On June 23, Brandon Marsh made a leaping catch in center field for the Philadelphia Phillies in a 4–1 Phillies victory over Arizona.
Across the country, in Eugene, Oregon, his younger sister, Erin Marsh, was going over the high jump bar. The high jump was one of four events she had on the day, as part of the seven-event, two-day heptathlon competition at the U.S. Olympic Track Trials.
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“I don’t think I jumped nearly as high as he did to catch that ball, unfortunately,” she told Runner’s World.
She finished 12th in the heptathlon competition and will not advance to the Olympics in Paris, although she was happy to have finished well despite dealing with a series of injuries starting in her back earlier this year. Anna Hall, Taliyah Brooks, and Chari Hawkins are the American Olympians in the event.
But Erin Marsh said thanks to the support of the Phillies (her photo was on the scoreboard during the game) and the interest from Philadelphia sports media, her Instagram had blown up by 5,000 followers.
Before the heptathlon got underway on Sunday, Brandon Marsh was looking forward to watching his sister compete. Thanks to a rare 11:35 a.m. ET game start time, the outfielder was able to watch Erin Marsh compete on TV.
“I’m very excited to watch her compete,” Brandon Marsh Results: 2024 Olympic Track and Field Trials in the Phillies’ clubhouse on Saturday. “She’s trained her whole life for this moment so I get to go watch her have some fun.”
Although they were competitive as teenagers, her brother, who started working on his signature beard in 2019, is immensely supportive. Of course, there’s plenty of good-natured ribbing.
“He’ll tell you he’s faster than me sometimes. I think he could beat me in a race,” Erin Marsh said.
That’s a bold claim after her performances in Eugene. Erin Marsh ran 24.45 seconds for 200 meters and 2:17.16 for 800 meters.
Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World I dont think I jumped nearly as high as he did to catch that ball, unfortunately, she told, Merge Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
