High jump pals one-two at OFSAA
Dorchester's Beaudry and friend Branderhorst reverse finish of 2016
By Rob J. Ross
Thursday, June 1, 2017
BELLEVILLE, Ont. - Katie Beaudry and Emily Branderhorst have been familiar faces in women's high jump since grade nine.
Year after year at every meet, Lord Dorchester's Beaudry and Branderhorst from London District Christian school, are encouraging each other, sharing laughs and usually both end up standing on the podium.
Now both in grade 12, this year was no different, as Branderhorst and Beaudry finished 1-2, in the senior women's event, on day one of the OFSAA track and field championships, at Mary-Anne Stills Park. A year ago, it was Beaudry golden and Branderhorst with silver.
Complete OFSAA results.
This day, Beaudry and Branderhorst made an event best 1.66 metres and missed attempting 1.71 metres.
Adding to her two previous OFSAA silver medals, Branderhorst captures the gold, thanks to having fewer missed attempts at previous heights.
"I like it. It's good," said Branderhorst. "My approach was more solid this year, more consistent."
Seeing her friend as the champion was ok with Beaudry.
"I'm really happy for her. We really don't care if we're first or second. We just support each other," Beaudry said. "I love going to high jump with her because I always have a high jump buddy."
Silver is sweet for Beaudry who continues to recover from a hamstring injury
"It was tough. I didn't practice much and I really should have practiced more. I really didn't expect this, this year, so I'm really happy."
Beaudry and Branderhorst have been two of the most consistent high jumpers over the past four years. At OFSAA alone, Beaudry has a medal of each colour, two being gold and Branderhorst, adds gold to her two silver medals. Only in 2014 did Branderhorst not reach the provincial podium, placing ninth.
This fall, Beaudry is attending Western University, while Branderhorst heads to the University of Toronto.
Also on the opening day of the provincial high school meet, Glencoe's Marlow Carter placed fifth in senior men's javelin and Seth Kuiper, from Central Elgin CI, was 10th in junior men's discus.
Kuiper concludes the season with a personal best throw of 45.43 metres, missing advancing to the top eight by less than a metre.
I'm more happy (than his placement) that I managed to reach my PB today because that's all you can really do," Kuiper said. "I had a really good season. I wasn't thinking that I'd get to OFSAA. I had a lot of building throughout the season. Looking at my PB's, I had a new PB at every meet and that was great."
CECI coach Scott King looks good now on his challenge. Kuiper was playing volleyball when King suggested he could turn him into a decent thrower. Kuiper just missed qualifying for OFSAA in shot put, placing fourth at the regional meet.
A year away from track and field didn't stop Marlow from setting a personal best effort of 52.26 metres, an improvement by three metres.
"It was a great year. It was one of PB's. I started out in the low 40s and I just worked my way up," said Marlow. "I wasn't expecting to do very well. I wasn't expecting to be at OFSAA, let alone be top eight. This is a big surprise.
"Starting out at a new school, I wanted to see if I still got it and apparently I still do."
Marlow attended Strathroy Holy Cross for grades nine and 10. Those years Marlow placed third at OFSAA in javelin (48.55 metres) as a midget competitor and fifth at OFSAA as a junior (50.25m).
"The main reason I wanted to come here is to get a sweater, but getting fifth place is good too! I'm happy to have ended it in this fashion."
Dorchester's senior women's
4x100-metre relay team, featuring Beaudry, her sister Megan, Emma
McKnight and Megan Dunn, posted the third fastest heat time of 49.26
seconds, qualifying for Friday's final.