Barry sisters let sibling rivalry push them to thrive as Bemidji jumpers

May 21—As early as last year, Kendel Barry, who goes by her middle name, Eielson, would've cringed at the thought of joining the Bemidji High School track and field team.

She hadn't played many sports outside of volleyball, and she wasn't exactly wanting to be a runner.

"I didn't even think about track," she explained. "I was like, 'Oh, why would you ever want to run? Like, that's just torture.'"

She slowly began to change her mind when her big sister, Julia, who also goes by her middle name, Dalton, joined track last year, specifically for high jump. Dalton told her sister how fun it was, and how cool it'd be for her to join.

Eventually, the experience was too tempting for Eielson to pass up. She officially joined the track team three weeks into the season with no experience. Dalton didn't have much experience, either.

It didn't matter. The program welcomed the sisters with open arms. They now both compete in the high jump and long jump, keeping each other in check and motivating each other to be better.

Now, the pair can't imagine life without track.

"I'm so glad (I joined) because it's really become a big part of my life," Eielson said. "We have friends in distance and sprinting and long jump. So we really just have a big community of girls, and I feel like it's definitely allowed me to reach out and talk to a lot more people that I wouldn't have."

Dalton and Eielson have a close bond. That naturally happens when you spend 12 years sharing a room.

Dalton, a senior, was a part of the BHS volleyball team for three years, while Eielson, a sophomore, has played volleyball since fifth grade.

Dalton was searching for another sport to get into last year, an easier sport that didn't require much experience. Track and field seemed to be the answer.

Like Eielson, Dalton didn't like running, so the high jump seemed like a good idea given her and Eielson's above-average height. Both sisters soon realized that high jump can be a challenge.

"It was hard to start," Dalton said. "I was doing a lot of research on how I could become better. A lot of trial and error ... we were trying to get practice every day and just trying to get better."

"Starting out was pretty new and hard and awkward, for sure," Eielson added. "We were kind of just flailing a little bit, but it was very up and down."

Learning the event led to some fluctuating performances, Eielson explained. Her highest jump is usually 4-feet, 6-inches. But by season's end, she jumped 5-feet, her personal best.

High jump can be difficult and awkward at first, but once both sisters got the hang of it, they clearly enjoyed the event the most.

"There's a lot of people when they first try out ... it's something you just have to get used to and work on," Dalton said. "But a lot of people just don't stick with it. There's four of us this year. Last year, there were three of us, including both of us. So there's always been like one or two other people. So we've always been the ones pushing for more practice and pushing to get better."

Being teammates with a sibling definitely has its perks. Their bond helps them support one another and joke around with each other at practices and meets.

But in a sport that emphasizes individual success, both Dalton and Eielson definitely let their sibling rivalry drive their performances. Both want their sister to succeed — they just want to be the one who's better than the other.

"It's definitely a lot more competitive, I would feel like, with just us doing the same sports," Eielson said. "We're always comparing each other. We want our sister to succeed, but then also it's like, 'Oh, I got to do good.'"

On Wednesday, Eielson got the better of Dalton in the high jump, finishing in third place at 4-10. Dalton was right behind her at the same mark. She did, however, pick up a 10th-place finish in the long jump at 13-03.