BROGAN AUSTIN CONTINUES TO EXCEL

       Once it got started.......it just kept coming. Success that is.

       The Kornerman is writing today about a trio of sometimes overlooked athletic events that our Boone High School athletes consistently basked in during the 2020's.

        Whether it was our water, great coaching by Hall of Famer Gary Achenbach and others, or just darn hard work, Toreador athletes in the distance running events during that time were a model of consistency.......earning numerous honors in statewide competition.

        First, a couple deserved mentions before the main focus of our story.

        Virgil Byerly, back in 1949, won the state class A 880-yard run, perhaps a forerunner to what could be that later Toreador success.

         Then too, Pete Kostelnick, BHS-2005, also deserves mention for his many years now of extremely competitive ultra-marathon feats on the world stage. He's been one of the best.

         But then we get to the crowded part.....the consistency of our Boone High program.

         In 2005, Logan Gonzales became the first BHS runner to become a state champion twice, winning both the 800 and 1600 class 4A championships. 

         In 2010, another two-time champion as Brogan Austin took both the class 3A 1600 and 3200 events. But, a few more paragraphs about him will be coming later. 

         In 2012 and 2013, Chandler Austin won the 3A 5,000 meter event and in 2013, he had also taken the 1600 meter run.

         It was also 2013 when Albert Meier won the 3A 3200.

         What a year 2013 was for those Toreador runners.

         In addition to those individual honors earned in the Spring season, Boone High, in the fall feature event, captured the class 3A State Cross Country title with individual runnerup Chandler Austin and Meier leading the way. Meier, individually, was actually a two-time runnerup.

         Other members of that state championship team were Jacob Runninghorse, Killian Toro and Jordan Murray.

         But, back to Brogan Austin who, collegiately, ran for Drake University.

         Now, based in Boulder, Colorado, Brogan is a member of a running team, Tinman Elite. The team's web site describes, "we are not a group, social movement, or track club. We are a team that pursues and cares about each other in pursuit of establishing ourselves as one of the most respected and recognized teams in the world."

         The team's goal is to raise the standard of elite distance running by training a wide range of successful athletes covering distances from 800m to the marathon. We work to bring out the best in ourselves, to inspire runners and make running accessible and relatable.

         Brogan is described on the site, "as one who has weathered the storm of ups and downs that running can bring more than most but his  staunch self-belief, insatiable work ethic and pure love for running have always won out in the end. After a tumultuous collegiate career, he quickly found himself running at an entirely new level. His newfound confidence and knack for late-in-the-race heroics were on full display at the USATF Marathon championships, where he stormed into the lead in the final few miles and never looked back.

          In his latest competition, Brogan, representing the team champion USA, finished ninth in the individual results in Ames, (that's right) Ames Spain. There were entries from 44 countries, including 147 men.

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         Regarding our recent talk about the Pufferbilly name, it was mentioned that Tolly Boyd, BHS-63, deserved credit for pursuing that name.  

         Now, Tolly's sister, Linda Boyd Bravard, BHS-61, has verified with her comment, "my sister, Tolly, has told me for years that she named Pufferbilly Days. So, I guess it's true."

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         The Korner pridefully continues to shout that viewers will find in our releases material, including numerous Boone and area death notices, that are "no-shows" from any other area news outlet.

         We love reporting the good news about our community and it's people AND those death notices that don't appear anywhere else. 

         We're always looking for news "tips" and more viewers.....so pass the word. It's all free for the looking.

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