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ATHLETE LEGEND

Crummer, Keith

1912 – 1990

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SPORT | Track & Field

EVENTS | Pole Vault, High Jump, Javelin, Discus

YEAR OF INDUCTION | 1984

Action Athlete

Keith was an outstanding athlete in many sports, but he excelled at track and field. He set several records that stood for years in different events and in 1930 Keith represented Canada and competed in javelin in British Empire Games while still in high school.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

1927 - 1929

1927 – WOSSAA Championships in London – placed first in junior pole vault (record) and intermediate pole vault (record) – Ontario Athletic Commission Championships in Toronto, achieved first in intermediate pole vault

1928 – WOSSAA Championships in London – was first in intermediate pole vault and shot put (record) and second in high jump – Ontario Athletic Commission Championships in Toronto – was first in javelin (record that stood for over 20 years)

1929 – WOSSAA Championships in London – placed first in senior javelin (record) and pole vault and second in high jump – CAAU Interscholastic Championships in Montreal – placed first in pole vault (record), javelin (record), shot put (record) and high jump – won Individual Senior Championship – Canadian Interscholastic Meet in Hamilton – was first in pole vault (record) and javelin, second in high jump, and third in shot put – Ontario Athletic Championships in Hamilton – placed first in senior javelin and third in pole vault – Kent County Secondary Schools Championships in Ridgetown – was first in pole vault (record that stood for 59 years), shot put, high jump, running broad jump, standing broad jump, and hop, step and jump – won Individual Senior Championship


1930 – WOSSAA Championships in London

Won first in javelin (record that stood for 24 years), discus (record), and shot put and second in pole vault and high jump – won Individual Senior Championship – CAAU Interscholastic Championship in Montreal – was first in javelin, shot put, and discus and second in pole vault – won Individual Senior Championship – Legion Canadian Invitational Meet in Cornwall – first in pole vault and shot put and second in hop, step and jump – tied for all around championship – CAAU Championships in Toronto – placed second in javelin and earned right to represent Canada in the first British Empire Games by bettering the Olympic standard – Ontario Athletic Commission Championships in Hamilton – was first in senior javelin (record) and third in shot put – British Empire Games in Hamilton – was fourth in javelin behind the world’s champion and champions of two other countries


1930 - 1943

1930 – 1931 – WOSSAA Championships in London – was first in javelin, discus (record), and high jump and second in pole vault and shot put – won Individual Senior Championship – CAAU Interscholastic Championships in Cornwall – first in pole vault, javelin, and shot put, second in high jump, and third in discus – won Individual Senior Championship – Played defense for the Chatham Senior Maroons Hockey Club who were OHA finalists both years.

1941 – 1943 – while in military training, competed with distinction at various military track meets across Canada



Accomplishments

Maple City’s Head Professional, John Dengel, retells the story about legendary golfer, Moe Norman’s comment about Fran. After a Pro/Am tournament where Fran played on his team, Moe told John “that lady is a golfer” in reference to her smooth swing and her striking of the ball.


In addition to playing, Fran worked tirelessly for her clubs, for Essex-Kent District Golf, and for the Ontario Ladies Golf Association. She was instrumental in helping to establishing the junior golf program at Maple City and for years was one of the hardest workers in that regard. For several years, she helped organize the Essex-Kent Tournament of Champions and she was a course evaluator for the Ontario Ladies Golf Association.



In 1973 she received a silver tray from the Ontario Golf Association for “Her Distinguished Contribution to the Game of Golf in Ontario”. In 1995, because of her outstanding work over the years at Maple City Country Club, she was named the first Honourary Life Member by the Board of Directors.


Keith died in Chatham at age 78 in 1990.

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