​Trio of Eagles girls earn all-state at state

by Michael Smith


When she joined the Grain Valley track and field team as a freshman, now-senior McKenah Sears was testing out different events to see what she was best at.

Her original plan was to participate in the discus. But during a junior varsity event, she saw her name as a competitor in the javelin.

“I went up to the coach and asked, ‘Hey coach, is this a mistake? I don’t normally throw javelin.’ I had never thrown one before. And he said, ‘You’re just going to try it this week.’”

Little did she know that moment would change her future.

She is now one of the best javelin throwers in the state and will be competing for Texas State University next spring. Sears was one of three Grain Valley girls competitors to earn all-state honors, which go to the top eight finishers in each event. At this weekend’s Missouri State High School Track and Field Championships, she took fourth in the javelin with a throw of 42.47 meters.

Her effort helped Grain Valley finish 17th as a team with 12 points.

She did well at that first junior varsity meet in the javelin and stuck with it. She remembers when she first started, she couldn’t get it to stick in the ground. At first, she tried to throw it like a football. Now, she knows the proper technique to become successful.

“I remember getting made at the javelin,” Sears said. “I thought, ‘This sport is stupid! I hate it! I couldn’t even get it to stick in the ground.”

Now, she has two all-state honors under her belt and she accomplished the feat this season while still recovering from a major injury she suffered last year.

Sears said she is still trying to build up strength in her knees as she missed all last season with a torn meniscus. She still doesn’t have full strength in it, and it’s affected her performance in the javelin. But even with the challenges, she managed to get her second all-state finish of her high school career.

“I am blessed that I was able to throw,” Sears said. “At first, we were a little nervous with my knee and everything. I am excited to have a good functioning knee. I am still working on getting it strong because it’s not nearly as strong as it used to be.

“It’s pretty painful and weak. It’s mostly during practices. I don’t feel it during competitions thanks to Ibuprofen and adrenaline. That takes away most the pain.”

While Sears is a talented javelin thrower, she also represented the school well with her positive and infectious attitude.

“The medals are one thing, but the way she does it make me the proudest,” Grain Valley head girls track coach Nick Small said. “We had a MSHSAA media official approach us and say ‘Hey. Are you from Grain Valley?’ Any time you hear that you think, ‘Oh no. What is this about?’

“He just said, ‘I just want you to know your girl in javelin was so respectful and made our jobs so much fun.’ That’s a testament to her and the kids. You couldn’t ask for a better kid to represent our program.”

Junior Izzie Salsman finished with her first all-state honor in the high jump. She took fourth with a height of 1.62 meters.

In the high jump, competitors have three attempts to clear a certain height. If they can’t clear the bar in three attempts, they are eliminated from progressing to the next height. The bar is raised by .5 meters from 1.45 to 1.60. From the latter, the officials then increase the height by .02 meters until the first-place finisher cannot clear the bar.

Salsman didn’t clear the bar at 1.60 meters on her first two attempts and she had one last try before she would be eliminated. She ended up clearing it on the final attempt and went on to clear the bar at 1.62 meters.

“She showed some mental toughness and she came through clutch,” Small said of Salsman. “When she got over that bar, the look on her face said everything. She was so excited. She outperformed even what she thought she could do.”

And that mental toughness is something she had to develop late in the season.

“I am glad I was able to get here and overcome adversity,” Salsman said. “I overcame some mental blocks. On my way to meets, I usually do an athlete meditation and a breathe.”

Junior Alyssa Carver joined Sears and Salsman as an all-stater.  It was her second consecutive top eight finish at state in the pole vault as she took seventh with a height of 3.34 meters.

​Other Eagles girls to compete at state were junior Megan Prestia in the pole valut (11th, 3.19 meters) and senior Izabella West in the triple jump (13th, 10.77 meters).

Grain Valley junior Izzie Salsman attempts to clear the bar during the high jump Saturday at the Missouri State High School Track and Field Championships at Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City. She earned all-state honors in Class 5 by finishing in fourth place. Photo credit: Michael Smith