SIDELINE SLANTS

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN JOE KLEINSASSER
I’ll admit this is somewhat overdue, but it’s time to congratulate the recent success of the Hillsboro High School girls’ track and field team. Don’t construe the 21/2 months of silence as lack of interest in this significant feat. The fact is, this is a good time to write about it.

The high school track season ends shortly after school is out, so there may be a perception that the track team gets slighted when it comes to the accolades that normally accompany a state championship.

Granted, there are the obligatory newspaper articles and photos, but school is out.

Kids scatter. There’s no party and no downtown parade to celebrate the ultimate victory for a high school team.

This is a good time to write about the state title because most of the HHS girls track team, particularly those who scored points at state, are back in the classroom at HHS this fall.

While it’s nice to have the accomplishment added to the sign that fetes state titles at HHS, more should be done. The school district or Hillsboro community should honor the team with an assembly or parade in their honor.

Winning a state track meet requires some outstanding performances and good timing. Depth isn’t a requirement if you have athletes who win gold in a few events.

Of course, if your team lacks depth, you can’t afford for one or more of your top athletes to stumble and finish in fourth or fifth place.

Hillsboro claimed the state title in the most exciting way possible, winning the last event, a relay race. It’s somewhat ironic but entirely appropriate that the outcome of a sport specializing in individual accomplishments was determined by a team event.

It’s a little like hitting a game-winning shot at the buzzer in basketball, or scoring a touchdown as time runs out to win a football game.

What a year it has been for coach Dennis Boldt. The HHS boys won the state meet in 2004. The girls won it in 2005. And Boldt was named national Coach of the Year in high school track and field this past year.

What more can you say?

One thing you can say is that the foundation is still in place for the HHS girls to have a respectable shot at defending their championship in 2006.

* * *

Hillsboro is fortunate to be able to host the 10-and-under state baseball tournament, in part, because it brings a lot of families to town and it’s good for business.

On the other hand, excuse me if I sound like a bit of a curmudgeon, but tell me again why Kansas or any state needs a 10-and-under state baseball tournament?

Give a big pat on the back to Rec Director Matt Dalke and everyone who volunteered to make the event a success!

* * *

In the “Ho-Hum Department,” Lance Armstrong won his seventh consecutive Tour de France. Some have said the event should be renamed “Tour de Lance” in his honor.

In the “Overheard Department,” I heard Beano Cook on a sports radio talk show saying that one of the best things about World War II was that there was no Tour de France for seven years.

He also said Lance Armstrong went through France about as fast as Germany did in World War II.

It will be interesting to see how much interest there will be in next year’s Tour de France since Lance Armstrong announced he would not participate again.

Rarely do you see someone dominate an event over an extended period of time at that level of competition.

* * *

I read that you know you’re a cycling addict if you buy your crutches instead of renting them.

And you know you’re a cycling addict when you tell your better half, with a straight face, that it’s too warm to mow the lawn, and then you push off on your bike for a 26-mile workout.

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