(Langley, Canada---27 July 2023) Kevin Robertson competing on day one of the Canadian Track and Field Championships at the Macleod Athletic Park Stadium. Copyright 2023 Miles Ryan Rowat/ Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Robertson moves to second on all-time steeplechase list

by Clublinkinbio

After a 2023 season which saw steeplechaser Kevin Robertson qualify for his first NCAA Championship, win a bronze medal at the Canadian Championships, and take top spot at the NACAC U23 Championships you may be left wondering what could he have in store for an encore. Friday night in Charlottesville, VA we got a pretty good glimpse and the future is bright. 

Opening his season at the Virginia Grand Prix, Robertson easily took top spot in his heat of the 3000 metre steeplechase in a personal best time of 8 minutes and 33.88 seconds. The Syracuse University student won by more than 11 seconds over Princeton’s Jackson Shorten. Robertson placed eighth overall.

In addition to a new lifetime best for Robertson, his performance Friday evening had him leap frog Joshua Karaja into second place on the Club’s all-time list. Alain Boucher set the current Club standard of 8:33.65 at the Commonwealth Track and Field Challenge in Sydney in 1990.

In Louisiana with the national team in preparation for the upcoming World Athletics Relay Championships, Lauren Gale took home a pair of fourth place finishes at the LSU Alumni Gold Meet. Gale  improved her seasonal best over 200 metres to 23.30 seconds in Baton Rouge – moving into third spot on the early season national rankings. Over 400 metres, Gale finished the one lap race in 52.42 seconds, two hundredths off her season’s best. . 

On the road, Josh Cassidy completed his second marathon in the span of a week rolling to an eighth place finish in the wheelchair section of the London Marathon Sunday morning. Following his fifth place finish in Boston on Monday, Cassidy finished the 26.2 mile course in a time of 1:35.40 – a scant seven seconds off another fifth place finish. 

Despite being on the other side of the country, there were a number of familiar faces on the start line of this year’s Vancouver Sun Run 10km. First across the finish line among the small group was Kyle Porter, who placed 32nd overall with a 31:58 clocking. Behind Porter were a pair of masters runners, Jay Sneddon and Sam Shi, who finished 25th and 42nd respectively in the men’s 30-34 age category. Jay was clocked in 34 minutes and 27 seconds, while Sam set a new lifetime best of 36 minutes and 16 seconds. 

For updated Club rankings, click here.

(Langley, Canada---27 July 2023) Maddie Seaby competing on day one of the Canadian Track and Field Championships at the Macleod Athletic Park Stadium. Copyright 2023 Miles Ryan Rowat/ Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Maddie Seaby Cracks 5000m Top-10 in California Opener

by ClublinkinbioUniversity

In what felt like the unofficial kick off to the outdoor season, Lions athletes put forward a number of outstanding performances over the past four days in California, Florida, Massachusetts, and even here in Ottawa. 

Starting on the west coast, over half a dozen Club athletes were in action at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa. First on the track was Maddie Seaby in the 5000 metres and her result did not disappoint. The first year student at the University of Louisville put forward her second straight personal best at the distance, finishing in a time of 16 minutes and 35.43 seconds. Seaby’s previous best was 16:46.20 at the BU Valentine Invitational in February. 

At the Club level, Maddie’s time ranks her fourth all-time among U20 athletes and ninth overall. In addition, she is now just 5.43 seconds off Athletics Canada’s qualifying standard for this year’s World U20 Athletics Championship scheduled for Peru in September. 

Staying at Azusa, Stephen Evans showed he’s ready to attack the season as he opened up with a 1:48.80 effort for 800 metres following an injury that curtailed his indoor season. USport silver medalist David Adeleye had a tough time with his opener as he battled some strong winds in running 14.61 in the 110 metre hurdles. 

Rounding out the competing contingent at Bryan Clay, Keito Newman ran 55.32 for 400 metre hurdles while Sydney Smith posted a 2:09.65 in a tactical 800 metres. André Alie-Lamarche also opened up his 2024 campaign with a 3:52.05 effort over 1500m.

Fresh off being named to Canada’s entry at the World Relay Championships in The Bahamas next month, Lauren Gale was in action at the Tom Jones Memorial on the campus of the University of Florida. Repeating her performance from two weeks prior, Gale again ran 23.33 seconds for 200 metres, which ranks her third fastest in Canada. Over 400 metres, Gale posted a time of 52.40 seconds to sit equal sixth on the national rankings. 

Up the coast in Massachusetts, Josh Cassidy kicked off his Boston Marathon Weekend with a fifth place finish in the wheelchair 5k. His time of 10 minutes and 58 seconds left the Paralympian 28 seconds off the podium. Cassidy will be back on the road Monday morning for the full marathon where he will look to improve upon his 19th place from a year ago.

Closer to home, the high school season officially kicked off with the Louis-Riel Indoor Meet #2 as a pair of Lions gave a glimpse of what may be in store this spring. Colonel By’s Mason Brennan topped the senior boy’s high jump with a leap of 1.90 metres – height that moves him to equal number seven on the Club U18 all-time list. As well, Louis-Riel’s own, Zachary Jeggo, put together an impressive run of 39.08 seconds in the 300 metre hurdles. Impressively, the time beats his previous best at the distance despite running over hurdles three inches higher. 

Full results from Bryan Clay Invitational can be found on our website.

Update Club rankings are available at https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ottl_rankings/

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Lions sizzle as indoor season heats up

by linkinbioUniversity

Just two weeks away from conference championships across the continent, Lions varsity athletes are showing peak performances at just the right time, with several impressive results this weekend.

Maddie Seaby set the tone on Friday morning with a significant personal best over 5,000 metres. The University of Louisville freshman clocked an impressive 16 minutes and 46.20 seconds at the Valentine Invitational at Boston University. Seaby maintained consistent laps of 39 and 40 seconds for 25 laps around the Track and Tennis Center, securing second place in the unseeded section.

Seaby’s time has now elevated her to fourth on the Club’s all-time U20 list and 10th overall.

In Boston, Lauren Gale secured her second podium finish in as many weekends, taking second place in the 400 metres on Friday. Despite topping her heat in a time of 53 seconds flat, Gale was surpassed by the University of Houston’s Sydni Townsend in the following heat.

North of the border, impressive personal bests were achieved at the Windsor Team Challenge.

The two-day event kicked off with a bang on Friday night as Katie Manor broke her own University of Ottawa 60-metre record in the preliminary rounds with a blazing 7.53-second performance. Manor finished fourth in the final with a time of 7.54 seconds, once again surpassing her previous record of 7.57.

Bianca Borgella, Manor’s Gee-Gee teammate, also set a new personal best in the 60 metres that night, finishing two spots behind Manor with a time of 7.65 seconds – a hundredth of a second improvement on her previous best.

Carleton’s Rose Basu achieved a pair of personal bests of her own. After breaking eight seconds for the first time with a 7.93 in the heats, the first-year student followed up with an impressive 7.89 in the final, securing 10th place in the two-heat final. Basu’s final time places her third in school history.

Kathryn Moreland demonstrated she is rounding into shape ahead of the OUA Championships in two weeks by producing three personal bests en route to victory in the pentathlon and a new lifetime best score of 3206 points. Moreland’s new individual lifetime bests included a 1.53 metres clearance in the high jump and a leap of 5.23 metres in the long jump, before she topped the field at 800 metres with her 2:28.97 clocking. Moreland’s point total now ranks seventh in Gee-Gee history.

In the field, second-year nursing student Jessica Gyamfi launched the 20-pound weight out to 14.65 metres, moving her to number three on the Gee-Gee’s all-time list. Gyamfi’s previous best was 14.16 metres set in early January.

The weekend of competition concluded on Saturday with a pair of personal bests in the 60-metre hurdle final in Windsor. David Adeleye took the top spot in the event with a sizzling 7.90-second clocking, marking the third-fastest time in Club history. Additionally, the University of Toronto student now ranks second in USports this season. Clubmate Leewinchell Jean produced a lifetime best of his own, finishing fourth in a time of 8.12 seconds. Jean’s time ties him for seventh on the Club’s all-time list with Tyler Fawcett.

Results from this weekend can be found on our results page

For updated rankings, please use the following pages:

Ottawa Lions

University of Ottawa Gee-Gees

Carleton University Ravens

(Montreal, Canada---27 January 2024) Melina Hamel competing at the McGill Team Challenge in Tomlinson Fieldhouse. Copyright 2024 Miles Ryan Rowat / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Athletes climb all-time lists in Boston

by linkinbioUniversity

It was a 2-for-1 weekend in Boston, with athletes opening competition at the Harvard Crimson Elite on Friday before rounding things out with the Boston University Scarlet & White Invite meet on Saturday. .

Harvard Crimson Elite:

The Harvard track witnessed outstanding performances, setting the stage for an extraordinary weekend.

– Melina Hamel’s Mile Triumph: The spotlight shone on Melina Hamel as she claimed a remarkable 2nd place in the women’s mile, clocking a personal best of 5:07.16. Her stellar run not only secured a podium finish but also elevated her to the 7th position on the Gee-Gees’ all-time list.

– Zach Jeggo’s Speed Surge: Zach Jeggo demonstrated his speed and endurance in the 400 meters, setting an indoor personal best of 49.87 seconds and finishing in 8th place.

– Quinn Coughlin’s Seasonal Best: Quinn Coughlin showcased her prowess in the women’s 400 meters, achieving a seasonal best of 58.14 seconds and securing a commendable 7th place finish.

Boston University Scarlet & White Invite

The momentum continued at the Boston University meet with a number of standout performances and notable top-10 performances..

– Lauren Gale’s Sprint Supremacy: Lauren Gale dominated the competition in the 400 meters with a blazing time of 52.83, securing victory with a margin of 0.5 seconds. She also showcased her versatility, finishing 4th in the 60 meters with a time of 7.66 seconds.

– Sydney Smith’s 800-Meter Brilliance: Sydney Smith stole the show in the 800 meters, setting a new indoor personal best of 2:05.10 and securing an 8th-place finish overall.

– Kevin Robertson and André Alie-Lamarche’s Mile Milestones: Kevin Robertson posted the second-fastest mile of his life at 4:02.24, finishing 35th, while André Alie-Lamarche shattered his personal best at 4:05.79, earning him the 13th spot in Club history.

– Nicolas Belan’s Mile Mastery: Nicolas Belan showcased his potential with a massive personal best of 4:16.35 in the mile, now standing as the 7th fastest among Club’s U20 runners all-time.

– Melina Hamel’s Double Delight: Melina Hamel continued her impressive weekend by setting a new personal best in the 3000 meters at BU, clocking in at 10:15.00 and securing the 9th position on the Gee-Gees’ all-time list.

Elsewhere this past weekend, Audrey Goddard, topped the pentathlon field at the York Open.The second year Western University student posted a score of  3237 points over the five disciple event. Also at York, Goddard’s teammate Cora McQuinn dropped a new personal best in the 600 metres to finish fourth. Grace Munro, running for Guelph, also set a new best in the 600 metres, and added another in the 1000 metres for good measure. 

The Lions Varsity programs return to action this Friday, as they head to Windsor for the annual Team Challenge competition. Live results from Windsor will be available on Windsor Timing’s website.

Find full results from Harvard and Boston University on our results page.

Updated rankings
Ottawa Lions Rankings
University of Ottawa Gee-Gee Rankings
Carleton Ravens Rankings

Smith_Robertson_Banner

Lions Athletes Shine Across North America

by InternationallinkinbioUniversity

January ended with a bang this past weekend with a number of Lions athletes putting up a series of outstanding performances.

Kevin Robertson made history by becoming just the fifth runner in the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club’s history, and the first since 2006, to break the 8-minute barrier for the 3000 metres. Robertson’s remarkable achievement was marked by a stellar time of 7:59.58, securing him a commendable 10th place finish in a highly competitive field.

Sydney Smith also showcased her outstanding talent, clocking an impressive time of 2:42.43 in the 1000 metres, which earned her a notable 5th place finish. Smith’s performance was not only a personal best but also shaved more than 5 seconds off her previous record. This remarkable feat catapulted Smith to second position on the Club’s all-time list, behind only Melissa Bishop-Nriagu.

“We are immensely proud of Kevin Robertson and Sydney Smith for their outstanding performances at the John Thomas Terrier Classic,” said head coach Richard Johnston. “Their dedication, hard work, and relentless pursuit of excellence exemplify the values of our club. We congratulate them on their remarkable achievements and look forward to witnessing their continued success through the rest of the season.”

Meanwhile, at the McGill Team Challenge, Adelle MacLeod and Connor Fraser made their mark with three new Carleton Ravens records.

Adelle MacLeod kicked off her meet by etching her name in the Carleton record books as the first woman to break the 11-metre barrier, achieving an impressive jump of 11.01 metres on Friday. She followed this remarkable feat on Saturday by equalling the school long jump record with a stellar leap of 5.00 metres, further solidifying her standout rookie season.

Connor Fraser showcased his remarkable strength and skill in the shot put event, adding 7 centimetres to his own Carleton Ravens record with an impressive heave of 15.27 meters to place third.

In Louisville, Kentucky, Maddie Seaby, currently completing her first year of studies at the University of Louisville, delivered an exceptional performance at the PNC Lenny Lyles Meet. Seaby ran a 12-second personal best of 9:43.34 to secure a fifth-place finish, making her the 8th fastest junior woman at 3000 metres and the 43rd woman in Club history to break the 10-minute barrier.

The varsity programs return to action on Friday as they head to Harvard University for the Crimson Elite meet before heading across town to the Scarlett and White meet at Boston University on Saturday.

McGill Results

Photos

Ottawa Lions Rankings

University of Ottawa Gee-Gee Rankings

Carleton Ravens 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

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. 

2023_NCAA_Qualifiers

Robertson and Christie-Galloway secure spots at NCAA Championship

by linkinbioUniversity

Everything is bigger in Texas, or so the saying goes. For Kevin Robertson and Keira Christie-Galloway, they’ll find out first hand if there’s any truth to the rumour as they head to Austin to compete in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships next month. Both Kevin and Keira qualified for the national collegiate championship by way of their finishing at this weekend’s East and West Preliminary Meets.

Robertson was the first to punch his ticket to Austin, winning his quarterfinal of the 3000 metre steeplechase in Jacksonville, Florida on Friday night. The Syracuse junior entered the competition with the 13th fastest time in the nation and lived up to his top billing with his winning run of 8 minutes and 47.69 seconds. 

In what was a tightly contested race, Robertson hit the bell in fourth place – two and a half seconds behind the leader.  As the lead back approached the final water jump, Robertson dropped the hammer, leaving the rest of the field with only the back of his head to look at. By the corner the lead was already five plus metres, and the computer engineering student just continued to accelerate from there as he closed in a speedy 62.75 seconds.

For Christie-Galloway, a pair of second place finishes was all she needed to earn a trip back to the NCAA Championships – her first since earning Second Team All-American honours at the 2019 championship. Coming on the heels of a personal best effort of 13.01 seconds for the 100 metre hurdles at the WAC Championship, the Grand Canyon University student laid down back to back times of 13.08 seconds to finish second in both her heat and quarterfinal. Both performances were the second fastest of her career and earned her the Big Q to advance to Austin. 

The NCAA Championships will begin Wednesday, June 7 at the University of Texas’ Mike Myers Stadium with Robertson scheduled to run the steeplechase semi-finals at 8:02 pm eastern. Christie-Galloway will run the 100 metre hurdle semi-finals the following day at 9:32 pm eastern.