At the Mike

At the Mike Weekly column that runs in the local newspaper and extras revolving around sports in the Great Bend

07/17/2025

At the Mike - July 18, 2025

A family outing, prep sports closing out the summer and ‘real feel’ temperatures

It seems to be a pattern the last few weeks of a bunch of hot then sneak in day in the 70s or low 80s. Today is one of those days. Then back into the 90s, flirting with three digits.

Last Saturday was one of those days as well. Temps hung in the 70s. A Saturday with nice temperatures … something to take advantage of. The Marzolf clan did just that.

We loaded up the eight of us in a couple of vehicles and went on an adventure. It’s nice to get all eight of us – Crystal and myself, our daughter Katelyn, husband Robert along with the grandkids Wade and Willow, and our daughter Kinsley and her boyfriend Christian – together for a family outing.

The destination - Rolling Hills Zoo near Salina. This is a place that Crystal and I have been going to with Katelyn since the zoo was a youngster. It opened in 1999 and we started going in 2004. The evolution of the zoo over the years has been amazing.

The day was fulfilling. Watching the kids and grandkids enjoy themselves - and yes Katelyn and Kinsley are still kids, especially when it comes to animals. I kind of stayed in the rear and observed. That observation, according to my phone, lasted for 8000 steps and nearly four hours. Thank goodness it was 70 degrees.

Another solid aspect of taking grandkids who spent most of the time in the twin stroller, is the pace is nice and slow. There are even some breaks where a fella my age can sit a spell.

A good Saturday for sure. Now I return you to your 98 degree Saturday this weekend. Enjoy.

Prep Sports

The craziest part of the summer activities for student/athletes is about to close out as the weekend passes. Starting next week some restrictions start to apply for all sports to varying degrees.

However, we are just one month from the start of the fall season. The first day of practice for fall sports is a mere 32 days away. August 18 marks the official start of the 2025 fall sports year for KSHSAA schools.

For our area that entails football, volleyball, cross country, girls golf and tennis as well as boys soccer.

It also means that football officials should begin preparations for the fall season. I am doing so by practicing to stay up past 10 pm. We are never home before 10 pm, so I need to prepare myself. I know it's a challenge, but heading into year 25, I hope to be up to the late night tasks.

And Finally

I am a bit confused. But, then again, when aren’t I?

Here my issue – what is ‘real feel’ or ‘feels like’ in temperature? Wouldn’t that be the temperature? I’m confused.

So my phone tells me it’s 93 degrees outside but the ‘real feel’ is 102. Then isn’t it 102? Help me here.

I get windchill. Say it’s 15 outside with a windchill -1. Got it. If the wind isn’t blowing it’s 15. It can get to -1 when the current wind is blowing. No problem.

But ‘real feel’? I don’t get it. When I Google it, my phone tells me it is what the temperature actually feels like on the human body. Huh? It’s a more personalized measure, that AI thingy tells me. Obviously Google and/or AI has never met my wife.

I know for a fact Crystal’s body judges temperature differently than mine. Our bodies have a ‘real feel’ temperature of a good 15-20 degrees difference. She could live in an Igloo. Seriously. Thank goodness our main vehicle has temperature adjustments for each side of the car.

So, say I’m on Venus and it’s 210 degrees but the ‘real feel’ is 215? Is my bottle of water boiling or not? If it is, then it’s 215 degrees. If it is not then it’s 210. Which is it?

I remember a thing called heat index, which took into account humidity. I get that more or less. Phrases like ‘it’s 95 out, but it’s a dry 95’, were not unusual. Nor was ‘it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity’. Kind of easy to explain like wind chill. But my phone tells me that ‘real feel’ is not the same thing as the good ol’ heat index.

It says that ‘real feel’ is not just air temperature and humidity, but it considers factors like cloud cover, sun intensity, and even the angle of the sun

I guess I just assumed the actual temperature takes into account all those factors as well. Silly me.

I still don’t understand. And it can be great at times. There was a time last week it was like 87 and ‘real feel’ had it like 102.

I’m so confused. Scratching my head in ‘real feel’.

07/10/2025

At the Mike - July 10, 2025

Summer part two is underway and Poppo Preschool is in full swing

The Fourth of July is in the books. Most of the summer competitions on the basketball court and ball fields are either in the books or are winding down. Summer, part one, is in over.

It is pretty easy for me to break summer into two parts. Part one is from the end of school until the Fourth of July. The second part runs from the Fourth until the start of school.

The first part often tends to be the busier of the two. It was a pretty good part one. June included a solid wheat harvest, a nice amount of moisture and, well, temperature-wise, it was warm. Part one includes the ball games as well as a better chance for severe weather.

After the Fourth, things tend to slow a bit. But what does not slow down is the heat. July, and even into August, tends to bring warmer temperatures and less rain. A term good for us here in Kansas is hot and dry.

Hopefully, we can avoid the hot and dry. At least limit the heat and hopefully ease the dry. But I’ve been around long enough to know chances are July and early August will be just that.

Summer, part deux, let’s go.

Prep Sports

June is often a busy month for high school athletes. Probably attending one if not more activities a day for whatever sport they participate in. Dead week just concluded during the week of the 4th and for the most part, there are two more hard weeks before the latter half of July has them easing up due to KSHSAA rules.

It can be a lot at times. Too much, actually. But what can you do? With all the quality teams doing it, you have to ‘keep up with the Joneses’, right? We ask a lot of our athletes and even our coaches.

Back in my day, yes I said that, you couldn’t do all those things. In fact, the early ‘80s was kind of the start to allowing summer activities beside baseball. We’ve come a long way since then.

If you see an athlete or coach around, make sure to appreciate the time and effort both put in no matter the results. It is not easy. Thank you guys and girls for your effort.

And Finally

My summer job often starts with a bowl of oatmeal and some apple juice. It might include a little Greek yogurt. This happens around 7 am.

No, these items are not for me. I have coffee. Black.

The oatmeal, as well as other breakfast items including everyone’s favorite peanut butter and jelly on toast with some chocolate milk or biscuits and gravy, is for my 2-year grandson Wade. The Greek yogurt, the favorite appears to be strawberry but peach and mixed berry do just fine, is for my almost 1-year old granddaughter Willow.

You see my summer job, along with my wife’s, is watching the grandkids while their parents, Robert and Katelyn, are at work. Both work for the city of Great Bend, ironically. Robert in computer tech stuff and Katelyn with the utility office at the Front Door. She will take your money for your water bill.

Crystal has actually been watching them since before school was out. I joined forces when school ended. I did have summer school in the mornings during June. Now it’s July and it’s full on grandkids, grandkids, grandkids.

And it's the best job I’ve ever had.

My daughter says we spoil them. I ask her what exactly her point is.

Keeping up with a 2-year old can be challenging for Poppo. Wade is everywhere. As far as the 11-month old, Willow is a speed army crawler who is on the verge of walking as well.

Fortunately, Crystal is younger.

Officially, the two are attending Poppo Preschool. We have shirts and everything thanks to Robert and Katelyn.

A typical day includes counting, learning colors, stacking blocks, and some animal ID and sounds. There is singing as well. Flash cards, books, and some learning shows on Youtube. Wade can count to 20, knows about 8-10 colors, can stack his blocks 7 high and loves to do animal sounds.

Willow learns through osmosis. She focuses quite well. Her favorite thing is the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. You know Meeska, Mooska, Mickey Mouse. Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog.

While learning does take place (for me mostly), fun times are had quite often. Wade and I try to get out in the morning and do yard work. He has a Little Tykes car, some golf clubs and a little picnic table. He also has a shovel and will use my rake as we have been clearing out a nice spot under a tree. He does like his nature.

In the afternoon, the sprinkler is a popular place. Willow has come a long way to the outdoor world as well. For one that didn’t like to touch grass a couple months ago to sitting and crawling in it. She still doesn’t like the sun, though, and prefers the shade of the tree.

There are also games of peek-a-boo, chase me around the house and a puppet show with Wade. Willow likes to do cheers and is very big on AC/DC. Dirty Deeds and For Those About to Rock are her favorites.

For activities there are trips to the library, zoo, and Vets for the playground and splash pad. We are looking to incorporate the Wetlands Education Center to the rotation.

Perhaps there are some ice cream snacks every once in a while. And maybe some cool whip. Willow just might like her a little cool whip now and again. Perhaps. I’m not saying there is or there isn’t. Just maybe.

Poppo Preschool is critically acclaimed, you know.

Anyways, July has been fun with the grandkids from first thing in the morning until after work in the evening.

Best job in the world.

07/02/2025

At the Mike July 3, 2025

Siss, boom, bah … It’s all about celebrating Independence Day

Independence Day. The Fourth of July. Whatever phrase you wish to use. It has always been one of my favorite holidays. Probably comes in second behind Christmas.

It celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Thomas Jefferson wrote most of the roughly 1400 word document. The Revolutionary War had started in April of that year with battles in Lexington and Concord.

On July 1 during the Second Continental Congress meeting John Adams made a push for immediate declaration of independence from England as some wanted to push it back. That day 9 of the 13 colonies voted for it, two against it, one abstained and one delegation tied on their vote.

The following day South Carolina changed its vote. Pennsylvania followed. The Delaware delegates that were tied voted for it. The New York delegation once again abstained but at 12-0 for it, the colonies officially severed ties with England.

At that point, the delegation turned its attention to Jefferson’s Declaration, making some changes then officially approved it two days later, July 4, 1776. Ironically, it was a Friday just like this year. The first to sign it was John Hancock, the President of the Second Continental Congress. Two future presidents, Jefferson and Adams, have their signature on it as does Benjamin Franklin. At 70 years old, Franklin was the oldest to sign it.

A lot of folks forget but it wasn’t until four years later, 1781, the Battle of Yorktown took place, which was the unofficial end of the war. Officially, the Revolutionary War ended with the Treaty of Paris on September 3 in 1783.

So, there is a bit of a history lesson on the Declaration of independence. Sorry, it’s the teacher in me.

And Finally

Siss, boom, bah. The Fourth of July is here. Just an FYI in case you didn’t realize it, ‘siss’ is the fuse to the fireworks, ‘boom’ is the firework going off and ‘bah or ah’ is the reaction of the crowd.

Here in Great Bend, there is a lot of siss, boom, bah going on. It is an absolute war zone in town nearly all day long … and I love it.

From as early as I can recall, the Fourth has been a big day for me and my family. I go all the way back to bottle rockets and M-80s. Actually, M-80s were outlawed in Kansas one year before I was born but they were still floating around in the early to mid 1970s. The bottle rocket was banned in 2012.

As a child I remember having the old glass pop bottles, putting bottle rockets in them and shooting them at each other. We did similar holding roman candles and shooting them at each other. Were there injuries? Yeah, there were. Did we survive? Yeah, we did.

Another thing I remember from the old days in God’s Country up in Mitchell County was the summer of 1976. The Bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence. It was 200 years old. It was actually 10 years in the making as congress created a commission in 1966 to begin planning the event.

Several people grew beards, I remember that. Evidently it was to connect with history but when I think of Jefferson and Adams as well as George Washington and Franklin, none had beards. Oh well. Most of the folks from that era were clean shaven, but, hey, who am I to go back 49 years and judge them..



Large celebrations took place in all the towns in the area. It was like Independence Day on Steroids that year. The Liberty Bell went on a nationwide tour that year. Coins, stamps and other memorabilia were big. I remember the Bicentennial quarter. It has a drummer on the backside instead of an eagle. There was even a nation-wide bell ringing ceremony.

It will be interesting to see what kind of special notoriety is given next year when the Declaration turns 250 years old. The semiquincentennial. A quarter of a millennium. To my knowledge there is nothing in the planning stages. I might have to wait and see what happens when it turns 300 years old. I will be 109 that year. The Tricentennial.

We always had a big display in our yard in Glen Elder on Independence Day. Hamburgers, hot dogs and homemade ice cream included. Waconda Lake, where we spent many a 4th, always had a big display. Fun times.

Independence Day has remained a big holiday as adulthood, marriage and fatherhood took shape. We ventured back to Glen Elder for many of those to my parents house along with Steve Webster’s family. It became a tradition for several years. Memorable moments included.

As my folks progressed in age and were no longer able to do all the things they once did, the holiday shifted to Great Bend for us. There have been some great times here as well, even a hotdog eating contest on the deck between our daughter Katelyn and her friend Donovan.

Homemade ice cream remained a big player as did the hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill along with fireworks. Instead of a big display at Waconda Lake, one just has to grab a lawn chair, a drink, and sit in the front yard if they so choose in Great Bend.

This year we will have grandkids in the mix. I’m interested to see how that goes with Wade at 2 years old and Willow just set to turn one at the end of the month. Their Mom, Katelyn, was never a big fan of the fireworks. She liked sparklers, smoke balls and those snapping things you throw on the ground. That is about the extent for even to this day. .

So go celebrate. Year 249 since the Declaration of Independence was signed back on July 4, 1776.

Happy Independence Day America!

06/26/2025

At the Mike - June 26, 2025

Summertime is here and with it the end of a long-time pair of shoes

Welcome to summertime in Kansas. Hot. Hot and stormy. Hot and windy. Hot and stormy. But, you know, hot.

The rain has slowed harvest just a bit. Well, just a bit so far, maybe more to come, we’ll see. The temps have flirted with 100 degrees. We have had winds in excess of 40 mph to go with those 95+ temps. Yep. Summer time in Kansas is here.

And there is that rain. It was somewhat limited right around Great Bend, even with the rain Tuesday, the June total is still right around 4 inches, which is pretty much the norm for us here.

And speaking of the rain Tuesday, it looks like I need to check into my new rain gauge. It is a rain gauge with a Gnome holding it. I had over two inches in it. No where else that I have looked have I seen more than 1.5 inches, which was pretty close to my area. Still, a pretty good difference. Hmm.

Things aren’t looking to change much, although the next week looks like it might be a bit cooler. Like high 80s and low 90s. Nice and cool, right?

Oh well, June is about to be in the rearview mirror for this year. July, you’re up. If could, July, stay away from those 100 degree days. I like heat more than cold, but 100 is a bit too high for even me.

The Referee House

Summertime in the world of high school football officiating. Pretty slow. Yep.

I did have the privilege of working one of the 6-man All-Star games. It was a unique experience as my experience with 6-man is indeed limited. But, for the most part, football is football. You run, you block, you tackle. The rules are a bit different but not that much. It was a fun time.

There are also the mandatory summer meetings for the Jon Shaver crew. Myself and Steve Webster either make the trek to Larned or Jon, along with Mike Myrick and Ty Racette climb in the Mystery Machine and head to GB.

During the summer meetings, important topics are covered. Very important football-related information. Nothing but prep football officiating is discussed. Nothing. Illegal motion, false start, pass interference, blocking are all topics. Yep, I’m sticking with that story.

And Finally

Recently, I had to put a veteran pair of black crocs to rest. For more than two years they were a near daily wear of shoes. Got them for my birthday in January of 2023 as a present from my girls’ basketball team in Chase.

It was a solid pair of shoes for sure. The decision for how to retire them is still up in the air. Do I bury them? Perhaps conduct my own version of cremation? Hang them on the wall?

For those of you who don’t know, I pretty much only wear crocs. It has been that way for, geez, lots of years. Probably a solid 10 or more at least.

I do have cleats for officiating football. I also have dress shoes if the occasion calls for it. Somewhere buried is a pair of shoes to play basketball if needed as well.

But day in, day out, it’s crocs. I did have some crocs on the bench I was able to pull out until my daughter Kinsley came through with some new black crocs as a Father's Day present. Please note that black crocs, shined up, do work for church. I have okayed this with the Lord. He’s good with it.

So for a good part of the month of June I have gone to the bench. I have a pair of red crocs my daughter Katelyn got me. I have some white crocs and some tie-dye crocs that I think also used to be Katelyn’s. I also have a pair of bright pink crocs. They have all been put to use.

When I wear the white crocs I think I am back in the 70s. Disco crocs. Fancy ‘going out on a spiffy Saturday night’ crocs. The tie-dye, well, who doesn’t like tie-dye anything? Seriously. I get some comments on them when I am out and about sometimes.

When Crystal and I slipped away for a couple days a week or so ago, we ate in a town called Eureka. Crystal saw someone zooming in on my tie-dye crocs to get a photo with their phone in a restaurant while in the salad bar line. Pretty sure they were jealous.

The red crocs were a gift from Katelyn a while back because I work at a school with red as its color. And the pink crocs? People notice them as well. Perhaps I like to draw attention to myself? Nah, I’m pretty much a shy guy. That can not be the case. Nope.

So anyway, soon I will be back to the black crocs on a more daily basis. For now, we are getting the backup crocs some playing time during the summer months.

06/19/2025

At the Mike June 19, 2025

Wheat Harvest, a legend passes and KSHSAA once again disrespects the smaller schools

Rain and wheat harvest. Two things farmers and folks in general in this area like. Just not the rain at wheat harvest time.

But it seems to happen a lot. Probably not as much as one thinks, but it is one of those things that is a nuisance so it seems to happen more than it actually does.

Wheat harvest is far from in full swing. In fact, it is still in the opening stages here in the aptly named Golden Belt as well as all of Kansas.

Right now in Kansas, the harvest is 3 percent done. Last year we were at 25 percent by this time. Average is 11 percent. My wife and I went to Southeast Kansas for a couple days over the weekend and saw maybe three or four people cutting the entire trip down and back.

There is actually wheat being cut in southern Kansas, up in God’s Country in Mitchell County and right here in Barton County. Spread far and wide, just not much of it.

Prep Sports

The term legend gets thrown around quite a bit at times. In the terms of prep football coaches, there are few in the state of Kansas. We lost one of those this week.

Smith Center coaching legend Roger Barta passed away.

The list of accomplishments for Coach Barta are lengthy and jaw-dropping. Probably near the top was his 79-game winning streak. Ironically, he passed away at age 79.

He won 8 state titles and his teams were 323-68 from 1975-2012. Yep, 68 losses in nearly 40 years. Wow. Shoot, the New York Times sent a reporter to write a book about the program. “Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith Center Redmen.”

But what has been rolling through Facebook was his remarks he would say “Someone here is the best football player on the team, and someone is the worst,” Barta once said. “It’s time to forget about that. Let’s respect each other. When we respect each other, we’ll like each other. When we like each other, we’ll love each other. That’s when, together, we’ll become champions.”

He was also known for saying “One more thing, guys. We don’t talk about winning and losing. We talk about getting a little better every day, about being the best we can be, about being a team. And when we do that, winning and losing take care of themselves.”

RIP Coach.

And Finally

Why am I not surprised? Once again KSHSAA showed it really doesn’t care much about the little schools.

The latest move, no more sand green golf championships. Gone. After 2026, the sand green title will be a thing of the past. The reason? Less than 24 schools compete so KSHSAA is not required to hold a championship.

The key word there is required. They can still offer a championship if they desire.

Let’s take a look at gymnastics as an example. There are 14 schools that compete in gymnastics in the state. Yet they offer a state championship. Why? Because it's about big schools. On the eastern side of the state. That is where KSHSAA’s focus is.

The 14 schools include five schools from Olathe and five from Shawnee Mission. That’s 10 of 14 in just two towns. Good enough for a state title huh?

Yet about a similar number of schools compete in sand green golf. But they are not big. They are not from the East, for the most part. Nope. It’s schools that have a consolidated name. Like Lakeside and Rock Hills. Chase County. Like Pike Valley and Clifton-Clyde. Western Plains. Small schools like Tipton (19 students), Logan (27), and the team I coach at Chase (42).

And let’s be honest? What is the cost KSHSAA puts into the State Sand Green Championship? It’s run by the host school. KSHSAA has to provide a plaque and some medals. Wow. Busting the bank there. Not even sure I saw a rep from KSHSAA at the state meet. Perhaps, but it would have been a single person for a single day.

The gymnastics state championship is a much bigger ordeal. But they can probably sell more shirts and charge admissions so it makes KSHSAA more money. To heck with the students.

Those same small schools will now have to compete in 1A grass greens regionals. After playing mostly sand greens, they must now make the move to grass greens to play in a state championship.

Is KSHSAA required to ‘hold’ a championship for sand greens? No. Not according to their by-laws, they are not. But what does it hurt? Seriously?

If KSHSAA can host a gymnastics championship for 14 big schools, they should do the same for a similar number of small schools. There is only one school west of Emporia in the state in gymnastics. While the sand green map runs from just outside Emporia on the East (Chase County) all the way to the a toss from the Nebraska state line in Western Kansas in Logan.

Even about the same number of kids involved in both. Big schools, let’s have a championship. Small schools, too bad.

It’s not a huge number for either. You see the same teams a lot. You develop a kinship among the teams and coaches. My golfer, who has battled cancer and is a very good golfer, is kind of a celebrity on the sand green tour. Coaches ask about him all the time.

KSHSAA has shown previously it put small schools on the bottom of the list. How many years did it take to split DI and DII in basketball at the 1A level. More than 100 schools for a single state title. While the precious 5A and 6A were limited to 32 schools. That number is now 36 in the bigger schools.

I could go into the new post season basketball format but I will perhaps save that for another rant.

Anyways, I’ll crawl off the soap box now. But make no mistake, as long as there is a gymnastics state title awarded by KSHSAA there should be a sand green state championship as well.

06/16/2025

At the Mike - June 12, 2025

Wheat harvest, summer school and Father’s Day make up the staples of June

The pace has definitely slowed down. And that is a good thing. Nice and easy. That’s the way I like it.

That is about to change for the area wheat farmers. Harvest is knock, knock, knocking on the door.

This years’ harvest looks to be a pretty good one here in the central part of Kansas. That does vary from place to place, but as a whole, predictions are for a promising crop. I won’t use the term ‘bumper crop’, but at least a promising one.

Driving from place to place, I often keep an eye on the wheat crops off the side of the road. It’s the rural upbringing in me. While that isn’t always a forsure way of predicting yields, it gives you a pretty good idea.

The number 50 is being tossed around for bushels per acre in the Salina to Wichita area. That’s a pretty good yield. But it is not in the bins just yet. Soon, hopefully. There have been many a Father’s Day that fathers and grandfathers have spent in the wheat field.

The Teacher’s Lounge

Summer school. Yep. Monday thru Thursday. Three hours every morning during June.

I decided to learn me some kids over the summer for a bit. Do some learning for the kids. Educate them, you know.

For my three hours each day I have those entering grades 3-5 next year at Chase. Let me tell you, it is a bit different than working with high school kids. A bit different for sure.

Don’t get me wrong, the kids still know more than I do. But working with them is, well, challenging for me. I won’t say easier or harder because I don’t have that answer. Being used to high school age did provide a bit of a task, which was cool.

Bonds were still built. That is key to the learning process. Get to know your students. Take an interest in them. It works almost every time.

Summer school. Fun stuff.

And Finally

This Sunday is a special day. It’s Father’s Day. Growing up my Father represented the stable of the family. I hardly ever saw my father get overly worked up. Well, that was that time the grader wouldn’t start for him, but I digress. He was the absolute rock of the family.

Jack Marzolf has definitely been someone I have tried to emulate as a father and a grandfather. A Poppo if you will. It was on Father’s Day five years ago I lost my father. Heart-attack. He was still a pretty dadgum healthy for an 83-year old.

Obviously, the day it happened was rough. But as time has passed, it seems more and more fitting that he died on Father’s Day. Being a father was his greatest role. His grandchildren may disagree. They would probably tell you his role as Poppo was his greatest role. They wouldn’t be wrong. He was pretty dadgum good at it as well.

Losing a father is tough. My wife lost hers several years back as well. That makes the day tough.

But what makes the day a lot easier is watching my son-in-law be a father to my grandchildren. Last year was the Father’s Day for Robert Wilcox. Wade Michael Wilcox made him a father in June of 2023. Last July, Willow Grace Wilcox made him the father of a daughter. The joy I get watching him be a father is awesome.

So Happy Father’s Day to all. Be it in a wheat field, be it your first without your father or your first as a father. Happy Father’s Day.

06/05/2025

At the Mike - June 5, 2025

Summer is here, prep sports come to a close and a wedding anniversary

June is here. For me, this is when summer tends to set in. I know the official start isn’t until June 20. I know the unofficial start is Memorial Day weekend. But for me, when the calendar rolls into June, that is summer.

I always start the summer with big plans. Do this and that to the yard. Do this and that around the house. Do this and that as projects.

Most of them will get done. Okay, half of them will get done. Okay, okay. Some of them will get done. Eventually. I promise. Perhaps.

I do like to incorporate some relaxation as summer rolls along. June can be hectic at times for various reasons. Some of those reasons I have put in the rear view mirror in hopes of spending more time with my family as I get older.

Okay summer, let’s go.

Prep Sports

So prep sports for the 24-25 school year is now in the books. What a crazy year it has been. Most recently, the spring sports wound up with some fun events.

Great Bend came in runner-up at the 5A state baseball tournament. What a great way for Coach Randy Beck to call it a career. Ironically, that same event also marked the end of another stellar coaching career as longtime Barton Coach Mike Warren called it a career after his Goddard Eisenhower team was eliminated in the first round of the 5A tournament.

On the track, some area athletes excelled as Cooper Ohnmacht blistered the triple jump once again as well as came in 3rd in the long jump.

Ellinwood freshman sensation Reagan Wirtz won gold in the 100m, 200m and long jump. Larned’s Kaylee Hagerman also won a gold medal, hitting 18-4 1/2 to win 3A. That’s a pretty good jump.

One more year is in the books for prep sports. It was a fun one in our area for sure.

And Finally

June is a popular marriage month. I would say a good portion of you reading this have June anniversaries. Me as well.

Shoot, I even had a bouquet of flowers show up at work that day.

It has officially been 20 years for Crystal and I this week. June 4. I know this because I remember it was two days before D-Day. Well, the anniversary of D-Day and not the actual D-Day itself.

And what a 20 years it’s been. We have been to countless ball games. From one side of the state to the other. We have made our way to Oklahoma, to Indiana and to Mississippi and Tennessee. There have been numerous family gatherings, Christmas events, and graduations of various family members. We have each had to help each other as our fathers have passed on.

We have watched as Katelyn grew up before our very eyes into a bride and now mother. We have watched as Kinsley, who joined our family her freshman year in high school, went from a blue-haired youngster to adulthood.

One of the greatest moments, as I mentioned earlier, was becoming a grandparent. That is a whole new world. One of my biggest joys has been watching my wife become one of the best grandmothers around.

Her patience with them is stellar. The ability to make them smile and laugh is priceless. They have a desire to learn things for her as well. She is a fantastic grandmother.

For us as a couple, we are trying to get away from the world every couple of months. To take a trip to an AirBnB somewhere for a weekend and leave the world behind.

We tend to like places that have very few people. A small town or a place in the country. This has made for some fun times. Those that know me know I like people. I like to talk. Maybe too much sometimes. But it is nice to have some solitude.

There is a downside, though. I no longer have an excuse as to why I don’t listen when Crystal speaks. I can’t use the excuse I was listening to this or that. Because there is no this or that to distract me. I still try, though.

So 20 years down. Ready to take on the next 20 years.

Happy Anniversary Crystal Ann.

Address

Great Bend, KS

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when At the Mike posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to At the Mike:

Shortcuts

Share

Category