Fun in the Valley
The Maple Valley senior class recently traveled to Washington, D.C. for an unforgettable trip filled with history, learning, and lasting memories. From the moment they arrived, students were immersed in the stories and landmarks that shape the nation.
Throughout the trip, seniors explored some of the country’s most iconic sites, including the towering Washington Monument, the inspiring Lincoln Memorial, and the powerful World War II Memorial. Walking along the National Mall gave students the chance to reflect on the sacrifices and leadership that define American history while seeing these landmarks up close.
A visit to the United States Capitol offered a deeper look into how the government operates, and students also viewed the White House from just outside the gates. Museums and memorials throughout the city added to the experience, allowing seniors to connect classroom learning with real-world places and stories.
Beyond the historical value, the trip gave classmates time to bond, share new experiences, and create memories together during their final year at Maple Valley. The Washington, D.C. senior trip was not only educational, but also a meaningful way to celebrate the class’s journey before graduation.
Sports
For sports schedules, please visit the Athletics Website: Upcoming Sporting Events
On April 13th, the Maple Valley JV baseball team hosted Concord Community Schools for a doubleheader at home. In Game 1, the Lions battled defensively but fell 0–4. Game 2 proved challenging as well, with Maple Valley coming up short in a 1–11 loss.
On April 14th, the Maple Valley varsity baseball team traveled to face Concord Community Schools for a doubleheader. In Game 1, the Lions fought hard but came up short in a close 3–5 loss. The team bounced back in Game 2, putting together a strong offensive performance to earn a 9–6 win and split the series on the road.
On April 15th, the girls' soccer team hosted Stockbridge Community Schools at home. The Lions battled throughout the match but fell by a final score of 1–9.
On April 17th, the girls' soccer team hosted Hastings Area Schools at home. The Lions continued to work hard throughout the match but fell 0–8 against a strong Hastings squad.
On April 19th, the Middle School track team competed in the Big 8 Meet at home against Bronson Community Schools and Quincy Community Schools, turning in a day filled with personal bests, event wins, and strong relay performances.
For the boys, Caden Peabody led the sprinters with a 3rd-place finish in the 70 meters. Conan Stanton and Jacob Blakely each recorded personal bests across multiple sprint events, while Justice Deboer ran a personal best in the 200 meters. The distance crew had a huge day, highlighted by Jaxson Eye winning the 400 meters with a personal best and placing 2nd in the 800. Porter Bryson dominated the distance races, winning both the 1600 and 3200 meters with a personal best in the mile.
In hurdles, Liam Swift placed 6th in the 200m hurdles with a personal best. The 4x100 relay team of Ashton Wood, Liam Swift, Conan Stanton, and Levi Whitford raced to a 2nd-place finish. The 4x400 relay team of Justice Deboer, Caden Peabody, Jaxson Eye, and Porter Bryson captured 1st place in a strong team effort.
Field events were another highlight for the boys. Justice DeBoer won the shot put with a personal best throw of 38’3”, and Liam Swift added a 5th-place finish in long jump. Jacob Blakely also recorded a personal best in the long jump.
The girls' team had an outstanding meet with multiple event champions and podium finishes. Karlee Davis placed 2nd in the 100 and won the long jump with a personal best leap of 14 feet. Bentley Little, Zoey Burman, and Kerrigan Keiffer all posted personal bests in the sprints. Raegan Jones had a tremendous day in distance events, placing 2nd in the 400 with a personal best and winning the 1600 with another personal best. Adelita Tobias won the 3200 with a personal best performance, while Rieleigh Thompson won the 800 and placed 2nd in shot put with a personal best.
The hurdles crew swept the top four spots in the 55m hurdles, led by Brelyn Scott in 1st, followed by Zoey Burman, Bentley Little, and Kailee Hansen, who also recorded a personal best. Brelyn Scott added a 2nd-place finish in the 200m hurdles.
Relays were a strength for the girls as well. The 4x100 team of Zoey Burman, Brelyn Scott, Bentley Little, and Adrianna Wessner placed 2nd, while the 4x400 relay team of Klaire Keiffer, Kailee Hansen, Raegan Jones, and Adelita Tobias earned 1st place.
In field events, Klaire Keiffer was dominant, winning both high jump and pole vault. Adelita Tobias placed 2nd in pole vault, and several Lions recorded personal bests in long jump and shot put to round out an impressive performance across the board.
On April 12th, the Lions competed in a Big 8 tri-meet at Quincy High School alongside Bronson High School and the host team from Quincy, turning in a strong showing filled with personal bests and top finishes.
For the boys, Kelvin Davis once again dominated the hurdles, placing 2nd in the 110m hurdles and winning the 300m hurdles with a personal best time of 40.99. In sprints, Dylan Steele led the 100 meters for the Lions and added a personal best in the 200, while Gavin Swift and Dayton Hillard contributed solid finishes. Ben Mater had a busy day, placing 4th in the 800 and competing in both the 200 and long jump.
The field events were a highlight for Maple Valley. Tyrese Robinson-El placed 2nd in discus with a huge personal best throw of 129’11” and added a strong showing in shot put. Gavin Swift, Dylan Steele, and others also recorded personal bests in discus and long jump. The 4x800 relay team of Ayden Betancourt, Holdyn Clinkscales, Iziah Hall, and Ben Mater worked together for a 3rd-place finish.
The girls’ team had an especially impressive meet, sweeping the top spots in several sprint events. Sienna Lowe won the 100 meters, with Lydia Emerick right behind in 2nd with a season-best time. Emerick came back to win the 200 meters, while Lowe placed 2nd. Melanie Jones recorded a personal best in the 400 and added a 4th-place finish in the 800.
Distance runners also had a strong day, led by Izabelle Soper, who placed 3rd in the 3200 and 5th in the 1600 with a season best. Lilly Rosin earned a personal best in the 800 and later cleared 6’6” for 2nd place in pole vault. Audrey Burpee contributed across multiple events, placing 2nd in the 300m hurdles and high jump while helping both the 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams earn runner-up finishes. The 4x800 relay team also secured 2nd place with a time of 12:48.11.
In field events, Abby Harvey led the shot put and discus group, while Annabelle Staley, Kenzie Soper, and Anna Martin added important throws. Overall, the Lions showed depth and continued improvement across events in this competitive conference meet.
On April 19th, the Lions hosted the Maple Valley Invitational, welcoming teams from West Michigan Aviation Academy, Springport High School, Lakewood High School, and Maple Valley for a full day of competition.
The boys' team was led by standout performances from Kelvin Davis, who won both hurdle events and claimed 1st place in high jump by clearing 5’10”. Josh Miller had an impressive day as well, winning the 400 meters with a personal best time of 55.25 and placing 3rd in the 110m hurdles with another personal best. In the throws, Tyrese Robinson-El placed 2nd in both shot put and discus, while Andrew Phenix added a 3rd-place finish in discus. Gavin Swift contributed with a runner-up finish in the long jump at 18’4.75”.
On the track, Dayton Hillard and Dylan Steele led the sprint group in both the 100 and 200 meters, while Ben Mater, Ayden Betancourt, and Holdyn Clinkscales paced the 800 and 4x800 relay, earning a 4th-place finish as a team. Grady Wilkes competed in both distance races for the Lions.
The girls' team had an outstanding meet with multiple event wins and top finishes. Melanie Jones swept the 400 and 800 meters, while the 4x200 relay team of Noelle Clinkscales, Melanie Jones, Audrey Burpee, and Lydia Emerick raced to a 1st-place finish. The 4x400 relay followed with a strong 2nd-place performance, and the 4x800 relay also secured 2nd.
In distance events, Lilly Rosin recorded personal bests in both the 1600 and 3200, finishing 2nd in the 3200. Izabelle Soper and Annabelle Staley added strong efforts in the distance races as well. Audrey Burpee placed 2nd in the 300m hurdles and high jump, while Lilly Rosin cleared 6’6” for 2nd in pole vault.
Field events were another strength for the girls. Abby Harvey placed 2nd in shot put and won discus with a personal best throw of 79’10.5”. Kenzie Soper also placed 3rd in shot put, and several Lions added solid marks in long jump.
Overall, the Lions showed depth across sprints, distance, hurdles, relays, and field events while competing hard on their home track in a successful invitational meet.
Activites/Clubs
FFA Career Development Events
On April 17th, Maple Valley FFA members competed in Career Development Events (skills contests), showcasing their knowledge, teamwork, and agricultural skills across multiple categories.
In Floriculture, the team placed 91st with members Kearson Keiffer, Bentleigh Burden, and Aubri James. Another Floriculture group placed 50th, featuring Brooklyn Myers, Madison Thurlby, and Kaitlyn Garlinger. In Environmental Science, Maple Valley placed 64th with Katelynn Shook, Katie Hardin, Layla Bowers, and Taylor Bergey, while a second group placed 49th with Leannah Johnson, Mikayla Griffin, Annabelle Staley, and Hope D’Agostino.
The Dairy Foods team had an outstanding performance, earning 4th place overall and a Gold ranking with Grady Wilkes, Gage Jordan, Crystal Eckhoff, and Mallorie Cowles. In Crops, the team placed 40th with Dalton Emery, Landon Wiggs, Caleb Williams, and Robbie Jones.
In Forestry, Maple Valley earned a strong 6th place and a Gold rating with Dakota Griffin, Westin Cripe, Owen Joppie, and Easton Hansbarger. The Land Conservation team placed 16th, and the Poultry Judging team earned 10th place with a Silver rating.
Junior High teams also had a strong showing. The Junior High Floriculture team earned 1st place and Gold with Myla Bodell, Sophia Moulden, Leigha Matonis, and Raylin Oversmith. In Junior High Forestry, the team placed 4th with Silver, while Land Conservation earned 2nd place. The Poultry Judging team placed 9th overall, with additional participants gaining valuable competition experience.
Overall, Maple Valley FFA showed incredible depth across multiple events, highlighted by several top finishes and award-winning teams at both the high school and junior high levels.
Lisa Bailey
Mrs. Lisa Bailey has served as Maple Valley’s High School Counselor for the past five years, helping students prepare for life beyond graduation and guiding them through important decisions along the way. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Suffolk University in Boston and later completed her Master’s in Counseling at Western Michigan University.
Mrs. Bailey was drawn to Maple Valley because of the people, the supportive staff, the welcoming community, and most importantly, the students. She loves working closely with high schoolers as they begin to plan and launch into the next chapter of their lives. She also appreciates the caring, family-like environment created by her coworkers and believes that the school’s size allows staff to know and support each student truly.
Outside of school, Mrs. Bailey enjoys spending time with family and friends, riding her bike, and visiting Lake Michigan. Her advice to students is heartfelt: “Your uniqueness is your currency in this world. Be curious, get involved, be present, and work hard. Everything will work out as it is meant to, exploration over perfection. And always remember that you can change your mind.”
