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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.

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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. 

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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)

Brampton, Ontario ---2017-07-30--- Katie Newlove of Ottawa Lions T.F.C. and Jordyn Bartolomucci of Timmins Porcupine Track & Field compete at the AO BMY Championships in Brampton, Ontario, July 30, 2017. GEOFF ROBINS/ Mundo Sport Images

Cox and Newlove produce top finishes at USports XC Championship

by linkinbioNationalUniversity

The university cross country season concluded Saturday at the 2021 USports Championships hosted by the Laval Rouge et Or in Quebec City. Running on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City. The field of nearly 260 athletes included six Lions’ runners.

Will Cox was the top placing Lion, finishing 30th in the men’s race. The Atlantic University Sport bronze medalist completed the eight kilometre course in 25 minutes and 43.7 seconds. His performance helped his Dalhousie Tigers to a seventh place finish and he was named Dalhousie Male Athlete of the Week for his efforts.

Finishing five seconds back of Cox was Robbie Mitchell in 37th. The University of Calgary graduate student helped the Dinos to a ninth place finish.

Adrian Fournier of the University of Ottawa placed 61st overall in a time of 26 minutes and 27.1 seconds. His performance was the highest finish by Gee-Gee male since Alex Berhe’s 58th place finish at the 2016 championships on the same course. Cameron Bruce of Carleton placed 126th.

Second year University of British Columbia student, Katie Newlove produced the top finish on the women’s side, placing 43rd in a time 30 minutes and 49.2 seconds. Newlove and her Thunderbird teammates just missed the podium, finishing five points behind Guelph’s 119 points to place fourth.

Fellow second year runner, Skye Pellerin finished 110th in her first USports Championship. The University of Ottawa Gee-Gee runner crossed the line in 33 minutes and 13.0 seconds.

If you post on social media please tag @mundosportimages on Instagram or tag Mundo Sport Images on Facebook. (Ottawa, Canada---02 October 2021) L-R, Andre Alie-Lamarche (Ottawa Gee-Gees), Colby Frost (Ottawa Gee-Gees), Nikita Neyshtadt (Ottawa Gee-Gees), Adrian Fournier (Ottawa Gee-Gees), and Gavin Westbrook (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

Gee-Gee Men finish 8th; Women finish 10th at OUA XC Championships

by linkinbioUniversity

It was a perfect day for cross country running this past Saturday at the Thames Valley Golf Course in London, home to this year’s OUA (Ontario University Athletics) Championships. With the sun beaming down and temperatures hovering near 10 degrees centigrade, the University of Ottawa men and women put together solid efforts to place eighth and tenth respectively.

In a tight battle for eighth place, the Gee-Gee men were able to narrowly beat out the Laurier Goldenhawks 245 to 248, reversing the result from two weeks prior at the Bayfront Open in Hamilton where the Goldenhawks had bested the Gee-Gees by two points.

The men were led by Adrian Fournier and his 26th place finish. The third-year civil engineering student has consistently featured among the top two runners for the Gee-Gees all season long, and finished the eight kilometre course in a time of 26 minutes and 26 seconds. Fournier was backed up by André Alie-Lamarche, who finished in 27:04 to place 27th.

Rounding out the scoring for Ottawa were NIcolas Abanto Ens (50th ), Stephen Robinson (51st), and Gavin Westbrook (81st).

The Gee-Gee women fielded one of the youngest squads in the field with five of the six runners in their first year of eligibility en-route to their tenth place finish (312 points).

Top honour for the women went to Skye Pellerin, who placed 52nd overall, as she crossed the line in 33 minutes and 37 seconds. Tiarra Ward, a third year nursing student, was next across the line for Ottawa in 54th (34:14). Other scorers included Kylee Fowler (61st), Elana Tyman (71st), and Audrey McCarthy (74th).

 

 

 

(Montreal, Canada---27 July 2019) William Cox running to bronze in the U20 3000m steeplechase at 2019 Canadian Track and Field Championships at the Claude Robillard Sports Centre in Montreal. 2019 Copyright Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images.

Lions run well on championship weekend

by linkinbioUniversity

It was championship weekend across most of the country as the three of the four university conferences held their respective conference events Saturday. Among those finding a way to the podium was Will Cox who took home the bronze medal at the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Championships in Moncton.

Cox, a second year student at Dalhousie University, edged out Graydon Staples of St. Francis Xavier by four seconds to claim his first AUS cross country medal. Cox completed the eight kilometre course in 25 minutes and 53 seconds to lead the Tigers to a commanding conference title.

Staying in Moncton, Mackenzie Kitchen and Ivy Bialowas placed 11th and 12th respectively in the women’s contest. Kitchen, running for Dalhousie, finished in 32 minutes and 2 seconds, eight seconds ahead of the University of New Brunswick’s Bialowas. Dalhousie and UNB finished second and third respectively in the team standings.

At the Canada West Championships in Saskatoon, Robbie Mitchell produced a 17th place finish to help the Calgary Dino men capture team silver and earn a spot at the USports Championships November 20th in Quebec City.

On the women’s side, Katie Newlove finished 12th in a time of 30 minutes and 30.2 seconds to help her University of British Columbia Thunderbirds capture their third straight CanWest title.

Closer to home, the Carleton Ravens traveled to Quebec City for the RSEQ Championships where the men finished tenth. Cameron Bruce was the top finisher on the men’s side, placing 47th overall in 28 minutes and 25.8 seconds. Pippa Norman was the top female for the Ravens, completing the eight kilometre course in 34:02.6 to also place 47th.

The university conference championships conclude this Saturday with the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees heading west on the 401 to compete at the OUA Championships in London.

Full results from the respective conference championships can be found at the links below:

AUS – https://www.atlanticuniversitysport.com/sports/wxc/2021-22/files/2021-AUS_XC_Results.pdf
RSEQ – https://www.sportstats.ca/display-results.xhtml?raceid=113844
CanWest Women – https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=258999&embed=2
CanWest Men – https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=259010&embed=2

Copyright Brian Rouble/Shuttered Moments

Cassidy fifth at Boston Marathon; XC competes in Sherbrooke

by InternationallinkinbioUniversity

The world’s oldest marathon race returned to the streets of Boston Monday morning with a familiar face near the top of the leader board. Canadian record holder Joshua Cassidy placed fifth with a time of 1:28:56 – his fastest marathon since the 2017 edition of Boston.

Traditionally held on Patriots Day, the third Monday in April, the 125th edition of the BAA Boston Marathon was pushed to the October date as a result of COVID restrictions following its cancellation in 2020.

Monday’s event almost didn’t happen for Cassidy, who almost pulled out of the event in September after losing two and a half weeks of training due to a sinus infection. Despite the break, the three time Paralympian held tight to the front of the pack throughout the race. Cassidy battled for third with South African Ernst Van Dyk all the way up Heartbreak Hill, a 600 metre ascent between the 32 and 34 kilometre marks. Continuing the battle towards the finish, Van Dyk narrowly pulled away, while Cassidy nipped at the line by American Aaron Pike, who finish one second ahead.

Cassidy, who is also awaiting the birth of his first child with partner Laiken appeared content with the result, writing on Instagram “not bad, needed a bit more quality training, but so happy to be out there, happy to be home again, and grateful for everyone with the Boston Marathon team.”

Back in Canada, a small collection of Lion, Gee-Gees, and Ravens took part in the the Vert et Or Invitation cross country race on the campus of the University of Sherbrooke on Sunday. Nico Pedersen was the winner of the open men’s eight kilometre race with a time of 25 minutes and 49.4 seconds. Nathan Meraw of the Gee-Gees was the top male in the university section, placing 43rd in 27:58.8. The top female honour went to Kylee Fowler, a first year student with the Gee-Gees, who placed 42nd in 34:02.3. Carleton’s Sophy Wood was the top Raven in 46th.

Complete results from the Vert et Or Invitation can be found on the FQA website.

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Season starts off with a bang at Capital Cross Country Challenge

by linkinbioLocal

Not too often you get to wrap a Dicken’s quote into a write up about a cross country race, but the conditions at this past weekend’s Capital Cross Country Challenge was straight out of the opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities. Friday afternoon’s  high school section was most certainly the best of weather, while Saturday seemed to bring the worst of weather, but none of that seemed to deter any of the more than 520 runners competing.

Running under near ideal conditions, Amelia Van Brabant dominated the varsity girls field as she finished the grueling five kilometre course in a time of 17 minutes and 54.55 seconds. The grade 11 student at Earl of March High School in Kanata crossed the line more than a full minute ahead of runner-up Clara Hegan. The girls junior varsity crown was taken by Isabella Chiumera of St. Pius X, while Lauren Alexander of the Lions was third.

Frontenac Secondary School’s Angus Skinner claimed the win in the varsity boys five kilometre race in 16 minutes and 2.07 seconds, 21 seconds ahead of St. Paul’s Zackary Sikka. Caden Turcotte, of Kingston’s Physi-Kult Running Club, rounded out the medalists in 16:44.55.

Producing the tightest finish on Friday was the boys junior varsity four kilometre contest, where Simon Rosenthal of Montreal’s Villa Maria High School crossed the line 14 minutes and 13.61 seconds, just two seconds ahead of Mother Teresa’s Will Sanders.

The clear sunny skies of Friday quickly turned into dark grey rain clouds over night, but as bleak as the skies may have appeared, it failed to dampen the excitement for both the elementary school children and post secondary runners.

The open women’s six kilometre contest was won by Charlotte Langley of Queen’s University in 23 minutes and 6.04 seconds, but it was McGill who would claim the team title with an impressive 28 points as they managed to place all five of their scorers in the top-10. Sophy Wood was the top scorer for the Carleton Ravens, placing 30th overall in 25:23.69, while Kylee Fowler was the top runner for the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees.

The open men’s race was dominated by Queen’s as Kirby Mitchell led the Gaels to a sweep of the top four positions, winning in 19 minutes and 7.94 seconds.  The Gaels totaled 19 points, 32 ahead of second place McGill to take the team title. The Gee-Gees placed third with 111 points led by veterans Andre Alie-Lamarche and Adrian Fournier who place 7th and 11th overall respectively. The top Lion was Nicholas Pedersen, who finished a spot behind Alie-Lamarche in eighth. Darion Dillabaugh of Carleton was the top Raven, placing 27th overall.

The cross country season continues this coming weekend, October 10th, with the both the Gee-Gees and Ravens travelling to Quebec to compete in the Sherbrooke Invitational.

For complete results and photos from the Capital Cross Country Challenge, visit our results page.

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2021 Canadian Cross Country Championships Take Over the Capital

by linkinbioNational

As Ottawa weather turns cold and wet, the country’s best cross country racers will heat up the trails of our Nation’s Capital for the 2021 Canadian Cross Country Championships, to be held November 27.

“Winning a national championship is always a special experience for an athlete. Athletics Canada is proud to provide a safe environment for all the competitor to do what they do best – compete. The same goes for the coaches, officials and race volunteers that make these events happen. With this being the first time the Canadian Cross Country Championships have been held in Ottawa, it is all the more special to put on this first-class event, with our first-class partners, in one of Canada’s greatest cities,” said Athletics Canada CEO David Bedford.

This race for the gold marks Ottawa’s first time hosting the event, a feat the capital will repeat in 2022. Wesley Clover Parks in Nepean will be the site where the first national cross country champions since 2019 will be crowned. The 2020 event was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Run Ottawa has decades of experience showcasing the best road racers Canada has to offer at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend.  Working with Athletics Canada as the Local Organizing Committee for the Canadian Cross Country Championships is an honour and pulls us off the road and into whatever Wesley Clover Parks has to offer in late November!”, said Ian Fraser, Executive Director, Run Ottawa. “Run Ottawa is also privileged to partner with the Ottawa Lions to help us execute a stellar Championship for Canada’s best athletes.”

Wesley Clover Parks is a new setting for Cross Country in Ottawa. While races are annually contested at Mooney’s Bay Park and The Hornet’s Nest, race organizers have created a challenging course that will allow athletes to push the pace on the flats, grind out the competition in the rolling wooded trails and take on the elements mother nature has in store for them in late November. The course has a bit of everything and will also allow spectators to get around to many vantage points and cheer on the athletes.

“As soon as it was shared that Ottawa would be the site of the 2021 and 2022 Athletics Canada Cross Country Championships, we didn’t waste any time. While it was only four years ago Ottawa welcomed the best in Canadian Athletics at the Canadian Track and Field Championships, we are thrilled to welcome Canada’s best harriers to Wesley Clover Parks,” said Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club Director and Head Coach Richard Johnston.

Upwards of 1,000 competitors descend on the host city every year to compete in the Canadian Cross Country Championships in the U18, U20, Open and Masters age categories. Consistent with Athletics

Canada’s mandatory vaccination policy, all athletes, coaches, volunteers and spectators will need to provide proof of full vaccination to participate in the 2021 Canadian Cross Country Championships.

The deadline to register for the 2021 Canadian Cross Country Championships is Monday, November 15 at 7 p.m. ET.

 

Important Links  

2021 Canadian Cross Country Championships information
Registration
HTG Sports hotel preview
HTG Sports hotel booking   
Volunteer information

 

Murray Link 1995 OFSAA XC web (2)

Lions Top OFSAA XC Performers: #1 Murray Link (1991-1995)

by High Schoollinkinbio

If you have been around the Club long enough, you already know who holds the number one spot. Heck, you have likely known since we started writing this list. Murray Link of North Dundas District High School is widely considered to be the GOAT (the greatest of all-time) high school cross country runner in this area of the province. It is no surprise to see his name atop this list. A dominant force, the Winchester native would finish his high school career as a back-to-back-to-back winner of the provincial crown.

Link’s first go around at the OFSAA cross country championships was a fruitful endeavour, claiming silver behind Toronto’s Ricardo Santos in what would be the first of three battles the pair would engage in over the years.

In grade 10, Link finished off the podium in seventh, while Santos sat out the competition due to the OFSAA transfer policy. However, a year later the pair would again go head-to-head for provincial bragging rights. What transpired on that six kilometre course that day is certainly not something you hear of every day.

Link would win his first gold medal at the Championships, braving winter temperatures at the Boyd Conservation area in Woodbridge, but a chill in the air wasn’t the only thing trying to slow him down that day. While Link crossed the line two seconds ahead of Santos in a time of 20 minutes and 38 seconds, the margin of victory could have been much larger.

Link added his own touch of intrigue to the battle when he ran 40 metres off course before realizing the error of his way. “I knew something was wrong when I looked behind and no one was there,” said Link to the Toronto Star. “Then I saw Ricardo running another route and decided to quickly backtrack.”

A year later, the pair of Santos and Link went to battle once more, with Murray again taking victory, this time in the senior boy’s race.  Link would again emerge victorious in his final championship run, winning in London by a comfortable 10 second margin to complete the three peat.

By winning back-to-back senior boy’s titles, Link became just the sixth runner at the time to accomplish the feat in the near 40 year history of the OFSAA championship, joining the likes of Olympians Bruce Kidd and Kevin Sullivan as well as famed high school runner Greg Anderson.

Following his graduation, Link accepted an athletic scholarship to the University of Arkansas where he would study Agri-business and run for the Razorbacks. Link helped the Razorbacks capture three NCAA  team titles and twice earned All-American honours in cross country. After finishing his collegiate career, Link returned to the family farm in Winchester where he was a dairy farmer for over 16 years before having to step away because of a congenital bone deformity in 2017. Link’s name continues to live on at the Club with his son Jack running in the Aspire Program these days.