Tim Hendry.
Tim Hendry of the Guelph Gryphons screams as he watches the shot during the men's shot put competition Saturday at the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic track and field trials at Calgary. Hendry finished fifth. June 30, 2012
Rob Massey / Metroland
CALGARY – Guelph Gryphon Mark Hendry just couldn’t come up with the big throw Saturday at the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic track and field trials.
“I just didn’t hit a big throw,” he said after finishing fifth with a best throw of 18.59 metres. “I threw well, though, and I’m definitely happy with it.”
Olympic medal hopeful Dylan Armstrong of Kamloops won with a throw of 21.29 metres, a championship meet record. His Canadian record is 21.58 metres.
“I felt really good at the start of the competition. I opened up well and I was consistent,” Hendry said. “I was not too far off my season’s best, but I was really coming in hoping for a personal best. That’s the way it goes.”
Like fellow Gryphon thrower Brent Roubos, Hendry lives four days a week in London training with the London Western club and returns to Guelph on weekends. He’s just entering the time of year when his performances hit their peak.
“I typically don’t throw my best until mid-July or August so we’ll see what happens in the next few weeks,” Hendry said.
That could mean big things for Hendry as the reigning CIS field athlete of the year is a member of the Canadian team that is to compete at the North American and Caribbean under-23 championships at Guanajuato, Mexico, July 6-8.
“There’ll be some good competition there,” he said. “I’m hoping to throw well.”
Hendry’s schedule also includes the National Track League’s Toronto International Track and Field Games July 11 and the Ontario senior and junior championships at Ottawa July 14-15.
Roubos finished eighth at 15.86 metres and was happier with his performance than he had been a day earlier with his efforts in the discus. Roubos’s goal in the shot put, his weaker event, was a top-eight finish.
-- Torstar News Services