It’s been a tough year for the Bureau Valley community.

Todd Maynard, the heart and soul of the Storm football program in the early 2000s and state track medalist, passed away on April 25 at the age of 39 from cancer. He was the 2002 and 2003 co-BCR Football Player of the Year and the first Bureau County player to rush for 4,000 career yards.

More recently, former Bureau Valley athlete Adam Sanden, a 2010 graduate, passed away on Sept. 25 at the age of 33. He was the 2009 BCR Male Track Athlete of the Year.

Both gone much too soon.

The Bureau Valley community mourns their losses.

“Always tough to lose someone, especially someone so young. Just taken too soon for their time. Never forget either one of them,” BV superintendent Jason Stabler said.

“Both of those kids were just deeply rooted in the community. They were working around the area. Their families have always been involved with Bureau Valley. Fond memories of both them.”

Like Maynard before him, Sanden left his mark on BV athletics in football and track.

Sanden had a record-setting junior season that took him to BCR Track Athlete of the Year honors in 2009.

He took the No. 1 seed to state in the triple jump after setting the Bureau County record of 45-0 1/2 at sectional. A toe injury he developed at state kept him from duplicating his record jump, but he landed a seventh-place medal.

Sanden, who former Storm coach Nick Hartz said was the kind of athlete “you can build your track program around,” returned to state as a senior in both the triple jump and 400, but did not medal.

Bureau Valley staff remember Sanden for the student-athlete he was.

“I was fortunate to teach Adam and always enjoyed having him in class. He was always looking out for others even in junior high. That’s a person I’m always going to remember,” Stabler said.

“Adam was a great kid. He always worked hard to be the best that he could. He had that great internal drive,” Hartz said. “He always seemed to improve each jump and push himself through each phase in the triple jump. He also had a great drive out of the blocks in the 200 which he used to push through the curve. He just wanted to leave his mark on the track. He was a great supporter of his teammates.”

“Adam was strong and fast unfortunately the summer before his senior year hurt his knee and missed the (football) season,” retired Storm coach Craig Johnson said. “He would have played a major role for us as a running back. Fortunately he was able to come back and have a good senior year in track.”

Kevin Hieronymus has been the BCR Sports Editor since 1986. Contact him at khieronymus@bcrnewscom