Sports
For sports schedules, please visit the Athletics Website: Upcoming Sporting Events
On March 20th, the high school track and field team put together a strong showing with numerous personal bests for their first meet of the season at the GVSU Laker Challenge.
The men’s team saw a wave of improvement in the 60-meter prelims, with Holdyn Clinkscales leading the group at 7.96 (PB), followed closely by Dayton Hillard (8.39 PB) and Iziah Hall (8.41 PB). Underclassmen also made their mark, as freshmen Kale Keiffer (8.54 PB) and Caydan Burpee (8.83 PB) continued to gain experience and drop times.
In longer sprints, Gavin Swift clocked a 25.70 (SB) in the 200, while Josh Miller highlighted the 400 with an impressive 55.43 (PB), one of the top finishes for the Lions on the day. Miller wasn’t done there—he also ran a 10.32 (PB) in the 60m hurdles, showing his versatility.
Distance events featured solid efforts from Ben Mater (2:35.45 SB in the 800) and Ayden Betancourt (2:42.83 SB), while Quincy Page competed in both the 800 and 1600. Relay teams gained valuable experience, with the 4x300 squad finishing in 2:47.02 and two 4x600 teams posting times of 7:32.09 and 8:28.91.
In field events, Tyrese Robinson-El led the shot put group with a throw of 38’ 0.5” (SB), while Iziah Hall, Andrew Phenix, and Kale Keiffer all recorded personal bests. Kelvin Davis cleared 5’4” in high jump (SB), and Ben Mater added a 17’3” (PB) in long jump.
On the women’s side, Lydia Emerick had an outstanding day, running a personal best 8.92 in the 60-meter prelims and following it up with a 29.32 (PB) in the 200. She also contributed to the standout 4x300 relay team, which placed 10th with a time of 3:09.20 alongside Athena Morehouse, Audrey Burpee, and Melanie Jones.
Melanie Jones had a strong meet as well, finishing 10th in the 400 meters with a 1:04.82 (PB) and adding a 29.47 (PB) in the 200. Noelle Clinkscales and Athena Morehouse both picked up personal and season bests in their sprint events.
In distance races, Anna Martin and Taylor Dunlap competed in the 800, both earning personal bests, while Brooklyn Burpee set a new PR in the 1600 with a time of 8:24.60. The 4x600 relay team also delivered a solid performance, finishing in 8:47.77.
Field events saw continued growth, with Abby Harvey leading the shot put group (22’ 8.25” PB), and Audrey Burpee clearing 4’5” (SB) in high jump. Noelle Clinkscales added a 13’8” (SB) in the long jump to round out the day.
Overall, the Lions showed strong early-season progress, highlighted by numerous personal records and developing depth across events.
Activites/Clubs
FFA Chapter Officer Elections
On March 16th, the Maple Valley FFA chapter held elections for the 2026-2027 chapter officer team. The new officers are:
President - Mikayla Griffin
Vice President - Kearson Keiffer
Secretary - Brooklyn Myers
Treasurer - Annabelle Staley
Reporter - Dakota Griffin
Sentinel - Raylin Oversmith
Congratulations to the newly elected officers. They will be officially installed on May 8th at their annual banquet.
Senior Highlights
Addison Shank
After high school, Addison plans to attend Grand Valley State University and study Physical Therapy. The staff member who has had the biggest impact on her is Mrs. Weeb, because she has pushed Assison to work hard and challenge herself every day, and to not give up when things get hard.
After graduation, Addison looks forward to college and growing up. Some advice she would like to give to Freshmen is to keep up with your work, and if you need help, don’t be scared to reach out. The highlight of her senior year was making lifelong connections.
