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Strategy pays off for Griffins
By Bill Knust
Winnetonka High boys track coach Ken Peek said last week the Griffins were only taking the kids to the Class 4 District 8 meet he thought had a chance to qualify for sectionals. Peek sure did a good job of picking the right kids, as the 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams advanced, along with Carvell Clagget in the 100 and Duggan Grant in the pole vault.
Grant won the vault at Blue Springs, clearing 14 feet, 6 inches. He will advance to the sectional meet at Lee’s Summit North on Saturday, May 17. In a meet where one bad day can end your season, Grant said his experience paid off.
“You just have to put that aside, come in and vault your best and hope everything takes care of itself,” Grant said. “You just can’t let the pressure get to you, because you are going to choke then. You just have to come in and have fun.”
With weather conditions cold, rainy and windy ¬¬— pretty much the norm for track this season — Grant said it has been frustrating competing.
“My performance was not exactly what I was hoping for, but given the conditions I’ll take it,” Grant said. “I think we have had maybe three meets that have had good weather. It makes it a little difficult.”
While Grant was winning the pole vault, Clagget’s future for this year was in doubt.. In the 100, Clagget was not sure if he was going to qualify. His finish with Park Hill South’s Dario Termini was too close to call, but unofficially the judges had given the final spot in sectionals to Termini. After looking at the video finish, though, the judges determined Clagget had eeked it out.
“When they told me I had finished fifth the whole season flashed before my eyes,” Clagget said. “I really regretted some times I didn’t work as hard as I could at practice. I was really eager to get back to school and work harder to make up for it next year.”
With only three months of track experience under his belt, Clagget qualified in the 100 and was part of the 400 relay as well. Clagget was given new life, but with a tough task at hand in sectionals this weekend, he said he plans to go as hard as possible to prepare himself.
“It’s kind of intimidating, especially with this being my first year in track,” Clagget said. “It’s going to be fun, though. I am looking forward to it.”
The Griffins also needed video confirmation in both relays. In the 1,600 relay they snuck past Truman by two-hundredths of a second, and in the 400 relay they edged out Blue Springs by four-hundredths of a second.
Griffin girls throwers both get through to sectionals
Peek said the biggest difference in Winnetonka discus thrower Olivia Clark and shot putter Amber Sanford was on display Saturday.
With the pressure of a make-or-break situation on their shoulders, both girls delivered. Clark broke the school record with a throw of 112-8 to earn her first trip to sectionals. Sanford, who broke the school record in the shot put at the conference meet, did not have her best day at districts, but still moved on.
“Last year, I thought both girls had to get to a level where they needed a perfect day to advance,” Peek said. “I think they’re mature enough now to know they don’t have to have their best performance to get through. They are mature enough to survive the days when they aren’t on with their techniques.”
Peek said that watching both throwers set school records is the culmination of their hard work paying off.
“I think we scheduled their training to have them peak as the right time,” Peek said. “They both have worked hard and deserve it.”
The Griffins were very close to getting both Clark and Sanford qualified in the discus, but Courtney Gapelu’s final throw edged Sanford out by four inches.
In the pole vault, Marissa Shelton qualified on misses. She cleared a height of 9 feet, 6 inches along with four other girls, but she faulted fewer times than two other competitors to advance.
Kara Chavez qualified in the 400, finishing third with a time of 1:02.69.
Sports writer Bill Knust can be reached at 389-6605 or billknust@npgco.com.
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Grant won the vault at Blue Springs, clearing 14 feet, 6 inches. He will advance to the sectional meet at Lee’s Summit North on Saturday, May 17. In a meet where one bad day can end your season, Grant said his experience paid off.
“You just have to put that aside, come in and vault your best and hope everything takes care of itself,” Grant said. “You just can’t let the pressure get to you, because you are going to choke then. You just have to come in and have fun.”
With weather conditions cold, rainy and windy ¬¬— pretty much the norm for track this season — Grant said it has been frustrating competing.
“My performance was not exactly what I was hoping for, but given the conditions I’ll take it,” Grant said. “I think we have had maybe three meets that have had good weather. It makes it a little difficult.”
While Grant was winning the pole vault, Clagget’s future for this year was in doubt.. In the 100, Clagget was not sure if he was going to qualify. His finish with Park Hill South’s Dario Termini was too close to call, but unofficially the judges had given the final spot in sectionals to Termini. After looking at the video finish, though, the judges determined Clagget had eeked it out.
“When they told me I had finished fifth the whole season flashed before my eyes,” Clagget said. “I really regretted some times I didn’t work as hard as I could at practice. I was really eager to get back to school and work harder to make up for it next year.”
With only three months of track experience under his belt, Clagget qualified in the 100 and was part of the 400 relay as well. Clagget was given new life, but with a tough task at hand in sectionals this weekend, he said he plans to go as hard as possible to prepare himself.
“It’s kind of intimidating, especially with this being my first year in track,” Clagget said. “It’s going to be fun, though. I am looking forward to it.”
The Griffins also needed video confirmation in both relays. In the 1,600 relay they snuck past Truman by two-hundredths of a second, and in the 400 relay they edged out Blue Springs by four-hundredths of a second.
Griffin girls throwers both get through to sectionals
Peek said the biggest difference in Winnetonka discus thrower Olivia Clark and shot putter Amber Sanford was on display Saturday.
With the pressure of a make-or-break situation on their shoulders, both girls delivered. Clark broke the school record with a throw of 112-8 to earn her first trip to sectionals. Sanford, who broke the school record in the shot put at the conference meet, did not have her best day at districts, but still moved on.
“Last year, I thought both girls had to get to a level where they needed a perfect day to advance,” Peek said. “I think they’re mature enough now to know they don’t have to have their best performance to get through. They are mature enough to survive the days when they aren’t on with their techniques.”
Peek said that watching both throwers set school records is the culmination of their hard work paying off.
“I think we scheduled their training to have them peak as the right time,” Peek said. “They both have worked hard and deserve it.”
The Griffins were very close to getting both Clark and Sanford qualified in the discus, but Courtney Gapelu’s final throw edged Sanford out by four inches.
In the pole vault, Marissa Shelton qualified on misses. She cleared a height of 9 feet, 6 inches along with four other girls, but she faulted fewer times than two other competitors to advance.
Kara Chavez qualified in the 400, finishing third with a time of 1:02.69.
Sports writer Bill Knust can be reached at 389-6605 or billknust@npgco.com.