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.

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     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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