(Ottawa, Canada---29 May 2025) Stephan Balson and Wyatt Lee compete at the 2025 OFSAA East Region Qualifier Track and Field meet. Photograph Copyright 2025 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages Filename SB20250529EastRegions90.JPG Copyright Copyright Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images, 2025 seanburges@yahoo.com seanburges@mundosportimages.com www.mundosportimages.com

Records, Depth, and Dominance: 59 Lions Advance to OFSAA Championships

by High Schoollinkinbio

It was a record-setting event for Ottawa Lions athletes at the OFSAA East Regional Track and Field Championships, with 59 individuals punching their tickets to this week’s provincial championship in Toronto. Hosted at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility, the two-day meet saw club athletes claim top honours, shatter long-standing records, and reinforce the program’s depth across events.

Among the standout performances was Zachary Jeggo’s historic run in the senior boys 400 metres. The Louis-Riel senior tore around the oval in 46.97 seconds, breaking a 22-year-old meet record previously held by former Lion Ryan Therrien (48.16). The time also erased a decades-old club U20 record set by Phillip Hughes at the 1985 World University Games in Kyoto, Japan.

Jeggo’s victory led a Lions sweep of all four OFSAA qualifying spots in the senior boys 400m, with Stephan Balson taking second in 48.48, Ange-Mathis Kramo third in a personal best 48.93, and Ayoub Shangai fourth in another PB of 49.34.

Not to be outdone, Balson added his own piece of history with a 21.23-second victory in the senior boys 200m—another meet record. The time moves him to #2 all-time in club U20 ranks, trailing only Olympian Oluwasegun Makinde, who holds both the OFSAA and club record at 20.99 seconds.

The girls made their mark as well, led by Ellie MacGregor, who claimed gold in the junior girls 400m in 57.23, breaking a 20-year-old meet record previously held by Olympian Melissa Bishop-Nriagu. In the field, Mallea McMullin launched the junior girls javelin out to 42.60m, besting the previous meet best by more than two metres and climbing to #4 U18 all-time among club athletes.

The Lions’ strength wasn’t just in their stars—it was in their numbers. Jeggo was back at it in the 400m hurdles, leading another clean sweep of OFSAA qualifiers. His winning time of 53.42 seconds was followed by Kyle London (55.47 PB), Jonah Gratton, and Taisai Tan, all securing their places in Toronto.

On the women’s side, Quinn Coughlin doubled up in the senior girls 400m (56.72) and 400m hurdles (1:03.14), while Jorai Oppong-Nketiah dominated the senior girls 100m in 11.72 seconds. Clubmate Kaiya Woodcock narrowly missed silver in the same event, finishing in a tie at 12.03, but losing out by just three-thousandths of a second. Woodcock responded with a personal best 5.43m leap in the long jump, capturing gold and moving to #9 all-time U20 in club history.

Middle-distance standouts Laila Lebel and Alexandra Harris were the only Lions to qualify in three individual events. Lebel swept the junior girls 1500m and 3000m while finishing fourth in the 800m—all in personal best times. Harris also ran PBs across the board, picking up silver at 3000m and bronzes in both the 800m and 1500m.

Daniel Cova was a force over the long distances, winning both the senior boys 1500m and 3000m with commanding performances. The Louis-Riel senior’s 1500m time of 3:54.83 put him five seconds clear of the field, and his 8:32.94 clocking in the 3000m sealed his distance double.

In the triple jump, Timeo Atonfo, working his way back from hamstring issues, soared to a personal best 14.16m to win the senior boys title. It was a strong return to form that vaulted him to #8 U20 all-time in club history.

Maxime Cazabon continued his steady improvement in the high jump. After being forced to withdraw from the 100m at the NCSSAA East Conference Championship due to hamstring concerns, the Garneau Grade 9 athlete looked back at full strength for OFSAA Regionals. He cleared 1.83m to win the novice boys high jump by eight centimetres—just shy of his 1.90m indoor best.

With 59 Lions advancing to OFSAA, and momentum clearly on their side, the club will look to carry its regional success onto the provincial stage in Toronto starting Thursday.

OFSAA Track and Field Results will be available on Athletic Live

Watch OFSAA on AthleticsCanada.tv and use the coupon code ac7daytrialofsaa to activate a free seven-day RunnerSpace +PLUS subscription to watch all the action.

(Ottawa, Canada---23 May 2024) Ange-Mathis Kramo of ESC Paul-Desmarais - Stittsvil races in the 100m at the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association (NCSSAA) Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2024 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Champions Rise at NCSSAA West: Records Fall and Future Stars Emerge

by High Schoollinkinbio

The 2025 NCSSAA West Conference Track and Field Championships wrapped up with a flurry of standout performances Wednesday at Terry Fox Athletic Facility, as the athletes  battled for spots at next week’s city finals. Among the more than 70 Lions, a handful stood head and shoulders above the rest—both literally and figuratively.

Kramo Outduels Defending Champion in Sprint Sweep

Ange-Mathis Kramo was untouchable in the senior boys’ sprints, pulling off a rare sweep of the 100, 200, and 400 metres. The Grade 11 student from Paul-Desmarais sent a message in the 100m final, edging past defending champion Will Batley 10.83 to 10.89. Kramo turned up the heat in the 200m, setting a new meet record of 21.61 seconds to Batley’s 22.09. His 400m performance was equally impressive—a personal best of 49.05 seconds that won his heat by nearly seven seconds and placed him fourth on the Lions’ U18 all-time list.

Baetz Blasts Meet Record in Javelin During Throws Triple

Holy Trinity’s Parker Baetz turned the junior boys’ throws into a personal showcase, sweeping the shot put, discus, and javelin with ease. His javelin performance was the highlight—a monstrous 51.12-metre throw that shattered a meet record set back in 2005 by former Lion Ben Engel. That throw currently leads the Ontario rankings. Baetz also cruised to victory in the discus with a 40.68m toss—over six metres ahead of the next closest athlete—and held off a strong challenge from Ty Taylor in the shot put to win 13.61m to 13.36m. 

Gardiner Dominates Jumps in Triple Gold Performance

Roxy Gardiner made the sand fly in her triple-gold performance, sweeping the junior girls’ long jump, triple jump, and high jump. Her most dominant showing came in the triple jump, where she soared 10.97 metres—nearly two metres clear of the field and just two centimetres shy of a 24-year-old meet record. The mark also moves the Grade 10 standout into 10th place on the Ottawa Lions’ all-time U18 list. Gardiner added titles in the long jump (5.07m—the only competitor to surpass five metres) and high jump (1.35m), proving herself one of the most versatile talents on the runway.

Mackay Breaks Hurdles Mark, Leads Holy Trinity Relay Teams

Norah Nitta Mackay’s day was highlighted by a record-breaking run in the junior girls’ 300m hurdles. The Grade 10 student from Holy Trinity crossed the line in 46.06 seconds, besting the previous record of 46.62 set in 2012. She also claimed the 400m title in 1:01.25 and aided her school’s junior girls 4x100m relay to victory. Mackay’s efforts helped Holy Trinity secure second place in the open 4x400m relay, capping a busy and productive meet for the Grade 10 standout.

McGinnity Nearly Breaks 400m Record in Middle Distance Double

Grade 9 standout Declan McGinnity made an immediate impression with wins in both the novice boys’ 400 and 800 metres. Running in a class of his own, the All Saints student nearly erased a 47-year-old meet record in the 400m, stopping the clock at 52.64—just 0.34 seconds off the mark. The time also ranks third all-time among U16 Lions. He returned to dominate the 800m, running away from the field to win by six seconds in 2:13.86.

Next Stop: NCSSAA Championships

With the West Conference Championships in the books, qualified athletes now set their sights on next week’s NCSSAA Championships, where city titles and advancement to the OFSAA East Regionals will be on the line. The road to the OFSAA provincial championships continues to run through Ottawa, and these Lions look ready to roar.

Full results from the West Conference meet are available at: ottawalions.com

(Ottawa, Canada---14 May 2025) Stephan Balson of Lisgar C.I. - Ottawa competes at the NCSSAA East Conference Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2025 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Records Fall as Lions Dominate NCSSAA East Championships

by High Schoollinkinbio

Ottawa Lions athletes put on a commanding display at the NCSSAA East Conference Track and Field Championships on Wednesday, combining record-breaking performances with provincial-leading marks. With over 80 Lions finishing among the top eight athletes in their respective event, they earned their place at next week’s NCSSAA Championships at Terry Fox Athletic Facility, and for many of them, qualification was just the beginning.

One of the top performances of the day came from Stephan Balson, who broke a 14-year-old meet record in the senior boys’ 400 metres. The Lisgar Collegiate standout stopped the clock in 47.49 seconds, eclipsing the 2010 mark of 48.98 set by former national U20 team member Devin Bicocchi. Balson also won the 200m in 21.73—just shy of Olympian Oluwasegun Makinde’s record of 21.62—and the 100m in 10.75, narrowly missing both his personal best (10.71) and the 1997 meet record of 10.65.

After missing last year’s high school season after switching schools, Jorai Oppong-Nketiah delivered yet another impressive showing – winning the senior girls’ 100m, clocking 11.96 (+0.2). Jorai’s performance bettered the previous meet record of 12.02 set by Louis-Riel alumna Kayla Vieux in 2019.

In the field, Mallea McMullin launched a meet-record throw of 39.87 metres in the junior girls’ javelin, breaking a 50-year-old record set in 1974 by Cathy Knight (38.08m). McMullin, the defending Canadian U16 girls champion, now owns the farthest throw in Ontario this spring among junior girls—more than four metres ahead of the next-best mark.

Ellie McGregor of Immaculata was in dominant form in the junior girls’ middle distances. She broke the 20-year-old meet record in the 800m with a winning time of 2:13.85, surpassing the previous mark of 2:17.97 held by Lion alum Danelle Woods. McGregor also cruised to victory in the 400m, clocking 59.88 to win by three seconds.

In the novice boys division, Maxime Cazabon sprinted to a meet-record 11.20 (+1.9) in the 100m heats. Though a tight hamstring slowed him in the final, he still managed to take top spot and better the previous record of 11.57 again – crossing in 11.33. Cazabon also advanced in the high jump, clearing 1.60 metres to finish in a tie for second.

Charlie Mortimer picked up the win in the open boys 2000m steeplechase, pulling away from Colonel By’s Owen Siderius to win by nearly five seconds. His time of 6:15.76 not only ranks ninth all-time among U18 Lions but also stood as the third-fastest in Ontario this season as of Wednesday night. Mortimer later added a strong fourth-place finish in the senior boys’ 3000m.

In that 3000m final, Daniel Cova showed the form that made him the OFSAA cross country champion. The Louis-Riel senior dominated the race, pulling away from training partner Saul Taler to win by nearly 20 seconds. Cova will look to end his high school career on a high note before heading to Iona University this fall. Taler, meanwhile, got the better of Cova in their earlier head-to-head, winning a tactical senior boys’ 1500m in 4:11.21 to Cova’s 4:12.69—a modest pace for two of the region’s most accomplished distance runners.

Other notable club performances came from Taisei Tan and Matilda Edwards, who both added to the Lions’ medal haul. Tan claimed victory in the senior boys’ 110m hurdles, clocking 14.49 (+0.5) to move into fifth place on the Club’s all-time U18 rankings. Edwards placed fifth in the open girls’ 2000m steeplechase with a time of 9:14.05, the 10th fastest ever by a U16 Lion. She also showcased her range by winning the novice girls’ triple jump, closing out a strong day across multiple disciplines..

With momentum building and top performances across the board, the Lions head into the NCSSAA Championships next week with eyes on OFSAA qualification—and perhaps more history to be made.

Full results are available on our website.

MRR20231125_ACXC_0587_web

On the Road to OFSAA: Lions Excel at NCSSAA Cross Country Conference Championships

by High Schoollinkinbio

For the first time in 13 years, the Ontario High School Cross Country Championships are returning to Ottawa. This year’s crop of runners took their first strides toward OFSAA glory this past week, battling it out for conference bragging rights at the NCSSAA Championships.

The East Conference Championships kicked things off last Wednesday at the Hornet’s Nest in Blackburn Hamlet, where Ottawa Lions athletes captured three individual titles.

In the Novice Girls 4k, Reve McInnes (Glebe CI) claimed silver with a time of 15:57, followed closely by Kira Coldrey (Colonel By SS), who took bronze in 16:10.

The Junior Girls 5k saw an impressive victory from Laila Lebel (Colonel By SS), crossing the line in 19:49. Hot on her heels was Riley Daniels (The Element HS), who secured the silver medal with a time of 20:08.

In the Senior Girls 6k, Tessa Knight (ÉSC Franco-Cité) continued the Lions’ success, winning gold by a comfortable 10-second margin, clocking in at 24:19.

The Senior Boys 6k produced a thrilling finish as Daniel Cova (ÉSP Louis-Riel) and Saul Taler (Glebe CI) crossed the line almost in unison. Cova was awarded the victory by just 0.2 seconds, with both athletes finishing at 20:01.

The following day, attention shifted to the West Conference Championship at the Kanata Recreation Centre, where Lions athletes delivered similarly outstanding performances.

In the Novice Girls 4k, Alexandra Harris (John McCrae SS) dominated the field, winning gold with a time of 15:28. Charlie Fee (Nepean HS) took the silver medal, finishing more than a minute later in 16:30.

Dahlia Loreti (ÉSC Pierre-Savard) claimed the Junior Girls 5k crown with a time of 20:31, while Luke Van Brabant (Earl of March SS) showcased his strength by winning the Junior Boys 5k in 17:38.

The Senior Girls 6k saw a Lions podium sweep. Bridget Jeffrey (St. Francis Xavier HS) took gold in 23:17, followed by Grace Streek (Peak Centre Academy) in silver with a time of 24:04, and Kyra Lauter (CC Franco-Ouest) rounding out the top three with bronze in 24:22.

On the boys’ side, it was another Lions sweep as Jackson McKercher (John McCrae SS) led the way in the Senior Boys 6k, winning in 20:29. Brennan Lee (St. Mother Teresa HS) finished just two seconds behind to claim silver in 20:31, while Barrett Goold (Sir Robert Borden HS) took bronze in 20:41.

Next up is the NCSSAA Championships, scheduled for Thursday, October 24, in Kanata. Athletes will have the chance to qualify for the provincial championships by finishing in the top two in any of the six team title races or being among the top five finishers not on a qualifying team.

Good luck to all the runners as they continue their journey toward OFSAA!

(Ottawa, Canada---23 May 2024) Eli Mordel of Sir Robert Borden - Ottawa races in the 100m at the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association (NCSSAA) Track and Field Championships. Photograph Copyright 2024 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images. If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

More than 50 Lions qualify for OFSAA Track and Field Championship

by High Schoollinkinbio

When the final performance was recorded Friday afternoon in Belleville an impressive 50 Lions athletes had qualified for the pinnacle of high school track and field in Canada – the OFSAA Championships. In total, Lions athletes qualified in 77 individual events over the two-day event, winning an impressive 24 events and setting one new meet record.

A total of four athletes qualified in the maximum of three individual events led by first year senior competitor Grace Streek. The grade 11 student continued her record run in the open girls 2000 metre steeplechase as she nearly broke the 7-minute barrier with her 7:00.04 clocking. The performance is the sixth fastest in Club history. Streek also took top spot in the senior girls 3000 metres and added a silver at 1500m. 

Gisèle-Lalonde’s Tahlia Aird-Greaves sped her way into her first OFSAA Track and Field appearance. The grade nine student nabbed gold in the novice girls long jump event with a leap of 5.03 metres (#5 U16) and picked up a pair of silvers in both the 100 metres (12.48w) and 80 metre hurdle (12.12w) events.

Rounding out the quartet of triple qualifiers were Sir Robert Borden’s Eli Mordel and Colonel By’s Laila Lebel. Mordel took top spot in the junior boys pole vault with a leap of 3.50 metres and added silver and bronze in the 300 and 100 metre hurdles respectively. 

Lebel successfully qualified in all three of the novice girls distance races from 800 through 3000 metres. Over the longest distance, the grade nine student won convincingly in 11 and 10.00 seconds – a full 12 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor. Lebel took home silver over 1500 metres (5:01.78) and was fourth at 800 metres (2:27.82).

Three other Lions were double gold medal winners at the regional championship – Quinn Coughlin, Zachary Jeggo, and Taisei Tan. 

Coughlin and Jeggo each took home gold in the senior 400 metre and 400 metre hurdle events. Coughlin, a grade 11 student at Opeongo High School, set a new personal best of 1:01.90 in the hurdles and also ran a seasonal best 57.21 in the flat 400. Coming off personal bests at the City Championships, Jeggo posted times of 48.19 and 55.46 in the flat and hurdle events respectively.

Rounding out the double gold medalists, Taisei Tan took home top spot in both the junior boys sprint (13.71w) and intermediate hurdles (40.53). 

Lions complete list of OFSAA individual qualifiers:

Gold – Bianca Arabackyj Novice Girls 1500m – 4:54.43 (De La Salle)

Gold – Laila Lebel Novice Girls 3000m – 11:10.00 (Colonel By)

Gold – Tahlia Aird-Greaves Novice Girls Long Jump – 5.03m (Gisèle-Lalonde)

Gold – Shannon Dewar Junior Girls 400m – 1:00.40 (St. Francis Xavier)

Gold – Quinn Coughlin Senior Girls 400m – 57.21 (Opeongo)

Gold – Grace Streek Senior Girls 3000m – 10:23.87 (Peak Centre)

Gold – Quinn Coughlin Senior Girls 400m Hurdles – 1:01.90 (Opeongo)

Gold – Waverley Lyons Senior Girls High Jump – 1.56m (Glebe)

Gold – Kaiya Woodcock Senior Girls Long Jump – 5.21m (Sacred Heart)

Gold – Sadie Gilbert Senior Girls Shot Put – 10.98m (Paul-Desmarais)

Gold – Grace Streek Open Girls 2000m Steeplechase – 7:00.04 (Peak Centre)

Gold – Luke Van Brabant Novice Boys 800m – 2:07.30 (Earl of March)

Gold – Zachary Benfaida Novice Boys 300m Hurdles – 43.00 (Merivale)

Gold – Ange-Mathis Kramo Junior Boys 200m – 22.33 (Paul-Desmarais)

Gold – Taisei Tan Junior Boys 100m Hurdles – 13.71 (Béatrice-Desloges)

Gold – Taisei Tan Junior Boys 300m Hurdles – 40.53 (Béatrice-Desloges)

Gold – Eli Mordel Junior Boys 300m Hurdles – 3.50m (Sir Robert Borden)

Gold – Zachary Jeggo Senior Boys 400m – 48.19 (Louis-Riel)

Gold – Timeo Atonfo Senior Boys 110m Hurdles – 14.24 (Gisèle-Lalonde)

Gold – Zachary Jeggo Senior Boys 400m Hurdles – 55.46 (Louis-Riel)

Gold – Liam Davis Senior Boys Shot Put – 16.56m (Opeongo)

Gold – Daniel Cova Open Boys 2000m Steeplechase – 6:08.86 (Louis-Riel)

Gold – Maxime Chartrand Novice Boys Pole Vault – 2.75m (Louis-Riel)

Gold – Balqis Chouikhi Senior Girls Pole Vault – 3.25m (Wilfrid Laurier)

Silver – Tahlia Aird-Greaves Novice Girls 100m – 12.48 (Gisèle-Lalonde)

Silver – Bianca Arabackyj Novice Girls 800m – 2:24.76 (De La Salle)

Silver – Laila Lebel Novice Girls 1500m – 5:01.78 (Colonel By)

Silver – Riley Daniels Novice Girls 3000m – 11:12.12 (The Element)

Silver – Tahlia Aird-Greaves Novice Girls 80m Hurdles – 12.12 (Gisèle-Lalonde)

Silver – Abby MacLeod Junior Girls 1000m – 12.63 (Tagwi)

Silver – Shannon Dewar Junior Girls 200m – 26.33 (St. Francis Xavier)

Silver – Kaiya Woodcock Senior Girls 100m – 11.88 (Sacred Heart)

Silver – Jocelyn Giannotti Senior Girls 800m – 2:20.84 (Holy Trinity)

Silver – Grace Streek Senior Girls 1500m – 4:40.42 (Peak Centre)

Silver – Luke Van Brabant Novice Boys 1500m – 4:23.80 (Earl of March)

Silver – Zachary Benfaida Novice Boys 100m Hurdles – 15.43 (Merivale)

Silver – Ange-Mathis Kramo Junior Boys 100m – 10.81 (Paul-Desmarais)

Silver – Eli Mordel Junior Boys 300m Hurdles – 41.11 (Sir Robert Borden)

Silver – Stephan Balson Senior Boys 400m – 48.49 (Lisgar)

Silver – Saul Taler Senior Boys 800m – 1:56.78 (Glebe)

Silver – Saul Taler Senior Boys 1500m – 3:58.48 (Glebe)

Silver – Daniel Cova Senior Boys 3000m – 8:45.21 (Louis-Riel)

Silver – Simon Salisbury Senior Boys 110m Hurdles – 14.32 (Notre Dame)

Silver – Kyle London Senior Boys 400m Hurdles – 56.72 (Wilfrid Laurier)

Silver – Timeo Atonfo Senior Boys Long Jump – 6.60m (Gisèle-Lalonde)

Silver – Derek Strachan Open Boys 2000m Steeplechase – 6:12.89 (Glebe)

Bronze – Riley Daniels Novice Girls 1500m – 5:02.31 (The Element)

Bronze – Roxy Gardiner Novice Girls High Jump – J1.48m (Sir Robert Borden)

Bronze – Abby Lorz Novice Girls Javelin – 31.21m (AY Jackson)

Bronze – Salome Kuemmerle Junior Girls High Jump – 1.45m (Brookfield)

Bronze – Sophia McIntyre Senior Girls 400m – 1:00.72 (St. Francis Xavier)

Bronze – Jocelyn Giannotti Senior Girls 1500m – 4:42.26 (Holy Trinity)

Bronze – Connor England Junior Boys 100m – 11.16 (North Dundas)

Bronze – Connor England Junior Boys 200m – 23.11 (North Dundas)

Bronze – Charlie Mortimer Junior Boys 3000m – 9:04.50 (Hillcrest)

Bronze – Eli Mordel Junior Boys 100m Hurdles – 14.12 (Sir Robert Borden)

Bronze – Stephan Balson Senior Boys 200m – 21.98 (Lisgar)

Bronze – William Sanders Senior Boys 400m – 49.18 (Mother Teresa)

Bronze – Safwan El Mansari Senior Boys 800m – 1:57.16 (De La Salle)

Bronze – Jonah Gratton Senior Boys 110m Hurdles – 14.47 (La Citadelle)

Bronze – Eric Zielonka Senior Boys 400m Hurdles – 58.02 (Brookfield)

Bronze – Sophia Procter Novice Girls Pole Vault – J2.30m (Ashbury)

4th – Laila Lebel Novice Girls 800m – 2:27.82 (Colonel By)

4th – Dahlia Loreti Novice Girls 1500m – 5:05.97 (Pierre Savard)

4th – Meredith McCabe Junior Girls 400m – 1:02.44 (Lisgar)

4th – Naomi Olberg Junior Girls Long Jump – 5.02m (Lisgar)

4th – Amy LeBlanc Senior Girls 200m – 25.54 (St. Francis Xavier)

4th – Lauren Alexander Senior Girls 1500m – 4:47.15 (Glebe)

4th – Waverley Lyons Senior Girls 400m Hurdles – 1:07.41 (Glebe)

4th – Andromeda Bromwich Senior Girls High Jump – J1.50m (Colonel By)

4th – Katie Purves Senior Girls Shot Put – 10.06m (Franco-Citea)

4th – Brennan Lee Junior Boys 800m – 2:03.34 (Mother Teresa)

4th – Noah Smith Senior Boys 3000m – 9:01.40 (Immaculata)

4th – Mason Brennan Senior Boys 110m Hurdles – 14.79 (Colonel By)

4th – Jonah Gratton Senior Boys 400m Hurdles – 58.31 (La Citadelle)

4th – Kyra Dobson Takoff Junior Girls Pole Vault – J2.45m (Sir Robert Borden)

4th – Maxime Chartrand Novice Boys 300m Hurdles – 44.70 (Louis-Riel)