TRURO, N.S. — Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
Well, maybe not. But Truro Lions Track Club (TLTC) high jump athletes Joey MacDonald and Jennessa Wolfe have posted ‘super’ results lately, including a new club record for Joey.
Joey jumped 2.05 metres at the recent TLTC indoor meet, at the Cougar Dome, topping his own mark of 1.95 metres - the previous club U-23 indoor record - which he set last January at the Canada Games Centre in Halifax.
It also topped his previous personal best (PB) mark of 1.98 metres, which he set as a U-20 athlete at the Cougar Dome, in September of 2020.
In the same TLTC meet, Jennessa posted a personal best of 1:55 metres, topping her previous mark of 1:50.
“This (surface at the Dome) is hard to jump off of, so it’s quite an accomplishment,” coach Tammy Armstrong said, of the jumps by her athletes.
Joey graduated from CEC last spring. Jennessa is in Grade 10 there.
Posted by Truro Lions on Sunday, February 21, 2021
“They’re both so dedicated and work really hard,” Armstrong said.
Joey said he had a good feeling going into the meet.
“I thought I was going to have a PB that day, I was feeling really good,” he said, noting he did a lot of preparing the night before.
“I watched a lot of my videos – critiquing myself the whole time. Then when I got here, I had a good warm-up.”
Jennessa said she is probably her biggest critic.
“I’m very hard on myself, but I just tried to do my best on this turf,” she said.
Starting out
Joey said he first tired jumping in Grade 4, but it was just a quick two-weeks to prepare for a competition, and he didn't return to he sport for a long period.
“Then I didn’t really start jumping until Grade 10,” he said, noting his family moved here for his Grade 11 year and that season he and the CEC boys won the track provincials.
“He tied the record for CEC and the CEC boys came first, second and third,” Armstrong added.
“Joey jumped two metres in 2019 and then COVID hit so the kids didn’t get a chance to compete last spring. It’s hard for a lot of athletes because they can’t participate in their sports. We’ve been very fortunate with the Lions that there have been sanctioned meets, even though they’re limited. At least the kids have been able to get out there and jump.”
Joey said he has “loved jumping” from a young age.
“So I really got into it. It’s always about seeing how high I could jump, and higher and higher.”
Jennessa credited her dad, who was a coach, for introducing her to high jump.
“He was encouraging me when I was in Grade 7. That’s when I started high jump,” she said, noting she knew it could have other benefits.
“I said ‘I’ll try it out dad.’ As a dancer, I knew it could help me jump high in my leaps. We went to provincials in Grade 7, so I stayed with it … it has been a lot of fun.”
Jennessa also plays soccer while Joey, who is almost 6'6", has played basketball for the last number of years. Both said the enjoy team sports and, while track is still a team atmosphere, their events are solo which is a different dynamic.
“I like doing a solo event because you’re competing against yourself,” Joey said.
“I like pushing myself as well,” Jennessa said, adding she sees similarities. “It’s exciting when I (accomplishment) something and exciting when someone else (on her team) does.”
Both athletes credited coach Armstrong for helping them achieve in the sport as well as their parents.
“My whole family is very supportive,” Jennessa said.
“My mom … she has always pushed me to do my best in sports,” Joey said.
