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Sprint Stars and Record Breakers: Lions Dominate Indoor Opener

Lions athletes wasted no time in re-writing the Club record book last Friday and Saturday at the uOttawa Winter Classic. With over 120 athletes competing under the Lions banner, the two-day meet at the Louis-Riel Dome delivered a spectacular showcase of talent. Nearly 100 personal bests, over 20 all-time top 10 performances and three new Club records highlighted the weekend.

First to set a new standard was reigning sprint queen Jorai Oppong-Nketiah. The 16-year-old outclassed the much older field in the women’s 60 metres by posting the fastest time in qualifying at 7.55 seconds. Opting to sit out the final after experiencing minor discomfort, Oppong-Nketiah’s time was strong enough to hold up as a new personal best and Club U18 record. The previous standard of 7.61 had been set by Jorai at the same meet in 2024. 

Adding to the excitement, training partner Ange-Mathis Kramo twice added his name to the record book. The 16-year-old matched Dorbor Kollie’s long-standing 60m mark of 7.01 seconds from 2015 and broke Zachary Jeggo’s 300m record with an impressive 34.17-second run, eclipsing the previous mark of 34.21 seconds

Meanwhile, the spotlight on sprints continued with Stephan Balson, who delivered a head-turning performance in the 60 metres. Balson’s 6.84-second effort not only secured him second place overall but also tied him for third on the all-time U20 list alongside two-time Olympian Oluwasegun Makinde.

Success wasn’t limited to individual efforts. The University of Ottawa’s 4x800m relay team of Fred Parent, Max Wilson, Adriano Padoin-Castillo, and Safwan El Mansari turned heads with a time of 7:55.95, to place third in Friday night’s race. Their performance also ranked eighth in school history and the fastest since 2016, reflecting the growing depth of talent in the middle-distance program.

Notable performances extended beyond the sprints and relays. Carolin Evers, a German exchange student who competed for her native country at last summer’s European Under-18 Championship, cleared 1.66m to win the women’s high jump. The clearance ranks her third among U18s in Club history. In the weight throw, Amy Roy secured a personal best of 12.92m, moving her into seventh in the U20 rankings.

The weekend also saw a pair of record-breaking performances from Joshua Foster, a Carleton Raven rookie. Foster shattered school records in the triple jump (14.60m) and long jump (7.23m), with the latter surpassing the qualifying standard for this year’s USports Championship in Windsor.

First year University of Ottawa standout Safwan El Mansari continued to impress in the early season. The Telfer School student won the 1000 metres with a time of 2:28.39 to move into seventh on the Club’s U20 rankings. Meanwhile, Shannon Dewar made her mark in the U18 women’s 600m, clocking a time of 1:37.45 to move to ninth in Club history.

The indoor season continues today in Montreal with the first day of competition at the McGill Team Challenge. From there the focus shifts to Canton, NY where the pride will head to St. Lawrence University for some action against our southern friends.

For update stats from this season visit:

https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ottl_rankings/ (Ottawa Lions)

https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/uottawa_rankings/ (uOttawa Gee-Gees)

https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ravenstf (Carleton University)

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Starting 2025 on the Right Foot: Lions Shine in Sherbrooke and Windsor

Exams and weeks of holidays can often disrupt an athlete’s rhythm, but that wasn’t the case for Ottawa Lions varsity athletes this past weekend. Competing in Sherbrooke and Windsor, they kicked off the 2025 indoor season with over 20 personal bests, showing no signs of slowing down.

El Mansari extends 600m streak
University of Ottawa freshman Safwan El Mansari continued his remarkable form in the men’s 600 metres, clocking 1:20.95 to place second at Sherbrooke’s Vert et Or Invitation behind the home school’s Thomas Peladeau. His third consecutive personal best elevated him to 11th on the University of Ottawa’s all-time rankings.

Marin Jumps into Top 10
In the men’s high jump, fellow University of Ottawa rookie Mason Marin cleared 1.90 metres to finish in a tie for fourth place in Sherbrooke. The human kinetics student’s effort places him in a three-way tie for 10th in school history. Marin, who cleared 2.00 metres to finish fourth at last spring’s OFSAA Championship, is expected to climb higher in the rankings as he gains experience at the university level.

Davis Climbs the Rankings in Shot Put
Freshman Liam Davis, competing for the University of Guelph, delivered a standout performance in the men’s shot put Friday night at the Can Am Classic in Windsor. Davis unleashed a personal best of 14.67 metres on his final throw, securing second place and climbing to 13th on the Lions’ all-time rankings. Last year’s Canadian U20 shot put silver medalist also made his weight throw debut, achieving a best of 12.88 metres, which places him 11th in Club history.

McQuinn Shaves Nearly a Second Off 600m Best
Cora McQuinn posted a significant personal best as she took home the bronze over 600m in Windsor. The Western University third-year student crossed the line in a time of 1:37.93, nearly a full second ahead her previous best of 1:38.89, set last February. 

With momentum building, the Lions look forward to hosting the uOttawa Winter Classic this Friday and Saturday at the Dome @ Louis-Riel, where more standout performances are expected. 

Updated all-time rankings can be found at the links below.
Ottawa Lions
uOttawa Gee-Gees
Carleton Ravens

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Blazing Trails Indoors: Alie-Lamarche and Seaby Lead Lions’ Weekend Success

Boston University’s Track and Tennis Center, known for its lightning-fast surface and supportive crowds, kicked off the indoor season with the BU Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener this past weekend. Renowned for producing personal bests and national records, the meet once again lived up to its reputation. Among the many stellar performances, Lions athletes André Alie-Lamarche and Maddie Seaby stood out, seizing the opportunity to showcase their talent on one of the world’s fastest tracks.

In the men’s 3000 metres, Alie-Lamarche ran a scintillating 8:01.96 to place 43rd overall. The performance, a personal best by over 12 seconds, vaulted him to seventh on the Club all-time list. It was a remarkable display of endurance and speed, made even more impressive by the fact that he had raced at the Canadian Cross Country Championships just a week prior.

Seaby, competing for the University of Louisville, set a new club standard in the women’s 5000 metres. Clocking a time of 16:22.39, the second year student improved her personal best by over 23 seconds, moving to fourth on the Lions’ all-time list and setting a new Club U20 record. Her time was the fastest by a Lions athlete in the event since Sarah Dillabaugh’s 16:16.12 in 2002. It also secured her a spot as the third-fastest runner in Louisville history, highlighting her continued rise on the collegiate stage.

While Alie-Lamarche and Seaby were making waves in Boston, Lions, Gee-Gees and Ravens competitors crossed the border for the Saints Holiday Relays in Canton, NY. At St. Lawrence University, in a commanding show of depth and talent, the collective amassed 14 victories in the 23 events they entered. 

Carleton’s Rosalie Lupien delivered one of the weekend’s standout performances by setting a Ravens record in the pole vault with a clearance of 3.50 metres. Balqis Chouikhi, also representing the Lions, matched the height but finished second on a countback.

On the track, University of Ottawa freshman Safwan El Mansari continued to assert himself among collegiate competitors, producing his second straight personal best at 600 metres – winning in 1:21.28. His performance places him third in the early season USports rankings and establishes him as a contender heading into the indoor season.

Sprinter Rose Basu continued her winning streak in the 60 metres, claiming victory in 7.86 seconds. She later led Carleton’s 4×200-metre relay team to a win in 1:50.06, a time that ranks among the top 10 in school history.

Field events also provided moments of dominance. Brianna Asiamah showcased her prowess in the shot put with a winning throw of 13.11 metres, well ahead of the competition.

In the triple jump, Carleton swept the titles, with Ella-Grace Gilbert capturing her second consecutive win (11.06 metres) and Osaze Osawe earning gold on the men’s side with a leap of 12.81 metres.

With momentum building, the Lions, Gee-Gees, and Ravens will set their sights on the Vert et Or Invitational in Sherbrooke this January, poised to continue their standout indoor campaigns.

For full results from Canton, please visit our results page.

Photos from the competition can be found on Mundo Sport Image’s website.

Update Club and School Rankings are also available.

Ottawa Lions All-Time Rankings
University of Ottawa All-Time Rankings
Carleton Ravens All-Time Rankings

(Ottawa, Canada---30 November 2024) Ella-Grace Gilbert competing at the Ottawa Varsity Intersquad. 
Copyright 2024 Miles Ryan / Mundo Sport Images.

If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Record-Breaking Performances and National Standards Highlight Lions’ Electrifying Season Opener

The Ottawa Lions wasted no time lighting up the indoor track and field scene as the 2024-25 season kicked off in spectacular fashion. At the annual Varsity Intersquad Meet in Ottawa, athletes from the Lions, Gee-Gees, and Ravens delivered standout performances marked by USports standards, school records, and top-10 rankings, setting the stage for a promising year.

For the fourth consecutive season, Brianna Asiamah has punched her ticket to the USports Championships. She exceeded the national shot put standard of 13.21 metres with a winning throw of 13.30 metres, topping the competition by nearly a metre.

The sand pits also saw record-breaking action, with Carleton’s Ella-Grace Gilbert rewriting the Ravens’ record books. The third-year psychology student leapt 5.28 metres in the long jump, surpassing Adelle MacLeod’s previous school record by 15 centimetres. Gilbert followed up with an impressive 11.51-metre effort in the triple jump, smashing her personal best and out-jumping another of MacLeod’s records.

On the track, sprinters made their mark as Rose Basu clocked 7.85 seconds in the 60 metres, placing her third in Carleton Ravens history. Ty Tounkara delivered a blistering 6.90 seconds in the men’s event, ranking fifth all-time among U20 Lions athletes.

Middle-distance runners also impressed, with Safwan El Mansari posting a 1:22.17 at 600 metres to earn a spot in the Lions’ U20 top 10. Meanwhile, Gyamfi demonstrated her versatility, throwing the weight 15.23 metres to secure the second spot on the University of Ottawa’s all-time list.

The Lions’ momentum extended beyond Ottawa. At the Martlet Open in Montreal, McGill freshman William Sanders clocked a sensational 1:21.82 in the 600 metres, securing seventh on the Lions’ U20 all-time list. Teammate Luca Nicoletti sprinted the 300 metres in 34.35 seconds to move to 11th place in the Club’s U23 rankings. Veteran Stephen Evans showcased his experience with a commanding 1500-metre victory in 3:49.18.

In London, the Bob Vigars Season Opener highlighted more stellar performances. Cora McQuinn led off the Western Mustangs’ 4×400-metre relay team as they ran a national-leading and auto-qualifying time of 3:47.22, setting a new Thompson Arena record.

David Adeleye, a graduate transfer at Western, also made a statement at the school’s Purple and White meet. He won the 60-metre hurdles in 7.98 seconds, a USports qualifying time and the fastest season opener of his career. The reigning USports silver medalist appears primed to aim for gold this March.

With such a strong start across multiple venues, the 2024-25 indoor season promises exciting milestones for the Lions.

For full results from the Ottawa Varsity Intersquad, visit our website.
Pictures of the event are available on MundoSportImages.com

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

If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Ottawa, CANADA - 28 September 2024) André Alie-Lamarche competing at the Capital XC Challenge at Mooney’s Bay Park. 
2024 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images.

If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Alie-Lamarche Steals the Show at Hoffman Invitational

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Windsor, Canada---23 February 2024) David Adeleye competing on Day 1 of the 2024 OUA Track And Field Championships in the Dennis Fairall Fieldhouse on the campus of the University of Windsor.

Copyright 2024 Miles Ryan Rowat / Mundo Sport Images.

If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Adeleye sets Club U23 record at USports Championship

When David Adeleye opened up the 2024 USports Track and Field Championships by equalling his Club U23 record in the 60 metre hurdles, we knew we were in for something special. An hour later the fourth year kinesiology student at the University of Toronto stepped back on the track inside the Jim Daly Fieldhouse on the campus of the University of Manitoba and did not disappoint. 

Adeleye crossed the line in blistering time of 7.83 seconds in the final to take home the silver medal – an upgrade from the bronze he won in 2022. As well, his time again set another Club U23 record and also moved David to fourth all-time among Canadian U23 hurdlers.

Toronto teammate Paulina Procyk also found her way into a hurdle final on Friday night. Unfortunately for the fourth year kinesiology student, her finals experience did not produce a similar result. After posting the second fastest time of her career (8.69) to make the final, Procyk ran into hurdle three and ended with a DNF beside her name.

In the field, a pair of throwers from Carleton did not disappoint at the national championships. Graduate student Briana Asiamah kicked things off Friday by matching her pre-event ranking with a fifth place finish. It was Asiamah’s highest finish in three appearances at the championship as she put the 4 kilogram ball out to a distance of 12.97 metres. 

The Gee-Gees Jessica Gyamfi finished eighth with a best throw of 11.93 metres

On the men’s side, Connor Fraser continued to do what he has done all season – break records. Fraser’s throw of 15.35 metres bested his own school record by eight centimetres as he placed sixth overall to move up one spot from his pre-event rankings. The second year criminology student broke the Ravens shot put record a total of four times over his eight meet season. 

A quartet of Gee-Gees narrowly missed a school record of their own. The 4×200 metre relay team of Katie Manor, Emma Martins, Doyin Ogunremi, and Bianca Borgella posted a scorching time of 1:41.88 to nab the eighth and final qualifying spot out of Thursday’s heats. Their performance was just seven hundredths of a second off the existing school record set in 2016. The team was unable to improve on their time in the final and would finish eighth overall.

Also in the women’s 4×200 metre relay, Charlotte Murchison was a member of York University’s team that placed sixth while Audrey Gilmour ran the third leg for McGill as they finished seventh.

Other Lions results from the USports Championship included:

  • Brooklyn McCormick (Toronto) 4x800m – 9:04.06 (7th)
  • Katie Manor (Ottawa) 60m – 7.60 (9th)
  • Brooklyn McCormick (Toronto) 4x400m – 3:53.17 (10th)
  • Lizzy Vroom (Queen’s) 4x800m – 9:05.96 (10th)
  • Doyin Ogunremi (Ottawa) 300m – 40.17 (11th)
  • Kathryn Moreland, Sia Mahajan, Kennedy Banton-Lindsay, Doyin Ogunremi (Ottawa) 4x400m – 3:54.99 (12th)
  • Nolan Legare (Queen’s) 4x800m – 8:08.65 (12th)

Full results from the championship can be found on our website.

Updated rankings are also available:

Ottawa Lions
University of Ottawa Gee-Gees
Carleton University Ravens

(Quebec City, Canada---23 February 2024) Brianna Asiamah competes in the shot put at the 2024 RSEQ University Championships held at the University of Laval. Photograph Copyright 2024 Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images.

If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Shot putters lead Ravens at RSEQ Championship

While Canadians associate winter with ice, the slippery surface is not something typically associated with indoor track and field. However, the Carleton University throwers may beg to differ after their slippery experience at the RSEQ Championships in Quebec City last weekend.

Competing on a well-worn portable circle at the PEPS (Pavillon de l’éducation physique et des sports de l’Université Laval), Carleton’s two nationally ranked shot putters had to adjust to their environment when they discovered they could nearly skate across the shot put ring. 

Graduate student Brianna Asiamah shifted her entire approach to the event because of the circle’s slippery feeling. Despite Asiamah scaling back her full rotation throw down to a half turn, she still emerged victorious with a winning throw of 12.48 metres on her first attempt. While the distance was nearly a metre off her school record, Asiamah finished more than a metre and a half ahead of her nearest competitor. With her victory, Brianna also secured her third straight ticket at the USports Championship.

In the men’s shot put, second year student Connor Fraser may have benefitted from his years of experience playing competitive hockey as he seemed unfettered by the slippery conditions. Fraser pushed the 16 pound ball out to a distance of 15.05 metres, less than a foot off his school record, to claim the silver medal. 

On the track, McGill University sophomore Luca Nicoletti had a very productive first RSEQ Championship after missing last season to an injury. Nicoletti opened the weekend of competition on Friday night by helping the Red Birds to victory in the 4×200 metre relay. He would follow up on day two with an individual medal of his own. The engineering student was clocked in a time of 35.71 seconds as he took home the bronze over 300 metres. 

To close out the RSEQ Championships,Audrey Gilmour picked up a bronze medal of her own in the 4×400 metre. Also running for McGill, Gilmour ran the third leg for the Martlets as they finished in 4:00.55, just seven tenths of a second behind Sherbrooke’s silver medal run.

For complete results and photos from the RSEQ Championships, please visit our results page.

For updated Carleton Ravens all-time rankings, please visit https://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ravenstf_rankings/

(Windsor, Canada---23 February 2024) David Adeleye competing on Day 1 of the 2024 OUA Track And Field Championships in the Dennis Fairall Fieldhouse on the campus of the University of Windsor.

Copyright 2024 Miles Ryan Rowat / Mundo Sport Images.

If posting to social media please tag @mundosportimages

Adeleye’s U23 record leads four medal haul from OUA Championships

This year’s OUA Track and Field Championships were a bit of a breakthrough out party for fourth year hurdler David Adeleye. Almost hard to believe for a man in his final year of undergraduate study who holds medals in the sprint hurdles from both USports and the Canadian outdoor championships. 

However, in Friday night’s 60 metre hurdle final, Adeleye did something that had escaped in his previous two attempts – he found his way on to the medal podium at the OUA Championship. In what was likely a preview of the USports final, David took home the silver medal in a club U23 record 7.88 second while the University of Guelph’s Craig Thorne was first across the line in 7.76. 

Adeleye was not the only Lion’s hurdler competing for the Varsity Blues to put forward a breakthrough performance. Paulina Procyk laid down back-to-back lifetime bests in the semi-finals and final to finish fifth overall with a blazing time of 8.63 seconds. The performance puts Procyk sixth on the Club’s U23 all-time list and qualified her for the USports Championship.

For the second year in a row, Lizzy Vroom helped Queen’s University to a bronze medal and  school record in the 4×800 metre relay. However, Vroom was not the only Lion helping the Gaels make a 4×800 podium. First year commerce student Nolan Legare led off the men’s squad as they ran a seasonal best of 7:43.33 to claim the silver medal and secure their spot at the USports Championship.

In the penultimate event of the Championship the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees women’s 4×400 metre relay team captured the school’s sole medal of the championship. Running out of the “slow” section, the quartet of Kathryn Moreland, Katie Manor, Sia Mahajan, and Doyin Ogunremi posted a time of 3:55.34, a scant one one hundredth off their seasonal best, to place ahead of Lakehead University. The Gee-Gees last medal in the 4×400 had come nearly a decade ago at the 2015 championships.

While the Gee-Gees were only able to produce one podium finish, they did post their fair share of near misses. In total, the Gee-Gees produced five fourth place finishes over the two day event.

Kicking off the wave of near medal performances was shot putter Jessica Gyamfi on Friday night. The second year nursing student came as close as one could possibly imagine to the podium. With a personal best effort of 12.83 metres, Gyamfi actually finished in a tie for bronze, but lost on the count back as her second best throw was a single centimetre behind that of Guelph’s Meghan Mori. 

Shortly after Gyamfi, Kathryn Moreland culminated the five discipline pentathlon with a fourth place finish. The second year student could take solace in the fact she too set a personal best – amassing a total of 3333 points. 

Doyin Ogunremi, followed as the next event on the track in the 300 metres.The graduating senior posted her fastest time ever on a 200 metre track, crossing the line in 39.77 seconds. Unfortunately for Ogunremi, Western’s Tieghan Wallace narrowly edged her out from the previous heat of the event by a scant five hundredths of a second. 

On the final day of competition, sprinter Katie Manor was part of two fourth place finishes. Over 60m, the third year student lost a tight battle with York’s Janae Brown on the line – 7.54 to 7.56 seconds. Later in the day, Manor led off a Gee-Gees 4×200 metre squad that included Emma Martins, Doyin Ogunremi, and Bianca Borgella which finished in 1:43.07, to finish one place off the podium.

Full results from the championship can be found on our website.

Updated rankings are also available:

Ottawa Lions
University of Ottawa Gee-Gees
Carleton University Ravens