AURORA | A look back at significant individual and team performances at Grandview High School for the 2024 spring prep athletic season:
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
GRANDVIEW (SPRING 2024)
TRACK & FIELD: The Grandview girls team finished fifth in the team standings at the Class 5A state track meet behind a big career final act for senior Gabriella Cunningham. The Louisiana State-bound star had a “beautiful” final meet with state championship victories in the 100 and 300 meter hurdles, while she added a fourth place in the 100 meters. Sophomore Sasha Kennedy finished in the top seven in both events as well to make the hurdles a source of strength (and points) for new coach Charles Moss. Cunningham also won both hurdles events at the Centennial League Championship meet, while the Wolves also had event champions in junior Andrea Davis (high jump), junior Leaiva Holliman (100 meters), senior Mikaya Singleton (200 meters) and the 800 meter sprint medley relay. The Grandview boys — which did not score at the state meet — had Centennial League champions in the 1,600 meters (junior Colton White) and in the 4×800 meter relay.
BOYS SWIMMING: The boys swim team had a fantastic finish to its season, which saw the Wolves finish in ninth place in the 5A team standings. Grandview swimmers made seven team records fall in all during the meet, while junior Oliver Schimberg repeated as the state champion in the 100 yard backstroke for coach Dan Berve’s team. Schimberg also teamed with seniors Alex Stinemetze and Evan Higgins, and junior Ethan Finlay on a 200 yard medley relay team that was second, which is the highest relay result in program history. A week earlier, Grandview finished as the runner-up at the Centennial “A” League Championship meet with league titles for Schimberg individually in the 100 yard freestyle and 200 yard individual medley, while he joined Higgins, junior Evan Linnebur and sophomore Christian Burgeson on a 200 freestyle relay team that set the Smoky Hill pool record.
BASEBALL: Coach Scott Henry’s Wolves qualified for the Class 5A Baseball Championship Series for the first time since 2019 and advanced all the way to the second-to-last day of the season before an 11-9 loss to eventual state champion and Centennial League rival Cherry Creek. The Wolves finished 3-2 in the Championship Series (both losses came to the Bruins) and finished 19-11 overall, which was a jump of two in the win column from 2023. Juniors Justin Dean and Jax Pfister earned spots on the All-Centennial League first team, while second team honors went to seniors Tony Crow and Tucker Smock, junior Chase Chapman and sophomore AJ Maroni and honorable mention accolades came to seniors Collin May, Easton Flores and Brock Johnston.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL: An influx of talent in freshmen hitters Alex Garcia and Connor Deickman, who both earned spots on the All-Centennial League first team, proved a boon to as it won the Centennial League Challenge and qualified for its first state tournament. The Wolves, who finished 2-2 at state and were 22-7 after they were 14-11 last season, had the league’s Coach of the Year in Scott Nugent, plus all-league second team talents in juniors Ethan Carroll and Nick Safray and sophomore Devan Hall.
GIRLS SOCCER: The girls soccer team finished the season 10-6-1 after two wins in the Class 5A state playoffs that came before a quarterfinal loss to Ralston Valley. Coach Brian Wood’s Wolves were led by co-Centennial League Player of the Year Samantha Maroni and two other all-league first teamers in junior Isabelle Rogers and sophomore Isis Prestwood. Grandview had a handful of all-league second team picks as well in seniors Madalynn Hopkins and Samantha Nunez along with juniors Ivy Daniel and Kenzie Dodd and sophomore Lindsey George.
BOYS LACROSSE: In the first season under new coach Greg Mellinger, Grandview rocketed from two wins in 2023 to nine (and reclaimed the Predators Cup from rival Cherokee Trail) and a 5A state playoff berth. The Wolves — who lost to Denver South in the second round to finish a 9-7 campaign — were led by senior Joe Alie (who led the state in goals scored with 60), who made the All-League 4 first team along with senior Liam Szarka, who was also an all-league first teamer in football in the fall. Sophomore Mason Kelly appeared on the all-league second team, while senior Devin Melton and juniors Tyce Baldwin and Cam Festi were honorable mention.
GIRLS GOLF: Senior Caroline Ryan made the 5A girls golf state tournament for a fourth time and the University of Wyoming signee finished in 20th place, while senior Ella Wheeler and sophomore Jean Lim also played in the season-ending tournament. Lim placed 52nd, while Wheeler withdrew after the opening round.
GIRLS TENNIS: Coach Jeff Ryan’s team had a 4-6 dual match record with two losses coming 4-3 in early season competition, while it had one Class 5A individual state qualifier in the No. 3 doubles team of seniors Quincy Muntean and Maddie Mayer. Muntean and Mayer won a Region 4 playback to make it into the field that played at City Park in Denver, while the No. 1 doubles team of senior Lauren Stec and junior Romie Pachorek lost a set lead to Legend in a playback with a state berth on the line.
GIRLS LACROSSE: The Wolves finished with the same win total from last season with three, while coach Alex Smith had a pair of All-Class 5A East League second team picks in senior Avery May and junior Amaya Costas.
