By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Doing something just because friends did it does not always have the best results. It turned into something historic for Great Bend High School's Valarie Luna. Now a senior, Luna started track as a seventh grader because her friends were doing it. Friday in Wichita, she broke a 44-year-old school record in the high jump.
"All my friends were doing track, so I was just like, I'll do track too," Luna said. "One of my good friends, Jaydon Davis, was like, 'You can jump pretty high. Why don't you come try it with me?' So I did, then I fell in love with the sport."
Luna set a new personal best on the biggest stage last year. After missing her first jump at 5-4 at state, she cleared the bar on her next attempt. Andover Central's Brittany Harshaw cleared 5-4 on her first try. Both jumpers missed on their first two attempts at 5-6, and both cleared the bar on their final tries. That first miss proved to be the difference between a state championship and a silver medal, but the points helped Great Bend edge Kapaun Mt. Carmel for the second-place team trophy.
In the first week of the 2023 season, Luna cleared the bar at 5-2 in a meet. She was inching closer to the record heading into the Pre-State Challenge Friday at Wichita State University.
"At practice, I think it was Tuesday, I jumped 5-6, and I hit it with the back of my heel," said Luna. "Coach was like, 'Oh yeah. You've got this. You're breaking the school record. You're way over it.' Just him believing in me and having that good practice before we actually left was a help."
Jumping Coach Bill Maddy recorded the practice, and Luna could see herself going over the bar but clipping it with her foot at the end. She made the adjustment, then jumped into the history books a few days later by clearing 5-6.5. Sally Boyd previously held the record set in 1979.
Luna's jumping ability has worked in other sports. A standout volleyball player, she has signed to play next year at Cowley County Community College in Arkansas City. "Volleyball and track, high jumping especially, have some similarities because I'm a middle blocker and all I do is jump, basically," Valarie said.
Luna also ran for Great Bend's record-breaking 4x100m relay team last year alongside Mackenzie Premer, Sadie Spray, and Kara Feist. That team also broke the previous record from 1979. Valarie is the daughter of Daniel and Pamela Luna.
The Great Bend High School track and field teams host the Jack Bowman Invitational on Friday.