Midseason Check-in!

Standout Performances from Mike Wallace Olathe Invitational and Kansas Relays

After battling the elements of gusting winds and April showers, the Eagles are approaching the midseason with a plethora of notable accomplishments. Of the many top marks and personal bests, there are a few standout athletes deserving of recognition. 

The Mike Wallace Olathe Invitational, which took place on April 11 at ODAC, with its perfectly temperate weather conditions, proved to be the ideal stage for Olathe North history to be made by senior Cole Smither and junior Avani Hocker Singh. 

In the boys high jump, Smither was in a league of his own, winning the event by a full four inches over his competitors. His monstrous jump of 6-11 matches the school record. Smither now shares the throne with Kai Rowden, who set the bar in 2013. While Smither made solid attempts at 7’, it was his derriere that sabotaged his solo claim of the title. 

In the following week, Smither continued to impress in his performances at the Legendary Kansas Relays. After an ill-timed weather delay which interrupted the boys high jump, Smither went on to finish 4th in the event with a jump of 6-6. Additionally, he competed in the long jump, where he finished 9th with a mark of 21-6.75. 

On the ladies’ side, it was Avani Hocker Singh who owned the track. At the Mike Wallace Olathe Invitational, she asserted her dominance in the 300 Hurdles when she ran a blazing 43.87. This time was more than four seconds ahead of the second place finisher. More notably, with this mark, Hocker Singh broke her own school record of 43.91, which she set last season. 

Hocker Singh was also a standout performer at the KU Relays in the 300 Hurdles. In the presence of other elite competitors, she finished in third place with a time of 44.08. With her performances this season, Hocker Singh has become the Kansas 6A leader. 

A final top individual performance from last week’s KU Relays was Elena Ginie in the pole vault. After breaking her own school record on March 27, Ginie vaulted at the meet with confidence. Among many stellar vaulters, Ginie earned a 6th place finish with a vault of 11-5.75.

Finally, a number of relay teams showed up to impress at the Kansas Relays. In the Sunflower Showdown, the girls 4x100 took 4th in the event while the boys 4X100 snagged a 6th place finish. Additionally, the boys 4x400 took 4th in the Sunflower Showdown. In the event finals, the girls 4x400 team claimed an 8th place finish, a major accomplishment given the high quality competition.