STANDOUT DISTANCE RUNNERS

     Its one thing to excel in track and field events in high school.

     Its quite another to perform at a high level, even BEYOND COLLEGE participation.

     Boone High School can be proud of the fact that four former Toreador athletes stand out in that 

post-college category.

     

     They are Doug Nelson, BHS-77; Pete Kostelnick and Danna Kelly Herrick, both BHS-2005, and Brogan Austin, BHS-2010.

 

     Nelson was a conference cross country and two-mile run champion at Boone High and followed up with college conference cross country and 10,000 meter titles at the University of Northern Iowa. He was the first Panther to win that cross country title in 20 years and his achievements resulted in his selection as a Track and Field Federation All-American.

     Doug set league indoor records in both the 5,000 meter and three-mile run events and in his junior AND senior seasons, he was chosen captain of both the Panther cross country and track teams. He was also named UNI Track Alumnus of the year in 1984. 

  

     But there's more.

 

     In 1985, Doug ran a series of races of various distances in Iowa and a point total was used to determine the Iowa Grand Prix Road Racing Champion. Nelson earned that honor and it inspired him to seek an even bigger stage.

     In the 1988 Olympic Marathon Trials, competitors had to qualify with a time better than 2-hours and 20-minutes. In 1987, Doug had started toward that goal by winning the San Diego Marathon.

     In '88, Doug and 131 other runners, who had qualified, were invited to run in the U.S. Men's Olympic Marathon Trials. Only three of the 131 were chosen to represent the U.S. in the Seoul, South Korea Olympics and he finished 37th in that strong field.

    That same year, he had become the eighth fastest American in the half-marathon event and proceeded to earn victories in several other events, culminated by a victory in the 2000 Governor's Cup 5K in Denver in the Masters category.

     Danna Kelly Herrick was an outstanding all-around athlete at BHS and then, at Truman State University, she also made a run in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. She also qualified in those trials in both 2016 and 2020.

    At Truman State, she had been a two-time NCAA All American in both cross country and the 3000 meter steeplechase.

    She was a top contender in Chicago and Frankfurt marathons, finishing fourth and third respectively, was 12th in the famous Boston Marathon in 2017 and 17th in the New York City Marathon in 2019.

    At one time, Danna held the fastest time in the nation over a 26.2 mile course.

     Certainly readers are aware of Pete Kostelnick's  ultra-marathon accomplishments, topped off by his 2016 world record coast-to-coast jaunt from California to New York, which took 42 days, six hours and 30 minutes to complete. That shattered the old mark of 46 days, eight hours and 36 minutes set in 1980, 36 years prior.

     Pete also captured top honors in the Badwater Ultra Marathon twice. That 24-hour run, in numerous varying conditions from desert to mountain running, covered 163.5 miles. In that event, Pete recorded the fifth fastest North American time ever recorded.

 

     Brogan Austin had a sterling Boone High School track career. In 2009, he won a state cross country title and finished second in the 1600 event at the state track meet.

     In 2010, Austin won two state track events, the 1600 and 3200 runs.

     At Drake University, Austin continued his brilliant career as a distance runner, winning conference championships in 3,000 and 5,000 meter events in both indoor and outdoor competition.

     He was named the Most Outstanding Indoor track athlete in 2014 and still holds the third best 10,000 meter and sixth best 5,000 meter times in Drake track history.

     Brogan was also honored for his academic achievements at Drake during his time there. 

K-----K

     You may want to have a calendar ready for this.........upcoming 2021 football schedules for area high schools as set by the Iowa High School Athletic Association.

     BOONE: 8/27 - At Nevada; 9/3 - Webster City; 9/10 - At Ballard; 9/17 - Humboldt; 9/24 - Norwalk; 10/1 - At Carlisle; 10/8 - At Bondurant-Farrar; 10/15 - Perry; 10/22 - At Indianola.

     OGDEN: 8/27 - At Perry; 9/3 - Corydon-Wayne; 9/10 - At Madrid; 9/17 - At New Sharon, North Mahaska; 9/24 - Colfax-Mingo; 10/1 - Belle Plaine; 10/8 - At Lynnville-Sully; 10/15 - IKM Manning.

     MADRID: 8/27 - Woodward-Granger; 9/3 - At Belle Plaine; 9/10 - Ogden; 9/17 - At Earlham; 9/24 - At Lynnville-Sully; 10/1 - Corydon, Wayne; 10/8 - Colfax-Mingo; 10/15 - At New Sharon, North Mahaska.

     These schedules will feature the same opponents for the 2022 season and on the corresponding date. However, the home/visiting teams will be reversed.

K-----K

 

     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Dean Hoffman,  91, Lubbock, TX. Born in Boone. BHS-48. Army vet. After service, he returned to Boone in 1955 and farmed. Married Imogene Carlson in Ogden in 1956. Continued to farm until 1965 when he moved the family to Osage where he went to work for the United State Department of Agriculture. In 1972, his work transferred him to Lubbock. He retired in 1986. Survivors include four adult children, two boys and two girls..........Keith Hunter, 97, Des Moines. Born in Ogden. Army vet. Married Maxine in 1947. Was proud to have farmed the family farm, a century farm, until his retirement. After his wife passed, he moved to Des Moines to be closer to family members.........Barbara Thorson, 89, Des Moines. Formerly of Humboldt.

K-----K

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

kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.