ShawneeDispatch.com

For the third time in school history, the Mill Valley boys and girls track teams swept the team titles Kaw Valley League.

The championship was the third overall for the boys and the eighth in a row for the Mill Valley girls, a remarkable stretch that dates back to the school’s opening in the 2000-2001 school year.

Mill Valley girls coach Mark Peck has been there for all of the titles, and even he admitted the accomplishment was a bit hard to believe.

“I still haven’t dwelled on what it means to have done this eight years straight, but I think it says a lot for the kids and for the coaches involved in our program,” he said. “It definitely says we’re consistent.”

The Lady Jaguars received contributions from both their stars and role players while compiling 175 team points, 22 more than runner-up Tonganoxie at the championships Wednesday at Santa Fe Trail High School in Carbondale.

Alaina Fairbanks and Katie Bauer led the way with two individual titles apiece. Fairbanks won the 100-meter hurdles in 16.54 seconds and the 300 hurdles in 49.97. She also placed second in the pole vault with a clearance of 9 feet, 6 inches.

Meanwhile, Bauer was the long jump champion with a leap of 16-8 3/4 and the triple jump champ with a mark of 35-2 1/2.

Bauer actually scratched on her first two attempts at the triple jump before landing the winning mark on her final try during the preliminary round.

“She was really focused and just muscled one out on that third attempt to get into finals,” Peck said. “That jump actually won it, so that was pretty exciting.”

Jasa DuMontelle won the high jump with a mark of 5-2, and Ashley Bowman was the pole vault champion with a clearance of 9-6. Meanwhile, Whitney Hartman was second in the 800 in 2:25.05.

Kelsey O’Hara added a pair of runner-up finishes in the 1,600 (5:57.11) and the 3,200 (12:51.01).

Peck said O’Hara, a senior, sealed the championship with her performance in the 3,200.

“I knew right then that it was over,” Peck said. “She’s solid and consistent, and that’s really nice.”

The Lady Jags depth shined through as well, and that made the difference.

While Bauer won both horizontal jumps, Andrea Kieffer was third in the long jump and fourth in the triple, Katie Saxon was fifth in the long and Denise Cobb was fifth in the triple. Bowman and Fairbanks went 1-2 in the pole vault, but Kieffer was third with a clearance of 8-0. Fairbanks won the 300 hurdles, but Bethany Gagelin was second in 50.91. She also placed fourth in the 100 hurdles. Nicole Garretson was fifth in the shot put and discus. Danielle Berry was fourth in the high jump and Jordan Ross was fifth.

“When you look at it, that’s where we won,” Peck said of his squad’s depth. “That really was the key, and it has been the key for us over the years. We had three kids place in the pole vault, long jump, triple jump and high jump. When you come out of those events placing three, that offsets some of the better athletes (on other teams) and that helps us immensely.”

Mill Valley also was strong in the relays. The Lady Jags finished second in the 3,200 relay, third in the 1,600 relay and fourth in the 400 relay.

Depth also was the key for the Mill Valley boys as they edged Bonner Springs 142-129 for the team title.

Sprinters Matt Sittenauer and Colin Orand combined to account for 58 of the Jaguars’ points, but the throwers delivered too, placing all three participants in the top six.

Sittenauer was the league champ in the long jump with a leap of 22-8 1/2, and he added runner-up finishes in the 100 (10.95), 200 (23.10) and triple jump (42-10). Meanwhile, Orand placed first in the 300 hurdles in 42.33, second in the 400 in 52.03 and third in the 110 hurdles in 15.38.

“The most remarkable performance was by Orand,” MVHS boys coach Chris Dunback said. “He got third in the hurdles. And then we put him in the 400 because he wanted to break the school record. He ran it at North and then ran it at league and ran a 52 flat and almost broke the record. And the very next race is the 300 hurdles, and he turned around and won the league championship and almost broke his own school record. Talk about a gutsy performance.”

In the throws, Max Carroll won the javelin with a toss of 179-4, Mike Butko was third and MaCauley Garton was sixth. Mark Grinstead won the discus with a mark of 136-0, and Chris Mayer and Shawn Stene finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Stene was second in the shot put with a heave of 48-10 1/4, Mayer was third and Tyler Gadwood was fourth.

“The key was in those throws,” Dunback said. “All three guys scored in all three events. We came out of there with about 48 points just in the throws, which is a heck of a good deal.”

Mill Valley had a few other standout performances. Ryan Felshaw placed second in the pole vault with a clearance of 10-6, and Calab Smith was fourth in the 800 in 2:09.41. The 1,600 and 3,200 relay teams also placed third.

Mill Valley next competes at 3:30 p.m. Friday at home at the Class 5A regional meet. Other schools in the regional are Bonner Springs, Gardner-Edgerton, Harmon, Turner, St. Thomas Aquinas, Pittsburg and Bishop Miege.

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