Toland: Career full of priceless moments

By Roger Toland, Journal staff | Wednesday, August 29, 2007

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All good things must come to an end, and that’s what happens tomorrow when I wrap up 43 years as a sportswriter for the Rapid City Journal.

It’s hard to believe that a part-time job turned into a lifelong vocation.

I got my start by submitting Church League Softball capsules to the Journal.

As the mind goes back in time, here are some memories:

- I’ve always been associated with record-keeping, and now I have a record of my own: The first state sportswriter to spend 43 years at the same newspaper.

- My first assignment 43 years ago was a Douglas-Lead football game. Since that time, I have attended more than 15,000 athletic events.

- It’s easy to remember Rapid City’s first American Legion World Series baseball win, a 3-2 nail-biter over Lewiston, Idaho, in Manchester, N.H.

- Bus trips with Post 22 to Billings, Mont., and Minneapolis are filled with memories, even though I “lost it” on one of those Twin Cities’ trips when the bus air conditioner quit working.

- Dave Ploof had never won a Legion baseball game in Rapid City before I took over the Legion beat.

- Having Post 22 play in the Metrodome was a highlight, but was matched by standing on the pitcher’s mound and reclining in Tom Kelly’s rocking chair in the dugout.

- I recall Legion World Series trips to Greenville, Miss. (temperatures and humidity in the high 90’s), New Orleans (where unhappy fans would pound on the press box windows when they disagreed with a scoring decision) and Lebanon, Ind. (where it rained almost every day).

- I never saw Randy Lewis lose a wrestling match. I witnessed his national high school record when he pinned his 45th straight opponent and his beating of a Russian wrestler at a jam-packed Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

- The opening of the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center has always been a highlight. What a great venue for sporting events.

- The West River has been blessed with outstanding track and field athletes, and I witnessed some of the state’s best — like Marshall Kambestad, Julie Schwengler, Greg Jimmerson, Shannon Hellman, Anne Vollmer, Cherise Thompson, Erik Grumstrup, Eric Flores, Laura Tieszen and so many others.

- I was on hand when Cole Tucker (100), Larry Miller (400), Mark Larscheid (120-yard hurdles), Lisa McDowell (100) and Anne Vollmer (300 hurdles) established state high school track records.

- I had the privilege of watching Dave Collins’ outstanding high school career in football, basketball, track and baseball.

- A countless number of interviews included chats with Billy Mills, Sparky Anderson, Mike Miller, Phil Jackson and Christian Laettner.

- Weather has always been a factor during almost every season — 100-degree temperatures for baseball in the summer, freezing temps and snow for football, icy roads for basketball and rain and cold temps for track and field. One of the outstanding weather related performances was by Spearfish’s Mark Larscheid, who set an all-time state record in the hurdles during a driving rainstorm in Sioux Falls.

- Bob Laskowski, Kevin Phillips and Tom Rudebusch will always be remembered for being “media type” friends for many years.

-  had the pleasure to watch the outstanding high school careers of current Rapid City pros Becky

Hammon, Mark Ellis, Eric Piatkowski and Adam Vinatieri.

- It’s hard to forget Pine Ridge’s SuAnne Big Crow almost single-handedly carrying her team to victory in the state basketball tourney in Sioux Falls.

- The first of 30 straight state wrestling tournaments I attended was a nightmare because all you had to go by was team colors. It didn’t help when I was seated between my wife and someone’s grandmother — both with sharp elbows.

As Paul Harvey would say, “Page 2” tomorrow.