The boys and girls track team competed in the Fort Osage Invite. Both teams brought back top finishes despite the cold and windy weather. Blue Springs, Blue Springs South, Rockhurst, Raytown, Van Horn, and Grain Valley schools all drove out to Fort Osage to compete in this invite on April 13. The girls tied with Blue Springs for first place with a total of 162 points. Blue Springs South came second with 152 points and Grain Valley came in third with 73 points.

Senior Dawn McIntyre led the girls team with her first place finishes in the 100 meter dash and the long jump. She set her own personal record in the 100 meter dash with 13.22 seconds. She won the long jump with a leap of 4.99 meters. She also got second in the high jump by clearing the bar at 1.41 meters. McIntyre felt a special sense of competitiveness since this was her last time competing on the district’s track. 

“I came to the realization that tonight was my last night ever competing on this track,” McIntyre said. “I just told myself to have fun and put my all into it. I pulled through and did well.”

The boys team hit the fourth place finish with 113 points putting them behind first place finisher Rockhurst who had 181.5 points. Blue Springs South came in second with 171 points and Blue Springs finished third with 127 points. Freshman Ryver Peppers had a first place finish in the long jump of 6.34m and a third place finish in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11:44. Peppers thought the team in general displayed a good sense of teamwork. 

“I think we did well,” Peppers said. “We worked together as a team and did well in all our events.”

And the team did do well. Senior Tyrek Berry brought home a first place finish in the high jump clearing the bar at 1.72 meters. Brock Branstietter also got first place in the shot put with a throw of 12.96 meters. Jordan Guenthner hit first place in the javelin launching it 30.14 meters and Sidney Sullivan got second place right behind her throwing it 28.80 meters. Senior Olivia Siefker got third place in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:51.90. She will be attending Nazarene College to run cross country and further her education in the fall. Siefker finds that the weather had an impact on her performance.

“I probably could’ve used more of my training, but it’s cold and windy today,” Siefker said. “I was running an event that I don’t run that often anymore.” 

The girls Raytown team finished fourth with 71 points, followed by Van Horn in fifth with 14 points. The boys Grain Valley team finished in fifth with 49.5 points, followed by Raytown in sixth place with 46 points, and Van Horn took seventh place ending with 36 points. The whole team will compete next in the Grain Valley Invitational on April 21, 2022.