Wodehouse golden again at OFSAA

March 22, 2017 · 0 Comments

By Jake Courtepatte

It seems that every time Brooklyn Wodehouse enters the pool, she sees a shimmer of gold.
The Grade 11 student at Pickering College earned her second gold medal in as many years in the 100m breaststroke at last weekend’s OFSAA meet, going head-to-head with the best swimmers in the province.
Posting a time just under a second faster than her closest opponent in the preliminary round, she waited over two seconds at the finishing wall before the silver medal winner came in in the finals.
“Brooklyn has been an incredible asset to the Pickering College swim team,” said Coach Lindsey Rife. “She brings experience, drive and determination to practice and competitions and shows a real love of the sport.”
Wodehouse qualified for the event by cruising to first place in the CISAA breaststroke final in late February.
“She is a gifted athlete. Watching her be so successful at our league championships and then again at OFSAA was inspiring for the other swim team members, showing that if you work hard, you can reach your goals.”
A bronze medal performance in the OFSAA event in her Grade Nine year was followed by her first gold as a sophomore in 2016, becoming the only repeat gold medal winner at this year’s meet, which also includes freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, and individual medley.
Pairing her gold with a fifth-place finish in IM, it comes as no surprise that Wodehouse considers the breaststroke to be her best race in the pool.
“I guess it’s just something I’m naturally good at,” Wodehouse told The Auroran. “I enjoy it the most.”
Wodehouse began speed swimming in grade eight, after years of synchronized swimming training. A hip injury forced her to switch lanes.
Pickering College also scored an OFSAA silver medal in senior 200m freestyle thanks to Vanessa Zykova.