Gatorade Player of the Year
June 17, 2008 @ 2:14 p.m. by jlongBy J. Long
Tonganoxie senior Roxi Grizzle was named the 2007-08 Gatorade Kansas Girls Track & Field Athlete of the year.
No disrespect to Grizzle who won the Class 4A javelin event setting a meet record at 165 feet, 5 inches which was the fourth best throw in the nation at that time. However, when I think track athlete of the year I think of someone who dominated in more than one event. Maybe someone who competed in several events to help her team compete for a team title.
But that’s just me. So who do you think should have got it?
June 17th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
I agree with you Mr. Long. This year was a great year for Girls Track and Field in Kansas. Roxi Grizzle is a great athlete but I would put some people before her….
Laura Nightengale-El Dorado
Heather Garcia-Baldwin
Cori Christenson-Medician Lodge
Audacia Moore-Wichita Heights
Emilee Morris-Hutchinson
Laura Roxberg-Blue Valley Northwest
Jacquelyne Leffler-Northern Heights
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June 17th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Alex Muff of Concordia and Whitney Sorell of Concordia in 4A and Kim Haberman of TMP in 3A are athletes that really stood out at the State Meet. Earlier in the year at the Woodman, Haberman had the best times and distances in all her events of all six classifications.
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June 17th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Roxanee Grizzle is a stud and deserving.
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June 17th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
The “Gatorade Player of the Year” is rightly awarded. To set the State Meet record to go undefeated through the whole track season. Oh you forgot to list that in the above article. Her throw in the state meet was recorded as one of the NATIONS best distance throws. The State and Meet record she now singly holds. Is there any other athletes in the High School Track that can claim to be undefeated in their event and hold all the event records possible for High School Track and Field athlete. This is why she is the 2007-08 High School Gatorade Player of theYear for the second time.
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June 17th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Roxie Grizzle holds the state track meet record, a distance throw that places her in the top four in the nation. Completed her senior track season undefeated. This includeing the Kansas Relays Champion. These are records that were set in a event that is won or lost on your own skills or lack of. How many High School Athletes have these accomplishments won on their own abililty and dedication to the sport. Going undefeated this years track season and the records set at the Kansas State Track Meet gives her this title of “GATORADE KANSAS GIRLS TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR!”
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June 17th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Linda Bingham,
“How many High School Athletes have these accomplishments won on their own abililty and dedication to the sport.”
I’m going to guess that all the athletes won on their own ability and dedication…Roxie wasn’t the only girl out their working hard. When did Audacia Moore from Wichita Heights lose? She won the 100 and 200 at state and won the 100 at KU.
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June 17th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Anyone else ranked in the top 4 in the NATION? If not I think the right person got the award. With track we always seem to forget the field part. If she is one of the top in the nation then I think she is rightly deserved.
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June 17th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
The right person got the award. Not only is she the all time state record holder, but who did she beat to earn it? You may use the term Greek Goddess in describing that former record holder. Roxi is more than deserving. Hands down the best performance in Kansas this year. All time record holder in the event.
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June 17th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Heather Bergmann of Concordia is ranked #4 in the nation…in Javelin. With a throw of 165-6 at KT Woodman…
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June 18th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Joanna~
I am sure you realize if the support is there to fill out the paperwork and stay the course with the PR needed than the fore mentioned accolades are possible. There are many student athletes deserving of such awards, yet the support net is not presesnt. I can elaborate if needd.
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June 18th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Joanna didn’t start this blog. The new kid did, and I agree with you on the support net not being present for a lot of athletes.
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June 18th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Miss Grizzle is a good athlete. The record that she broke by Kendra Wecker was set when Ms. Wecker was throwing a college javlin. She was trying to qualify for the Olympic Trials that year. The college jav is a little heavier than a high school jav.
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June 18th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
What record is this that she broke?
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June 18th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
As a reporter, I am sure that you know how important it is to check your facts before printing. If you had taken the time to do this, you would have known that Roxanne Grizzle was as deserving as any athlete in the State of Kansas this year. Roxi helped her team, The Tonganoxie Chieftains to a Regional first place finish in two events. Roxi won two regional titles for the THS girls, which scored 130 team points, 73 ahead of second-place Piper. Roxi won the girls javelin. But she also brought home the title for the girl’s shot put. Roxi participated in javelin, shot put and discus throughout her prep career.
Roxi had a perfect season, including wins at prestigious meets like KU Relays, North Relays and her record-breaking State win. She also had 3 throws over the 160’ mark this season.
Roxi also helped her fellow teammates to a third place finish in the Girls 4A Volleyball Championships this past fall. Roxi has been a contributing member of the basketball and softball teams from Tonganoxie. She is truly an exceptional young lady on an off the playing field.
Her selection as Gatorade Player of the Year from the State of Kansas is well deserved.
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June 18th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
As a reporter, I am sure that you know how important it is to check your facts before printing. If you had taken the time to do this, you would have known that Roxanne Grizzle was as deserving as any athlete in the State of Kansas this year. Roxi helped her team, The Tonganoxie Chieftains to a Regional first place finish by winning two events. Roxi won two regional titles for the THS girls, which scored 130 team points, 73 ahead of second-place Piper. Roxi won the girls javelin. But she also brought home the title for the girl’s shot put. Roxi participated in javelin, shot put and discus throughout her prep career.
Roxi had a perfect season, including wins at prestigious meets like KU Relays, North Relays and her record-breaking State win. She also had 3 throws over the 160’ mark this season.
Roxi also helped her fellow teammates to a third place finish in the Girls 4A Volleyball Championships this past fall. Roxi has been a contributing member of the basketball and softball teams from Tonganoxie. She is truly an exceptional young lady on an off the playing field.
Her selection as Gatorade Player of the Year from the State of Kansas is well deserved.
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June 18th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
She had the 2nd best throw in Kansas this year, next to Heather Bergmann of Concordia. And shes 5th in the nation… Heather is 4th
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June 18th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
I don’t think my facts were wrong. I apologize for not making it clear that I meant a team championship at the state level. Since this is a state wide competition I think that what you do at the regional meet doesn’t hold as much merit.
Personally I feel that track is one of those sports that should reward those who were dominate in more than one event. Grizzle is excellent at the javelin, but that’s it. Looking at the number of female athletes that won more than one state title I feel that one of them were more deserving. My vote would have gone to Jacquelyne Leffler of Northern Heights (3A).
The K-State signee became only the second female ever to win both the discus and shot put four consecutive years. Her discus throw of 157-07 set a state record in all classes and her shot put throw of 44-07.25 was the second best throw at the state meet this year (all classes). She holds the 3A state record for her 2007 performance.
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June 18th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Does Leffler own the all time state record, only an all class record. I didn’t agree with the basketball or football Gatorade choices either, but then, who are we to judge how good one is over another.
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June 18th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
She owns the State Discus record, which she set this year. And she does have the 3a class record for Shot Put.
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June 21st, 2008 at 9:15 am
To quote dyestat.com track Talk 6/21/2008 “Grizzle gets the World Juniors Qualifying mark and is just 1.95m away from the American Junior record ” Her throw of 51.89m ( 170-03) in the Woman’s Javelin at National Track and Field Meet in Ohio this week June 20 - June 22, 2008. Placed her 2nd at the USA Junior Track & Field Championships. With this throw she is now qualified as a Olympic Trials Provisional Qualifier.
Roxi throw of 170-03 at the National Meet gives the title and the her ranked 2nd. Heather Bergmann throw of 165-6 placed her 3rd behind Roxi throw of 170-3.
Yes there are several young athletes that have their shinning moment with a throw or race that gives them the ranking and record but only to be bettered and broken by another athlete at the next track and field meet. The Gatorade Player of the Year is awarded to an athlete in each state in each sport. That athlete stands out by their ability to rise above and push them self to set new personal records as well as the standing state and national records in the sport that they are competeing in. They are the mentors and role modules for our future athletes. They set records and goals for the next athletes to reach for and in time they too may hold. Roxi continued to better her own personal record and break the standing records.
Her accomplishments were not won just by the luck of the throw and a one time distance. The distance of her throws were steadily gaining on the records and surpassing them.
This is why she was awarded the Gatorade Athlete of the year for the second time in a row. She has set many new records in the Javelin Throw and continues to better herself and throws with every competition and meets to come. She is the Athlete of the year and the one to watch in the future.
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June 22nd, 2008 at 12:13 am
Congrats on the success. But Heather Bergmann out threw her before they gave away the Gatorade Athlete of the year award…
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June 22nd, 2008 at 2:18 pm
BUT - BUT - BUT - BUT - BUT - BUT -
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June 22nd, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Our sincerest Congrats. to Roxi Grizzle for all her accomplishments and awards won.
Watching her throw over the past three years seeing her better her own record and breaking the standing ones was exciteing and well worth the time and travel (with gas prices on the rise) to be able to witness part of history for the womens javelin throwing competion. Roxis’ name will be listed in the record book now and future athletics will be takeing aim at her distances and throws, studing her and her style of throwing with their goals to be able to break roxies records.
We wish for her all the sucess in her future and will continue to follow her and watch as she makes history in the womens javelin throwing competion. Hopefully to see her compete at the olympics track and field competion one day in the near future.
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June 23rd, 2008 at 8:19 am
Opportunity Knocks~
I stand corrected.
I do not want to take anything aeay from the athletes mentionen in this blog, for they are all worthy of the accolades they receive.
So true the statement of support. There are many coaches who refuse to allow a standout athlete that they harnes individualsin competitons, and there are coaches who build their team around high caliber athletes. Those are the coaches who put the time and effort into their prospective high caliber athletes to ensure they receive the accolades they deserve.
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