Jock Talk

Spring sports is really bringing out some outstanding efforts by the Kimball High tracksters and boys golfers. Just this past week sophomore Brady Kilgore broke a 31-year-old Kimball High record when he won the 110 meter high hurdles at the Western Trails Conference track met in Mitchell. Brady ran a time of 14.59 seconds to better the old record of 14.7 ran by Jeff Fiehtner back in 1986. Several other Kimball High track people also had career best performances.

The Kimball High boy’s golf team has put together two team championships this past week and they are displaying a solid team this season. Last year three-time state medal winner Jordan Greenwood was surrounded by a group of beginning freshmen players and he pretty much carried the load. This season he is surrounded by a team of seasoned sophomores, along with a greatly improved junior, and anyone, on any day, can shoot the low score. Be sure and read about the great efforts of both the track team and the golfers in stories this week.

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Mike Daum was back home in Kimball this past week and made a special guest appearance at Wolf Automotive where the public was invited to come spend time with him and enjoy some barbecue fixings served up by the Wolf people. Mike signed balls for anyone wanting one and gave out big smiles and hand shakes in his usual hometown humble way. He also gave a talk and met with people at the Kimball Manor where his mother, Michele, is employed.

Then it was back to Brookings, South Dakota, home of his South Dakota State University men’s basketball team. Lots of his fans are always asking, and talking about, whether Big Mike will jump ship and leave the college scene if he gets the right NBA offer to go pro. Mike assured me he will graduate this coming year and get his degree, but then he doesn’t know for sure what he would do with one more year remaining eligibility at SDSU if an offer came along. Was great to see Mike and see that big smile of his. What a success story for the Kimball High standout.

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Golf is a sport known for complete player honesty and this past week this format came into play at the Mitchell Tournament Kimball High was involved in. Seems a Kimball golfer hit a shot that appeared quite good but when he got to where the ball should be, he couldn’t find it. So, he had to play a lost ball, which cost him penalty strokes, and had to return to where he made the shot and hit another. This not only cost him strokes, but upset his thinking, and his game. A report was heard that another player had intentionally picked up the ball and also one of another player from another team. I hear that there is discussion being held on the incident, but once again, in the game of golf, it comes down to being personally responsible for complete honesty. It can cost a player, and a team, big time.

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The sports schedule this week has the Kimball Junior High track team at home hosting their own invite today, April 20, with a 9 a.m. start time. The Kimball High track team is scheduled to go to the George Calvert Invite in Mitchell, Friday with an 11 a.m. start time, but the weather is not looking very good for this one, so stand by for a possible change. If you are wanting to see the best track athletes in Western Nebraska and Eastern Wyoming perform, take in the Best of the West meet in Scottsbluff this Tuesday evening at Bearcat Stadium with a start time of 4 p.m. The Kimball High boy’s golf team will also be in Scottsbluff on Monday, April 24, to play the Country Club course with a 9 a.m. start.