A VARIETY OF ENTRIES

       Former Toreador Pete Kostelnick, fortyish now, continues to amaze.

       The 2005 BHS graduate has a long and sterling record as a marathon-plus runner, despite the fact some serious injuries had laid him up and destroyed some opportunities during a prime time of his career.

        He just completed the "world's toughest foot race," the Badwater Ultramarathon, and he showed that he is still a fearless, tough competitor.

        The Ultramarathon is a 135 mile race in California's Death Valley, running from the lowest point in North America (Badwater Basin) to the highest point in the contiguous U.S. (Whitney Portal). Its held annually in July, known for extreme heat, over 120 degrees F, with a significant elevation gain, 14,600 feet, for a 24 hour time limit, requiring runners to have a support crew for hydration and nutrition. Its a grueling test of physical and mental endurance over a course that crosses three mountain ranges.

        This 39th annual event featured a cast of 98 competitors, including 28 women and representatives of 21 nations.

        Kostelnick has competed in this event several times and was a winner in both 2015 and 2016 with even more impressive finishes as well. He was third in 2025 and came in eighth this year. 

        And who can forget his record-setting run cross country, from the West Coast to New York City, a few years back, in 2016.

        Pete's proud parents, Charles and Clair Kostelnick, are Boone residents.

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        While we're saluting Booneites who have excelled, how about Eric Ver Helst, BHS-2000. 

        The son of Jack and Sharon Ver Helst is well known for his enthusiastic style of public address announcing for DMACC and Toreador athletic events and now this.......he's been selected to do some of that work at the famous Field of Dreams for Major League baseball activity there next spring. Congrats Eric.

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         The Kornerman has received some feedback to a couple of recent stories.

         Davi Mondt Lowman, BHS-67, sent a lengthy response to the recent, " The Story Goes On and On" article.

         Davi partially wrote, "I am going to say one thing to you regarding your thoughts/opinion regarding Caitlin Clark. Stop it. You may not realize, but you are contributing towards the misogynistic effort to place female athletes in impossible situations." She concluded with "I'd appreciate it if you'd give her the respect she deserves instead of betting on "who" will give her some undeserved technical foul." 

         The other material was about how women, including Clark, are, generally, badly mistreated by some of the public and even some members of the press. Its opinions heard around the world on a daily basis. No need to repeat them here.

          Nobody has been a bigger supporter or more respectful than I of Caitlin Clark and her achievements. Maybe Davi is correct. But my take was intended to be just a little different, humorous sidelight of a story that, seemingly, has endured every type of emotion and coverage available and then some.

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          Vern Modeland, BHS-50, noticed the death of a classmate, Donald Diehl. Vern said, "Keep that up and I'll be the only one left. Chilling thought. Hang in there, keep the web site going as long as you can now that you are the county's only news source."

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         I referenced recently how my name Mo has been changed to Morris as I get older. John Kueck, BHS-61, can relate. He said he was at a ski club years ago and rooms has been reassigned. "They started the names to hand out the keys......Thompson, Anderson, Miller but when they came to Kueck, they simply called out  "John."

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