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Sports Sports B Submit sports news: Contact sports writer Andy Meyer at [email protected]. WEDNESDAY FEB. 8, 2012 RUNNING WITH HEART ANDY MEYER/The Smithville Herald The Dunn family of Smithville was thrown for a loop when Jason (upper left) suffered a heart attack in 2008, but Cyndi, Regan and Gavin (clockwise from upper right) have embraced a healthy lifestyle as a result and have all taken up competitive racing in the three years that followed Jason’s severe heart attack. BY ANDY MEYER Jason Dunn’s path to wellness started with a heart attack. Three years ago, the Smithville resi- dent nearly died from the attack that stemmed from a family history of poor heart health. Instead of lament- ing his poor fortune, however, he got off the couch and decided to do something about it. Ever since, Dunn and his entire family have embraced his recovery effort and have taken up competitive racing — a sport that has taken them all over the country and brought them closer than ever as a result. “I would call it the best three years of my life,” Jason said. “We have bonded so much as a family with all the time we get to spend together.” Dunn knew full well of the threat he faced from potential heart dis- ease. His father suffered a heart attack when he was 42. His grandfather had one sometime around his late 20s. But he never fretted it too much. After all, he had a background in athletics and was a distance runner during his high-school days. That’s when he met Cyndi, his wife, and eventually the two of them started a family and moved to Smithville. The heart attack caught them com- pletely by surprise, though, when it happened in December of 2008. It was one of the worst kinds, too. The doctors called it a widow maker, one that had blocked 99 per- cent of the second-largest artery in his heart. Physicians told him that Bubble round likely to be crucial again BY ANDY MEYER Smithville junior Jimmy Migletz has experienced the exhilaration that come along with the bubble round — as well as the agony. As a freshman, Migletz qualified for the state tour- nament by surviving his do- or-die wrestleback semifinal match — also known as the bubble round. Last season, he made it back to the same spot but fell one step short of a repeat trip. Both times, he dealt with the same pressures that come along with such a significant match. “It’s a really tough match when you make it to the bubble round,” Migletz said. “You’re scared and excited, and you really want to win so you can go to state.” He is one of several War- riors who could find them- selves the bubble round once again Saturday, Feb. 11, during the Class 2 District 4 tournament at Excelsior Springs High School. Nine Smithville wrestlers have reached the bubble round Wrestlers claim dual on festive evening BY ANDY MEYER Past, present and future all came together last week as Smithville’s wrestling team wrapped up its regular sea- son in style. From the youth wres- tlers to a number of for- mer coaches, nearly every- one received their fair share of recognition during the team’s third-annual Alumni Night on Thursday, Feb. 2. And that’s not to mention the Warriors’ thrilling 39-37 dual match victory against Lawson. In front of one of the largest crowds of the sea- son, Smithville fended off the Cardinals by two points and finished off an immensely successful regular season with a 10- 2 record in dual matches with four former coaches in attendance. Current Smithville coach Taylor Middleton helped orchestrate the event once again and was thrilled to see all aspects of the pro- gram represented on the same night. Warriors face crucial week of MEC matchups Girls must navigate tough stretch, which includes Savannah and No. 8 Cameron BY ANDY MEYER In the span of five days, Smithville’s girls basketball team will have the chance to seize the reins of the confer- ence title chase in a big way. But it certainly won’t be easy. The Warriors will face challenges from Savannah, Cameron and Maryville in a short stretch of games that will likely determine wheth- er the team will be able to complete an undefeated run through the Midland Empire Conference for the second time in three years. However, Savannah (15-5) is likely to be a roadblock to the Warriors, while Cameron (16-3) has been the breakout team in the conference this year and is ranked No. 10 in Class 3 entering the contest. Smithville coach Trevor Mosby knows the run of games will test his team, but said the squad is looking forward to the challenging slate. “It should be tough, but there’s nothing you can do about it,” Mosby said. “You’ve just got to hope you come out and play well and see what happens. I’m excited to see how we play against those teams.” With a full week between games, the Warriors had plenty of time to gear up for a crucial road game on Tuesday, Feb. 7, against the Savages, whose defense has only gotten better as the season has progressed. Since the calendar flipped to 2012, Savannah has only allowed one team to score more than 40 points in a game, and the squad put together an eight-game win streak as a result. Still, the team already has a blemish in MEC play after falling to St. Joseph Lafayette last week. The game will have added postseason implications since both teams are in Class 4 District 16, and a win could get Smithville one step closer to the No. 1 seed in the district. “We’re going to try to focus on the defensive end,” Mosby said. “Some of the games we lost, we really got to focusing on offense. Yeah, we still work our offense, try- ing to get our timing down. “But during the game, we’re going to more stress being defensive-minded.” Win or lose, Smithville must immediately turn around and prepare for one GIRLS BASKETBALL: MIDLAND EMPIRE CONFERENCE UPDATE u See GIRLS Page B4 AMERICAN HEART MONTH Dunn family takes up running after health scare WRESTLING: CLASS 2 DISTRICT 4 PREVIEW WRESTLING: ALUMNI NIGHT RECAP u See DISTRICTS Page B8 u See ALUMNI Page B2 INSIDE: Smithville’s boys basketball team picked up two big conference wins last week, PAGE B3. MATT REID/St. Joseph News-Press Smithville junior Dakota Willkett (left) hopes to make a run to state during the Class 2 District 4 tournament this weekend. u See DUNN Page B3
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Transcript of 0208SHBsection_01
SportsSportsB Submit sports news: Contact sports writer Andy Meyer
at [email protected] e d n e s d ayFeb. 8, 2012
RUNNING WITH HEART
Andy Meyer/The Smithville Herald
The Dunn family of Smithville was thrown for a loop when Jason (upper left) suffered a heart attack in 2008, but Cyndi, Regan and Gavin (clockwise from upper right) have embraced a healthy lifestyle as a result and have all taken up competitive racing in the three years that followed Jason’s severe heart attack.
By Andy Meyer
Jason Dunn’s path to wellness started with a heart attack.
Three years ago, the Smithville resi-dent nearly died from the attack that stemmed from a family history of poor heart health. Instead of lament-ing his poor fortune, however, he got off the couch and decided to do something about it.
Ever since, Dunn and his entire family have embraced his recovery effort and have taken up competitive racing — a sport that has taken them all over the country and brought them closer than ever as a result.
“I would call it the best three years of my life,” Jason said. “We have bonded so much as a family with all the time we get to spend together.”
Dunn knew full well of the threat
he faced from potential heart dis-ease.
His father suffered a heart attack when he was 42. His grandfather had one sometime around his late 20s. But he never fretted it too much.
After all, he had a background in athletics and was a distance runner during his high-school days. That’s when he met Cyndi, his wife, and eventually the two of them started a
family and moved to Smithville.The heart attack caught them com-
pletely by surprise, though, when it happened in December of 2008.
It was one of the worst kinds, too. The doctors called it a widow maker, one that had blocked 99 per-cent of the second-largest artery in his heart. Physicians told him that
Bubble round likely to be crucial again
By Andy Meyer
Smithville junior Jimmy Migletz has experienced the exhilaration that come along with the bubble round — as well as the agony.
As a freshman, Migletz qualified for the state tour-nament by surviving his do-or-die wrestleback semifinal match — also known as the bubble round. Last season, he made it back to the same spot but fell one step short of a repeat trip.
Both times, he dealt with the same pressures that come
along with such a significant match.
“It’s a really tough match when you make it to the bubble round,” Migletz said. “You’re scared and excited, and you really want to win so you can go to state.”
He is one of several War-riors who could find them-selves the bubble round once again Saturday, Feb. 11, during the Class 2 District 4 tournament at Excelsior Springs High School. Nine Smithville wrestlers have reached the bubble round
Wrestlers claim dual on festive evening
By Andy Meyer
Past, present and future all came together last week as Smithville’s wrestling team wrapped up its regular sea-son in style.
From the youth wres-tlers to a number of for-mer coaches, nearly every-one received their fair share of recognition during the team’s third-annual Alumni Night on Thursday, Feb. 2. And that’s not to mention the Warriors’ thrilling 39-37 dual match victory against Lawson.
In front of one of the largest crowds of the sea-son, Smithville fended off the Cardinals by two points and finished off an immensely successful regular season with a 10-2 record in dual matches with four former coaches in attendance.
Current Smithville coach Taylor Middleton helped orchestrate the event once again and was thrilled to see all aspects of the pro-gram represented on the same night.
Warriors face crucial week of MEC matchupsGirls must navigate tough stretch, which includes Savannah and No. 8 Cameron
By Andy Meyer
In the span of five days, Smithville’s girls basketball team will have the chance to seize the reins of the confer-
ence title chase in a big way.But it certainly won’t be
easy.The Warriors will face
challenges from Savannah, Cameron and Maryville in a short stretch of games that will likely determine wheth-er the team will be able to complete an undefeated run through the Midland Empire Conference for the second time in three years.
However, Savannah (15-5) is likely to be a roadblock to
the Warriors, while Cameron (16-3) has been the breakout team in the conference this year and is ranked No. 10 in Class 3 entering the contest.
Smithville coach Trevor Mosby knows the run of games will test his team, but said the squad is looking forward to the challenging slate.
“It should be tough, but there’s nothing you can do about it,” Mosby said. “You’ve just got to hope
you come out and play well and see what happens. I’m excited to see how we play against those teams.”
With a full week between games, the Warriors had plenty of time to gear up for a crucial road game on Tuesday, Feb. 7, against the Savages, whose defense has only gotten better as the season has progressed.
Since the calendar flipped to 2012, Savannah has only allowed one team to score
more than 40 points in a game, and the squad put together an eight-game win streak as a result. Still, the team already has a blemish in MEC play after falling to St. Joseph Lafayette last week.
The game will have added postseason implications since both teams are in Class 4 District 16, and a win could get Smithville one step closer to the No. 1 seed in the district.
“We’re going to try to focus on the defensive end,” Mosby said. “Some of the games we lost, we really got to focusing on offense. Yeah, we still work our offense, try-ing to get our timing down.
“But during the game, we’re going to more stress being defensive-minded.”
Win or lose, Smithville must immediately turn around and prepare for one
GiRlS BaSkeTBall: MiDlanD eMpiRe ConfeRenCe UpDaTe
u See GirlS Page B4
aMeRiCan HeaRT MonTH
Dunn family takes up running after health scare
WReSTlinG: ClaSS 2 DiSTRiCT 4 pRevieW WReSTlinG: alUMni niGHT ReCap
u See DiStrictS Page B8 u See Alumni Page B2
InsIde: smithville’s boys basketball team picked up two big conference wins last week, PaGe B3.
MAtt reid/St. Joseph News-Press
Smithville junior Dakota Willkett (left) hopes to make a run to state during the Class 2 District 4 tournament this weekend.
u See Dunn Page B3
