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If there was a common theme in Bonner Springs sports in 2008, it was speed.

Whether afoot or afloat, on the wrestling mat or the tennis court, speed played a major role in the success of local athletes this year.

The Bonner Springs High School boys track team stole the spotlight — and deservedly so — as it brought home a state trophy and smashed a state record, but there were success stories to be found in numerous areas.

Here, in no particular order, are five of the top sports stories in Bonner Springs in 2008.

TRACK EARNS TROPHY

The medal haul was huge, but the state trophy was even nicer for the Bonner Springs boys track team.

The small-in-numbers but fast-on-their-feet Braves capped the season with a second-place finish in Class 5A at the state track meet at Wichita State University’s Cessna Stadium.

“I’m real proud of them,” BSHS coach Jim Mitchell said. “They’ve done everything we’ve asked them to. They’ve run hard. They performed the way I thought they could. This was a great day.”

Jonathan Walker started things off with a first-place finish in the triple jump with a leap of 44 feet, 10 1/4 inches — a personal best. Later, Jeremy Walker won the long jump with a mark of 22-3 1/2. The Walker twins then went 1-2 in the 110-meter hurdles, Jeremy Walker won the 100 and Jonathan Walker placed first in the 200.

James Carter — a distance specialist and the alternate for the 400-meter relay — cruised to a two-second personal record and placed third in the 800 in 1:58.08.

Finally, the Walkers, L.T. Lee and Ian Briggs claimed gold in the 400 relay.

Emporia and BSHS were tied for first entering the final event of the day, but EHS scored points in that race to edge the Braves for the state championship.

RECORD FALLS

Oh no you didn’t.

That was the general reaction of Bonner Springs sprinters Ian Briggs, Jeremy Walker, L.T. Lee and Jonathan Walker and BSHS track coach Jim Mitchell just moments after the Braves’ first-place finish in their preliminary heat of the 400-meter relay at the Class 5A track and field state championships.

The Braves broke the 5A state record by circling the track in 41.86 seconds, but nobody else in Cessna Stadium seemed to know. Other record-breaking performances had been announced to the crowd, but not this time.

Suffice to say the Braves were just a bit miffed.

“They shouted everybody else, and they didn’t shout us out,” Jeremy Walker said. “Our coach was heated, but it’ll just make us run harder, make us prove the point and get the championship.”

Mitchell spent that night and part of the next day reminding his athletes of the snub. He let the message bubble and boil a bit. He wanted it to sink in and inspire an even greater performance.

It worked.

From the second Briggs popped out of the starting blocks during the finals, the Braves were in control. His handoff to Jeremy Walker was perfect. Walker scorched down the back straightaway on the second leg. L.T. Lee gobbled up the final curve on the third leg and opened an insurmountable lead. Jonathan Walker glided down the home stretch and continued to extend the lead through the finish line.

Their time of 41.65 set a new 5A record by more than two-tenths of a second, and it was the third fastest time ever recorded in Kansas in any class.

This time, the record was announced.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime team, and this was our last race, so we just had to go,” Jeremy Walker said, noting Briggs and Lee were seniors in their final race. “We had to prove a point to all these other teams and schools and people that said we couldn’t do it.”

SEATON SIZZLES

Caleb Seaton’s high school wrestling debut couldn’t have gone much better.

After thrashing through his opponents and winning all but two regular-season matches, Seaton overcame a bout with the flu and won the Kaw Valley League championship at 103 pounds.

He was just getting started.

A week later Seaton collected a first-place medal at the Class 5A regional tournament.

The following week he and three teammates made the trip to Hutchinson for the state tournament, and again Seaton was impressive.

He won his first match of the tournament and set himself up for a solid tournament that concluded with a fourth-place medal.

SENIORS STATE-BOUND

Playing in front of a gathering of classmates on their home courts, Bonner Springs High School seniors Zach Holder and Kyle Toland earned their first trip to the Class 5A state tennis tournament.

The pair spent much of the season beating the odds, winning two tournaments and beating more talented opponents by outhustling and outworking them.

“They’re the classic overachievers,” BSHS tennis coach Bill Scott said of the pair.

At regionals they did it again, winning their first two matches to qualify for state. They dropped their last two and finished fourth, but they earned a spot in the state field in Wichita for the first — and only — time in their prep careers.

“We had two goals for them this year; to win the Leavenworth Tournament, because we hadn’t lost there in No. 1 doubles since 1999, and the other goal was to go to state. They accomplished both,” Scott said.

SWIMMERS MAKE SPLASH

In both 2006 and 2007, the local swimming club from Lake Forest edged Bonner Springs (formerly known as Fun Valley) for the Lake and Country Club Swimming League championship.

In 2008 it was Bonner Springs’ turn as the Dolphins fended off a furious challenge from the Sharks to claim the league crown.

Although the title changed hands, both local teams’ success kept the area dynasty intact.

For the Dolphins, the league championship capped an undefeated season.

“Oh, it’s been phenomenal,” Dolphins coach Debby King said of the season. “I don’t remember ever having a season where we went undefeated and then it came down to the wire where we’re going, ‘OK, did we actually pull off first or not?’”

Beginning with the preliminary races and continuing through the finals, the ultimate outcome always remained in doubt. The Bonner Springs and Lake Forest swimmers all did their part to make sure the drama was high. From the youngest swimmers to the most seasoned veterans, fast times were turned in and all swimmers did their part to keep their teams in the running for the league title.

Both teams stocked the finals in almost every age group of every event. Ultimately, Bonner Springs’ depth and balance proved to be the difference as they piled up 903 points to Lake Forest’s 853. Lake Quivira was a distant third with 732.

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