Sports
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Wrestlers Complete Season with Strong Showing at State Grain Valley High School (GVHS) Wrestling sent seven student athletes to the Missouri State High School Wrestling Championships February 14-16th. Heading to Columbia were Mitchell Alexander (138), Caleb Benshoof (132), Ethan Grasher (152), Trent LeGrotte (145), Donovan McBride (HW/285), Hunter Newsom (170), and Jaden Worthington (220). Alexander finished third and Newsom placed sixth in the Class 3 championships. Head Coach Jesse Whitson is proud of his team’s effort over the weekend. “I thought all the guys competed hard. Hunter Newsome did a great job this weekend. He was a dark horse going into the weekend as an unranked wrestler in the state and came away with a 6th place finish. He did a great job of improving throughout the course of the season and it all paid off last weekend,” Whitson said. “It was great to see Mitchel Alexander finish his career with a 3rd place finish. He has battled through a lot over the past few seasons. It was great to see him achieve the goal of earning a medal this weekend and finish his career with a win over an opponent who had beaten him multiple times this season. He showed the heart and fight that we saw from our athletes all year.” Senior team members were instrumental to the success of the program over the past four years, and their efforts off the mat have earned two
academic honors and one the opportunity to continue his career in college. Mitchel Alexander and Hunter Newsom will receive academic all-state honors this season for having a 3.5 GPA or higher and for their performance at the state tournament. Caleb Benshoof, a 3-time State placer, will wrestle next year at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, MN. “This group of seniors did a great job of carrying this team over the past four years. Many of them were four-year starters and helped contribute to 3 consecutive top ten team finishes, including a 4th place finish their sophomore year. If it wasn't for their efforts, we would not have had the success we did over the past four years,” Whitson said. In the offseason, Whitson is encouraging his current and incoming athletes to wrestle at MoWest Championship Wrestling Club throughout the spring and summer while competing in off season freestyle and Greco tournaments. “I would also like to see them commit themselves to getting stronger in the weight room and maintaining a good level of conditioning on a year-round basis. Wrestling is a lifestyle, not just a seasonal sport, and I would like to see more and more of our athletes committing to and living that lifestyle this offseason,” Whitson said.
Girls Swim & Dive Conclude Season at State Competition GVHS girls swim and dive team finished their first season with an inaugural trip to the state competition.. Diver Hayden Meyer finished fifth with 346.90 points at the Girls Swimming and Diving Championships February 14— 16th in St. Peters, MO.
Abigail Castle finished 15th with 312.25 points. Piper Barnard qualified for state but did not emerge from early rounds. Junior Rachel Turpin finished 21st in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 1:03.44 in the preliminary round on February 15th.
Senior Mitchel Alexander (138) finished his high school wrestling career with a 3rd place finish at the Missouri State High School Wrestling Championships in 14--16th. Columbia February 14 Left to Right: Coach Matt Cox, Wrestler Mitchel Alexander, Coach Jesse Whitson Photo Credit: Mavrick Alexander
MO Dept. of Conservation Provides More Rainbow Trout for Winter Fishing in Kansas City Area by Bill Graham, MO Department of Conservation Anglers who love to catch rainbow trout received a Valentine’s Day gift in the Kansas City area. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) on Feb. 14 provided a fresh stocking of trout at six lakes. Wither snow or sun as winter wanes, trout await. MDC’s winter trout fishing program provides anglers an opportunity to catch a popular fish close to home. Trout are not native to Missouri. But they have been stocked in cold-water rivers and lakes in the southern portions of the state. In winter, they can also survive in urban lakes and ponds farther north. The trout were raised at MDC Bennett Spring Fish Hatchery and brought by truck to area lakes. Coot and Plover lakes at MDC’s James A. Reed
Memorial Wildlife Area received 1,000 trout each. Chaumiere Lake in Kansas City’s park in the Northland received 875 trout. At Liberty, ponds 3 and 4 at Fountain Bluff park each received 500 trout. Biologists released 500 trout in the lake at Kearney’s Jesse James Park. Johnston Lake in Raymore got 809 trout. MDC’s winter trout fishing at these lakes began with a stocking in November. Some of the sites will be stocked again in March. Currently, anglers may need to wait for a weather warmup to clear ice from lakes at some stocking sites. Anglers fishing for winter trout generally use spinning, spincasting, or flyfishing gear. Small spinners and jigs are often used with spinning gear. A
variety of flies work when using a flyrod. Statewide trout fishing regulations apply. All Missouri residents over age 15 and under 65 must have a valid fishing permit, and all non-residents over age 15 must have a fishing permit. The daily limit is four trout. To keep trout, all anglers must have a Missouri trout permit. Pole and line methods only are allowed, and each angler may have no more than three fishing poles. The most up-to-date information on MDC’s winter trout stockings in the KC Metro Area is available by calling 816525-0300 and listen for the cue for the trout hotline. Tips for catching winter trout in urban lakes are found in an online Missouri Conservationist magazine
MDC's winter trout fishing program close--to to--home gives angler's a close opportunity to catch the popular sport fish in community lakes. Photo credit: Missouri Department of Conservation story, https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Zpq. For more information on trout fishing throughout Missouri, visit http:// mdc.mo.gov.
