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Twins duplicate hurdles medal feats
Brothers Harrison and Charlie Halpenny each win gold and bronze
at Athletics Ontario U14 U16 U18 championships
August 11, 2023
By Rob J. Ross
LONDON, Ont. - Charlie and Harrison Halpenny both had golden debuts at their first provincial championship.
The 12-year old twins from St. Thomas each won a gold and bronze medal in hurdles, at the Athletics Ontario U14 U16 U18 meet, August 6-8 at Western University.
Charlie won the U14 boys' 80-metre hurdles and finished third in the 200-metre hurdles, while Harrison took gold in the U14 200 hurdles and bronze in the 80 hurdles.
"It was definitely really fun. Once you realize how good you did, you're on top of the world," said Charlie. "It surprised me. When I got it, it was mind blowing, I just got a gold medal at provincials."
Fitting the brothers both won two medals and of the same colour.
"It was exciting when I won gold, but also very exciting when I won bronze," said Harrison, who also placed sixth in long jump (4.24m) and 21st in the 150-metre dash.
Charlie was eighth in long jump (4.08m) and 20th in the 150.
The brothers joined the St. Thomas Legion Club, after classmates at Pierre Elliott Trudeau elementary school in St. Thomas encouraged the twins to stick with track and field.
This past June, Harrison in long jump and Charlie in triple jump and high jump, advanced to the Valley championships, the final meet for elementary schools in the Thames Valley District School Board.
This fall the brothers will be strapping on helmets playing minor football with the St. Thomas Hawks.
Instantly recognizable for their red, curly, big hair, Charlie and Harrison are also becoming known by an audience outside of sports, in their other career as actors.
The Halpennys made their international film debut in My Animal, a horror movie about a teenage female hockey goalie who falls in love with a male figure skater. Charlie and Harrison, play Cooper and Hardy, brothers of the goalie. The movie, shot in Timmins, is out now in limited release.
McCurdy gold
Libby McCurdy won U18 women's pole vault with leap of 3.30 meters, just two centimetres below her personal best record.
"It was good. I got everything on my first attempt, except for 3.30 I got on my second attempt," said McCurdy.
The 16-year old from Sparta wraps up a season that includes winning OFSAA junior women's gold and top eight at the Canadian track and field U20 championships, with a PB of 3.32 meters.
"It was a good season. I was consistent. I was either matching a PB or going up," McCurdy said. "I didn't think I was going to jump 3.30."
Matt Piekny of St. Thomas, took silver, in U18 men's pole vault.
David Anderson of St. Thomas, was fourth in U18 men's shot put (13.31m), 10th in hammer throw (26.43m) and 11th in discus (39.08m).
Thorndale's Kirk Hallman finished fifth, in the U16 men's 2000 meter run and 14th in the 1200m (3:29.49).
Local results: Dollan Brown, U16 men's discus, 6th, 35.54m, discus, 7th, 11.57m; Evan Stevens, U18 men's javelin, 6th, 46.36m, pole vault, 10th, 3.05m, long jump, 22nd; Promise Atkinson, U18 women's pole vault, 7th, PB 2.70m; Emma Westbrook, U18 women's javelin, ninth, 27.14m, 18th, shot put, 9.31m; Andrew Monteith, U18 men's 800m, 10th, 2:02.67; Jayden Sargent, U18 men's hammer throw, 11th, 19.45m, javelin, 14th, 28.62m, shot put, 16th, 11.03m, discus, 27th, 24.04m; Audrey Ferguson, U18 women's 2000m steeplechase, 12th, 9:19.22, 34th, 1500m, 5:58.37; Lucas Skirtschak, U18 men's 2000m steeplechase, 14th, 7:53.65, 3000m, 40th; Ty Emre, U18 men's 3000m, 25th (9:39.96), 1500m, 57th, 4:34.62; Fowler Little, U18 men's 3000m, 28th, 1500m, 54th, 4:33.79; Alexis Gray, U18 women's 400-meter dash, 30th, 200m, 54th, 28.47 sec.; Connor Crosby, U18 men's 3000m, 32nd, 1500m, 56th, 4:34.16; Oliver Doolittle, U16 men's 800, 43rd, 2:26.03, 1200m, 44th, 4:07.59; Savannah Vannord, U16 women's 200m, 44th, 28.19 sec, 100m, 50th, 13.83 sec.; Madison French, U18 women's 400m, 48th.
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