2007-2008 SEASON REVIEW

The 2007 Track and Field season began with many unknowns.  We had the largest team in school  history with 44 total boys and girls.  Along with the coaches, our four seniors had to lead the way.  Kevin Gnotek was the boys captain and only returning senior from last year’s excellent team.  Mike Cook and Lucy vanMelle joined after a one year hiatus.  Newcomer Sarah Pugh rounded out the field and we were surrounded by rookies.  It was supposed to be a year of rebuilding with a young team feeling its way and trying their legs.  Instead we build the largest and most successful team in school history. 

Practices began with an unusually warm February and a lot of fresh faces.  Team captains Kevin Gnotek and Ria Keegan kept the team moving and conditioning.  New coach Brian Rapien also began working into the Villa tradition of sportsmanship, dedication, and success.  We opened the year at Grant County’s new track on March 29th.  It was a good day as the boys won the six team meet and the girls came in a close second.  Kevin Gnotek led the way with wins in the 200m and 400m.  Corey Stoll also had a big day winning the 1600 and 3200.  As well as that meet went the season only got better.  Our team traveled to Campbell Co, Pendleton Co, Newport, Ryle, Connor, Lloyd, Dixie, and anywhere else teams would run against us.  The girls team won the Pendleton Quad meet, Newport River City Classic Invitational, and came second in the Bellevue all “A” meet.  The boys won the Grant county quad, Bellevue all “A”, and came in second in the Pendleton quad meet and Pendleton Invitational.

The boys broke 7 of the school’s 17 records as our team continues to improve.  The girls dropped 8 of the 17 records and tied another one.  The team grew to notoriety over the season.  People knew to watch for our talented junior high runners like Kiley Stoll who ran with the best and posted a new record of 2:29.73.  Katie Miller ran the 6th best 3200m time in the state at 12:16.0 and that was as a seventh grader!  Sarah Pugh led the girls with her easy stride and many victories in the 1600 and 3200 runs and she holds the record for both events.  She became the school’s season high point scorer with 103.  Sarah Miller convinced the coaches to let her run middle distance and it paid off.  She became an excellent 400 and 800 runner scoring points in both events and relays for the team.  Kelsey Kloentrup continued to drop time in the 400 and leading her relays to some great runs.  Christina Bailey joined the team and scored regularly for the team in the shot and discus (where she is the new school record holder 69’3”).

On the boys side, our 800m relay team kept turning heads and they ran better and better through the season.  Corey Stoll stole the show at Lloyd, one of the biggest meets in the state, by winning the 800m run in a school record time of 2:00.5.   TJ Duggan was making waves and scoring points for the field events.  He increased his triple jump from 32’ to 39’ 1” for the new school record.  He also scored the record in the high jump at 5’8”.  And probably the most well known weapon in the Blue Lightning arsenal was Kevin Gnotek (No-tek, Knot-eck, G’noter, Gone-tek, or however the announcer happened to say it).  He was the fastest 400m runner in the Region.  Second in state.  At the Bellevue all “A” invitational Kevin had Villa’s first ever perfect meet.  He won all four events in which he participated.  Kevin went on to score 160.75 points in his senior year for a total of 250.25 to be the school’s all time points leader.  Few words exist to explain how he runs except for “Wow.”  With his leadership the 1600m relay made it to state again.

At the regional meet our teams did very well.  The girls finished 9th of 11.  State qualifiers in the 3200m relay (Katie Kurzendoerfer, Sarah Miller, Katie Miller, Kiley Stoll) ran the automatic qualifying time of 10:30.62 to gurantee a state berth and a state ranking of 7th overall.  Sarah Pugh qualified in the 1600 and 3200m runs.  Kiley Stoll qualified for state in the 800m run.  The boys finished 5th of 11 and made it to state in the 1600m relay (Kevin Gnotek, Nick Iott, Rob Kempton, Corey Stoll).  Corey automatically qualified in the 800 and 1600m runs (ranked 6th in the state in both).  Kevin won the Regional championship in the 400m dash being the first person in Villa Track History to do so.  He is also ranked 2nd in the state.

2006-2007

Total athletes: 33 (20 boys, 13 girls)
Seniors: 7 (6 boys, 1 girl)
Meets Competed in: 13 plus Regionals and State

Girls Achievements:  10 of 17 School records broken
Champions of the Bellevue All “A” Invitational
Runners up of the Pendleton county quad meet (two times)
Regional finals qualifiers
800m relay qualified for finals of Regionals (6th)
1600m relay qualified for finals of Regionals (5th)
3200m relay finished 6th

Award Winners:
Most Improved: Sarah Miller
Most Valuable: Ria Keegan
Blue Lightning: Krista Slaughter

Boys Achievements: 12 of 17 school records broken
Runners up of the Bellevue All “A” Invitational
Champions of Pendleton quad meet
Runners up of the Pendleton quad meet
5th place of 11 in Regionals (highest team finish at Regions)

Regional finals qualifiers
Daniel Dunn 110m hurdles (5th)
Phil Weber 100m dash (4th)
800m relay team (4th)
400m relay team (4th)
Corey Stoll 1600m run (5th)
Corey Stoll 3200m run (5th)
1600m relay team (4th)
TJ Duggan high jump (4th)
TJ Duggan triple jump (4th)
Phil Weber 200m dash (4th)
Jake Klare 200m dash (5th)
Kevin Gnotek 400m dash (4th)
Daniel Dunn 300m hurdles (4th)

State Meet results:
Daniel Dunn 11th in the 300m hurdles
Kevin Gnotek 10th in the 400m dash
Corey Stoll 15th in the 3200m run
1600m relay team of Kevin Gnotek, Jake Klare, Daniel Dunn, and Byron Robbins 6th

Northern Kentucky Track and Field Honor Roll:
Phil Weber 100m dash
Daniel Dunn 300m hurdles
1600m relay team of Kevin Gnotek, Jake Klare, Daniel Dunn, and Byron Robbins

Award Winners:
Most Improved: Kevin Gnotek
Most Valuable: Daniel Dunn
Blue Lightning: Byron Robbins

The 2006 season for track and field has been one of wonder, hard work, and results.  The team began conditioning and practice in mid February under the leadership of team captain Daniel Dunn.  The senior leadership proved to be a key part of the team.  Seniors Daniel Dunn, Jake Klare, Nick Rightmire, Byron Robbins, Phil Weber, and Krista Slaughter kept the team working hard and well prepared for the rigorous season ahead.  We took some time off early to avoid overstraining muscles and shin splints.  The plans worked perfectly as the team progressed better and better throughout the season, peaking at the regional track meet.

With a strong showing at the Newport River City Classic, our season opener, we knew that this was to be one of the best track teams in Villa history.  Daniel Dunn opened up the meet with 19 points and the gold medal in the 300m hurdles.  Team Captain Krista Slaughter led her team’s relays to strong finishes with the help of newcomer Abbey Huller. 

The ladies team worked out some early numbers problems and turned into an efficient machine of a team.  Leading the way for the distance crew was Sarah Miller with many wins in the 1600m and 3200m runs.  The sprinters were brought down to a head to head competition between team captain Krista Slaughter and sophomore phenom Abbey Huller.  Together the ladies broke 8 records throughout the season.  The jumpers were led by freshman Ria Keegan who stood out in the triple jump and high jump scoring records in both events.

As the season progressed it became clear that the Villa track team was ready to compete even with perennial state champions St. Henry and Brossart.  Other local teams, coaches, and officials remarked at how well our team has grown.  Many things helped the team such as moving Phil Weber from the relays into the individual sprint events.  He took 2nd at the Diocese of Covington Invitational in the 100m dash and would later be named to the NKY Honor Roll in the event.  Kevin Gnotek was one of the men to catch in the 400m dash and an unstoppable first leg of the NKY Honor Roll 1600m relay team.  Freshman standout Corey Stoll turned heads in his excellent runs of the 3200m relay, 1600m run, and 3200m run.  Freshman late comer, TJ Duggan, proved his worth in the jumping events scoring many points for the team in the triple jump and high jump. 

At the State Track meet, Villa stood toe to toe with the best athletes in the State of Kentucky.  Corey Stoll competed in the 3200m run as a freshman.  Daniel Dunn competed in the 300m hurdles   Kevin Gnotek competed in the 400m dash.  This is the most events that Villa has ever qualified for at the State level.  The season came to a fitting close at the State Meet where the best 1600m relay team in school history took 6th by beating out a worthy adversary in NCC, a team that they have battled with all year.
In the end, coaches Joe Cordonnier and Terri Kurzendoerfer could not be prouder of the efforts, teamwork, and sportsmanship shown by the team of 2006

2005-2006

Girls Varsity Track, coached by Joe Cordonnier, started out this year with a small roster. There were only 12 ladies and 6 of the ladies were in Junior High.  The team worked well under Captain Grace Van Melle.  They won the Holmes quad meet and took the second place trophy at the Pendleton Small School Invitational.  There were some break through performances this year with Cassandra Desmarais and Krista Slaughter in the sprints and Sarah Miller in distance.  Solid senior leadership helped keep this team well balanced.  Michelle Dault, Kelsey Meyers, Grace Van Melle, and Rachel Bokelman saw this team from beginning to end. The Blue Lightning Award went to Rachel Bokelman, The Most Improved Award went to Michelle Dault and the Most Valuable Player is Grace Van Melle.

Boys Varsity Track was very blessed with upper classmen this year.  The team had 7 senior boys and 6 juniors as well as a smattering of sophomores, freshmen, and junior high.  The team relied heavily upon the experience of Bryan Keegan, Mike Weber, and Farley Stephenson.  The relays were strong especially with the new talents of Jake Klare and Kevin Gnotek. Break through performances came from Daniel Dunn in the hurdles and sprints, Nick Rightmire, Phil Weber, and Chad Kallmeyer in the field events.  The boys team broke 7 school records and won the Holmes quad meet and took second in the Small Schools Invitational at Pendleton.  Mike Weber qualified for the State track meet for the third year in a row and we wish him luck. We thank Mr. Joe Cordonnier for coaching both teams.

Awards went to Nick Rightmire for the Blue Lightning Award; Daniel Dunn for the Most Improved Award, and Bryan Keegan for the Most Valuable Player Award at the High School Sports Banquet.