Cleve Gerry (track athlete)

Cleve Gerry
Years in Thunder Bay	by 1927–1933
Partner	Frances Gerry (née Hume)

Cleve Gerry was a multi-sport athlete and track and field specialist from Fort William who set records in jumping and vaulting events at the high school and collegiate levels. Cleve Gerry was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 as an athlete.

Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame

Cleve Gerry was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on 25 September 1993 in the athlete category for track and field, representing Fort William.

Career

Raised in an athletic household in Fort William, Gerry and his sister Helen were recognized during the 1920s and 1930s for their versatility in various sports. His competitive career began at age 12 when he joined the Fort William YMCA Hexathlon team. While he participated in several disciplines, he became particularly noted for his proficiency in jumping events.

During his time at Fort William Collegiate, Gerry secured the senior boys high jump championships at the Ontario Provincial High School Track and Field Championships in both 1927 and 1928. His success continued at the Thunder Bay District Track and Field Championships, where he defeated notable athletes Wally Bain and Doug Skinner to win the Decathlon in 1931. In subsequent years, he earned district titles in the broad jump and hop-step-jump in 1932, followed by another high jump victory in 1933.

While attending United College at the University of Manitoba, Gerry achieved significant success in intercollegiate competition. In 1931, he claimed the men's overall interfaculty title, establishing new records in the high jump at 6 feet and the Pole vault at 10 feet 6 inches. Representing the university in the Western Canada Intercollegiate Athletic Union, he set further records in the high jump and won titles in the pole vault and relay, becoming one of the top point contributors for his school.

Beyond his individual athletic pursuits, Gerry was involved in the administration of the sport. He served as an executive member of the Thunder Bay Track and Field Association from 1930 to 1933, aiding in the early growth of Track and Field within Northwestern Ontario.

Residence in the Thunder Bay area (by 1927–1933) rests on the following dated evidence. Grew up in Fort William and competed for Fort William Collegiate in 1927 and 1928 and served as a local track executive from 1930-33.

Honours and achievements

• Won the Ontario Provincial High School senior boys high jump title in 1927 and 1928
• Captured the decathlon title at the 1931 Thunder Bay District Track and Field Championships
• Won the Thunder Bay District broad jump and hop-step-jump titles in 1932
• Won the Thunder Bay District high jump title in 1933
• Earned the 1931 men's overall interfaculty title at the University of Manitoba
• Set University of Manitoba interfaculty records in high jump (6') and pole vault (10'6")
• Established high jump records and won pole vault and relay titles in the Western Canada Intercollegiate Athletic Union
• Served as an executive member of the Thunder Bay Track and Field Association from 1930-33

Family

• Helen, a sister

Other records

The following comes from the page Cleve Gerry, which is taken to be the same person (an unusual name from Thunder Bay; the 1941 marriage fits a man born about 1912, the age of the 1927–33 track athlete).

Family

• Married Frances Gerry (née Hume) on 16 August 1941.