BOONE CONNECTED DEATH

     David Leroy Campbell, 71, Saylor Twp. D.M.,Born in Boone. Parents were Earl and Ramona Westrum Campbell. At age 15, moved with his family to D.M. area.

BOONE SCHOOL BOARD RESCUES RUTH BASEBALL PROGRAM

     ELEMENTARY BOND ISSUE MONDAY - Boone County Fairgrounds, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

 

     BOONE RUTH BASEBALL PROGRAM DIES   

 

     You locals are probably well aware of this. Out of town viewers may not be. But, Babe Ruth baseball in Boone appears to be "dead."

     Babe Ruth baseball in Boone was a gigantic youth program in the late 1950's, 60's and many years beyond. But, "As the World Turns," change evolves. 

     Kevin Houston, who has been heavily involved in the local program for years, told me there was no program due to the pandemic last summer and the year before that, there were just four teams with about 40 players involved. So, no attempt was made for a program this coming summer.

     Little League, another strong Boone program for years, has also been struggling and Houston thinks much of the decline in these programs is due to the increasing advent of AAU traveling type programs, which promise parents they will increase their child's potential in exchange for some pretty hefty participation fees. Few opportunities remain for the "average" player.

     Nationally, Babe Ruth Baseball still exists. It was founded in 1951 with a 13-15 year age group targeted. Starting in 1966, a 16-18 division was offered and a 13-year old division began in 1974. The Boone program featured the 13-15 and then, the 13 only division.

     Ruth claims there are still 60,000 teams in the country with 11,000 leagues and almost two million volunteers.

     At its best, in Boone, there were numerous league teams, hundreds of participants and Ruth All Star state champion contenders. In 1962, the Boone All Star team won the state, the regional (7 state champs) and earned a spot with just seven other teams in the world as Ruth World Series entrants. That series was played in Bridgeton, New Jersey and it was that group, 13-15 year olds at the time, that, eventually, became the Iowa High School State Champion team as juniors/seniors in 1965.

     I, the Kornerman, coached regular Ruth teams for over 20 years, had the pleasure of managing that 1962 team to the World Series and even served as an Iowa State Babe Ruth Director for several years.

    Many of us remember when Ruth baseball in Boone was IT. Families never dreamed of taking a vacation or, in any other way, detracting from the Babe Ruth season. Memorial Park was the shrine, the parents and public, in general, its flock and the young players its idols for a good portion of the summer, until the completion of tournament play.

    It was a successful and interesting time.

    

    BUT NOW, FOR A MORE POSITIVE "REST OF THE STORY"

    The Boone Community School District has come in, on a white horse, to alleviate some of the Ruthless pain.

    Thanks to the district, there will still be organized Ruth-age youth baseball in Boone.

    Its such a formative age for furthering baseball skills that Boone High School Activities Director Brett Collins and the Toreador baseball coach, Charlie Eastlund, realized the loss of the Ruth league would be a real negative for the future of Boone High School baseball. 

    As a result, they spoke to the school board about the possibility of organizing an eighth-grade specific baseball team, to be sponsored by the school district.

    The board voted unanimously to approve the addition of this team.

    There are several positives. (1) It will provide an opportunity for eighth-graders to participate on a school-sponsored team. (2) It will reduce the need to form tournament/AAU or traveling teams for kids to have opportunities. (3) That will keep kids playing in Boone rather than Ames or Des Moines or elsewhere. (4) It will expose kids to a school-sponsored 7-12 Systemic Program and (5) it will move forward what seven of 10 of the other conference schools already offer at the middle school level.

     Funding for a coach, umpires, equipment and travel expenses will be absorbed by the school.

     Practice will begin in mid-May and will be consistent with the ninth-grade team utilizing high school coaching staff. Games will be doubleheaders and held at Memorial Park, since it is the only field in Boone with appropriate dimensions, although the middle school field could also be used for practice. 

     The ninth-graders will play at home with the eighth-graders away and vice versa throughout the schedule.

     Activities Director Collins said that families are used to paying a fee for participating in Babe Ruth, so they may be requested to assist with the purchase of uniform tops. He also indicated that, due to a lower numbers of softball participants, an eighth-grade specific team for girls and a seventh-grade specific team for baseball have not been proposed but study of those possibilities will continue.

K-----K

     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Kathryn (Kay) Burt Miller, 80, Woodland Hills, CA. After a divorce, she moved near a sister in California. Married Bernard Miller and became a step-mom to his three children from an earlier marriage. Survivors include a daughter, Karla Efkamp Keigley of Boone. Services in Ogden.........Jackie Earl Davis, 77, Ogden.

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     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. Leave a message. To email your stories/memories/comments....

kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.

    

    

BOONE CONNECTED DEATH

     Kathryn (Kay) Burt Miller, 80, Woodland Hills, CA. After a divorce, she moved near a sister in California. She married Bernard Miller and served as a step-mom to three of his children from an earlier marriage. Survivors include a daughter, Karla Efkamp Keigley, of Boone. Services will be in Ogden.

Bob "Pinky" Clifton, Toreador star, Hawkeye All-American, BHS Coach

    

     SCHOOL VOTE....TUESDAY, MARCH 2   

 

     It seems like its been a  loooooong time coming but our elementary bond issue election is just one week away, Tuesday, March 2.

     Its proposed that a successful $23 million bond issue will allow the construction of a new elementary school to replace the current Page and Lincoln elementary buildings which are 80 years old.

     Obviously, newer, modern facilities will provide much improved educational opportunities for teachers and students alike.

     There are a couple other positive things that may be, somewhat, overlooked.

     How about the importance of this project to the community?

     I, the Kornerman, have lived here just over 70 of my almost 86 years. I wasn't born here and didn't live my elementary years here but I do claim Boone as "my town".......and I'm darn proud of it.

     I want this community to retain its current allure, its history and the exciting things that each "new day" brings. But those things, alone, don't mean we should retain everything "as is" or put things on "hold."

     Whether we like it or not, its a challenging and competitive world so we must move forward, telling the world who we are and what we have to offer.....and that includes a progressive school system that is an envy, not an embarassment.

     Then, too, some may overlook the hard work previous school boards and administrations have done to bring us to this point. Those school leaders have studied and they've saved. There's a very favorable result. School Board President Dr. Brian Melhaus said under the district's time frame for paying the current debt, there would be no increase in tax asking for the new building. The property needed has already been purchased. So, a raising of school taxes is not necessary for this project thanks to excellent pre-planning.

     Jo and I have voted YES already. We went to the courthouse to cast our ballot. Its something you might consider, to avoid a crowd or, perhaps, weather that may be less than ideal.

K-----K

     

     FORMER TOREADOR CLIFTON.....AN ALL-AMERICAN   

 

     A fairly new acronym, usually tied to sports, is GOAT......Great of All-Time. Or, as my old friend and mentor, Tom Quinlan, used to say, "he's one of the all-time bottoms of a stove".......referring to a Grate."

     Either way, Luka Garza is IT.....at least, at the State University of Iowa. 

     Sunday, he became the best men's pointmaker in SUI basketball history.

     But, today, we're mainly invested in talking about a Boone High School GOAT or Grate.

 

     Boone High School has had a long boys basketball program but only one Toreador player has ever earned collegiate All-American mention.

     Bob (Pinky) Clifton, led Boone's 1947-48 team to state championship tournament play in Iowa City where they defeated Carroll but lost to Ankeny.

     On to the State University of Iowa where, in those days, college freshmen were not allowed to play on varsity teams. But the next three years, in the early 50's, Bob developed into a starter and steady performer for Hawkeye teams that posted records of 16-7, 16-7, and 19-3.

     Pinky Clifton had transferred from the Ogden schools to Boone for his freshman year. By the time he was a senior at BHS, he had grown to 6-3, which was "pretty tall timber" in those days.

     That senior season, the Toreadors were 21-8 and made a Boone squad's first state tournament appearance in 17 years, the first since the 1931 team had won the state championship.

     As a senior, Clifton was a unanimous first team All Central Iowa Conference player, who led that league in scoring while setting a new school scoring record of 471 points.

     The Des Moines Register and the Iowa Daily Press Association both named him a first team all-stater and he was also named to the All-State Tournament team. 

     Pinky's Boone High School coach was Frank (Bucky) O'Connor and after that 1947-48 school year, O'Connor was offered a position on the University of Iowa athletic staff. With scholarship help, Clifton followed his prep coach to Iowa City. Due to some illness in the UOI basketball coaching program, O'Connor quickly advanced to the Hawkeye head coaching position. That brought Coach O'Connor and Clifton together on the basketball court again, this time collegiately.

     During his years at Iowa, Clifton was known as very fiery and super aggressive on the basketball floor and, probably, due to that style of relentless play, he was a real favorite of Hawkeye fans, who gave him a tremendous salute in the waning moments of his final Hawkeye home game.

     In his senior season, the Hawks, led by unanimous first team All American center, Chuck Darling, and Clifton, failed by just one game of winning the Big 10 championship. Clifton was named an All American by Look Magazine, a well respected publication of that time.

     After his graduation, the National Basketball Association (NBA) beckoned.

     The Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, known now as the Detroit Pistons, drafted him, offering a signing bonus of $7,000 and a $5,000 a year salary, plus a job in the off-season. Not wanting to be drafted while at Iowa, Pinky had joined the ROTC, which required a two-year military stint after graduation. That requirement and his impending induction into the service, pretty well doomed any chances of an NBA career, although Detroit, two years later, still expressed an interest.

     After service time, Clifton returned to Iowa to obtain his Master's Degree and he was given the opportunity to coach the Hawkeye freshman team for $2,000. Now married and with a son, Chris, more income was a necessity and Clifton applied for the newly-opened head coaching job at his old school, Boone High School.

     His first Toreador team, in 1955-56, was 9-11 and he concluded four years at BHS with teams at 15-5, 6-12 and 7-9. 

     Then, a former Boone resident, Bill Dahlien, was the Superintendent at Union-Whitten, IA and hired Pinky as his Principal. Four years later, Dahlien took a job in Oregon and took Clifton with him, offering the promise that his salary would double.

     After four years in Oregon, Bob and family returned to Iowa as he became the Principal at Ackley, IA, later Ackley-Geneva, for the next 22 years before retiring in 1990.

     He and his wife, the former Dorothy Barrow, a high school sweetheart, returned to Boone in 2001. That same year, Pinky was diagnosed with colon cancer and he died in 2002.

     Dorothy, who is also deceased, was once asked how "Pinky" got his nickname. She explained, "one of his Boone High teachers, Mrs. Liddell, called all of the red-headed boys in her class, "Pinky," and it just stuck with him."

K-----K 

     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Robert Frazier, 91, West Des Moines. Born in Boone. Jordan HS-48. Navy vet. Drake University grad. Married Norma Edwards in 1954. Worked for the U.S. Postal Service until retirement in 1996. Two daughters survive.........Tracy Allen Johnson, 53, Boone....Gordon Kusel, 63, Bondurant. Survivors include a brother, John Kusel, of Madrid........William (Bill) Burket, 91, Minburn. Survivors include a son, Don Burket, of Boone.......Gail George Rees Jr., 78, Grimes. Survivors include a step-son, Mike Wineland, of Madrid.

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     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. Leave a message. To email your stories/memories/comments.......

kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.

     

    

     

       

    

    

    

     

BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS

     Gordon Kusel, 63, Bondurant. Survivors include a brother, John Kusel, of Madrid.

BOONE CONNECTED DEATH

     Tracy Allen Johnson, 53, Boone.

BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS

     Robert Frazier, 91, West Des Moines. Born in Boone. Jordan HS-48. Navy vet. Drake University B.S. Married Norma Edwards in 1954. She is deceased. Worked for the United States Postal Service until retirement in 1996. Two daughters survive.

     William (Bill) Burket, 91, Minburn. Survivors include a son, Don Burket, of Boone.

     Gail George Rees Jr., 78, Grimes. Survivors include a step-son, Mike Wineland, of Madrid.

ON DECK: School election/BHS girls swimming

     Although he's over 100 miles away, in Council Bluffs, Loren Frazier, BHS-58, has been and is a solid supporter of his "home" community and has some thoughts on the upcoming school bond election.

     Loren wrote, "I am an advocate of quality education, and, I think that good school buildings have as an important part of education as do the teachers and other staff."

     He said he felt it was very important that his home town vote in favor of the upcoming bond issue (March  2).....and stated that he's paid many tax dollars for schools and considers those dollars well spent.

     He wrote, "I spent seven years at Bryant School when the building was only a few years old when I started there in 1945. If it was still standing, Bryant would be 81 years old, a year older than me. I can testify that anything that old certainly has plumbing problems, and, probably, electrical and other infra-structural problems. Lincoln is the same age as Bryant was, and Page is not much younger."

     Loren went on, "I can tell you, without even going in those buildings, that they are likely full of asbestos, the plumbing is falling apart, the electrical system is dangerous, the plaster is falling off the walls and ceilings, and the structure may be sagging and settling, due to old age."

     "There comes a time in a building's life when the cost of upkeep exceeds the cost of replacement. These two buildings, I'm sure, have reached that time. It might be possible to keep putting money into them for a few more years, and avoid the replacement cost. But, the money will not be well spent, as replacement costs will continue to increase, and it will cost even more to replace them in coming years."

     Loren urges potential voters to take any action being offered for an "up close" look at the problems, with an explanation of them and the answer of questions from the school officials.

     An open community meeting is scheduled for Boone High School from 6 to 7 p.m. on February 28 to answer questions about the project. Then too, live streaming is available via the Boone TV You Tube channel.

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     IN BHS SWIMMING.....JENNIFER KOLLBAUM STANDS APART

 

     The Boone High School girls swimming program has shown added strength in recent years.......the school record board shows it.

     Of the 13 events offered, almost all of the current marks have been earned the last couple years. Six new school records were set this past season as the 2020 Toreador team posted a 10-1 dual meet record, qualified four individuals and three relay teams to the State meet and placed four team members on the first All-Conference team.

      Still, its the oldest record still "alive" that stands tallest because it was set by, far and away, the Boone girls swim programs brightest star ever. Jennifer Kollbaum still holds the 200-freestyle school record of 1:57.81 and it was established back in 1988, over 30 years ago.

     Kollbaum was a two-time Iowa state champion (Boone's only girls state champion) and later, at Iowa State University, she became the Cyclones Most Valuable Swimmer three times while setting three ISU records in the conference championship meet and qualifying for the NCAA meet in three events.

     Jennifer qualified for the Iowa state meet three times, winning the 50-free event in 24.50 and the 100 free in 53.58 both in 1988. 

     She was the Boone team's MVP four straight years and was her team's co-captain twice. She's been selected a member of the Iowa State High School Swimming Hall of Fame.

     During the 1988 summer Iowa Games, she won seven gold medals and one silver.

     At Iowa State, in 1993, she qualified in three events for the NCAA tournament. Out of 15,700 Division 1 swimmers, only 200 had qualified.

     In the Big Eight Conference meet, she had set new ISU records in the 50, 100 and 200-freestyle events and was a member of three relay teams that set new Cyclone standards.

     Jen's academic achievements were as impressive as her athletic achievements. She was named to the College Swim Coaches All-Academic team and was a district academic All-American. She also received the Big Eight Conference Medal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Academics and Athletics.

     She's always lauded the early direction she received from her Boone swim coaches, Jack Ver Helst at the YMCA and Kathy Abrahamson, her Toreador coach.

     Jennifer was really a two-sport star at BHS. A guard, she was an important member of a Toreador basketball team that played its way into the 1989 State Tournament. She earned all-conference and third team all-state honors in that sport.

    Although none of the most current members of the BHS team have matched Jennifer Kollbaum's star-studded career, they have propelled the Boone program to some exciting heights, showing great improvement for the future.

    It was swimmers Liz Purtle, Anna Gute and Regan Peter, diver Jacie Flockhart and three relay teams that qualified for state, with those four also earning All-Conference honors.

    Purtle is the school recordholder in two events, the 50-freestyle and 100-backstroke, and Gute also holds two marks, in the 100 butterfly and 100 freestyle.

    Two 2020 relay teams also hold current school records, the 200-free team of Gute, Emily Wingert, Marin Powell and Liz Purtle and the 400-free team of Gute, Wingert, Powell and Purty.

     Chelsea Hartwig still holds the 500-free record she set in 2005; Haiden Jennings holds the 11-dive mark set in 2013; Kennedey Bass the 6-dive mark set in 2015; Erin Kokemiller in both the 200-IM and 100-breaststroke set in 2016 and the 200-medley team of Madelynn Santi, Kokemiller, Haley Hall and 

Annemarie DeVries they set in 2016.

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     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Wayne E. Larson, 88, Stratford. Born in Dayton. DHS-51. Furthered his education at Drake and the University of Northern Iowa. Army vet. Taught briefly at Webster City but then spent 35 years total being the Superintendent of Schools at Northeast Hamilton in Blairsburg, Ida Grove and Stratford. In retirement, he added 20 years as a school bus driver. Wayne married Carol Sackrison in 1960. Survivors include two sons, including Jay Larson of Stratford and two brothers........Rebecca Jordan, 67, Madrid.

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     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. Leave a message. To email your stories/memories/comments.....

kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.

    

BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS

     Wayne E. Larson, 88, Stratford.

     Rebecca Jordan, 67, Madrid

LONG BHS WRESTLING HISTORY

     With the State High School Wrestling Tournament beginning today (Wednesday), let's review some of Boone High's storied wrestling history.

      First, though, we honor three current BHS wrestlers who have earned their way into qualification for this year's event. 

     Ty Solverson will compete at 120-pounds; Jayden Angle at 182-pounds and Taner Harvey at 195-pounds. All will be battling the "big boys," in Class 3-A, which features wrestlers from the larger schools, attendancewise, in Iowa.

     There is special interest in Harvey's entry. He was state runnerup last year at 182-pounds and this year is hoping to become the first? Toreador state wrestling champion. HOWEVER, there might be an asterisk (*) involved. Here's the skinny.

     The Iowa High School Athletic Association, which governs boys high school athletic programs in the state, was formed in 1904 but did not organize an "official" State Wrestling Tournament until 1926. Prior to that time, promoters, mainly at Iowa State University in Ames, hosted what they called " a State High School Wrestling Tournament." It was more like an invitational event. Not all schools with wrestling programs competed and the format was different than it is today.

     At that time, especially in the early 20's, there was no better high school wrestling program than the one at Boone High School. 

     At the Ames event, in both 1923 and 1924, BHS won the team championship under Coach  Leland Page. In 1925, they shared the team title with Marshalltown. James Irwin coached that Boone team.

     During that period, both Willis Stanley, 1922-24, and Lyle Wilson, 1923-25, became THREE-TIME state champions.

     Then, in 1926, the IHSAA took full sponsorship of the state wrestling program.

     So, here's the situation today. If Taner Harvey wins a state title.......yes, he will be the first BHS state champion in IHSAA TOURNAMENT SANCTIONED history. However, those oldtimers, Stanley and Wilson, who each won THREE state championships and are members of the IHSAA Wrestling Hall of Fame should not be forgotten.

     Through the years there have been many other BHS wrestlers, both pre-1926 and since, who have made their mark in state competition......with high finishes in their weight class. Mason Hulse comes to mind quickly. He was a state runnerup one year and a sixth-place finisher another in the most recent years.

     Now the Kornerman is getting into dangerous territory. I probably shouldn't get involved here but I can recall lots of good Toreador wrestlers who were placewinners at the state meet......Paul (Pete) McIntyre, Jeff Saggau, Steve Paris, Scottie Beckwith and Gary Long all had those moments. And, there are others, I'm sure, that I haven't listed and I apologize for those I have neglected to mention.

K-----K 

     We had some swimming history in the last edition, highlighting the story of Bob Anderson who set some national high school records. Let's put a ribbon on the swim history with a couple items you viewers might find interesting, plus more details on "other" individuals who have performed well as members of the BHS swim program.

     (1) You oldtimers may remember, I'm sure, the original Boone High School swimming pool. It was very small, I think probably four lanes and was it 20 or 40 yards long? Very limited seating capacity also.

     Toreador swimming began in the 1920-21 school year. In 1923, a bond issue was passed for building that swimming pool in a new addition to the high school building. The bond issue was for $225,000, the vote carried by a 2-1 margin and the pool was completed in November of 1924. The following month, regular P.E. swim classes were started and the pool was open for competition against other schools.

     In those early years, of course, there were very few schools that even had a pool to offer its students and in 1940-41, that small Boone pool became the host to the very first State High School Swim Meet ever held in a high school pool. Nine schools were entered.

     (2) In the 1945-46 school year, Boone High School swimming received NATIONWIDE publicity when Helen Emmons was named the Toreador head coach. NATIONWIDE? WHY?

     Helen Emmons was, reportedly, the first woman coach of any boy's high school team in the nation.

     My, how times have changed. Its been a slow process, but, in recent years, that type of thing has become more commonplace.

     Bob Anderson wasn't Boone High's only state champion swimmer. Vince Dahl captured three state championships. In 1980, he captured the 50-freestyle in 22.10 and the 100-freestyle in 48.10. In 1982, he earned his second 50 crown in 21.58.

     Eldon (Bud) Dahl, Vince uncle, was a state champion, winning the 100-breaststroke in 1:08.6 in the 1947-48 season. Then, in the 1949-50 school year, the team of Jerry Smith, Bob Dahl, Vince dad, and Bob Jensen took the 180-medley championship in 1:45.9. Yes, that relay featured three-man teams.

     The Kornerman feels a special closeness to the BHS swim teams, mainly of the 60's. In that time, school authorities knew "for sure" that there would be at least one non-school person, your Boone News/KWBG reporter, at out of town events. As a result, quite often, I was hired by the school to help transport athletes, including swimmers, and even cheerleaders to competition outside of Boone.

     I remember the Cross boys, the Herman's, Warren Thompson, Bob Cramer, Mike Wittmer, Russ Carlson, Jim Miles, Fritz Erbe, Clark Reed and other Toreador swim members who traveled with me. Perhaps they remember too.

     Teamwise, the mid-60's were memorable, the best. .Many school records, pool records and some 30 meet records were established by the teams of 1963-64 and 1964-65.

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     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Jack Coffman, 80, Boone. BHS-58. Navy vet. He and wife, Beverly, moved back to Boone in 1971. Jack worked at John Deere for 17 years and then at Prairie Meadows until retirement. Survivors include his wife, Beverly, of Boone, daughter, Dawn Smiley, of Boone and son, Chuck Coffman, of Boone........Della Mae Deal Wirtz, 88, Boone. Married Leo Wirtz in 1950 in Boone and the couple operated the "Office Lounge" and "Blue Cloud Cafe" for a time. Then, Della became a homemaker while raising their children. Survivors include three daughters, including Linda Clarke of Boone and two sons, including Carl Wirtz of Boone.

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     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. Leave a message. To email your stories/memories/comments.....

kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.

     

BOONE CONNECTED DEATH

     Jack Coffman, 80, Boone. BHS-58.

BOONE CONNECTED DEATH

     Della Mae Deal Wirtz, 88, Boone.

A SUNDAY EDITION?

     I, the Kornerman, don't know. I guess I'm perplexed. This world of ours seems to be changing so rapidly. Everything seems so different.

     I was thinking back. Twenty-five years ago this very Sunday, I and co-workers at the Iowa High School Athletic Association would be so busy. Wrapping up yesterday's State Swim Meet and in the midst of preparation for this weeks State Wrestling Tournament.

     Instead, here I am, for the first time in 11 years of its blog existence, working a SUNDAY Korner and a Valentine's Day edition at that.WHY?

     Yesterday (Saturday) there were two big events that some of our BHS student athletes were involved in. Swimmers were completing a long, pandemic-plagued campaign and the wrestlers were continuing work in an effort to earn a berth in the state meet. 

      Don't know about you but I was very interested. How did our swimmers do and did any of our wrestlers qualify for the state meet?

      None of my questions were answered in the Sunday morning Register and couldn't find anything on the radio. Maybe in the Monday paper. Oh, that's right. We don't have one. Maybe on Thursday but that's a long ways off. 

      O.K. Details may be short and the Korner audience could always be better but as I've said to myself, "If not me, who?" So, here we go.

      In the State Swim Meet at Linn-Mar, Marion High School, a Toreador relay team and two individuals performed well.

      In the 200 medley relay, it was Aidan Kraft, Ben Patterson, D.J. Thompson and Ike Seeman with a time of 1:43.36 and 20th place.

      Patterson was 20th in the 200 individual medley in 2:03.48 and Thompson was 29th in the 100-butterfly in 54.68.

      State competition is always tough but they competed and did their best as shown by the fact they performed better than their seed time. CONGRATULATIONS.

      It appears there will be three Toreador wrestlers in the state meet starting Wednesday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

      In the District meet at Marshalltown, Taner Harvey won the 195 pound title; Ty Solverson was runnerup at 120 and Jayden Angle was second at 182. Ty and Jayden both won wrestlebacks after losing championship bouts. CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM AND GOOD LUCK THIS WEEK.

     In other District meet action, non-state qualifiers Kyle Sharp was fifth at 138; McGuire Bryant sixth at 220 and Hector Garcia fourth at 285. 

BACK TO NORMAL WEDNESDAY

     

BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS

     John Ball, 73, Boone.

     Additional Information: Kevin Miller, 59, Desert Springs, CA. Born in Boone. OHS-80. Worked at Fareway 36 years prior to retirement. Survivors include his step-mother, Janet Miller, of Ogden.

TOREADOR SWIMMER SET NATIONAL RECORDS

     Its a sad state of affairs but our ability in the community to communicate has been sharply curtailed.

     KWBG makes a good effort every day to keep us informed but there are few other options. Our area newspaper is not real helpful. Facebook, perhaps, is another publicity avenue and we do what we can do in the Korner publicizing area events, but that's about it.

     There is an important community event coming that we need to, in every way possible, promote.

     A new elementary school to replace the aging Page and Lincoln facilities is being proposed and a bond issue will be submitted to the local electorate, Tuesday, March 2. That's just a couple weeks away.

     The measure is seeking authorization to contract indebtedness and issue General Obligation Bonds in an amount not to exceed $23,000,000 to provide funds to construct, finish and equip the new building and to improve the site.

     Here's the good news. Past and present members of the Boone Community School Board and school administrators have prepared very well for this bond issue in recent years. They had already accumulated the money needed for the land purchase AND have informed that it will not be necessary to raise school taxes for this project. No raising of additional school taxes needed thanks to excellent pre-planning.

     Our younger students need improved facilities and our community needs this improvement.

     Voting will take place at a single location, the Community Building at the Boone County Fairgrounds, on March 2 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m..

      Put that date on your calendar.

K-----K

     

     Toreador Swimmer Set National Records

 

     This story last appeared in print in a Boone News Republican supplement titled, "Boone Legends in Sports" in September of 2007.

     By Mo Kelley, Sports Editor

     Boone High School has produced some good swimmers through the years, including some who won state championships. 

     But in the early 1940's, a Toreador swimmer, Bob Anderson, not only made a name for himself in Iowa, he also became known as one of the top high school swimmers in the entire nation, holding two national prep sprint records.

     Anderson's special exploits began during the 1941-42 season, when, as a sophomore, he set a new state record of 18.9 in the 40-yard freestyle event. That occurred in a dual meet with Des Moines Lincoln.

     That mark was lowered by Anderson to 18.8 a few weeks later in competition with Fort Dodge.

     Then, late in the season, again swimming against Fort Dodge on January 21, 1942, Anderson won that event in 18.3, the fastest time ever recorded for that event by a high school swimmer in the entire nation.

     At the end of the season, in the state meet, Anderson officially set a new state meet record for that event in the preliminaries but was defeated in the finals.

     At that same state meet, in 1942, he set a new 100-yard freestyle record of 54.7 in the preliminaries. Again, he was defeated in the finals and that new record was erased.

     In Anderson's junior season, 1942-43, wartime travel restrictions prevented any real dual meet competition. 

     Anderson, however, did participate in the state meet at Ames and set a pair of new national high school records. 

     In the preliminaries in both the 40 and 100 freestyle events, he set new national marks. His times were 17.9 for the 40 and 52.4 for the 100.

     Once again, he lost in the 40-yard final but he won the 100, thus becoming Boone High School's first state championship swimmer.

     In his senior season, the 1943-44 campaign, Anderson scored all 12 of Boone's state meet points via state championships in both the 40 and 100 events.

     His 40 time of 17.9 tied his own national record and his time of 52.3 in the 100 established a new national record, breaking a mark he had set earlier.

     Anderson went on to great success in both swimming and football at Stanford University in California. In fact, he was a two-time NCAA swimming champion, both as a sophomore and senior, and was also an all-West Coast football back.

 

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     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: August (Bud) Staebler, 88, Boone.......Justin Haglund, 29, Boone. BHS-2009. Always involved with rodeos. For a time was with the Iowa State Rodeo Team. Survivors include his mother, Brenda Clark Haglund, his daughter, Brayleigh and her mom, Larissa Petty, all of Boone.........Diane Roberts Johnson, 77, Des Moines. Formerly of Boone. BHS-61.........Tamra Slight, 52, Formerly of Boone. BHS-86. Earned a CNA from DMACC. Survivors include her mother, Susan Slight, his daughter, Mollie Frazier, twin brother John and brother Michael Slight and his aunts, Barbara Butler and Dixie Slight, all of Boone........Kevin D. Miller, 59, Desert Hot Springs, CA. Funeral arrangements with Carson Stapp of Ogden........Diana Marie Bennington, 80, Cedar Rapids. Survivors include a sister, Nancy Ferrari, of Pilot Mound.........Charles (Buster) Frantum, 79, Woodward. Woodward HS and G1 School of Agriculture in Boone. Marine vet........Cindy Lou Hanks, 61, Slater. In 1983, married David Hanks in Boone. Was a cook at Ballard school. Her husband, a daughter and son survive.

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     Worldwide korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. Leave a message. To email your stories/memories/comments.......

kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.

    

BOONE CONNECTED DEATH

     Kevin D. Miller, 59, Desert Hot Springs, CA.  Arrangements by Carson-Stapp, Ogden.

BOONE CONNECTED DEATH

     Justin Haglund, 29, Boone. BHS-2009

BOONE CONNECTED DEATH

     Diane Roberts Johnson, 77, Des Moines. Formerly of Boone. BHS-61. 

     Charles (Buster) Frantum, 79, Woodward. Woodward HS and G1 School of Agriculture in Boone.

     Cindy Lou Hanks, 61, Slater. In 1983, married David Hanks in Madrid.

BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS

     Diana Marie Bennington, 80, Cedar Rapids. Survivors include a sister, Nancy Ferrari, of Pilot Mound.

BOONE CONNECTED DEATH

     Tamra Slight, 52, Formerly of Boone. BHS-86.

TRYING TO SAVE SOME BOONE HISTORY

    HERE'S THE DEAL: All through my younger years at KWBG and the Boone News Republican, 1953-1970, I spent hours and hours of research into Boone High School athletics. All sports were covered but, honestly, as you can imagine, there was never an end. Still, lots of material was gathered. For example, at one time, I had accumulated the score of every Toreador football game from 1896 on. Each opponent was named, where the game was played, the final score and what the Toreadors all-time record against that opponent was....at home and away.....separately. Each Toreador coaches record was right up to date.

     The information was a valuable piece of material that would, oftentimes, fit into and, hopefully, enhance daily news stories.

     I must admit, I'm getting older and I hate to think of a demise of this material. I guess my attitude is, "if I don't try to "keep it alive" who will?"

     Much of it, eventually, appeared as a supplement to the News Republican titled, "Legends in Sports." This was in my "retirement years", the 2007, 2008, 2009 era, and I've decided to copy some of those stories and many others that were not in the supplements, periodically, for use in this blog whenever possible.

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     Here's a story from 2009 and before.

 

     FORMER TOREADOR COACH GUIDES IOWA HAWKEYES TO TWO FINAL FOURS

     The University of Iowa basketball program has been a participant in the NCAA Division 1 FINAL FOUR tournament a total of three times and two of those three times, the Hawkeye team was coached by a former Boone High School coach.

     Yes, in both 1954-55 and 1955-56, Frank (Bucky) O'Conner was the Hawkeye basketball coach and both those teams earned their way into the NCAA Final Four. In 1954-55, his Hawks defeated Penn State, 82-53, and Marquette, 86-81, in the big show before losing to LaSalle, 76-73, and Colorado, 75-54.

     A SIDE NOTE: In the Colorado win over Iowa, the top scorer for the Buffalos, with 18 points, was another former Toreador basketball coach, Jim Ranglos. Ranglos coached Toreador basketball from the 1960-61 campaign through the 1967-68 season.

     But back to coach O'Conner. In the 1955-56 Final Four, Iowa defeated Morehead State, 97-83; Kentucky, 89-77, and Temple, 83-76.

     In the NCAA championship game, O'Conner's team lost to the legendary Hall of Famer Bill Russell and his San Francisco University team, 83-71. Many, of course, consider Russell, who played many years in the NBA, as the greatest player ever.

     Bucky O'Conner was born in Monroe, IA and played on Drake University's basketball team from 1936-38. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Drake in education and coached a short time in Harrisburg, IL Township High School before coming to Boone in 1942. 

     Quickly, Bucky was called away from BHS for a four-year stint in the Army Air Corps but returned to BHS in time for the 1946-47 school year. He coached the Toreador basketball team to a 16-6 record that year and followed that up in the 1947-48 season with a team that was 21-8 and earned a berth in the Iowa State High School Basketball Tournament.

     It was the first time, a Boone team had earned state tournament play since the 1932 squad captured the state championship.

     O'Conner's '48 team defeated Carroll in the first round of the state meet, 45-41, but then lost out to Ankeny, 41-37.

     Bucky's two-year record in Boone was 37-14 for a .725 winning percentage.

     In addition to his basketball duties at Boone High, O'Conner served as Athletic Director, varsity boys golf coach and, in addition, filled in as Athletic Director at Boone Junior College.

     As the 1947-48 school year ended, Bucky was hired by his good friend, University of Iowa Athletic Director Paul Brechler, as head golf coach and freshman basketball coach at UOI.

     By the way, when O'Conner went to Iowa, his 1947-48 star Toreador player, Bob (Pinky) Clifton, soon followed and, eventually, earned All American honors as a Hawkeye player. Another Boone native, Paul Stark, also joined the Hawkeye team after his 1950 graduation from BHS.

     When "Pops" Harrison, the Hawkeye varsity coach, at that time, became ill during the 1949-50 basketball season, O'Conner was called on to be the Hawkeye varsity coach for the last 10 games of that campaign.

     For the next season, 1950-51, another Iowa athletic staff member, Rollie Williams, was named the head coach, with O'Conner as his top assistant. 

     After that one season, Williams bowed out of coaching and O'Conner was named the head coach at the University of Iowa on March 27, 1951. He also retained his position as varsity golf coach.

     It didn't take long for O'Conner to show his basketball coaching talent. In his first year as head coach, he guided the 1951-52 Hawks to a 19-3 overall record, 11-3 and second place in the Big Ten Conference.

     In 1952-53, his team was 12-10 with a 9-9 conference mark and sixth place in the conference. In 1953-54, his Hawks were 17-5 overall, 11-3 and second in the conference. In 1954-55, his first Final Four team was 19-7 overall and 11-3 in the conference to win the league championship. In 1955-56, his second Final Four team was 20-6 and won another conference championship at 13-1.

     O'Conner's 1956-57 team was 8-14, 4-10 in the league and the eighth place finisher. The 1957-58 unit was 13-9, 7-7 in the conference and finished in sixth place.

     Tragically, at the end of that season, O'Conner was killed in a traffic accident.

     Of all the University of Iowa basketball coaches, Ed Rule, who coached four years in the early 1900's, had the best overall winning percentage of .712, 32-14; Harrison was second at .700 in eight seasons, 98-42, and O'Conner is still third best at .659, with his 114-59 mark in eight seasons.

     That puts him ahead, percentagewise, of three legendary Hawkeye coaches, National Hall of Famers Ralph Miller and Lute Olson plus Dr. Tom Davis. Miller, in six seasons, was 95-91, .651; Olson, in nine seasons, 165-95, .640 and Davis in 13 seasons, 269-140, .658.

     O'Conner married a Boone native, the former Jane Westberg, and the couple had one daughter.

     

     EDITOR'S NOTE: Various sports will be covered in coming blogs. A separate story will be coming on the 1932 State Championship Toreador basketball team that played in the state title game before 14,000 fans at Drake Fieldhouse. Up to that time, it was the biggest crowd ever at any basketball game played in Iowa. Not even any Iowa college teams had ever attracted that big a crowd. We'll also have a story on Boone's "Pinky" Clifton, an All American cager at the State University of Iowa coming.

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     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Pence Howard, 92, Boone. Navy vet. Married Marvea Burgess in 1949 and they were divorced. Married Yvonne Clinton in 1958. Pence worked in road and building consruction and also with the Madrid Police Department and the Boone County Sheriff's Department. He and his wives had three sons and four daughters. Survivors include a daughter, Pamela Crooks of Boone, sons Mark Howard of Boone and Alan Howard of Ogden. A sister, sister-in-law and brother-in-law also survive........Lucille (Lucy) Herrick, 96, Boone. Married Earl Herrick in 1945. Did house cleaning and then in 1987, went into fulltime ministry for the next 34 years. Survivors include a son and a son-in-law, Larry Whitmer, of Boone........Dixie Hickcox, 64, Ogden. Married Fred Hickcox in 1987 and they moved to Ogden. She served the Ogden Community School District as a bus driver for 15 years. Survivors include her husband, Fred, of Ogden and a son.........Steven Crise, 66, Boone. Was the victim of a fire in Boone........Bob D. Herman, 66, Boone. Formerly of Pocahontas with services in Pocahontas.

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     Worldwide korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. Leave a message. To email your stories/memories/comments.......

kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.

    

BOONE CONNECTED DEATH

     Lucille (Lucy) Herrick, 96, Boone.

BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS

     Dixie Hickcox, 64, Ogden. School bus driver.

     Steven Crise, 66, Victim of fire.

BOONE CONNECTED DEATH

     Pence Howard, 92, Boone.

BOONE CONNECTED DEATH

     Bob D. Herman, 66, Boone. Formerly of Pocahontas, IA.

BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS

     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Mary Zmolek, 83, Boone.........Joyce Mitchell, 73, Boone.........Elaine Sargent, 81, Madrid. Formerly of Boone. Earned a nursing degree in 1961. Married Arthur Sargent in 1962. After he concluded military service, the couple moved to Boone. Elaine was an RN at the Boone County Hospital, Eastern Star Home and Westhaven prior to retirement in 1999. Boone area survivors include a son, John, of Woodward and a god daughter, Amanda Tilley, of Boone.

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     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. Leave a message. To email your stories/memories/comments....

kelleyskorner1@gmail.com. 

HE'S BACK ON THE ROAD

     But let's allow world renowned cross country runner, Pete Kostelnick, BHS-2005, to explain it himself. He said, "Here we go again. I've been itching to get back on the road. Its pretty simple, and maybe that's where I'm skipping something. Run from Cincinnati on the Ohio River to Cleveland on Lake Erie starting next Saturday, nonstop. No crew. No stroller. Naps? Probably not possible with the cold, but they're optional. 241 miles says it might last a few days, so, of course, there will be live tracking. Its time to do 2021 right."

     Pete is a Boone treasure, the son of Charles and Clair Kostelnick, and this upcoming event for him is like a "walk in the park" for the rest of us. Longer and much more challenging events are already socked in his history book. One of the most famous, of course, was his jaunt across the entire country, from California to New York City in record time.

    You can follow Pete via Pete's Feet Across America.

    Anyway, as our good friend, John Kueck, BHS-61, always says, "Live to run! Run to Live."

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     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Gail Paulsen Isen, 65, Sausalito, CA. Survivors include three brothers, including Randy Paulsen of Boone..........Noah Ferguson, 31, Lehigh. Has worked in Luther at BFE Vintage Motorcycles restoring cycles.

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     Worldwide korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. Leave a message. To email your stories/memories/comments.....

kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.

BOONE CONNECTED DEATH

     Gail Paulsen Isen, 65, Sausalito, CA. Survivors include three brothers, including Randy Paulsen of Boone.

BOONE CONNECTED DEATH

     Noah Ferguson, 31, Lehigh. Worked in Luther restoring cycles for BFE Vintage Motorcycles.