms until the final turn and climb. I was moving with confidence but I went too early.” 

It’s been a busy fall for Cassidy, who finished 9th at the Berlin Marathon just three weeks ago and claimed victory at the Sydney Marathon earlier in September.

(Ottawa, CANADA - 28 September 2024) André Alie-Lamarche competing at the Capital XC Challenge at Mooney’s Bay Park. 2024 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Alie-Lamarche Shines at Capital XC Challenge, Lions Dominate Elementary Races

by linkinbioLocalUniversity

The Ottawa Lions were out in full force yesterday at the Capital XC Challenge, hosted at Mooney’s Bay Park under clear, sunny skies. Temperatures in the mid-20s set the stage for a great day of racing, and André Alie-Lamarche delivered the headline performance, securing second place in the open/university men’s 6km race.

Alie-Lamarche, fresh off a victory at St. Lawrence the previous week, made an aggressive start, surging to the front of the pack. However, Laval’s defending USports Champion, Philippe Morneau-Cartier, proved too strong, breaking away in the second lap to win comfortably in 18:14.86. Alie-Lamarche crossed the line in an impressive 18:41.59, capping off a strong week of competition.

The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees men finished 7th overall with 193 points, led by William McLeish, who completed the course in 20:36.31. Carleton University’s top finisher was Nicholas Parsons, placing 95th overall.

On the women’s side, Melina Hamel once again led the Gee-Gees, finishing 23rd in a time of 24:07.53. The Gee-Gees women mirrored the men’s result, also placing 7th in the team standings. Carleton’s Sarah Gross, a first-year student, made a strong debut, finishing 45th overall. Notably, Liz Maguire, fresh from a silver medal in the World Masters 1500m, placed 48th.

In the elementary school division, the Lions dominated the day, capturing all six team titles across three age groups, showcasing the strength of the club’s developmental programs.

In other cross-country action, Amelia Van Brabant made her collegiate debut for Boston College, running in the prestigious Nuttycombe Invitational at the University of Wisconsin. Van Brabant placed 46th in the Women’s “B” race, completing the 6km course in 22:50.2, marking a solid start to her collegiate career.

Full results from Capital XC Challenge are available on our website.

(Canton, United States---21 September 2024) Andre Alie-Lamarche of Ottawa Lions TF Clubcompeting at the Ronald C Hoffman XC Invitational on the campus of St Lawrence University 2024 Miles Ryan / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Alie-Lamarche Steals the Show at Hoffman Invitational

by University

André Alie-Lamarche stole the show at the Ronald C. Hoffman Cross Country Invitational on Saturday, winning the men’s race in an impressive time of 25:10.2. His commanding performance on the 8 km course propelled him to the top of the podium in a highly competitive field, where he battled a pair of All-Canadians from Queen’s all the way to the finish line. Alie-Lamarche’s winning time was the eighth fastest ever recorded on the St. Lawrence University course.

The 32nd edition of the Hoffman Invitational provided ideal conditions for cross-country running in upstate New York, with more than a dozen teams competing in both the men’s and women’s races.

Vroom Helps Queen’s Capture Women’s Team Title
In the women’s race, Elizabeth Vroom delivered a standout performance for Queen’s University, finishing 7th overall with a time of 23:23.2 on the 6 km course. As Queen’s third scorer, her finish was crucial in securing the women’s team title, helping them edge Middlebury College of Vermont by 11 points.

Gee-Gees Women Claim 4th Place
The University of Ottawa women’s team battled to a 4th place finish, scoring 135 points with an average time of 26:42.0. Leading the team was sophomore Melina Hamel, who placed 18th with a time of 24:14.4. Senior Kylee Fowler followed closely, crossing the line in 24:53.3 for 21st place.

Seniors Elliot Tyman and Katarina Culhane added valuable points with 27th and 33rd-place finishes, respectively, while freshman Lorelie Houde completed the scoring in 29:12.3, earning 36th place overall. Freshman Emma Strano was just behind in 37th, finishing in 29:14.7.

Men’s Team Fights for 6th Place Finish
For the University of Ottawa men’s team, sophomore William McLeish led the charge, finishing 26th overall with a time of 28:06.9. Junior Zach Sikka followed closely in 32nd, crossing the line in 28:41.7. Juniors Fred Parent and Adriano Padoin-Castillo added solid performances, finishing 39th and 40th, respectively, helping the team to a 6th place finish with a total score of 188 points. Freshman Rory O’Connell rounded out the scoring five with a time of 33:20.8.

Belan Makes University Debut
In his first year with the Guelph Gryphons, Nicolas Belan got his first taste of university cross-country action at the Vigars & Salter Western Invitational in London. Belan was Guelph’s ninth runner, finishing the Thames Valley course in 27 minutes and 18 seconds, placing 43rd overall.

At the same meet, Lauren Alexander made her debut with the host Western Mustangs. Western coach and Ottawa Lions alum, Scott MacDonald, noted that Lauren ran a strong opening five kilometres before having to pull out due to foot pain.

Looking Ahead
Both University of Ottawa teams will aim to build on these performances as they look toward the OUA Championships at the end of October. Next up for the Gee-Gees is Capital XC this coming Saturday at Mooney’s Bay, where they will be joined by the Ravens of Carleton and a number of Ottawa Lions runners.

For full results and photos from the meet, please visit our results page.

Copyright Brian Rouble/Shuttered Moments

Cassidy Conquers Sydney, Seaby Shines in Alabama, and Gardiner Helps McGill to Victory

by InternationallinkinbioUniversity

It was a busy weekend for Ottawa Lions athletes, with standout performances coming from Sydney, Alabama, and Montreal.

Joshua Cassidy continues to show why he’s one of Canada’s premier wheelchair athletes, taking the victory in the Sydney Marathon on Sunday. Cassidy crossed the finish line in 1:38:35, overcoming the race’s technical challenges, including a grueling 317 meters of elevation gain. Japan’s Sho Watanabe and Kota Hokonuie followed in second and third, finishing in 1:42:21 and 1:42:23, respectively.

Following the race, Cassidy shared his thoughts on Instagram, saying:
“Felt really good out there today. One of the toughest courses, technical with 317m elevation gain. Wasn’t sure how it would go with the changes and some strong Japanese athletes this year. It’s a challenging course. Really happy with this.”

In Huntsville, Alabama, Maddie Seaby kicked off her sophomore season with an impressive showing at the Southern Showcase. Running for the University of Louisville, Seaby placed 18th overall with a time of 17:13.31, a significant improvement of nearly 50 seconds over her season opener last year. Her performance helped Louisville to a second-place team finish.

Meanwhile, back in Canada, Zoe Gardiner helped McGill University to victory at the McGill Invitational in Montreal. Gardiner finished 12th overall on the 6km course with a time of 23:48, contributing to McGill’s team title. A neuroscience student, Gardiner has a unique athletic background, having previously played for the Martlets soccer team in her first three years at McGill. Morgane McKay, another Ottawa Lions athlete and first-year student at McGill, placed 43rd in 26:16 but did not score for the team.

(Ottawa, Canada---25 November 2023) Nina Gunther and Shona McCulloch races in the open women’s championship race at the 2023 Athletics Canada Canadian Cross Country Championships held at Mooney’s Bay, Ottawa. Photograph Copyright 2023 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Lions take home national medals on home course

by linkinbioNational

They say all good things must come to an end. This sentiment held true as Saturday marked the conclusion of a three-year hosting swing for the Canadian Cross Country Championships at Mooney’s Bay Park. It also signaled the relinquishment of the national Under-18 girls team title.

Despite the absence of the familiar banner, the atmosphere on this warmer-than-usual late November Saturday buzzed with excitement.

Leading the charge were our small yet formidable group of masters athletes who secured a pair of podium finishes. In the Women’s 55-59 category, Liz Maguire clinched a silver medal in the 8-kilometer event. Last year’s champion, Maguire, finished a mere ten seconds behind BC’s Alita Dommann, who completed the race in 33 minutes and 18 seconds. Notably, Dommann had secured the gold in the 50-54 category in 2022.

Two weeks after our Men’s 30-34 team earned a provincial silver, the trio of Jay Sneddon, Sam Shi, and Gilles Frenette added another silver at the Canadian Championships. While Sneddon and Shi claimed the fifth and seventh spots in the category, the team’s third scorer, Frenette, secured the 21st position in the Men’s 45-49 category. This team medal marked a significant achievement, being the first by a Club masters team since 2016.

Maddie Seaby showcased an outstanding performance, finishing 11th overall in the U20 Women’s race. A freshman at the University of Louisville, Seaby completed the 6-kilometer course in 22 minutes and 35 seconds, concluding a remarkable fall season of cross-country running.

Following back-to-back national championships, the Under-18 girls team handed over their well-earned crown on Saturday. Led by Lauren Alexander and her 26th place finish, the Lion ladies secured the eighth position overall. Other notable scorers included Kyra Lauter (68th), Laila Lebel (74th), and Kate Johnston-Zemek (79th).

Alexander did not leave empty-handed on the day. Running as part of the provincial team, the Glebe student contributed to Ontario’s third-place finish in the branch competition.

Another Glebe student, Saul Taler, joined in the provincial team success. His 43rd place finish in the Under-18 boys race played a crucial role in Ontario’s gold medal victory. On the Club level, Taler, along with Noah Smith (63rd), Russell Heins (74th), and Charlie Mortimer (81st), propelled the Lions to a top-10 finish.

Additional noteworthy performances on Saturday included Nina Günther, securing the 38th position in the Open Women’s race, and Kyle Porter’s 41st place finish in the Under-20 Men’s event.

Full results from the Canadian Championships are available on Sport Stats

Photos from the Canadian Championship can be found on the Mundo Sport Images website

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. 

20231114_Kevin_Robertson_AOXC

Robertson and Lebel win provincial cross country titles

by linkinbioMastersProvincial

From under-10 to masters runners, triumph echoed throughout the Lions squad at Sunday’s Ontario Cross Country Championships. Battling it out on a challenging course at Toronto’s Downsview Park, the Lions captured six individual medals along with three team medals.

For the first time in more than a decade, a Lions runner took home a provincial senior title as Kevin Robertson took top spot in the men’s eight-kilometre race. The NACAC U23 steeplechase champion bested Melika Ghali of Monarch Athletics Club with a time time of 25 minutes and 6 seconds. 

Also running their way to the top of the podium was Ronan Lebel, who topped the U10 boys race for the second year in a row. Lebel won the one kilometre race in 3 minutes and 58 seconds. Finishing two seconds behind him Ronan was teammate Gustave Côté Hughes for silver. 

Our masters runners brought home a trio of medals led by defending national champion Liz Maguire. The class of the Women’s 55-59 category, Maguire finished the five-kilometre course in 20 minutes and 44 seconds – 13 seconds ahead of second place finisher Christy Barber of the Toronto Harriers. 

Kimberley Howitt nabbed a silver in the Women’s 35-39 category and Jay Sneddon nabbed a bronze in the Men’s 30-34 category. Sneddon’s performance also led the Lions to a team silver in the same category with the help from teammates Fritzlor Auguste and Sam Shi.

In her first post collegiate season, Nina Günther has had tremendous success on the cross country trails this fall. While, she narrowly missed yet another podium performance on Sunday, the University of Ottawa graduate was fifth across the line in the senior women’s eight-kilometre race with a time of 30 minutes and 25 seconds. Teammed with Aria MacDonald (12th), Melina Hamel (13th) and Kylee Fowler (15th) the Lions senior women brought home provincial silver. 

Sunday’s medal for the women was the Club’s first senior team medal at the provincial championships since 2008. That year, the team of Dana Buchanan, Julia Hicks, Robyn Erickson, and Lisa Benzthe were Ontario champions.

Rounding out the medal haul was the U16 girls team, which took home silver behind a dominating win from the Newmarket Huskies. Scoring for the Lions were Kyra Lauter (16), Laila Lebel (20), Dahlia Loreti (21), and Riley Daniels (29). With  a total of 86 points, the quartet narrowly edged out the Durham Dragons and their 89 points.

Full results from Sunday’s races are available online at https://results.raceroster.com/v2/en-US/results/e6jyuaqn3wcjc7nf/results

2023_Glebe_OFSAA_XC_SB_Gold_web

Lions help Glebe to OFSAA senior boys title

by High Schoollinkinbio

Cross country running may commonly be thought of as individual effort, but the team atmosphere is very strong in this sport. For the Glebe Gryphons senior boys, the team effort meant an OFSAA gold medal Saturday afternoon. The quartet of Lions runners Saul Taler, Russell Heins, Derek Strachan, and Keifer Melinz-Dupuis put up a modest 193 points to best London Central by 22 points. 

Taler was the top finisher for Glebe as the grade 11 student cracked the top-10 with his 7th place finish. Heins would follow in 29th, while Strachan and Melinz-Dupuis rounded out the scoring in 73rd and 84th respectively. 

The win by Glebe was the school’s 20th team medal and 7th team title under the tutelage of head coach Kirk Dillabaugh, who also coaches all four boys with the Lions. 

City champion Daniel Cova of Louis-Riel placed 13th overall in the six-kilometre race in 19:08.39.

Ottawa’s only other team to make the medal podium in Etobicoke was the Colonel By Cougars junior boys team, which took home OFSAA silver for the second year in a row. The Lions’ Austin Walker was the Cougars second scorer, finishing 26th overall in a time of 15 minutes and 45.18 seconds over the five-kilometre course. 

Hillcrest’s Charlie Mortimer ninth place finish, was the best among Ottawa area athletes in the junior boy’s race. 

The senior girls race featured four Lions among the top-20 finishers, led by 2022 junior girls bronze medalist Grace Streek. In her first year competing at the senior level, Streek placed 12th overall on the six-kilometre course in a time of 22 minutes and 35.80 seconds. Club training partners Lauren Alexander of Glebe (14th) and Jocelyn Giannotti of Holy Trinity (15th) finished closely behind. Ashbury’s Kate Johntson-Zemek rounded out the group in 20th. 


Also cracking the top were Laila Lebel in the novice girls and Kyra Lauter in the junior girls race. Lebel, a student at Colonel By, placed 12th while Lauter, running for Franco Cité was 17th. 

Luke Van Brabant was the top Lion in the novice boy’s race, placing 32nd.

Below is a full break down of the Lions results:

Novice Girls (4km)
Laila Lebel (Colonel By) 12th – 15:03.44
Riley Daniels (The Element) 26th – 15:34.53
Dahlia Loreti (Pierre Savard) 28th – 15:35.89

Novice Boys (4km)
Luke Van Brabant (Earl of March) 32nd – 13:48.79
Yusuf Elmasry (John McCrae) 98th – 14:40.38

Junior Girls (5km)
Kyra Lauter (Franco Cité) 17th – 18:15.00
Sofia Lefaivre (Louis-Riel) 58th – 19:16.38
Maya Allibon (John McCrae) 66th – 19:24.08

Junior Boys (5km)
Charlie Mortimer (Hillcrest) 9th – 15:15.20
Austin Walker (Colonel By) 26th – 15:45.18 (Team Silver)
Conlin Burnett (Lisgar) 78th – 16:41.23

Senior Girls
Grace Streek (Peak Academy) 12th – 22:35.80
Lauren Alexander (Glebe) 14th – 22:38.38
Jocelyn Giannotti (Holy Trinity) 15th – 22:47.67
Kate Johnston-Zemek (Ashbury) 20th – 23:05.86
Waverley Lyons (Glebe) 101th – 25:13.54
Quinn Coughlin (Opeongo) 144th – 26:23.58

Senior Boys
Saul Taler (Glebe) 7th – 18:52.88 (Team Gold)
Daniel Cova (Louis-Riel) 13th – 19:08.39
Russell Heins (Glebe) 29th – 19:38.13 (Team Gold)
Noah Smith (Immaculata) 47th – 20:02.75
Derek Strachen (Glebe) 73rd – 20:29.71 (Team Gold)
Kiefer Melinz-Dupuis (Glebe) 84th – 20:37.69 (Team Gold)
Barrett Goold (Sir Robert Borden) 87th – 20:40.89
Cohen Kaye (Louis-Riel) 98th – 20:50.17
Matteo Padoin-Castillo (Immaculata) 105th – 20:58.74

Full results from OFSAA XC can be found here.

Copyright Geoff Robins / Mundo Sport Images, 2023 www.mundosportimages.com

26 Lions qualify for OFSAA Cross Country Championships

by High Schoollinkinbio

A pride of 26 Lions are headed off to the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association Cross Country Championships in Etobicoke after their performances at the National Capital and Eastern Ontario Championships last week. In Total, Lions athletes captured 9 of the available 18 individual medals, including 4 golds at the Ottawa Championships. 

Lions senior athletes dominated the podiums of both the boys and girls races at the Hornet’s Nest in Gloucester last Thursday – sweeping both podiums. 

On the boy’s side, Daniel Cova of Louis-Riel captured top spot over the six-kilometre course with a time of 20 minutes and 27.7 seconds. Defending OFSAA junior boy’s champion, Saul Taler was second across the line, 22.5 seconds behind Cova. 

Taler led a tremendous team performance from Glebe that saw the Gryphons amass a meagre 15 points to take the team title. Derek Strachan, also of Glebe rounded out the podium at 21:26.8. Kiefer Melinz-Dupuis was Glebe’s fourth scorer in sixth place.

Glebe also took the senior girls team title led by Lauren Alexander and her gold medal winning effort of 24 minutes and 10.2 seconds. Holy Trinity’s Jocelyn Giannoti placed second in 24:19.3 while last year’s OFSAA junior girls bronze medalist Grace Streek was third across the line in 24:41.0. A step behind Streek in fourth was Ashbury’s Kate Johnston-Zemek who helped the Colts to a team silver and OFSAA berth.

Grade 10 students Kyra Lauter and Charlie Mortimer each took top spot in their respective junior races. Lauter enjoyed a comfortable 21.7 second margin victory in the girls race, finishing the five-kilometre course in 21:20.0. Mortimer found himself in a much tighter race, narrowly edging out Colonel By’s Owen Siderius by 3.4 seconds in 17:41.2.

Cameron Allard and Austin Walker of Colonel By teammed with Siderius for junior boy’s team gold.

Dahlia Loreti of Pierre Savard was second across the line in the novice girls four-kilometre race in 16:26.2, while Isla Bilcock took home team gold running for Nepean. 

While just missing the novice boy’s podium in fourth, Luke Van Brabant led Earl of March to the team title with his 15:07.7 run.

At the EOSSAA Championships on Kingston’s Fort Henry hill, Quinn Coughlin placed fifth in the senior girls race with a time of 24 minutes and 38.06 seconds to earn her spot at OFSAA. Malachi Kenny just missed out on qualifying in the senior boys race with his sixth place finish with 20:29.18 clocking. 

The full list of qualifiers for OFSAA XC are included below:

Novice Girls
Dahlia Loreti (Pierre Savard)
Riley Daniels (The Element)
Isla Bilcock (Nepean)

Novice Boys
Luke Van Brabant (Earl of March)
Yusuf Elmasry (John McCrae)

Junior Girls
Kyra Lauter (Franco Cité)
Sofia Lefaivre (Louis-Riel)
Maya Allibon (John McCrae)

Junior Boys
Charlie Mortimer (Hillcrest)
Conlin Burnett (Lisgar)
Austin Walker (Colonel By)
Cameron Allard (Colonel By)

Senior Girls
Lauren Alexander (Glebe)
Jocelyn Giannotti (Holy Trinity)
Grace Streek (Peak Academy)
Kate Johnston-Zemek (Ashbury)
Waverley Lyons (Glebe)
Quinn Coughlin (Opeongo)

Senior Boys
Daniel Cova (Louis-Riel)
Saul Taler (Glebe)
Derek Strachen (Glebe)
Noah Smith (Immaculata)
Kiefer Melinz-Dupuis (Glebe)
Barrett Goold (Sir Robert Borden)
Cohen Kaye (Louis-Riel)
Matteo Padoin-Castillo (Immaculata)

Full results from the NCSSAA XC Championships are available on our website.

Full results from the EOSSAA XC Championships are available at https://sites.google.com/limestone.on.ca/xctf/2023/eossaa-xc

(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