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by Michael Smith The running game was an important part of the offense for the Grain Valley football team in 2022, especially in the playoffs. During the 2021 playoffs, the Eagles ran 89 running plays and 46 passing plays in three games. The rushing attempts accounted for 66 percent of their plays. Having a run-heavy attack is common in high school football and that’s what Grain Valley leaned on last season. However, with senior quarterback Caleb Larson coming back to the team with a full varsity season under his belt, he will likely have more passing plays called for him for the upcoming 2022 campaign. That doesn’t mean the running game still won’t be a big part of the Eagle offense, though. Grain Valley will have three running backs that will carry the ball for the team, with each bringing a different type of skill set. “We are hoping to be 50-50 or 60-40 between running and passing plays this season,” Grain Valley head football coach David Allie said. “Our three running backs can do a lot of different things well and bring back some experience which will be good for the team.” Grain Valley will be without Jaxon Wyatt, who graduated last season, but will still have quality options at the position. Sophomore DJ Harris and senior Christian Lanear return with varsity experience at running back and junior Ty Williams will get some varsity experience this season after breaking his collarbone in Week 4 of the junior varsity season a year ago. “Without having Jaxon, it takes away a lot,” Harris said. “I know with Christian and Ty, we will have a lot of speed and a lot of power. I feel we will be better than people might think.” Harris has the most experience among the three as he was the No. 2 running back last season behind Jaxon Wyatt. He had 69 carries for 344 yards and seven touchdowns and six catches for 71 yards and another score. Last season, Harris had a bulk of his rushing attempts up the middle, but it’s not the only way he can tote the ball. “DJ is a hard runner and he can run between the tackles,” Allie said, “but he can bounce it outside when he needs to. That’s how he was used a lot in eighth grade. He was used on a lot of toss plays.” Lanear returns with a few varsity carries under his belt and he said he aims to earn more playing time this season, especially since it’s his senior season. “I am trying to sell out and put everything out on the field and get some film out there,” Lanear said. “I wasn’t completely happy with the performance last year. I had a couple of good runs last year, but this year, I am all in.” Williams brings experience as a quarterback and wide receiver as he played those positions in his freshman and sophomore years, respectively. Because he’s played those positions, Williams brings versatility to the Eagles as he can not only run effectively but can catch passes out of the backfield and read the defense. “Christian is a fast dude, he has breakaway speed,” Williams said. “And DJ can run anybody over. I can do a little bit of both. I am bigger, but I have some speed on me, too. We all have good hands and we are versatile. We can be used at any position.” “I have been playing a lot of different positions and it’s helped me progress as a running back. With my quarterback skill, I can see holes and make calls and with my slot (receiver) skills I can catch it and run with it.” But for them to have success, the offensive line will need to clear space for the running backs to move down field. The running back trio said it had a lot of confidence in the players up front, which includes two returning starters. “We have a lot of size on the team and a lot of speed with our pulling guards and even our tackles are quick,” Harris said. “I think our offensive line will be good this year.” Added Lanear: “I definitely think the D line will come up to our O line and look at them and say, ‘Oh, we will tear them apart. Then as soon as that ball snaps and one of those pulling guards comes they’ll be like, “Whoa, what just happened.” “The guys on our offensive line don’t look like they can kill you, but they will lay somebody out.” And that will help Grain Valley in the passing game, as well, where the running backs will be important on screens and check downs in a scheme that may involve more passing plays than last season. “I think now that we have Noah (Olah) and Caleb being more comfortable, I feel like there will be a lot more passing than running this year. We’ll see the season. I have a feeling that passing in the backfield with the running backs will be beneficial.” Added Lanear: “We got good hands. If the ball is swung to us, we’re going to catch it.” From left, sophomore DJ Harris, junior Ty Williams and senior Christian Lanear each bring a different skillset to Grain Valley's offense as they make up the running back corps. Photo credit: Michael Smith
The Grain Valley Education Foundation, Grain Valley High School Activities Department and the Grain Valley Eagle Booster Club will be hosting the 20th Annual Grain Valley Eagle Golf Fundraiser on Friday, August 12th at Adams Pointe Golf Club in Blue Springs. The event begins at 8:00am. Proceeds generated from the tournament support the students of Grain Valley through the many efforts of the Grain Valley Education Foundation, Eagles Booster Club and the Activities Department. Information on being a part of our tournament fundraiser as a sponsor is available in the packet below.
by Michael Smith Grain Valley boys and girls soccer coach Brett Lewis is getting an early look at what his teams will look like during the fall and spring. This week, he is running the annual boys and girls soccer camps which gives him a chance to evaluate incoming freshmen and the teams as a whole. The boys soccer season will begin in August, while the girls won’t see high school action until March. So far, through three days Lewis has been pleased with the turnout at camp and he said the increased numbers should help improve the depth both teams were lacking during the 2022 season. “Last season, I felt like we only had a couple girls subs that could step in and play at the varsity level,” Lewis said. “Next season, I think we are going to have six, seven or eight subs that can play at the varsity level, which will be really, really helpful for us.” Added senior Lexie Nicholson: “We have a lot more here than the past couple of years. We used to have the boys and girls together, but this year the boys and girls did separate camps because of the big turnout.” One of the benefits to that will be having fresh players to come in during games, allowing Lewis to consider using more of an aggressive, high-press style of soccer. “If we have the legs, it makes things so much easier,” Lewis said. “Our outside backs can press a little higher. Formation and tactics wise, we may look to add another midfielder in there. When you have more players that can play at the varsity level, it allows you to play multiple different formations and players can play different roles. There will be more options for us this year.” And that depth will be enhanced by a talented freshman group coming in for the girls side. “Reana’s little sister Radley is coming up, and she’s good, too. She will help us out a lot. And Lexie’s sister Taylor is a good, little player. We have several good freshmen. It’s exciting for us as a program.” Lewis noted the depth should improve for the boys team, as well. “Guys who didn’t get a lot of playing time last year, will get a lot of playing time this year,” Lewis said. “We have some younger players coming up for the boys, too. We have a really good freshman coming in (Cohen Hackworth), who broke his fibula in May. He’s technically out right now. He will be back on the field in August." “We will have some sophomores who will find themselves in starting spots like Alex Furman, David Roberson and junior Campbell Childers. They are all guys who didn’t start last year and will now be key, good starters for us.” During the camp, the players have been working on possession and passing drills and having fun in 11-on-11 scrimmages. Later in the camp, Lewis will divide the players into teams to compete in intrasquad scrimmages called the World Cup tournament in which the teams pick what country they represent. The camps and the tournament will be especially beneficial for the boys, whose season will start in a month in a half. “The boys use the camps as a preseason to the preseason,” Lewis said. “It’s competitive and we play a lot of small games. By the time tryouts start in August, we already know a ton about the players.” For the girls, the camps are all about building chemistry with each other. “We want to have open arms for the underclassmen,” Sophie Giuliano said. “The camps are good for team bonding and we get to know everyone and we try to get a feel for the season coming up.” Junior Sophia Giuliano, left, and senior Lexie Nicholson are among the players who participated in Grain Valley's summer soccer camp this week. Photo credit: Michael Smith
by Michael Smith When the Grain Valley football team played in the Class 5 District 7 championship last season, the passing game became key. The Eagles had just 52 seconds left to score a touchdown as they were down 17-10 to Raytown with their season on the line. Before the final drive, quarterback Caleb Larson only had thrown three passes. On this possession Larson completed five out of his 7 pass attempts and capped it off with an 11-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Keegan Hart with no time remaining. Austin Schmitt made the extra point to tie the game at 17-all and eventually won the contest 38-37. Because of that win, Grain Valley advanced to the quarterfinals of the Class 5 Tournament before falling to Fort Osage the next week. Throughout the playoffs, not only did Larson come up big, but so did his wide receivers. Three out of his four starting wide receivers return from last season and give the Eagles a group that is battle tested and has plenty of playoff experience. “We have returning receivers which is great and we have our quarterback coming back, who played really well last year,” Grain Valley head coach David Allie said. “We feel like we can throw the ball when we need to. We feel like we can be multidimensional. They are the most experienced group on the offensive side.” Returning to the Eagles at wide receiver are Anthony Greco, Hart and Brek Sloan, all of whom started at wide receiver for the first time in 2021. The group will be missing Logan Pratt, who graduated and was the team’s main deep threat down the field. “Honestly, I think we are going to exceed expectations, we have a fast group that has breakaway speed,” Sloan said. “We are crafty with our moves and consistently open up space. We are mastering every route. “Logan is one of a kind. We will miss him. But I think this group will be just as good, maybe even better.” The Eagles, however, will have a new weapon at receiver in Blue Springs transfer Noah Olah, who should contribute quite a bit to the team this coming season. “He and Anthony were friends before he came here and he’s fit right in,” Allie said. “That really helps. The other guys welcomed him with open arms.” Added Sloan: “He’s a dog. He will work hard and will compete with everyone. He has an extra gear in his speed.” Olah said he anticipates getting even more reps with the Eagles than he had with the Wildcats. “It’s been great,” Olah said about his time with Grain Valley so far. “It’s like a family, I really like it.” Greco, who had two games in which he had over 100 receiving yards, said he’s working on the fundamentals. “I am trying to get bigger and faster so I can become a better football player,” Greco said. “I’m just working on the little things.” Sloan has been moving around to different positions on offense as he’s one of the most versatile players on the Eagles. “Brek is athletic enough to play anywhere,” Allie said. “He could be our backup quarterback at the beginning of the season. He was so athletic, that we got him in as a receiver last year. We wouldn’t have won (the playoff game against Raytown), without his contributions.” If the Grain Valley receivers can make more strides over the summer, that could make things even better for Larson, who has experience playing with three of his receivers. “We have already seen in the offseason that the continuity the receivers have with Caleb helps a lot,” Allie said. “That relationship they have with the quarterback is going to be a pretty good one. Added Greco: “He definitely gives us a chance. He has some confidence under his belt.” Grain Valley receivers, from left, Noah Olah, Break Sloan and Anthony Greco still join Keegan Hart to form an experiment wide receiver corps. Photo credit: Michael Smith Noah Olah, a transfer from Blue Springs, runs a route during Tuesday's OTA.
Photo credit: Michael Smith by Michael Smith When Grain Valley graduate Drake Tipton joined the wrestling team at Missouri Valley College, there was one person who took him under his wing – Fort Osage graduate Elias Vaoifi. Vaoifi was a part of a global ministry called Athletes In Action, which has athletes from different sports join from around the world to travel to different countries to share their beliefs and experiences in regard to Christianity and compete against others in their respective sports. Vaoifi invited Tipton to join the ministry and it led the former Eagle to a trip that changed his life in the summer of 2021. He traveled to the Ukraine and Moldova to wrestle against overseas competitors and share his beliefs along with other wrestlers from the United States from Athletes in Action. There, of course, was a language barrier when Tipton engaged with those who lived in the Ukraine. “I couldn’t understand a lick of what they were saying and even though they couldn’t understand me either, they were some of the most friendly people I have ever met,” said Tipton, who was a two-time state qualifier and state medalist at Grain Valley. Tipton got to face off against some Ukrainian opponents and it ended up changing the way he wrestled. There was an opponent that he went up against in which the Missouri Valley sophomore lost 6-4. But in his second match with the same opponent, he won 10-6, gaining his opponent’s respect. “They had a relentless style of wrestling there,” Tipton said. “They are constantly on the attack. You have to earn their respect because they don’t respect you when they don’t know your language. When he beat me the first time he gave me this look that was like, ‘Get out of my face.’ “But after I faced him the second time, I won by a larger margin than he beat me, I got his respect after that and we were best friends. In the Ukraine, their job and livelihood is dependent on wrestling.” While there, Tipton also got to share his story about how he became a believer in Christianity and how it changed his life. One of the members of Athletes in Action, Steve Bennett, served as the interpreter between those who spoke English and those who spoke Ukrainian. “We shared the gospel and how we came to Jesus,” Tipton said. It was a trip the college sophomore will never forget and it changed his life and the way he wrestles. When he got back to the United States, he attended wrestling practices and camps at Blue Springs High School in the MO West Wrestling Club. After that, he went back to Missouri Valley College to practice and prepare for the 2021-2022 season. His teammates noticed a difference in Tipton’s style of wrestling and the change came because of what he learned overseas. “I used to be a defensive wrestler and react to what my opponent was doing,” Tipton said. “When I came back from Europe, I felt so much more confident on the mat. One of my teammates told me, ‘You are wrestling differently and in a scary way.” “I was much more aggressive. Even if someone gets in on my legs, I kept on the attack and wanted to score points at all times. That’s how they wrestle in the Ukraine and I picked that up. After coming back from overseas, I really felt like I belonged with these guys (at Missouri Valley College) and that I was on par with them.” Before the 2021-22 season, however, Tipton suffered a torn labrum while training in August, and decided to wear a brace while wrestling. He then had to change the way he worked out and trained so he wouldn’t make his injury any worse. “I couldn’t go as hard as I wanted to,” Tipton said. “Sometimes I had to ask to leave practice early and my coaches were understanding. I also wouldn’t have been able to get through the season without our trainer, Jordyn. She was my rock throughout all of this.” Tipton was able to wrestle and compete in duals and tournaments for the Vikings for the whole season and afterward, Tipton was able to focus on fully healing his injury as he had surgery after the season ended in March. “Thirteen weeks ago my shoulder felt great,” Tipton said. “I have never taken that much time away from wrestling before. I am excited to get back on the mat.” Tipton said he plans on attending an Athletes in Action Tournament in late August. It will be a senior-level tournament in which he will be wrestling against those older than himself. He plans on starting a fundraiser and has a T-shirt design in mind that he will be selling to help raise money for the trip. The cost will be around $3,000. He plans on getting started in July. For more information to donate, Tipton can be followed on Twitter @DrakeTipton79kg. “I am going to be going against grown men in the 79 kilogram weight class,” Tipton said. “It’s not going to be a cakewalk. “I truly appreciate the support I have been shown. And I hope we can continue to grow and reach new milestones.” In the meantime, Tipton will be training for that tournament and his sophomore season at Missouri Valley. He credited Grain Valley graduate Blake Desselle, who is a trainer at Exos Physical Therapy & Sports Performance, with helping him with his lifting program and “helping him compete at a higher level.” For his remaining three seasons in college, Tipton is aiming high in regard to his goals with the wrestling program. “I want to be an All-American,” he said. “If I had $1,000, I would bet $1,001 on myself. I am ready to let loose.” . Grain Valley graduate Drake Tipton traveled to the Ukraine in the summer of 2021 to share his story about being a Christian and competed against wrestlers overseas. Photos courtesy Drake Tipton
by Michael Smith Last season, the Grain Valley boys basketball team lacked size early in the season. Usually, the tallest player on the floor was 6-foot-2, so the Eagles started off using a motion heavy offense and used cuts and backdoor screens to get players open under the basket or on the perimeter. About halfway through the season, when injuries to starters Avery Garmon and Alex Snyder kept them out of the season, then sophomore Rhylan Alcanter was heavily featured as a post player and consistently put up double digit points. This year, not only is Alcanter returning, Grain Valley has another big man in the 6-foot-4 Stylz Blackmon, who is also looking like a solid scorer down low. That was on display during the Eagles sixth summer workout on Tuesday. So far, head coach Andy Herbert has liked what he’s seen. “It’s been as good of a summer as we have had in a long time,” Herbert said. “We have three or four guys that you have to respect (on the perimeter). That is just going to help Stylz and Rhylan out. If you can’t help off our shooters, that’s one less person Rhylan has to worry about. “We are trying to figure out how to play (Blackmon and Alcanter) together and toy with some different ideas on what they are comfortable with. The summer is a lot of trial and error.” The team was able to run different plays on offense with Alcanter and Blackmon providing an inside presence. The workouts, along with scrimmages have helped coach Andy Herbert and his team try new things and work out the kinks with his new-look team. “We have two of the biggest guys in Grain Valley on our team,” Troyer said. “We are trying to run different plays while running through those guys. “We had trouble getting guys in the right spot last year, but this year we are trying to get all that down.” While the Grain Valley offense will still feature a lot of off-ball movement, having two big men like Blackmon and Alcanter will allow the Eagles to play inside and out. Whenever Alcanter or Blackmon get double teamed, Grain Valley has the shooters to make other teams pay. During Tuesday’s workout, when Herbert had his team run 5-on-5 drills, the inside presence of the big men helped players like Owen Herbert, Raif Graham, Eli Hebert and Jack Shoen get open shots from behind the 3-point line. “Our post presence is going to be huge this year,” Owen Herbert said. “They don’t necessarily have to score, we just need them down there, to draw defenders so the guards can shoot from outside.” Up to this point, along with the six workouts, the Eagles have had a scrimmage early in the month at Raymore-Peculiar High School, where they went 3-1 playing against different teams in the Kansas City area like Raytown, Belton and Ray-Pec. “We did well there,” Andy Herbert said. “Nobody is keeping summer records but we did well to compete. “It’s the summer, nobody has scouted anyone. It doesn’t mean a lot but allows the guys to compete and play.” Beginning tomorrow, Grain Valley will travel to Warrensburg to participate in a three-day camp as it will be able to scrimmage against other teams who will also be attending. At the end of the month, Grain Valley will get to scrimmage against Van Horn, as well. “We’ll probably play seven or eight games with a 20-minute running clock,” Andy Herbert said of the UCM camp. “It will be fun and will be good for the guys. You get to see some teams you don’t see throughout the year. It will be a good opportunity for the kids to get away.” Grain Valley head boys basketball coach Andy Herbert talks to his team about this week's University of Central Missouri basketball camp. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley junior Stylz Blackmon looks for his shot in the post during a Tuesday workout. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley senior Reece Troyer drives baseline while looking for a teammate to pass to.
Photo credit: Michael Smith by Michael Smith A week after attending camp at Pittsburg State University, head football coach David Allie got a closer look at his team during the first week of organized team activities last Tuesday. The veteran coach will have a more experienced team to work with as he lost 17 seniors to graduation, which included eight players who received regular playing time during the 2021 campaign. The year prior, the Eagles lost 22 seniors and multiple starters. “We have a lot of guys who know the playbook,” Allie said. “We have a lot of our guys back on offense and five starters returning on defense. Last year was a learning process with so many new players playing varsity for the first time. This year we have players that know what to do out there and help their teammates.” To help matters even more, Allie will have plenty of players to choose from to fill out his starting lineup on offense and defense. He said there are about 125 students participating in summer OTAs and workouts for football. “We are running out of helmets,” Allie said. “There are a lot of kids and there is a shortage of helmets. That’s tough to deal with but it’s great to see so many kids out here working this summer.” And those numbers include a sizable freshman class and a wide receiver transfer from Blue Springs Noah Olah. “Our numbers are great,” Grain Valley junior offensive lineman Stylz Blackmon said, “especially our freshman class. We are getting a lot of help from the younger guys and we have a lot more versatility. “This year we are going to learn leadership and how to step up. We are going to have a blue collar mentality and work very hard.” During Tuesday’s OTA, the Eagles worked on drills, including those involving footwork and also ran a few plays in non-contact drills. “I noticed what we have been working on besides our basic steps is we are working on a lot more pass plays,” Blackmon said. “We are utilizing a lot more passing plays with our quarterback Caleb Larson getting better and better each day and each practice. “On the offensive line, we have worked on our down steps and learned to get faster off the ball and make it harder for teams to stop our run and pass game.” Middle linebacker Brody Baker and the rest of his defense also got some work in, as well, and he said the team was energized to get back on the football field. “We are definitely excited to get things rolling again,” Baker said. “There’s a lot of energy out here. We just wanted to keep the energy up even when it’s hot.” One of the ways the Eagles do that is with their non-football competitions on Thursdays. Last week, in which the players split into seven teams. Last Thursday’s competition was a tug of war tournament, in which senior Keagan Hart’s team won. “We have six or seven leaders who drafted teams,” Baker said. “The competitions keep us looking forward to the end of the week. Last year, we played basketball and played (medicine) ball dodgeball. It’s pretty fun.” Grain Valley head football coach David Allie talks to his team after their first organized team activity. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley senior quarterback Caleb Larson, yellow jersey, awaits the snap during a non-contact drill. Photo credit: Michael Smith Quarterback Caleb Larson gets ready to hand the ball off to sophomore running back DJ Harris.
Photo credit: Michael Smith by Michael Smith After Thursday’s summer camp session at Grain Valley High School, head coach Randy Draper had a message for his players. He pointed out a volunteer coach, former Eagles tennis player Ethan Cary, who graduated in 2021. Draper noted that Cary started out as the No. 42 overall player on the Eagles during his freshman year. After putting in the work over four years, Cary got better and eventually became the No. 1 singles player on the varsity team his senior year. “Let’s do the math here,” Draper said to the camp participants. “Ethan jumped 42 spots from his freshman year. You want to know why? It’s because he lived out here on the court and put in the work.” Draper wanted his players to know that hard work pays off. And one avenue Draper provides for them to get better are summer camps. At the camp, there were about 30 players in attendance. “We have a lot of kids out here who are new to the game,” Draper said. “I am always anxious to see which one falls in love with it. We have had a history of kids putting in the work and changing their high school trajectory and college trajectory for that matter. They said, ‘Whatever I have to do” “We have some kids who are playing somewhere else at other camps. We have athletic kids who are playing soccer right now. We have basketball players, too. We try to give them several different days to choose from so we can have them come to some of those.” This week, the Eagles practiced on Tuesday and Thursday, working on a variation of skills like footwork, serves, backhands and forehands. “We had a group that played more and did some higher level stuff,” Draper said. “We had the newer people learn a forehand and a back hand. We also worked on some approach shots. We’re trying to touch on every level of player we have and give them something to work on.” Cary added that the camps are valuable for those new to the game. “When the younger girls and guys watch some of the experienced players like Ben (Drinkwater), it helps a lot,” Cary said. “They all learn how to hit the ball and get used to it.” For experienced players like Drinkwater, it’s a way to keep sharp during the offseason. “I am just trying to stay on top of my game,” Drinkwater said. “I know I am not going to play again until next March. I am going to play in the Summer Slam (tournaments). I just don’t want to lose what I gained this season.” The summer camps will especially be important for the girls as their season will be this fall. “We will have about 30 girls play this fall and that’s going to provide some motivation,” Draper said. “If you want to move up in the rankings, you have to live on the court.” Grain Valley head tennis coach Randy Draper delivers a motivational story to his players after a tennis camp Thursday. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley's Landon Gilbert uses a backhand to return the ball over the net. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley's Ben Drinkwater looks on after hitting the ball over the net. Photo credit: Michael Smith
Dirt Demons A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 121-Eric Schmidt[1]; 2. 13JR-Nick Dangerfield[2]; 3. 15-Roman Stump[4]; 4. (DNF) 26-Jeff Stump[3]
Heat 1 (6 Laps): 1. 121-Eric Schmidt[1]; 2. 13JR-Nick Dangerfield[2]; 3. 26-Jeff Stump[4]; 4. 15-Roman Stump[3] E Mods MOkan .A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 86-Doug Brisbin[1]; 2. 33-Jeremy Curless[2]; 3. 00-Jason Ensley[4]; 4. (DNF) 65-Jason Smith[3]; 5. (DNF) 32M-Marcus Feuerstein[5] Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 86-Doug Brisbin[4]; 2. 33-Jeremy Curless[5]; 3. 65-Jason Smith[3]; 4. 00-Jason Ensley[1]; 5. 32M-Marcus Feuerstein[2] Mod LitesA Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 46-Dillon Raffurty[9]; 2. 41-Michael Raffurty[5]; 3. 75-Justin Raffurty[8]; 4. 98-Jeff Raffurty[4]; 5. 3-Nathan Wolfe[7]; 6. 2-Josh Guy[3]; 7. 3M-Mark Downey[10]; 8. 84-Joe Gunn[2]; 9. (DNF) 414-John Spitler[1]; 10. (DNF) 17-Kyle Guy[6] Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 46-Dillon Raffurty[5]; 2. 41-Michael Raffurty[3]; 3. 2-Josh Guy[2]; 4. 3-Nathan Wolfe[4]; 5. 414-John Spitler[1] Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 98-Jeff Raffurty[2]; 2. 75-Justin Raffurty[4]; 3. 17-Kyle Guy[3]; 4. 3M-Mark Downey[5]; 5. 84-Joe Gunn[1] B Modifieds A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 17-Rod Cordon[4]; 2. 75-Sebastian Wolfenbarger[1]; 3. 81-Austin Charles[2]; 4. 49-Shane Patch[3]; 5. 55-Lance Dixon[5]; 6. (DNF) 13U-Dylan Bruhn[6] Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 75-Sebastian Wolfenbarger[1]; 2. 81-Austin Charles[2]; 3. 49-Shane Patch[4]; 4. 17-Rod Cordon[3]; 5. 55-Lance Dixon[6]; 6. 13U-Dylan Bruhn[5] Pure StockMokanA Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 14-Cody Ohrenberg[2]; 2. 90-Terry Moss[1]; 3. 49-Bobby Ohrenberg[3] Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 90-Terry Moss[2]; 2. 14-Cody Ohrenberg[1]; 3. 49-Bobby Ohrenberg[3] Valley non wing Sprint car A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 74-Xavier Doney[6]; 2. 77-Jack Wagner[5]; 3. 11W-Wyatt Burks[1]; 4. 9H-Cody Baker[3]; 5. 37-Brian Beebe[2]; 6. 65W-Chad Winfrey[11]; 7. 93W-Taylor Walton[9]; 8. 11X-Tom Curran[14]; 9. 41-Brad Wyatt[8]; 10. 73-Samuel Wagner[7]; 11. 88G-Garrett Hulsey[17]; 12. 26-Zach Clark[15]; 13. 65-Chris Parkinson[4]; 14. 15E-Dakota Earls[12]; 15. 90-Warren Johnson[18]; 16. 2-AJ Gilbert[13]; 17. 6S-Spencer Martinez[20]; 18. 93-Buddy Parker[19]; 19. (DNF) 27J-Justin Johnson[16]; 20. (DNF) 03-Tyler Burton[21]; 21. (DNF) 2X-Kyle Lewis[10] Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 74-Xavier Doney[1]; 2. 11W-Wyatt Burks[6]; 3. 41-Brad Wyatt[3]; 4. 15E-Dakota Earls[2]; 5. 11X-Tom Curran[4]; 6. 27J-Justin Johnson[5]; 7. 93-Buddy Parker[7] Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 9H-Cody Baker[3]; 2. 37-Brian Beebe[6]; 3. 77-Jack Wagner[7]; 4. 2-AJ Gilbert[2]; 5. 26-Zach Clark[4]; 6. 88G-Garrett Hulsey[5]; 7. (DNF) 03-Tyler Burton[1] Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 73-Samuel Wagner[1]; 2. 65-Chris Parkinson[5]; 3. 93W-Taylor Walton[2]; 4. 2X-Kyle Lewis[4]; 5. 65W-Chad Winfrey[6]; 6. 90-Warren Johnson[3]; 7. 6S-Spencer Martinez[7] Grain Valley High School Track and Field athletes will be boarding buses Friday afternoon for State competition following an impressive showing at Sectionals last weekend in Mexico, Missouri. Among the highlights:
Senior Mason McCain set the school record in the 800m run with a time of 1:56.21, breaking the previous record set by Dalton Miller in 2017 of 1:56.93. This record adds to McCain's collection of school records. McCain now holds 4 school records, 2 individual records in the 800 and 1600, and and two records as a part of a relay (4x8 and mile medley). McCain and 4x400m team members Pratt, Hart and Weems also qualified for State with a third place finish at Sectionals. The Boys 4x200 relay team of Hart, Pratt, Larson and Weems capture the Sectional Championship with a time of 1:29.62. McKenah Sears continues her impressive season in the Javelin, winning the Sectional Championship with a throw of 42.90m to qualify for State. The Girls 4x400m team of Ogle, Fisher, Rogers and Huffman finish fourth with a time of 4:03.86, and head to State competition as well. A police escort is planned on Thursday afternoon as the team leaves the high school to head to State competition. (Correction: police escort date was corrected from Friday to Thursday 4:26pm 5/26/2022) |
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