Jock Talk

The outdoor track and field season got underway for our immediate area tracksters this past Saturday at the Kimball Invitational. Kimball Activities Director, Ken Smith, waved his magic Baton and gave athletes, fans and officials a wonderful day, weather-wise! The Kimball facilities are in outstanding condition and very attractive. If you haven’t been up to the school lately, you need to give it a look-see. A tip of the hat to Mr. Smith and everyone who helped with the meet on Saturday.

A tip of the hat also to Alexus Rozelle of Potter-Dix for setting two new meet records in winning both the shot and the discus. The young lady will be winning her share of honors all track season I am certain. Alexus informed me that she does not plan to continue with track at the college level, but concentrate on volleyball at McCook Community College. Kind of hope she changes her mind and works in some track as well, if McCook offers the sport. She is also a very good basketball player.

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It was also kind of special to see Hunter Thompson of Pine Bluffs performing for the Pine Bluff’s boy’s track team Saturday. The Division One basketball standout who has signed to play his college ball at Wyoming, thinks enough of his school, and teammates, to put aside the basketball this spring and finish out his senior year on the track team. Hey, he doesn’t do bad at it either as he took home four gold medals. Hunter won the long jump, high jump, discus and ran a leg on the winning 4 x 400 relay team.

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I passed word to you readers recently about Hunter Thompson being named Player of the Year in his division in Wyoming and all of the awards he has been honored with.

I want to mention Jadyn Golding this week for being named Wyoming 2A Southeast Girls Player of the Year after an outstanding senior season with the Pine Bluffs girls. She has also been selected to play in the Wyoming All Star Game in Casper later this spring. You Kimball fans can certainly remember when Jadyn played her basketball here in Kimball before mom took a position with the Pine Bluffs School system and the family moved across the border? It makes us wonder “What if?” Right, coach Chauncey Pedersen? Congrats to you Jadyn on a great job!

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Honors are still pouring in for Kimball’s Mike Daum. Now he has been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All District 12 First Team. He was also the Summit League Player of the Year as a member of South Dakota State University where he set a school single season points record of 878 points, and is now number 12 on the career mark with two more years to play.

He has the school season record for field goals at 274, and the sophomore rebounding record of 285 and matched the top mark of free throws in a season at 251. He hit 79 3-pointers this season, had 32 double figure scoring games, scored 20 or more 25 times, scored 30 or more in 13 games and 40 plus two times, including the nation high of 51 against Fort Wayne!

He has been named USBWA All District and will be on the All American Ballot for both organizations. Multiple times this season he was named Player of the game, of the week, and of the month in the Summit League. Yep, that’s our Big Mike of Kimball, Nebraska!

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A touch on the sports schedule as I have it for this week. Most all of our area schools will be at the Bayard C-D track meet in Bayard this Saturday, weather permitting. This, of course, includes Kimball High and start time is 9 a.m. On Monday, April 3, Kimball is scheduled to go to Creek Valley and again, start time 9 a.m.

The Kimball Junior High track team opens at Bayard on Tuesday, April 4, at 9 a.m., and the Kimball High golf team is also at Bayard on Tuesday, April 4, and at 9 a.m.

Spring is here and so are the spring sports, so what else is arriving? How about the cold, rain and snow? Oh well, we will take the good days when we get them and I know the farmers are really needing the moisture.

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Hey you older sports fans will remember coach Mike Murphy who taught and coached at Kimball about 17 years ago before he and the family moved to Idaho, where he still resides. Mike was in Kimball this past weekend and showed up at the Kimball track meet Saturday. Enjoyed catching up with him for a short time and he still has lots of good things to say about Kimball. Hurry back Coach Murphy and spend some more time with us.