As 2022 comes to a close, take a look back at some of the biggest accomplishments for the Bluejays and Jayettes over the past year. (Note: Accomplishments are not ranked)
Football team wins first game in four seasons
There have been a couple of close calls over the past few seasons, and for all those that weren’t close, the Bluejays’ 27-21 win against Des Moines Hoover gave Perry something big to celebrate before the season came to an abrupt end three weeks later.
Down to a final chance to score in overtime, the Bluejays found their way into the end zone with Geren Kenney reaching over his center Kain Killmer for the lead. Minutes later, Juan Hernandez made the final tackle of a goal line stand to seal the deal.
Madness ensued.
The season ended earlier than anyone could have predicted after injury concerns weighed heavy, and the Bluejays are now in search of a new coach after Bryce Pierce stepped down from the position: But the atmosphere under the Friday night lights reached a peak that hasn’t been matched in some time in Perry.
All-Star
It’s difficult to distill an athlete like Lydia Olejniczak down to just one moment or night. Describing her as an “athlete” is a start, though, as she’s been far more than just a softball or basketball player, or a sprinter for the track team.
After three full seasons as a starter for the basketball team, Olejniczak crossed the 1,000-point marker at the start of the 2022-23 season and is quickly on her way to a fourth all-conference selection.
Following basketball season, Olejniczak found herself running at the state meet as Perry’s lone representative in 2022. She placed 22nd in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1 minute 6.57 seconds.
The next month, she was racking up stats on the diamond for the Jayettes and earned all-state honors thanks to a banner campaign leading the team with five home runs and a .506 batting average. She now finds herself ready to take on the NCAA as a member of the Drake Bulldogs after graduating.
Jayettes score nine
There are a couple of moments that will live with the Jayettes for some time, like Emmalee Bell hitting two home runs against Baxter. And a week later, Lydia Olejniczak hit two dingers in a single game.
But no game had quite the same effect as the team effort in a 14-7 win over Boone. Not only was it the highest score of the season, the Jayettes also experienced the rare feat of cycling through the order nearly two full times as they hung nine runs on the Toreadors in the third inning. Macy Killmer led the team with four RBI that day for a career-best performance.
Quarterfinals win
Winning nine games saw the girls basketball team reach a new peak last season, and that was punctuated by the Jayettes winning their regional quarterfinals game against Des Moines Hoover. Winning 74-58, Perry finally snapped the three-year streak of first-round exits.
Within the win itself, Lydia Olejniczak had another worthwhile entry on her own as she scored a record 48 points. Only one girl in the entire state scored more in a single game last season.
State swim meet
For the third year in a row, Perry was represented at the state swim meet.
The 400-yard freestyle relay team of Quin Mahler-Moreno, Sophia McDevitt, Zoe Hibbert and Lilly Riley placed 26th overall. And competing solo in the 200 and 500 freestyle events, Mahler-Moreno placed 13th and 12th overall. As a junior in 2023, she has the opportunity to tie the program record for three consecutive state meet appearances.
