May 2015
Denise Steadman, Head of Phys-Ed and Health Education, recently shared these updates on three elite athletes who participate in The Country Day School’s High Performance Phys-Ed Program. In their own words, this is what they had to share:
Berkley Brown ’18
Freestyle Moguls Skier
This was my first season back after my ACL surgery last spring. At the beginning of the season I just focused on getting back to where I was in 2013-2014 season. I was able to get back on the snow six months after my surgery, but I was only allowed to do flats initially. The following month I was back to regular training. Although I had a bit of a late start to the season, I worked really hard and started off my season with a huge accomplishment – 3rd at Canadian selections. The rest of my season went really well and ended on a high winning the 2015 Junior Nationals U16. Overall, I was really happy with my comeback season!
Watch the follow up to last year's Global News coverage of Berkley’s amazing comeback! http://bit.ly/1cakLmM
This was my first season back after my ACL surgery last spring. At the beginning of the season I just focused on getting back to where I was in 2013-2014 season. I was able to get back on the snow six months after my surgery, but I was only allowed to do flats initially. The following month I was back to regular training. Although I had a bit of a late start to the season, I worked really hard and started off my season with a huge accomplishment – 3rd at Canadian selections. The rest of my season went really well and ended on a high winning the 2015 Junior Nationals U16. Overall, I was really happy with my comeback season!
Watch the follow up to last year's Global News coverage of Berkley’s amazing comeback! http://bit.ly/1cakLmM
Lauren Michelberger ’17
Gymnast & Dancer
This year I accomplished many achievements. In November 2014, I competed at the Ontario Tour Selection Competition. At this competition the top 10 athletes (who are 13+) travelled to Las Vegas and competed at the Lady Luck Competition which included teams from Canada, Australia and USA. I qualified in 5th place out of 10 for a spot on Team Ontario, and at the Las Vegas competition I received: second on vault with a 9.425, second on bars with a 9.425 as well, fifth on beam with 9.35, first on floor with 9.725, and first all around with a score of 37.925.
During the year, all provincial gymnasts in Ontario are required to compete in three qualifiers in order to be put in a ranking for Ontario Championships. To qualify for Ontario Championships they take your top two qualifier overall scores and rank you accordingly. The top 32 gymnastics from each age and level compete at Championships. I competed in the Level 7 age 14/15 category and scored: seventh on vault with 9.4, sixth on bars with 9.2, third on beam with 9.475, first on floor with 9.775, and second all around with 37.85. The top four scoring gymnasts who are 14+ in each level qualify for the Eastern Canadian Championships which took place in May in Moncton, New Brunswick. I qualified second out of four which means that I will be representing Team Ontario in Moncton for Eastern Canadian Championships.
During the year, I also qualified for three event finals: vault, beam and floor. Event finals include everyone who is 14+ and in the same level. In order to qualify, they take your highest individual event score and rank you against everyone else. The top 8 scoring gymnasts compete at event finals to determine the “best of the best.” At event finals I scored 9.825 on vault placing fourth, on beam I scored 9.975 placing second, and on floor I score 9.967 placing first. This gymnastics season has been the best one yet and I can’t wait to see what happens in Moncton!
Gymnast & Dancer
This year I accomplished many achievements. In November 2014, I competed at the Ontario Tour Selection Competition. At this competition the top 10 athletes (who are 13+) travelled to Las Vegas and competed at the Lady Luck Competition which included teams from Canada, Australia and USA. I qualified in 5th place out of 10 for a spot on Team Ontario, and at the Las Vegas competition I received: second on vault with a 9.425, second on bars with a 9.425 as well, fifth on beam with 9.35, first on floor with 9.725, and first all around with a score of 37.925.
During the year, all provincial gymnasts in Ontario are required to compete in three qualifiers in order to be put in a ranking for Ontario Championships. To qualify for Ontario Championships they take your top two qualifier overall scores and rank you accordingly. The top 32 gymnastics from each age and level compete at Championships. I competed in the Level 7 age 14/15 category and scored: seventh on vault with 9.4, sixth on bars with 9.2, third on beam with 9.475, first on floor with 9.775, and second all around with 37.85. The top four scoring gymnasts who are 14+ in each level qualify for the Eastern Canadian Championships which took place in May in Moncton, New Brunswick. I qualified second out of four which means that I will be representing Team Ontario in Moncton for Eastern Canadian Championships.
During the year, I also qualified for three event finals: vault, beam and floor. Event finals include everyone who is 14+ and in the same level. In order to qualify, they take your highest individual event score and rank you against everyone else. The top 8 scoring gymnasts compete at event finals to determine the “best of the best.” At event finals I scored 9.825 on vault placing fourth, on beam I scored 9.975 placing second, and on floor I score 9.967 placing first. This gymnastics season has been the best one yet and I can’t wait to see what happens in Moncton!
Graydon Staples ’17
Mountain Bike, Track Cycling and Cyclocross Racer
My season started with qualifying for a Team Ontario camp in Rocky Bottom, South Carolina. We spent 10 days there and the camp was focused on getting a lot of time training prior to the start of the season. At the beginning of April, I was selected to go on another Team Ontario training camp in Gardena, California. The one-week camp focused on Track Cycling at the Olympic velodrome in Los Angeles. Later, the season started with the Paris to Ancaster bike race where I was able to win my age division (11-15) by a respective 10 ½ minutes, and was a close 2nd in the 16-19 age division.
Then, in June I was able to qualify for Team Ontario at the ‘Le Tour de la Releve International de Rimouski’. This was the biggest race of the season for U17 athletes. At this race our team won the opening stage, which was a 7 km team time trial. In August at the Ontario Summer Games Mountain Bike Race I was able to get the 3rd fastest time in the time trial portion of the race.
My season then ended with Cyclocross, where I traveled to Winnipeg, Manitoba to compete at the National Championships. It was a short 40 minute race. The race didn't go exactly as planned. I was slow off the start and came into the first corner at about 10th place. I worked hard to move up the field and was sitting at 4th going into a tricky corner, when I fell on the corner and ended up about 15th. I was not happy about this so I fought hard and managed to find the front of the race again. There was a group of three of us and after about 10 minutes I was biking alongside two guys from Manitoba. I decided that if I wanted to win I was going to have to leave them behind. So I gave it everything I had and pulled away for the win. I was able to win by 38 seconds. This was a successful season and I could not have done it without my team and my supporters.
Mountain Bike, Track Cycling and Cyclocross Racer
My season started with qualifying for a Team Ontario camp in Rocky Bottom, South Carolina. We spent 10 days there and the camp was focused on getting a lot of time training prior to the start of the season. At the beginning of April, I was selected to go on another Team Ontario training camp in Gardena, California. The one-week camp focused on Track Cycling at the Olympic velodrome in Los Angeles. Later, the season started with the Paris to Ancaster bike race where I was able to win my age division (11-15) by a respective 10 ½ minutes, and was a close 2nd in the 16-19 age division.
Then, in June I was able to qualify for Team Ontario at the ‘Le Tour de la Releve International de Rimouski’. This was the biggest race of the season for U17 athletes. At this race our team won the opening stage, which was a 7 km team time trial. In August at the Ontario Summer Games Mountain Bike Race I was able to get the 3rd fastest time in the time trial portion of the race.
My season then ended with Cyclocross, where I traveled to Winnipeg, Manitoba to compete at the National Championships. It was a short 40 minute race. The race didn't go exactly as planned. I was slow off the start and came into the first corner at about 10th place. I worked hard to move up the field and was sitting at 4th going into a tricky corner, when I fell on the corner and ended up about 15th. I was not happy about this so I fought hard and managed to find the front of the race again. There was a group of three of us and after about 10 minutes I was biking alongside two guys from Manitoba. I decided that if I wanted to win I was going to have to leave them behind. So I gave it everything I had and pulled away for the win. I was able to win by 38 seconds. This was a successful season and I could not have done it without my team and my supporters.
Land Acknowledgment
The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.
School Information
13415 Dufferin Street King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
