Ben Dangel (class of 2018) was a journeyman high school pole vaulter as his junior season began in 2017. However, he managed to tie the Lakota West school record of 12’ 6” in early April and by late April had become the first West vaulter to get over thirteen feet.
In May of this year, Dangel won the Golden Baton Relays while raising the school record to 13’ 6”, then in early May became Lakota West’s first ever GMC pole vault champion. In-route to the GMC title he one-upped the Firebird record by another three inches (13’ 9”). He went on to become the first Firebirds to win a district pole vault championship, doing it with yet another school record leap (14’ 6”). In less than two full seasons he managed to tie or break the Lakota West vaulting record no less than six times, to become a true Firebird record breaker and history maker.

Steven Fauchuex (class of 2019) had already earned two varsity letters this year before the track season opened. He was an all GMC lineman in football in the fall and had played in 20 varsity basketball games earning five starting assignments in the winter sports season. Following two seasons as a role player on predominantly team sports teams, Faucheaux moved to center stage in track and field. In April he hurled the discus 155’ 11.5” inches in the Colerain Invitational to shatter the previous Lakota West record by over thirteen feet. Then at the Greater Miami Conference Championship Meet in May Steve was named The Conference Field Athlete Of The Year following a first-place finish in the discus and a third-place finish in the shot. He is just the second Male Firebird ever so honored by that title.