In a brief Board of Aldermen meeting on April 26th, the Board certified election results for the April 6, 2021 election, thanked outgoing Ward 2 Alderman Nancy Totton for her years of service, and installed incumbents Shea Bass, Tom Cleaver and new Ward 2 Alderman Darren Mills.
The next scheduled board meeting of the Board of Aldermen will be held Monday, May 10th at 7:00pm at City Hall. Farm fresh produce, plants, trees, and a variety of home décor and gift items await shoppers at the opening weekend of the Valley Wagon.
The popular farm stand has expanded this year to include a barn stocked with food and gift items, planters, and home décor. The Valley Wagon will also feature a variety of trees, plants, and flowers for sale, and has expanded its services to include free range black angus beef raised in Boonville. Processing appointments for half and whole beef are now being accepted for May, June, and July. The Valley Wagon is located on the north side of Grain Valley at 1451 S Buckner Tarsney Road, next to Milestones Academy. Hours this weekend are Saturday, May 1st 8:00am-4:00pm, and Sunday, May 2nd 8:00am-4:00pm. These hours will continue through May, and produce offerings will expand as the season continues. The Valley Wagon accepts cash and debit/credit. No checks accepted, and all sales are final. For more information on the Valley Wagon, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MoehleMater. The Jackson County Health Department will host a COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Friday, April 30th at
Grain Valley Community Center, 713 N Main St, Grain Valley from 11:00am—4:00pm. To register, visit https://jacohd.jotform.com/211114410678851. Any Missourian over the age of 16 can sign up for an appointment. Individuals who are 16 or 17 must have a parent or guardian sign their consent form. In the 1800s, Independence found itself at the very eastern end of an important trade route, the Santa Fe Trail. Soon, the Oregon Trail and California Trail branched off from the Santa Fe, and tens of thousands of pioneers came to Independence to outfit themselves for a journey west.
The National Frontier Trails Museum is a history museum, interpretive center, and research library dedicated to telling the rich history of America’s principal trails for hundreds of thousands of pioneers who risked their livelihoods for a new life in the American West. While the museum has been closed due to COVID-19, I can highly recommend it as an interesting place to visit when it reopens. It is located just south of the Square at 318 W Pacific Avenue in Independence, Missouri. by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society This week I have chosen a photograph, but I cannot tell you when or from whom we received it. I chose it because of the beautiful stained-glass window at the Christian Church on the corner of Main and Walnut Streets. Built in 1910 and dedicated in June, 1911, it was destroyed by fire on January 17. 1972.
Because the seats were at an angle, it is difficult to read the names at the bottom of the window. The name in the middle is “Cannon” and a former church member remembers that the window was a gift from Bill and Adie (Cannon) Minter. The smaller window to the left bears the name “Mr. & Mrs. John Gregg.” I believe the photo was taken in 1946 or early 1947, as the child in the second row, Danny Elliott was born in 1945. At the time this group was assembled they were probably known as the Ladies’ Aid. Later they were known as the Women’s Council and finally as the Christian Women’s Fellowship. Over the years, these ladies provided funds to the church and were known for their benevolent work both within the church and within the community of Grain Valley. If you are a long-time resident of Grain Valley, you may remember some of these ladies. If you are new to our town or a regular reader of this column, you may recognize a name or two. Jewell and Edgar Graham owned an apple orchard north of town. Bill and Adie Minter ran a grocery store. Mae Raines lived on Yennie and gave piano lessons. Jean Rowe, well into her nineties, lives at St. Mary’s Manor in Blue Springs. Danny Elliott (grandson of Lucy Rowe) graduated from GVHS in 1963 and is the retired Dean of Students at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri. Ruth Fine was the postmaster in Grain Valley through much of the 1950s and 60s. Lula Preston was on the school board in the 1950s, but I remember her best as the “fairy Godmother” to first graders at Grain Valley for many years! She would often come and read to us or bring us cookies. Madge Warren lived in the big house near the west end of Walnut Street and her husband was president of the Bank of Grain Valley. I knew nearly all of these ladies and I’m even related to a couple of them. Come visit at the Historical Society any Wednesday. I’ll tell you “the rest of the story!” Visit the Grain Valley Historical Society at 506 S. Main on Wednesdays from 10am—3pm and Saturdays from 11am—3pm, or online at www.grainvalleyhistory.com. It's been a year since the COVID-19 pandemic forced all of us to rely on our computers and associated devices for work and school. Most modern tech devices don't need a 'tune up', but as we head into spring, it's a good time for cleaning.
So when you start to do a deep cleaning on your living space, take a few minutes to follow these steps to spring clean all items associated with your digital lifestyle. Avoid computer and app cleaning products. It's tempting to purchase do it all products that promise to clean your computers and smartphones. Avoid these products like the plague. Most of these products do more harm than good. Your devices are designed to take care of themselves, so avoid all of the extra junk. Remove your 3rd Party Anti-Virus (AV) software. Fifteen years ago, computer manufacturers didn't include AV software; now they do. Macintosh users have xProtect and Windows Users have Windows Defender. Smartphone and tablet users just need to avoid downloading unknown apps from the Google Play Store and the App Store. Most 3rd party AV software causes more problems than good. Change Your Passwords For All of Your Online Accounts. It’s always a good idea to change your passwords every so often, so why not do it this spring? There are too many data breaches occurring where your personal information is leaked into the hands of cyber-criminals. You wouldn't believe the number of calls we get at the office from people who have had their personal information stolen because they hadn't changed their passwords for years. If you make it a habit to change your passwords on a regular basis, you can avoid your personal information falling into the wrong hands. Using a passphrase instead of a password helps you create passwords you can easily remember. Need help with creating a passphrase? Visit www.useapassphrase.com. Passphrases are more secure than your standard password and are so much easier to remember. Creating passphrases along with using password management software such as LastPass (www.lastpass.com) or the password management system built into web browsers, such as Google Chrome, Opera, and Firefox will keep your personal information safe. Back-Up Your Files. I hate paper and keep everything stored digitally. Instruction manuals, pictures, documents, the list goes on and on. In this digital age, I know many of you are storing items digitally as well. Cloud backup is your best option with services like Carbonite (www.carbonite.com), Google Backup and Sync (www.google.com), and iCloud drive (www.icloud.com) vying to save your important information. Remember there is a difference between cloud storage and cloud backup. Cloud storage is meant just to store one copy of your files, where cloud backup keeps multiple copies of your files. Make sure your backup your files in multiple places, not just on the cloud, but also on an external hard drive as well. Donate, Trade, or Sell Your Old Tech Devices. We have several laptops, desktops, tablets, and phones sitting around the house. I know you do too. Why are we keeping these devices? There's no good reason to keep them. Make it a point to stop hoarding your tech devices and get rid of them. If you have information on them that you want to ease, just reset your items to factory defaults and the information will disappear. There are many recycling places near you, just do a Google search to find one and get rid of that digital clutter. If you have a device that still works, donate it to a needy non-profit. Have something newer that you want to sell? Sell it on Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist, or trade it in on Amazon. Declutter Those Devices. Don't believe the myth that too much stuff on your devices will slow them down. It is a good idea to remove old files, smart device apps, and computer programs for the sake of having a more streamlined device. Take a moment to organize those files, pictures, and videos. Don't forget about those emails. Most of us tend to use our email as a filing cabinet which is why our email gets so cluttered. Unless you're using Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, or Windows Mail, too much mail won't slow your device down. If you are, you need to clean out that email quarterly. Don't forget to empty your recycle bin and your trash can as well. Take care of all of those cords. You probably use wireless devices when you can, but with technology, there are going to be some cords that need to be connected to our devices. If you can, hide those wires to your computers, printers, and even TVs with cord covers or check out some other solutions that will allow you to hide cords in your walls. For your smartphone and tablet, switch to wireless chargers to eliminate cords. You can also consider purchasing power centers in a central location of your home where the family has a convenient place to charge all of their devices. Clean Out those Crumbs. During all of the hours you spend in front of a screen, there's a good chance you're going to snack on something. After a while, your device is going to get pretty gross. For desktop and laptop keyboards, turn them upside down to shake out the dirt and crumbs. I recommend getting a can of compressed air to effectively get all of the debris out. Clean Your Screen. The average smartphone and Tablet have more germs than a public restroom. Take the time to disinfect your handheld devices. To properly clean and disinfect them, use a solution of 50% Water and 50% of isopropyl alcohol. Only use a microfiber cloth to wipe down your devices. Your home and office are not the only things that should be getting cleaned this spring. Don’t neglect your technology or it will not last as long as it should. Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to [email protected]. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone. Reach out to us at www.callintegralnow.com or phone at 888.256.0829. It likely began in the air over Los Angeles, when the first smartly dressed TWA flight attendant asked the traveler, “Coffee? Tea? Water? What would you prefer?”
The beloved pre-school teacher’s mantra, “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit” got thrown right out the proverbial window, in this case at about 42,000 feet, with that very first mention of a preference. The restaurant industry followed shortly, really aiming to please their customers by allowing almost every preference to be met. Booth or table? Lemon in your ice water? Loaded or plain baked potato? Salad dressing on the side? You say you would like sweetener for your tea? Which of these three kinds would you prefer? Then it was a short leap from restaurants to our own homes. I follow the blog of a really creative mom with three young kids. Luckily none of them are allergic to peanut butter, a lunch staple, but get this: all three kids each prefer a different kind of peanut butter. Never satisfying my curiosity and the very obvious question about how they even knew there were multiple kinds, blogger mom honors their preference. “They are just expressing their individuality,“ she writes. The adults in my life must have gotten individuality confused with being picky brats, which is what they would have called us if we had complained about the peanut butter. Luckily my mom was a good cook, but let me assure you, she wasn’t much interested in our preferences. Maybe the spaghetti had meatballs, maybe it had meat sauce. Sometimes the lima beans had corn mixed in with them, and sometimes they didn’t (which frankly didn’t matter because we didn’t want to eat them anyway). Our sandwiches were cut in rectangular halves, no trimmed crusts and no fancy triangles or star shaped cut outs. If it was baloney day, she chose the cheese, and the only choice we had was mustard or mayo. She didn’t poll us for our preferences on how our egg was going to be cooked at breakfast each morning. If one of us had scrambled eggs (which for some reason still taste better out of Mom’s skillet), all of us had scrambled eggs. I am guessing I would have liked an occasional Ritz cracker rather than a saltine, but we weren’t busy making sure our preferences were known. And we survived quite nicely. Some preferences are naturally easier to honor. When you bake a pan of brownies, somebody usually prefers the crispier edge pieces and somebody prefers the gooier center pieces. It is still all coming from one pan of brownies, and no, I was not tempted to buy the recently advertised all crispy tunnel looking brownie pan. It’s okay for people to have a preference when you are passing a platter of turkey because dark meat and white meat are right there available for the taking. I also support steak houses asking our preference on how done we want our steaks because it is an expensive cut of meat that we are treating ourselves to. My preference for a medium steak probably came from my dad slaving over a charcoal grill and finally giving up, plating it, telling us that is how it was supposed to look, and not asking us to cut into it in case we wanted it cooked a little more. The rumors of people out there who like their steak moo’ing and some who like it charred are surely true. While I personally prefer a medium warm center, I have seen these mavericks in restaurants, sending back their steaks, like Goldilocks rejecting one chair or bed or porridge after another until one is just right. As I age, some of the choices we are offered in the name of honoring preferences kind of wear me out. Case in point, every once in a while the hubs and I pretend we are young and hit up the local site of a nationwide breakfast chain. We always do this on a day we know we can go home and nap off our food coma afterward; and by the way, I prefer the couch with a quilt for a quick nap, and an actual bed with a cotton blanket for anything much over an hour. We get our coffee from the gum snapping waitress, and we each order the house special, which will be likely be delivered on a variety of not so clean looking plates, despite our preference for spotless plates and utensils. Last time we went, I felt a little like I did when Mr. Hile would randomly call on me in Geometry class. “Quadrilateral? “ I would guess, and he would just shake his head, while I silently made plans to go home with Carla to copy her homework again. Back to the greasy spoon. Did I want my hash browns crispy or soft? Bacon, sausage patty, sausage links, or ham? Grits or toast? Eggs over-easy, hard, or scrambled? Waffle or toast? Toast you say? Sourdough, wheat, or white? Real butter or margarine? I was so scared to make a mistake, to one of the questions I just meekly answered, “Yes.” The Flo wannabe stared at me, uncomprehending, then finally looked over at my husband and said, “Do YOU know what she wants?” Luckily, he does, and if it wasn’t what I wanted when it arrives, he will just give me his breakfast and suck it up. Now there’s a guy that was raised not to have a preference, someone to truly love. I guess I should be grateful he preferred me over his other dates. When we married, I knew he was darn near perfect, because he truly didn’t have any discernable preferences at all. He let me choose the side of the bed, which cabinets the plates and glasses went into, even our china pattern. I got to park my car on the right because it was easier to back out of the garage on that side. Then came the day when he unpacked groceries to put them away. How could I have missed this crucial preference of his? Apparently he preferred jamming the cans onto the shelves all willy nilly and unreadable without a lot of effort or any organizational strategy at all. Who doesn’t put soups together? Why were the beans all divided by short condensed milk cans? He has since changed his preference for can arrangement, likely due to my excellent tutelage and example. At least I don’t have something as pedestrian as a dishwasher loading preference. I am so happy when anybody else mentions they will help with dishes, they can load them any darned way they want to. But my friend’s preference about how her dishes go into her dishwasher has caused her a bunch of razzing. One night at a party she was hosting, two of us offered to clean up for her. She finally accepted and just told us to put as much as we could into the dishwasher. She walked into the kitchen when we were about halfway finished with our mission. She froze in her tracks, and we could tell from her look we had somehow gone astray. “Oh…they actually go this way,” she said, and adjusted the plates on the dishwasher’s bottom rack. I started to reorganize the remainder of them, but my co-loader intervened, wanting to know why the other way wouldn’t work. What ensued was a bunch of half-hearted explanations that finally ended with the hostess friend mumbling about the original manufacturer‘s instructions having diagrams of proper loading. In truth, it was just her preference. Through somewhat incoherent cursing, my pal began to rearrange, but as soon as the hostess left the room, she quickly flipped them back. I cannot remember her exact words, but I think she said, “The sun will come up tomorrow whichever way they are loaded, “ or maybe it was, “That’s a load of something…” Sure, there are some preferences that really are important, like high heels or flats, who we spend time with, No. 1 or No. 2 pencils, the type of car we drive, crushed or cubed ice, where we live and work, shaken or stirred, toothpaste flavors. I bet some people think Coke or Pepsi is an important preference. Those of us who have experienced a perfect soda suicide mix know that it doesn’t really matter at all. Preferences should also not be confused with highly distinguished favorites like the month of August, dark rinse jeans, and praline-flavored anything, which have risen to the top after years of testing out other options. They are not simply preferences. They are a way of life. Heading into my landing, let’s circle down the runway back to the airlines, where this whole preference thing started, and where I recently booked some travel for my boss. I selected the carrier, got to note his preference for the flight’s departure and arrival times, where and how much space he would have to stash his carry on, the amount of leg room, and an aisle, center, or window seat. Is this where the joke about you can pick your friends and pick your seat but you shouldn’t pick your friend’s seat goes? When my boss came back from travel, I asked about his flight. “I had great seats both ways, plenty of room to stretch out, and my bag was actually right above me for a change,” he said. I smiled, but inside I was irritated; not with him, but with myself. My boss may not like his trip so much the next time; when I finished my purchase and went to pay, I forgot to save his darned preferences. Cathy is a retired public school English teacher and Public Information Officer. Community Services League (CSL) and United Way of Greater Kansas City have formed a collaborative partnership to implement and administer Jackson County’s $11,550,205 federal rental assistance. Funds will be used to assist eligible households that are unable to pay past due rent and utility bills due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) provides financial assistance and housing stability services in Eastern Jackson County to eligible rental households who demonstrate a risk of experiencing housing instability, have seen their income reduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, and earn a household income at or below 80% of the area median income. Rental and utility assistance payments are made directly to the landlord or utility provider on behalf of the tenant. More information about the program, including eligibility requirements, an application checklist, and more, can be found at www.jacksoncountyerap.org. Detailed program information is also available for Spanish-speaking families at www.jacksoncountyerap.org/espanol. Grandview Assistance Program (GAP), Raytown Emergency Assistance Program (REAP), and Hope House, in addition to CSL’s locations, are serving as application hubs with dedicated ERAP Case Managers. The $11.5 million grant is part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which established a $25 billion Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program for state, county, and municipal governments. Kansas City, Missouri received its own grant funding of $14.8 million directly from the federal government and is administering its own rental assistance program for households within city limits. The following information is derived from the Grain Valley Police Department daily calls for service log for the week of April 14-20, 2021.
by John Unrein The confidence on display by the Lady Eagles soccer team in their Suburban Conference matchup against the Truman Patriots was perhaps best summarized by midfielder Raena Childers. The senior paused briefly before remarking, “We are pretty legit I would say,” when asked to reflect on the best thing about being 12-1. The statement drew an immediate smile from teammate Emma Thiessen who nodded in agreement. The duo combined for eight of Grain Valley’s goals in their 11-0 victory over the Truman Patriots on April 27th. Both Childers and Thiessen had a plethora of break away chances that resulted in each putting four goals in the net. Clearing all defenders and getting into open space raises the pulse of both the charging player and opposing goalie as this is one of the rarest instances in a soccer game. Someone is going to be ecstatic, and the other party equal in discontentment. Childers and Thiessen each shared their perspective of what this moment is like for them. “My first thought is that I have to get it done. If I do all the work to be one on one with the goalie and miss, then it was a waste,” Childers said. “This team is strong, young, and passionate. We love the game, and we work hard for each other.” Thiessen added, “You do peek at the location of the goalie in those instances as you are processing the coming shot. We work on those situations in practice, so your mindset is about finishing when it occurs during a game.” “We enjoy a fast tempo of play. The respect we have for each other permits us to work well as a team.” The Eagles were indeed fast in surmounting a lead that allowed the spread rule of an eight goal lead or more be invoked at half time. Grain Valley spent much of the first forty minutes on Truman’s side of the field. Executing well placed throws from out of bounds aided the Lady Eagles in executing their offense. Defender/Midfielder Lexie Arreguin continues to excel in this role for Grain Valley. The junior would also score a goal twelve minutes into the first half. “It has been two years since I scored a goal, so that was pretty crazy tonight when it occurred. I really enjoy defense, but it is always fun to have the chance to score,” Arreguin said. “I pick a spot in my mind after surveying the field and lob the ball (on throw-ins). Coach (Tyler) Nichol encourages me to throw the ball long with the nods he gives me if I am on our sideline.” Arreguin finished, “It is so cool to have the record we have, and I am looking forward to seeing how far we get as the season continues.” Lady Eagles head coach Tyler Nichol is not surprised by the level of confidence on display by his team. Nichol points to the tough non-conference schedule Grain Valley played early on against opponents like Kearney, Park Hill South, and Notre Dame de Sion. That level of competition has bolstered his team as they prepare for the month of May and postseason soccer. “It is for sure better to be where we are at than to have to build it there,” Nichol said. “Good sportsmanship and character are the most important things that we want to show. At the same time, we have goals on the field that we are working towards and getting some of our players more than ten minutes on the field matters. At what point do you make rotational changes with your players? You have to find balance and we tried to do that tonight.” Nichol continued, “Manny (Tovar) is a great coach (for Truman) and he understands. We have a good relationship and his team pushed hard tonight the best they could. With everything that has gone on in the last year, the most important thing is that we are all happy to be playing soccer. We are blessed that we have not lost a game yet due to quarantine.” The Lady Eagles remain undefeated in their conference schedule. A young Grain Valley varsity squad with eight freshmen, including goalkeeper Morgan Solomon, who recorded the shutout in net against the Patriots, will next face Fort Osage, Incarnate Word Academy, and William Chrisman in the coming week. Emma Thiessen prepares to put the ball in play. Photo credit: John Overstreet Lexi Arreguin battles for control of the soccer ball. Photo credit: John Overstreet Raena Childers breaks into the clear.
Photo credit: John Overstreet by John Unrein Strong spring wind gusts often accompany the onset of warm weather in the Midwest. The outfield flags were blowing from right field to left field with up to 40 mph wind gusts as the Grain Valley Eagles paid a visit to the Fort Osage Indians on April 26th. The conditions made fielding fly balls and pop ups an adventure at times during the contest. Grain Valley middle infielders Avery Garmon and Parker Bosserman used the wind to their advantage in securing key runs batted in for the Eagles in their 4-3 comeback win against the Indians. Garmon was the first to deliver in the top of the third inning. The Eagles second baseman selected a pitch he could elevate to score Alex Snyder from third base on the sacrifice fly, providing Grain Valley an early lead. Bosserman would follow suit in the top of the sixth inning with the bases loaded. The Eagles shortstop would jump on the first pitch he saw and lifted a fly ball a mile high that twisted in the wind to land safely between third base and left field. The base hit was Bosserman’s third of the day and scored outfielders Snyder and Parker Stone. Bosserman continues to show a knack for connecting with fastballs in at-bats. “I adjusted my hands (on the bat) at the plate and looked for something I could lift. The ball took off enough to score Alex (Snyder). It was great to see the smiles on the faces of my teammates afterwards,” Garmon said. Bosserman added, “I was looking to be selective and possibly walk in my final at-bat. Instead, I went after the first pitch I saw, and the wind helped me with the rest. The baseball landed in a perfect spot and we got to continue our rally. Yep, I seem to be pulling everything at the plate right now.” Accompanying the Eagles offensive success was the starting pitching of Cole Keller on the mound. The senior hurler would give up two earned runs across five innings while striking out six and walking three. Keller would lean on his fastball when he needed to throw strikes and challenge hitters. Equally as impressive was the pick off of a Fort Osage baserunner at second base in the bottom of the first inning by Keller. “The strike zone was tight today and that made me focus on where I placed my pitches. It worked out well in that I threw strikes. I was impressed with the way Kaden (Jeffries) pitched in relief. The catch that Alex (Snyder) made at the end of the game was big for us as well. He is a young guy on this team that is stepping up to help his team win,” Keller said. Grain Valley third baseman Riley Bown would support Keller on the mound with a nifty defensive play in the bottom of the second inning. Bown would get his body in front of a hard hit grounder only to have it bounce off his forearm before picking up the ball and firing it to first base to record the out. Bown would not be alone in providing defensive gems for the Eagles. Snyder would record the last out of the game on a dead sprint towards the fence in right center field. The sophomore would put his outstretched glove on the ball just in time. Snyder took the correct route towards the baseball from the first step of his read while battling the sun and wind. Both Bown and Snyder drew loud applause from Grain Valley fans in attendance for their efforts. Eagles head baseball coach Brian Driskell admitted he did not know what to expect heading into the final inning as the energy level did not feel at high level amongst his team. The calm demeanor of Driskell’s team turned out to be a business like approach of finishing out the ball game. One that moved the Eagles record to 14-6 on the season and left Driskell happy with the outcome. “I did not think that Cole was at his best from start to finish, but he was really, really good there for three to four innings before he got tired near the end of his outing. He competed well with the tighter strike zone. Kaden (Jeffries) came in and threw hard late in the game to close things out as well,” Driskell said. “I think I may have cost us a few runs today at third base in my judgment of sending runners. Both Avery (Garmon) and Parker (Bosserman) picked me up, so that was big. Garmon saw the ball well today. Bosserman is a case of where the rich keep getting richer. He has a high average that will continue after his bloop hit that followed two scorchers.” Driskell concluded, “That was an outstanding play by Alex Snyder there at the end of the game. We talk a lot about if you cannot help yourself offensively, then you help yourself defensively. That saved the game and was as big as hitting a grand slam. That was a massive play.” Right fielder Alex Snyder makes a well timed catch for the last out of the game. Photo credit: John Overstreet Starting pitcher Cole Keller delivers the ball from the mound. Photo credit: John Overstreet Second baseman Avery Garmon advances to third base.
Photo credit: John Overstreet The Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association (GKCFCA) has traditionally let the All-Star game coaching staffs select players (with input from the association’s board of directors) for the summer classic clash between the best that Missouri and Kansas have to offer at the high school level. The 45 man All-Star roster for Missouri was announced via Twitter by GKCFCA on April 21st.
The Grain Valley Eagles football program was fortunate to have three players selected to represent the Show-Me State on June 10th for the contest at North Kansas City High School. The first day of All-Star game practice is scheduled to start on June 1st. Missouri currently leads the series with a 14-13 record against Kansas. The All-Star game was cancelled for 2020 due to COVID-19. Kansas won the last matchup by a score of 35-21 on June 13th of 2019. More details may be found at www.kcprepfootball.org Cole Keller Quarterback Donovan McBride Defensive Tackle Hunter Newsom Linebacker by John Unrein A rainy day on April 16th pushed Lady Eagles track practice indoors. Head coach Brian Winckler assembled his squad in the commons of the high school prior to start of practice. Winckler is mindful of the balance between giving the needed instructions and the willing attention span of student athletes eager to complete their workouts. The pride on Winckler’s face in the form a smile from ear to ear is unmistakable as he requested that seniors Abby Castle and Jordyn Weems provide an interview before they start training.
“Jordyn and Abby have both been very successful in our program for many reasons. They are great kids, great athletes, and are both tremendous leaders. Jordyn and Abby both showed that they were tremendous athletes early on in their freshman year, but they way have both grown as leaders and people in what has helped propel them to the next level,” Winckler said. “Both of these young ladies have been great to coach because they understand when it is time to have fun and when it is time to dig deep and compete. A lot of kids struggle with the ability of when to ‘turn it on’ in competition. However, both young ladies do a tremendous job of this. This attribute, along with their dedication to practice and the classroom is the primary reason why I know they will be very successful at the next level.” April 14th witnessed both Castle and Weems sign their letters of intent to continue their careers as student athletes at Missouri Southern University and Ottawa University, respectively. Castle has excelled as a pole vaulter, recently taking first place in the event at the Fort Osage Invitational. Furthermore, Castle has shattered the previous school record this season of 9’ 9” set in 2019 by pole vaulting an eye popping 10’ 6” at the Gary Parker Blue Springs Invitational. An impressive feat as Castle achieved full extension while narrowly clearing her feet, back, and head while only nudging the bar. Castle also uses her legs as springs to compete in the high jump. The event is usually filled with contestants that are strong, fast, and flexible. Castle has been able to successfully convert her speed into ankle flexion and leaping from her toes to represent Grain Valley. Both the pole vault and high jump are field events that require extreme focus and a short memory. “Being a student athlete has led me to be more responsible in knowing that I have people counting on me. I do not like letting people down, even it means more work on my end. More importantly, I do not want to let myself down. I have worked really hard to get where I am right now. I do not know if everyone is aware of what is needed in being a student athlete. I want respect and I am willing to do the work needed for that,” Castle said. “Pole vault is scary to learn at first. You are propelling yourself into the air with a stick and trusting that you will land on the mat. Track and field requires you to be mentally tough.” Castle continued, “I was terrified the first time I pole vaulted. Falling has not kept me from doing what I love. The point at which you know the pole is going to lift you over is super thrilling. You look down and see the ground pass by you at a high rate of speed. It is so fun.” “I am going to miss seeing my teammates the most every day as I reflect on my career here. They are the ones who helped me get to where I am today, even when I wanted to give up or needed encouragement.” Weems competes in a host of events for the Lady Eagles on the track. The 100 meter, the 200 meter, the 4 x 200 meter relay, the 4 x 400 meter relay, and long jump are the five events Weems is familiar with in the spring. A focus on fundamentals is a nuance that Weems commits to in supporting her team. Weems has joined teammates Huffman, Ogle, and Rogers to form an impressive 4 x 200 meter relay team. The anchor leg has often been given to Weems to hold a lead or make up needed ground at the end of the race. The quartet received third place medals at the Gary Parker Invitational in the event. Being called on to run the end of one of the most competitive events in track and field is something that Weems takes in stride. “Being a student athlete leaves you with a lot of responsibilities. You must focus on so much more than just school. It makes you mature fast in that you have to learn time management,” Weems said. “Sprinting is more than just the natural ability to run fast. You have to learn how to move your arms for example. Steps for a successful baton hand off during a relay race is another. Judging how fast another person is coming in is a big part of that.” “Maddie Rogers typically hands off to me. The read is on the person getting the baton. The person handing off says ‘ice’ when they extend the baton and the person receiving says ‘stick’ once they have secured the baton.” Weems finished, “I am going to miss the environment at Grain Valley. I also know I am headed to a good one as well (at Ottawa University). This is where I first started running track and I have been pushed to get better.” |
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