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.

(Ottawa, Canada---26 November 2022) Jay Sneddon (1586-- MAXCXS) competing in the 2022 Athletics Canada Cross Country Championships. Photograph Copyright 2022 Miles Ryan / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Ottawa to host 2023 Canadian Cross Country Championships

by linkinbioNational

Athletics Canada is pleased to announce that the 2023 Canadian Cross-Country Championships, known in short as ACXC, will take place at Mooney’s Bay and Terry Fox Athletic Facility, in Ottawa, for the second consecutive year.

The Athletics Canada Competition Committee has decided to return to Mooney’s Bay’s hilly course, following an athlete, coach and volunteer survey that gave the 2022 event a ranking of 8.8/10 for its level of participation, organization, scheduling and course quality. This year’s edition will take place on Saturday, November 25.

“After an outstanding 2022 Championships held under clear skies and relatively warm temperatures, we are thrilled to return to Ottawa and the course at Mooney’s Bay,” said Chris Winter, Director of Domestic Programs and Safe Sport at Athletics Canada. “We heard it loud and clear from our athletes, coaches, and spectators that the course, organization, atmosphere, and competition in Ottawa was first rate and we are eager to build on that success to deliver an even better Championships in 2023.”

Once again this year, the Ottawa Lions and Run Ottawa will work in tandem with Athletics Canada to host the event. Ian Fraser, executive director at Run Ottawa, said his team was proud of last year’s championship weekend, but is preparing to outdo itself this November.

“We listened to participant feedback from 2021 (when we hosted in Wesley Clover Parks) and made the 2022 experience memorable for them,” he said. “We are very excited about the Championships returning to Ottawa for 2023 and we’re looking forward to building on last year’s success!”

The news was also well-received by Ottawa Tourism, as President and CEO Michael Crockatt said the organization was honoured to once again welcome the country’s largest cross-country championship.

“As the capital city of Canada, Ottawa is proud to once again play host to such a prestigious event and to showcase our city’s world-class facilities, vibrant culture, and warm hospitality,” he said. “We look forward to welcoming back Canada’s most talented runners and their families, and we are confident that they will have an unforgettable experience and will leave with unforgettable memories.”

The 2023 Championships will be the third of five Canadian Championships to be held in a six year span with the Lions set to also host the 2025 and 2026 Canadian Track and Field Championships at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility.

(Ottawa, Canada---26 November 2022) Ottawa Lions U18 Girls competing in the 2022 Athletics Canada Cross Country Championships. Photograph Copyright 2022 Miles Ryan / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

U18 Girls Win Back-to-Back Championship; Maguire Takes Masters Gold

by linkinbioNational

With Ottawa playing host to the Canadian Cross Country Championships for the second year in a row, many things were a little bit different in the sequel. Along with the move from Wesley Clover Park to Mooney’s Bay, the most welcome change yesterday had to have been the balmy temperatures which peaked around seven degrees centigrade in the afternoon – nearly 20 degrees warmer than in 2021. However, one important consistency remained – the Lions U18 girls team were crowned national champions for the second year in a row.

After a narrow one point victory of the University of Toronto Track Club a year ago, the U18 girls enjoyed a 30 point cushion over second place South Simcoe Dufferin on Saturday. For the second year in a row Amelia Van Brabant led the charge for the Lions, finishing 18th overall in a time of 16 minutes and 1 second on the four kilometre course. Jocelyn Giannotti was the second scorer, finishing four spots behind Van Brabant in 22nd –  50 places up from her 2021 finish. The top four scorers were rounded out by Louise Stonham and Quinn Coughlin, who placed 46th and 50th respectively. 

The team victory is the 12th national team title in the Club’s history and the U18 girls become only the second team to ever repeat as national champions. The U20 men’s team won back-to-back titles 30 years ago. 

Both U20 teams posted top-5 results – a marked improvement over 2021 where the women did not field a team and the men placed eighth. 

Led by USports Rookie of the Year Elizabeth Vroom, the U20 women were fifth with 187 points. Vroom, a first year student at Queen’s University, placed 20th – covering the six kilometre course in 24 minutes and six seconds. Gillian Porter crossed the line in 25:24 to finish 38th overall, while Grace Munro and Aria MacDonald rounded out the scorers for the Lions in 61st and 68th respectively. 

Zachary Sikka was the top finisher for the U20 men, placing 33rd overall in a time of 28:02 over the eight kilometre course. Max Benda (44th), Frédéric Parent (49th), and Kyle Porter (53rd) rounded out the scorers for the Lions as the team amassed 179 points – 66 points better than in 2021. 

Just missing the top-five was the U18 boys team as they amassed 251 points to finish sixth overall. Kiefer Melinz Dupuis was the top scorer as he placed 30th overall in the six kilometre race. With no U16 race at the national level, Saul Taler and Daniel Cova each raced up a category as they were the second and third scorers for the team in 46th and 71st respectively. Nicolas Belan rounded out the team’s scoring in 104th place. 

In one of the tightest spreads of the whole day, the Open Men’s team placed seventh overall for the second year in a row. Scorers Adrian Fournier, André Alie-Lamarche, Robert Mitchell, and Nic Roberts all finished within five spots of each other. Fournier topped the group, crossing the line 49th in a time of 33:11. 

In the masters competition, Liz Maguire took top spot in the women’s 55-59 category. The 56-year old finished the eight kilometre course in a time of 34 minutes and 54 seconds – more than a minute and a half ahead of second place. Fritzlor Auguste picked up a silver medal in the men’s 30-34 category, finishing in 32 minutes and 11 seconds. 

For complete results from the championship as well as photos from the event, please visit our results page.

(Kingston, Canada---13 November 2022) Charlie Mortimer (759 U16B), Noah Smith (774 U16B), Barrett Goold (737 U16B), Saul Taler (781 U16B), Matteo Padoin-Castillo (767 U16B), Dean Kontogiannis (745 U16B), Owen Siderius (773 U16B) racing at the 2022 Athletics Ontario Cross Country Championships held on Fort Henry Hill in Kingston, Ontario. Photograph copyright 2022 Miles Ryan Rowat/ Mundo Sport Images.

Lions win two team titles at Ontario Cross Country Championships

by ClubProvincial

The weather was perfect for the Ontario Cross Country Championships yesterday atop Kingston’s Fort Henry hill as the Lions captured two team titles and an impressive seven individual medals – largest medal haul since 1996 when three team titles and six individual medals were won. 

Winning the only gold medal on the day was one of the youngest competitors – Ronan Lebel. Just eight years old, Lebel ran clear of the U10 field by nearly 10 seconds as he finished the one kilometre loop in 3 minutes and 38.9 seconds. Ronan wasn’t the only Lebel to find himself on the podium as his older brother Kai took home the silver in the U12 category.

A pair of OFSAA medalists added provincial medals to their collection as Saul Taler and Owen Siderius finished second and third respectively in the U16 boys event. Taler led a flurried finish for the second through four spots, completing the four kilometre course in 13 minutes and 7.7 seconds. Four tenths of a second back was Siderius, who narrowly edged Quinte Frontenac’s Jack Gregory by a tenth of a second. 

Combined with Charlie Mortimer (13th) and Noah Smith (19th), the U16 boys team managed a seven point victory over the University of Toronto Track Club. 

Led by Quin Coughlin, the U16 girls also took home a team title from Kingston. Coughlin battled with the lead pack throughout Sunday’s race, but was not able to match the late race surge, finishing 15 seconds off the podium in fourth place. However, a top-ten finish from Evelyn Davies along with a top-15 finish from Julia Van Wesenbeeck helped secure a 14 point victory over the Newmarket Huskies. Ciara Villeneuve was the team’s fourth scorer in 28th. 

Even with three racers among the top-15, the U18 girls were unable to defend their title from 2021 as they finished 11 points back of the University of Toronto Track Club to take the silver. Olivia Baggley was the top-finisher for the team, placing eighth overall on the six kilometre course in 22 minutes and 15.4 seconds. Defending champion Amelia Van Brabant did not compete Sunday as she was resting following an injury at last weekend’s OFSAA Championships.

Also making their way on the podium Sunday was Aria MacDonald in the U20 women’s race. The second year Carleton University student completed the 10 kilometre course in 32:10.9 to win bronze. As well, Fritzlor Auguste and Michael Conway each took second place in the masters M30 and M35 races respectively. 

(York, Canada — 2 June 2022) Saul Taler of Glebe - Ottawa competing in the novice boys 1500m heats at the 2022 OFSAA Ontario High School Track and Field Championships held at the Toronto Track and Field Centre at York University. 2022 Copyright Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images.

Lions bring home hardware from OFSAA XC return

by High SchoolProvincial

Saturday marked the return of the OFSAA Cross Country Championships for Ottawa athletes after a two year hiatus and the performances turned out, did not disappoint. Following the event’s cancellation in 2020 and self-imposed travel restrictions for National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association schools in 2021, Lions athletes returned to the provincial high school championships to take home two individual and two team titles.

A combination of a hilly course at the Dagmar Ski Resort in Uxbridge and unseasonably warm temperatures that climbed toward 20 degrees celsius by mid day pushed the field of  runners to their limits Saturday. However, Glebe’s Sauler Taler was able to rise above it all as he claimed gold in the junior boy’s five kilometre race. 

Holding steady in the lead pack of 5-6 runners through the bulk of the course, Taler found himself clear of the field with about 400 metres to go and didn’t look back. “It was exhilarating,” he recalled to Ottawa Sport Page. “I said to myself: ‘Don’t let someone pass you. I really want to win.’ So, I kept pushing. ‘You’re going to win OFSAA, keep pushing, keep pushing,’ I said.” 

With the victory, Taler became just the 14th Lions runner to claim individual OFSAA Cross Country gold. 

For Peak Academy’s Grace Streek, her pathway to Dragmar was a little more involved than her competitors, which made her bronze medal in the junior girls race all the more sweet. Before Streek could even take to the starting line in the NCSSAA East Conference Championship, she had to win an appeal of the OFSAA transfer policy before she was allowed to compete.

In Uxbridge, Grace was the leader for the bulk of the five kilometre race, before suffering from a stitch in the final stages and settling for third.

On the team side, Matteo Padoin-Castillo took home team gold with his Immaculata teammates in the junior boys event. Lauren Alexander led Glebe to a silver medal in the senior girls race with her seventh place finish.

(Ottawa, Canada---02 October 2021) Pippa Norman (Carleton Ravens) competing in the University/Open Women's race at the 2021 Capital Cross Country Challenge held at Mooney’s Bay Park in Ottawa. Photograph 2021 Copyright Miles Ryan Rowat / Mundo Sport Images

Norman and MacDonald lead Ravens at RSEQ XC Championship

by linkinbioProvincialUniversity

It was a challenging setting for Saturday’s Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) Cross Country Championships at the Centre de plein air Kinadapt. Located about 75 minutes north of Montreal in the small town of Rawdon, the course which is more routinely used for dog sledding, brought a unique set of challenges to the Carleton Ravens runners.

Undeterred by the challenging course, veterans Pippa Norman and Aria MacDonald both improved upon their placing from last year’s championship as they crossed the line back-to-back in 43rd and 44th place. Norman completed the eight kilometre course in a time of 33 minutes and 43.7 seconds with MacDonald finishing just 6.8 seconds later. 

Following shortly behind was Saorise Kealy, who finished in 33:57.7 to place 48th overall. Bryn Reynolds rounded out the Ravens quartet in 72nd. 

The Raven men were represented by the duo of David Birinberg and Nic Hawrysh. Finishing in a time of 29:12.4, Birinberg was the top Raven as he placed 88th overall. Hawrysh finished in 130th.
For full results from the RSEQ Championships, please visit our results page.

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Gee-Gee Men finish 7th; Women place 8th at OUA XC Championships

by linkinbioProvincialUniversity

For the second year in a row, it was a beautiful day in London for the Ontario University Athletics Cross Country Championship with the sun shining and temperatures reaching 16 degrees. Running on the Thames Valley Golf Course the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees improved their finishing positions for both the men and women from a year ago as they placed seventh and eighth respectively. 

The Gee-Gee women’s finish, their highest since 2015 (7th), was led by rookie Noemie Beauregard. The fourth year Nutrition Sciences student finished the eight kilometre course in 30 minutes and 40 seconds to place 14th overall. Beauregard’s placing earned her Second Team OUA All-Star status – the first by a Gee-Gee since Ruth Burrowes in 2015. 

Nina Gunther was the next Gee-Gee across the finish line as she placed 27th overall in a time of 32:01. The remaining scorers for the Garnet & Grey were Kyler Fowler (60), Elana Tyman (71) and Taylor Brown (72). 

Also on the women’s side, Lions Elizabeth Vroom and Gigi Porter had strong debuts at the OUA Championships for the Queen’s Gaels. The pair of first year students both factored in to the scoring for Queen’s as they placed 25th and 36th respectively as they helped the Gaels to a fourth place finish

On the men’s side, the Gee-Gee’s 183 points put them in seventh place, just one point behind the University of Windsor in sixth. Veteran André Alie-Lamarche was the top finisher, placing 20th overall in a time of 26:01. Crossing the line 32 seconds later was fellow fourth year runner Adrian Fournier as he cracked the top-20 in 28th place. Rounding out the scoring for the Gee-Gees was Nic Roberts (34), Nicolas Abanto Enns (42), and rookie Zach Sikka (59).

For full results for the OUA XC Championships, please visit our results page.

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Pedersen and Beauregard top finishers at Bayfront Open

by linkinbioProvincialUniversity

Friday marked a return to action for the Club’s harriers. Varsity runners from both the University of Ottawa and Carleton University and the Lions took to the starting line of the McMaster Bayfront Open along the shore of Burlington Bay in Hamilton. 

Running as the sole Lion in the Open 8km race, Nico Pedersen posted a top three finish in his final prep race before next month’s Ontario Championship. The 22-year-old averaged 3:17 kilometres as he crossed the line in a time of 26 minutes and 17.7 seconds – 23 seconds behind winner Brent Smalley.

It was as close to a championship field as you could get ahead of the OUA Championships with just the Windsor Lancers missing from the starting line. For the Gee-Gees, first year athlete and fourth year student, Noemie Beauregard continued to lead the team as she placed 12th in 8km race in a time of 29 minutes and 34.8 seconds. 

Teammate Nina Gunther also found a place in the top-30 with her 28th place finish in 31:08.2. The top woman for the Ravens was fourth year journalism student Pippa Norman who crossed the line in 63rd place. 

Elizabeth Vroom and Gillian Porter, both first year students at Queen’s University, placed 21st and 32nd respectively. 

On the men’s side, André Alie-Lamarche was the top Gee-Gee in 28th. Teammate Jackson Roy was 2.4 seconds back in 26:00.6 to place 31st. With three more Gee-Gees placing within the top 50, the team finished 7th with 180 points. 

Ravens rookie David Birinberg was the top finisher for Carleton, crossing the line in 29 minutes and 23.4 seconds for 106th. 

Varsity runners will return to action on the final weekend of the month with the OUA Championships set for the 29th in London and the RSEQ Championships going the day after in Rawdon, Quebec.

22CapitalXC_Mens_Race

Lions run well at Capital XC Challenge

by High SchoollinkinbioLocalUniversity

With the sun shining and temperatures hovering in the mid-teens, it was a beautiful weekend for a cross country meet. In total, more than 750 athletes ran through the park at Mooney’s Bay, on one of Canada’s most unique and challenging courses, at the annual Capital XC Event this past Friday and Saturday.

The event opened with the high school girls junior varsity event, where St. Pius X’s Isabella Chiumera took top spot in the four kilometre race. Chiumera’s time of 15:05.51 was nearly 11 seconds ahead of the Lions’ Grace Streek, while Quinn Coughlin of Opeongo rounded out the podium in third. 

Malachi Kenny of Pembroke’s Bishop Smith High School was the winner of the junior varsity boys contest in 13 minutes and 4.41 seconds. Kenny edged out Glebe’s Saul Taler, who finished just five seconds behind on the four kilometre course.

There were some popular faces atop the varsity girls podium as Lion Louise Stonham took top place in the five kilometre event. Stonham finished in 18 minutes and 11.89 seconds, about 100 metres ahead of training partner Lauren Alexander who was competing for Glebe. Ariel Gibbons of Renfrew rounded out the podium in 19:44.89.

Records are made to be broken and that is exactly what the top three finishers in the varsity boys did in Friday’s final race. The trio of Robin Lefebvre, Derek Strachan, and Ilyass Kasmi all improved on the previous record of 16:02.07 set by Angus Skinner last season. Lefebcvre took nearly 20 seconds off the previous standard as he crossed the line in 15 minutes and 43.52 seconds. Strachan was eight seconds back in silver, while Kasmi finished in 15:55.91 for third. 

Saturday featured the University/Open sections where McGill and Queen’s Universities won the men’s and women’s titles respectively. The University of Ottawa finished third in both races. 

McGill was led to victory by Matthew Beaudet, who won the six kilometre race in a time of 18 minutes and 37.07 seconds. While Jude Wheeler-Dee and Roman Mironov of Queen’s rounded out the podium. The top finisher for the Gee-Gees was André Alie-Lamarche who placed sixth in a time of 19:21.48. Nicholas Pedersen was the top runner for the Lions in eighth.

On the women’s side, Becca Brennan of Monarch Athletics took top spot with a time of 22 minutes and 30.95 seconds. The former Lion and Gee-Gee was followed closely behind the University of Ottawa’s Noemie Beauregard in 22:33.23. Manon Plouvier of Queen’s rounded out the podium in third. 

In the elementary school races, Lions athletes took home three of the six team titles. Elmdale Public School captured the U10 boys and girls titles, while Collège Notre-Dame took home the U14 boys title. 

ACXC-U18-Girls-Champions-WEB

Lion women win Canadian title on home turf

by Uncategorized

Stepping out on to the open fields at Wesley Clover Parks was just the first obstacle to overcome for sixty Lions runners competing at the first ever Canadian Cross Country Championship in the nation’s capital. What was a loose and muddy field on the eve of the championships turned into a healthy mix of frozen terrain and shoe stealing mud pits come race time as temperatures had dropped well below zero over night and the wind pushed the air temperature somewhere near -15 degrees Celsius.

Despite Mother Nature’s attempts to throw them off their game, the Lions U18 girls team was able to best the course and the rest of the field as they were crowned national champions in front of a celebratory home crowd. Just two weeks removed from a provincial title victory over the Newmarket Huskies, the Lions narrowly defeated another Ontario club, the University of Toronto Track Club, for the one point victory – 160 to 161 points. It was the first team title for the Lions since the senior women took top spot at the 2008 championships.

Leading the way for the U18 team was Amelia Van Brabant, who finished the four kilometre course in 15 minutes and 32 seconds to finish 12th overall. Olivia Baggley (29th) and Cara MacDonald (50th) were the number two and three scorers for the Lions, just as they were at the Ontario Championships in Kingston. The final scorer for the Lions was Lauren Alexander in 69th place. Her time of 16 minutes and 43 seconds was equal to that of the 70th place finisher, Sarah MacGillivary, but Alexander’s lean was enough best MacGillivary and edge the Lions just ahead of Toronto.

The senior men’s team produced the next highest finish at seventh. The quartet of Nicholas Pedersen, Adrian Fournier, Nic Roberts, and Cameron Bruce faced the course at its worst, but managed to all finish relatively tightly in the middle of the field of 116 runners. Pedersen, who has experienced a resurgence in his running this season, led the group in 42nd place. Completing the 10 kilometre course in 34 minutes and 19 seconds, Pedersen was closely followed across the line by Fournier – just 38 seconds back in 49th place. Roberts would follow in 59th, with Bruce crossing in 84th.

The masters event was held as a combined race, with the quartet of Terry Rushworth, Gilles Frenette, Robert Muir, and Michael Day placing seventh, just behind Unattached-Alberta. Rushworth finished 39th overall among the over-30 masters field. The top masters woman for the Lions was was Liz Maguire in 91st overall, and 22nd among the female competitors with a time of 37 minutes and 10 seconds over the eight kilometre course.

In the under-20 races, Skye Pellerin was the top Lion on the women’s six kilometre race – placing 23rd in 25:24. The men were led by Cameron Porter as he completed the eight kilometre course in 29:15 to place 35th overall and help the U20 men to an eighth place finish.

A special congratulations goes out to long time Club member Katie Newlove who took home bronze in the women’s U20 race. It was the first national medal for the 19 year old University of British Columbia student who competed unattached on Saturday.

Other top finishers included:

U18 Boys: Zachary Sikka – 54th (21:46)

Open Women: Jessica McRae – 46th (43:38)