There’s dominance and then there’s what Grain Valley senior Madison Rogers did in Thursday’s Suburban Conference Championships.
     Rogers led the diving event in the White Conference from start to finish as she ended up with a score of 371.90 as she easily took first at Belton High School.
     Her score was 102 points ahead of second-place Nina Prince of Belton.
     “I felt pretty good about my diving,” Rogers said. “I tried a dive that was pretty new for me, but I feel like I could do better.”
     “It feels like a good way to end my senior year.”
     That new dive is her front 2 ½, one which she got a score of 5.5 from all five judges. Her best dive was her front 1 ½ pike.
     “I will take it,” Rogers said. “It’s a new dive I just learned this season. I haven’t had much time to work on it.”
     “I got sevens across on the front 1 ½ pike. I just hit it pretty good and felt good about it.”
     Grain Valley diving coach Shelly Pollock said that Rogers had improved since the beginning of the season and is confident her senior can push through to the state competition.
     “She’s been diving for a long time with club divers, which has been good for her,” Pollock said of Rogers. “We are just looking to change a few dives up and working on some things on the diving board.”
     Rogers’ teammate, senior Jadyn Jarman, took sixth with a score of 244.50.
     “They dove really well,” Pollock said of Rogers and Jarman. “We are still working on consistency on our approaches and they changed up a few dives. That is going to make things better for districts next week.”

     It was a night to remember for the Grain Valley wrestling team.
     In Wednesday’s tri dual, the Eagles finished the 2022-23 regular season undefeated in duals for the first time since 2001 following a 66-15 drubbing of Blue Springs South and a 51-26 victory against Fort Osage at home.
     Not only that, senior Brock Smith joined Dru Azona and Tanner Barker as Grain Valley wrestlers to earn their 100th career win this season as he got pins in both of his bouts.
     “Always pleased but never satisfied,” Grain Valley coach Donald Horner said. “I have an amazing group of kids. We went into the hallway and I reminded them, ‘The job is not done.’ We’re working to bring home a state trophy and a district trophy.”
     With wrestlers like Smith (126) and the four other wrestlers ranked in the top six of their weight class, the Eagles could do just that. The senior used a headlock takedown to win by fall against Fort Osage’s Joseph Hunt and he used a half nelson to turn South’s Simone Creek for a pin in 1 minute, 35 seconds.
     “I am fired up that I got it,” Smith said. “It took a little longer than I thought it could but hey, I got there. I'm happy it’s done.”
     “I haven’t felt the best recently but I was able to get the job done in both my matches.
     So did Gavin Barker (215), who recently came back from missing a month due to an ankle injury. He looked sharp on Wednesday as he used an arm bar to turn South’s Bryson Nelson to get a pin in 2:58. He also won by fall against Fort Osage’s Nathan Parkerafter using a chicken wing to get the turn and the pin.
     “I am feeling a lot better,” Barker said. “There is still a little bit of soreness. But I am still good enough and should be 100 percent by districts.”
     “I was focused and I was moving constantly. I wasn’t trying to do too much.”
     Senior Tyler Groves (144) is having a career year and he picked up a couple of big wins over wrestlers he may see in the district tournament. He used a cradle to pin South’s Carter Roach in 1:11 and also used a head and arm to put down Fort Osage’s Grayson Moore on his back in 1:30.
     “To be honest, I was nervous about that match,” Groves said of his bout with Moore. “I had a great pep talk with my coach. He told me ‘To just go out there and wrestle your match. It’s your last one. You just have to take care of business.’ That’s what I did. I just kept applying pressure.”
     Other Eagles to finish 2-0 on the day were Zac Bleess (113), Gavin Parks (120), Dru Azcona (132), Justin Deweese (157) and Tanner Barker (165).
 
GIRLS
 
     Grain Valley split four contested matches with Fort Osage, but had too many opens as it fell 57-18.
     Defending state champion and No. 1-ranked Sevreign Aumua (140) pinned Kayleigh McGrath and Madison Hobbs (130) won by fall over Becca Marlow. Camary Schmalzbach got the other win for the Eagles by forfeit.

​     Education has been at the cornerstone of Jan Reding’s life, and the main focus of a life in service to the community.
     “Education has been an important part of my life. My father was in education, and I live by his words: ‘The more you learn, and the more you give, the better you’re going to be,” Reding said.
     Jan Reding is serving her twenty-third year on the Grain Valley school board. She has one son who is a 1990 graduate of Grain Valley High School and has three granddaughters. She received a BS in Business Administration from Central Missouri State University (now University of Central Missouri) and served as building manager of the Power & Light Building in Kansas City from 1961 until her retirement in 1998. She holds a master’s certification from the Missouri School Boards Association.
​     Reding serves on the Grain Valley Education Foundation Board, is a Director Emeritus of the University of Central Missouri Foundation Board, and serves on numerous community and nonprofit boards, including the Grain Valley Assistance Council, United Methodist Women of Faith UMC, Grain Valley Historical Society, and is treasurer of FOCUS of Grain Valley, treasurer of the Oakland Cemetery Association, and secretary of the board of the William Chrisman Class of 1953. She also creates a quarterly newsletter to help keep her classmates in touch.
     As Reding looks to serve another term, two focus areas are top in her mind. First, Reding said, is the challenge of wisely growing and maintaining the district’s facilities to accommodate the more than 4,400 students attending K-12.
     “We continue to be such a growing community. We need to put our resources to work in the best way we possibly can,” Reding said. Reding is also focused on equipping teachers with the resources and support needed in their roles.
     “We have an excellent teaching staff, and our focus should be on attracting and retaining quality people with the resources they need to be successful.”
     As for the board’s role in supporting these focus areas, Reding says their role is clear.
     “It is our role to not bring an agenda to the table, to represent every student, and be willing to participate in active discussions in all areas. We must also work to make sure the public understands the reasoning behind the decisions we make and to be responsible and trustworthy. Our main role is to ensure we are effectively educating every student, every day, and that we are making decisions that are good for all kids.

     This is the game that Grain Valley girls basketball coach Randy Draper said he was waiting for.
     More often than not, senior forward Grace Slaughter scores a bulk of the team’s points, often dropping 30-plus.
     In Friday’s championship game of the Grain Valley Invitational, Draper in the Eagles didn’t need Slaughter score as much as usual.
     The senior did have a game-high 23 points, but had plenty of help as guard McKenah Sears and Finley LaForge combined for 26 points in a 63-44 victory at home against the Blue Springs South Jaguars.
     “I have always envisioned multiple scoring options with the way we moved the ball,” Draper said. “Today is about as close as he have come to being where I want us to be offensively.
     “Now you gotta do it again.”
     And that’s the kind of performance Draper hopes to get out of his players not named Grace Slaughter for future games. If Grain Valley can get games like what LaForge and Sears had, the team could be dangerous come playoff time.
     LaForge scored 14 points, including a trio of 3-point baskets and Sears added 12 as she hit a pair of treys to help Grain Valley space the floor.
     “Three of us were in double digits and that is key for us,” LaForge said. “It is hard to beat us when three or four of our players are in double digits, especially with Grace on our team.”
     Added Sears: “If we can keep doing what we are doing with our double digit scorers, and we are sharing the wealth, we are going to win.”
     After the Eagles posed for photos following the win, they doused Draper with water in the weight room.
     “If they play like that, they can do that all the time,” Draper said of the water dump from his players. “It’s not like it ruins my hair.”   
     Grain Valley raced out to a 20-6 advantage at the end of the first period and held on to a 27-15 lead at halftime. In the first half, South star forward Kendall Puryear scored 13 points. For the rest of the game, the Eagles limited her to six as they focused a lot of their defensive attention to stopping the junior.
     Grain Valley packed the paint to make it difficult for Puryear to receive entry passes. Any time she caught the ball in the second half, there were at least two Eagles defenders surrounding her. Draper and his players gave senior forward Ella Clyman a bulk of the credit for the defense on Puryear.
     Not only did the Grain Valley defense do a good job of guarding Puryear in the post in the final 16 minutes, the Eagles made life difficult for South’s perimeter players as they hounded them, got into passing lanes and got deflections that resulted in turnovers.
     “When we realized she was their main threat, we really buckled down,” Sears said. “We were laying off their other shooters and made their guards prove they could shoot before we guarded them close on the perimeter.”
     “(Puryear) is really, really strong, but Ella did a really good job on her.
     For the game, Grain Valley (14-4) had 11 steals and that helped it take a 43-27 lead into the fourth as the team cruised to a victory.
     Slaughter, Sears and LaForge were all named to the all-tournament team.

     The Grain Valley boys basketball team has been on fire.
     The Eagles came into the Grain Valley Invitational semifinal game against Platte County on a six-game winning streak.
     A big part of that spurt has been the defense. During the winning streak, Grain Valley has surrendered just 47.1 points per game. On Thursday, Grain Valley turned in another stellar defensive performance, holding the Pirates offense in check during a 64-40 victory at home.
     The Eagles advance to the championship game of their tournament for the first time since 2014. They will play St. Thomas Aquinas out of Kansas at 3:30pm for the championship.
     “We went from a team that was flinching every time and were scared to play defense to a team that gets in the passing lanes and is frothing at the mouth get after it on defense,” Grain Valley junior Stylz Blackmon said.
     For the Eagles, it came down to stopping two players – Boston Wahlert and Judah Vignery. The former scored a team-high 15 points but Vignerty only had three as Grain Valley executed their defensive game plan to near perfection.
     “If we handle those two, then we can mess with them,” Grain Valley freshman Eli Herbert said. “They were confused the whole night and they were second guessing everything and that was what was great about our defense.”
     “We tried to make every pass as hard as possible. When they tried to get downhill, we just squeezed it and we have sneaky long arms with our guards and we could get tipped passes.”
     Grain Valley head coach Andy Herbert was certainly pleased with the defensive effort of his team and being unselfish on offense.
     “We knew who their shooters were other than (Boston Wahlert), who got loose early,” Grain Valley head coach Andy Herbert said. “We didn’t get to him in the first half but we did in the second half.
     “It also comes down to rebounding and our guys did a decent job of that. The guys played tough and they were unselfish.”
     Eli helped give the Eagles a 16-11 lead by scoring 13 of his game-high 22 points in the first half as he was off to a hot start. His team extended the advantage to 36-23 at halftime after Blackmon put in seven of his 12 points in the frame.
     Blackmon, who comes off the bench and splits minutes with starting forward Rhylan Alcanter has fit his role perfectly for the Eagles as a low-post scorer, a rebounder and a rim protector.
     “Stylz is a great kid. He works hard and he’s so fun to be around,” Eli said. “When Rhylan comes out, you can’t tell the difference. That’s a nice thing to have two post guys like that.”
     Blackmon said he enjoys his role on the team.
     “I am happy my team is winning and I want to do anything to help my team win,” Blackmon said. “I am glad that all the puzzle pieces fit together as Coach said earlier. We have guys who play well together and know their role.”
     The Eagles (13-5) ballooned the lead to 49-33 going into the fourth with Alcanter putting in six points and Herbert was able to empty his bench 3 minutes in the fourth as his team led by as many as 24 points.
     Alcanter added 10 points to help his team to victory. Platte County Chandavean Bradley also had 15 points for the Pirates.

Grain Valley junior Logan Marcum, right, looks for an open teammate.

​Grain Valley senior Owen Herbert is by himself during a fast-break opportunity after receiving a pass from Jack Schoen. ​

          Sarah Swartz may be a first-time candidate for the Grain Valley School Board, but her connections to Grain Valley run deep.
     Swartz attended Grain Valley schools from 5th grade until she graduated from Grain Valley High School (GVHS) in 2002. She married her high school sweetheart, also a Grain Valley grad, and has one son who attends Sni-A-Bar Elementary, where Swartz is the secretary of the school’s PTA. Swartz is also active in her homeowners’ association. Swartz says her decision to run for school board simply stems from her desire to be involved in her community.
     “It is something that has always intrigued me. Really, it is just an opportunity to give back to a community I love. I’ve lived here a really long time. I went to school here, and now have a child in the district. I think I could add a different ear to the current board.”
     After attending the University of Central Missouri and starting a career in the advertising and public relations industry, Swartz felt called to become a teacher. Swartz taught at GVHS, teaching journalism, photography, and yearbook for five years before moving to William Chrisman High School to teach English. Swartz later earned a counseling degree and now serves as a counselor at William Chrisman.
    Pointing to heated issues surrounding public education that tend to make headlines regionally and nationally, Swartz maintains the focus of members of the school board should be on thoughtful, patient leadership, and making sure the district staff entrusted with students “need to know they are appreciated and valued for what they do.”
     “When you look nationally, we seem to be super divided right now as a nation. I think this person over here on this extreme is loud, and this person on the other extreme is loud, and most of us live in this middle that is pretty content and happy. We like each other and once we understand each other we work really well together,” Swartz said.
    “I’ve had great experiences with my son’s teachers, and any issues he’s had, it has always been resolved and done appropriately. Through my involvement with the school, I feel like I know what is going on, because I have chosen to be involved. I think that what happens often is we make a lot of assumptions about what is going on in our schools without really getting involved or taking time to understand.”
     When asked about how she views the role of a board member and the priorities the school board should be focused on in the next few years, recruitment and retention of staff and equitable facilities for all students were top of mind for Swartz.
     “The role of the board is very defined. Hold the adults accountable that are in charge. Making sure you have the best staff in place. Making sure you are attracting the best staff to meet the needs of all students, and thoughtfully looking at policies and procedures.”
     Swartz says the best practice for board members to navigate tough issues and ensure the community is heard and involved is to carefully consider each issue and not make impulsive decisions.
     “Really vetting something out, really taking time to understand fully what is going on and how a decision may impact staff and students. I also think it would be great if we got more student input on issues.”
     In terms of priorities, Swartz believes the board should focus on staffing and planning for future growth.
     “One of our top priorities should be attracting the best teachers, because ultimately that is who our kids spend their day with all day, every day. I could still tell you the names of all my teachers from kindergarten to sixth grade. They (teachers) are the true foundation of how our kids grow up. We want to make sure we are attracting the best qualified, diverse pool candidates so we are sure we represent our population appropriately.”
    “We also need to continue to make sure class sizes are equitable for all students and that we are focused on thoughtful future growth.”
    Swartz said that she has noticed that while there is understandable focus on the achievements of high school students during school board meeting recognitions, she would like to see highlights of achievements in all grades more regularly.
     “We celebrate all the state finalists, high school scholarship and other award recipients, which is common and understandable. Our early childhood, elementary, and middle schools deserve just as much love as sanctioned high school activities.”
     “Our early childhood center is phenomenal. And we know that if we get kids the early interventions they need, their success can be that much greater and much quicker. There are so many great things going on at the elementary and middle school levels that should be celebrated as well.”
     Asked if there was anything else she would like to share with residents, Swartz had one plea.
     “Vote. Just vote. In a town of more than 15,000 people, it is surprising we have such low voter turnout. Whether I get elected or not, or whether the board looks like who I would choose or not, it is what our community wants. But when we have such a low voter turnout, it is hard to believe that it is a true reflection of what our community wants. I want everyone to vote because I want our board to be a reflection of the people who live here, who love our schools and the community that we have.”
     Swartz is one of seven candidates running for Grain Valley School Board, just one of several issues for voters on the April 4, 2023 municipal election ballot. For voter registration information, visit www.jcebmo.org. 
Valley News will profile each candidate on the ballot in the weeks leading up to the election, provide a voter guide, and plans a candidate forum in late March. To search for all election related articles, click on “Elections” under the categories on our News page. 

     The Board of Education met January 19th and began the meeting by recognizing All-State band and orchestra students, and the state champion high school cheer team.
     Denise Holmberg, RN, Director of Health Services, gave an update on the health program. Holmberg reported that each building in the district is supplied with Narcan (brand name for Naloxone), which is used to treat narcotic overdose in an emergency. Holmberg also highlighted a partnership with Giving the Basics, a local nonprofit which supplies personal care items that are not covered by government assistance programs. Approximately 150 students benefit from participation in the program.
     A review of the administrative dashboard noted student attendance at 84.9%, dipping below the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) 90% standard.
     A trap shooting club for high school students, to meet at Lake Lotawana Sportsmen’s Club, plans to begin meeting as early as March.
     Safety bollards being installed at front entrance of all schools. The high school’s bollard will be stone, matching the current stone elements at the entrance.
     The timeline for the 2023-24 budget planning process were reviewed. First estimates of revenues for 2023-24 are expected in March. Priorities for the next budget year include maintaining class sizes within district standards, addressing the “increasing costs of meeting the academic and behavioral needs of all students”, and providing competitive pay for staff.
     The Board also discussed the video broadcasting of school board meetings. Superintendent Brad Welle indicated the opportunity to broadcast meetings for online viewing by patrons may be possible as early as June 2023 when the Board begins meeting in the district’s new central office building.
     The next meeting of the Board of Education will be held February 16th. 

     Grain Valley veteran girls basketball coach Randy Draper stared intently at the court.
     Arms crossed, lips pressed together and sitting in a chair, Draper was likely trying to find a way to make his team even better.
     This was about 6 minutes before the end of Grain Valley’s non-conference matchup with Kearney. It wasn’t time to celebrate, at least it wasn’t at the time even with the Eagles leading by 20-plus points throughout the fourth period.
     After Grain Valley came away with a 47-23 win as the final buzzer sounded, Draper’s players surrounded him and applauded and cheered for their leader as the public address announcer stated that he won his 500th career game as a coach.
     It was a milestone not many coaches achieve. But Draper, a pillar of the community, added another highlight to his legendary coaching career.
     “I told them it’s a great honor,” Draper said of his conversation with his team. “My job is to maximize every team and get this team to maximize its potential. We have some work to do, but I love this team. They enjoyed it and I am glad about that.
     “Five hundred seems like a lot when I just say it. I just tried to maximize my teams then one day you have 500 (wins).”
     After the announcement Draper was presented with a basketball signed by his players. He also received some yellow notepads, a six-pack of Diet Mountain Dew and some Reese’s peanut butter cups.
     “They got all the hits,” Draper said of the goods he received from his team. “The yellow legal pads and the Diet Mountain Dew, they hit all the hotspots for me.”
     Some players then snuck behind him as senior Grace Slaughter, Ella Clyman and Cameryn Bown dumped a Gatorade cooler full of blue and white confetti on Draper as he bent over and pumped his fist halfway through.
     Draper then posed for a photo with his players and the Grain Valley cheerleaders held a banner behind him and the players that had a photo of a road and some trees. It read, “THE DRAPER 500.”
     Draper began as a boys basketball coach in Madison, Missouri. After one year at Madison, he returned to the University of Missouri to serve as a graduate assistant with the University of Missouri men’s basketball team.
     He spent seven years at Camdenton before coming to Grain Valley where he spent the last 22 years of his career. His first win came against Higbee High School. He is now in his 22nd season in Grain Valley and 30th overall as a head coach.
     “Both towns were out in force,” Draper said chuckling, while describing the game where he got his first win.
     It was also a special moment for three of his athletes as the game also served as Senior Night for Slaughter, Clyman and Bown. They were ecstatic to see their head coach accomplish such a special feat.
     “We’re all so happy for him and I am happy to be a part of that,” Clyman said. “To see him get his 500th win was cool. I remember going to the games as a kid and watching his teams play. Now I am playing for him.”
     Added Slaughter: “Draper does more than you can imagine for this team. From watching film and watching other players and trying to help us become better basketball players and better people. To witness this moment is so special and amazing.”
     Draper has built a reputation and a players’ coach as he has made many friendships and close relationships as evidenced by some of his former players attending the contest.
     “We know he cares about all of us as a person,” Clyman said. “He’s an amazing coach but he takes time to get to know us as a person.”
     Meanwhile, it was also a special game for three of Draper’s athletes as it was Senior Night for Slaughter, Bown and Clyman. Slaughter led all scorers with 21 points and Clyman had four. Bown led a pesky Grain Valley defense that made things difficult on the perimeter players for Kearney.
     Grain Valley led 9-8 after one period and went into halftime up 23-10. The Eagles entered the fourth up 36-14 and cruised the rest of the way.
​
 
Boys
 
     GRAIN VALLEY 69, KEARNEY 51: In the first game of the boys-girls doubleheader, the Grain Valley boys basketball team got its fifth win a row as they cruised to a victory over the Bulldogs.
     Kearney led 19-15 after the first quarter but a big second quarter saw the Eagles come back and lead 34-25 at halftime. The Eagles (11-5) increased the lead 54-40 going into the fourth and closed it out.
     Freshman Eli Herbert led Grain Valley with 26 points, including five 3-pointers. Junior Logan Marcum added 14 and senior Rhylan Alcanter chipped in with 11.

      It was a Senior Night to remember for the Grain Valley wrestling team.
     On the gym floor, were big letters and numbers that lit up that read “GVHS 2023.” There also was a blue blow up tunnel to help give the Eagles flashy entrances to their matches.
     It was an ideal setting for a senior class that includes Brock Smith, Dru Azcona, Tanner Barker, Andrew Czeschin and Tyler Groves as they have been the heart and soul of the team.
     They showed why in Wednesday’s dual against Suburban White Conference foe Belton at home.
     All five seniors picked up victories as the No. 6-ranked Eagles highlighted a 54-21 rout of the Pirates.
     “They all got good wins and they are good kids,” Grain Valley head coach Donald Horner said. “I am really going to miss them. I really appreciate them welcoming me into the community and believing in me. Today shows they are buying in and that speaks volumes to their character.”
     The wrestling the seniors did on the mat spoke volumes, as well.
     Smith reflected on his four years with the Grain Valley program after he jumped out to an 11-2 lead against Aidan Moody before using a head and arm to force his opponent’s shoulders to the mat for a pin in 2 minutes, 36 seconds.
     “It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Smith said of it being one of the last times he will wrestle at home. “Today it is just another match. I enjoyed my four years at Grain Valley and I will miss it for sure.”
     Before he went through the tunnel, Smith was stretching the straps of his singlet at a rapid pace, getting hyped up for his match.
     “I was just trying to feel the crowd. It was a great crowd,” Smith said. “This is the most packed I have seen. I am grateful to have this on Senior Night.”
     Barker (165) shared similar sentiments as Smith for it being a “just another match” for him, even on Senior Night.
     He controlled his match from start to finish as he came away with a 9-5 victory against Quinten Attebury. During the bout, Barker used shot fakes to set up his single-leg takedowns and he perfectly timed his sprawls to evade shot attempts from his opponent.
     Against Attebury, Barker had a somewhat difficult time getting to his offense, however.
     “I can’t really do much when a kid is stalling,” Barker said. “I have to make him work and be the most dominant guy out there. I don’t like when someone is not working.”
     Azona, like Barker, had a tough match. The senior was facing one of the better wrestlers in the Kansas City area in the 132-pound weight class – Lane Cross. He made a second-period takedown and escape hold up, as he rode out Cross in the third to take a 3-0 decision.
     Groves (144) had a short Senior Night match as he hooked a cradle to pin Diego Suarez in 27 seconds. Andrew Czeschin (235) got a forfeit victory.
     Other Eagles to earn victories were Zac Bleess (113) by a 22-second pin; Gavin Parks (120) by forfeit; Aden Kinser (150) by pin in 1:43 and Landen Marriott (157) by pin in 2:57.
 
GIRLS
 
     The Grain Valley girls wrestling team had just one win in a contested match as it fell 60-24 to Belton.
     Jayden Moehle was the lone Eagle to win a contested match as she pinned Emily Kilpatrick in the second period after trailing 5-0.
     “I tried to grab her head and leg and I tripped over my own feet,” Moehle said of the moment when Kilpatrick to the 5-0 lead. “I landed on my back but I kept moving and got off my back.
     “I got her down and got her into a chicken wing and got the pin.”
      Severeign Aumua (140), Mckenzie Davis (125) and Adalia Del Real (170) each won by forfeit for the Eagles.