Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Athletic Banquet was held April 28 at the high school. It was hosted by the HMS Athletic Boosters with the meal provided by Crazy Bob’s of Hartley. Coaches of the various sports introduced the participating students athletes and reviewed the season.
The banquet speaker was Wes Boyer. Mr. Boyer won the Outstanding Walk-On Award at Iowa State University where he played football for four years after redshirting his first year. Boyer was Academic All-Big 12 First Team for each of his final three seasons. He is married to the former Kelsie Mills, an HMS alumna.
Of the walk-on group he was a part of at ISU, Boyer was the only one to make it through all five years. “The rewards of seeing the field were important for me,” he said. He advised sticking it out and not selling yourself short. Boyer stressed academics first and foremost for success, noting that “athletics aren’t going to be there all your life, more than likely, for most of you.” He encouraged each of the student athletes to: Know your goal as a team, Know your role and focus on the details, and Have fun. He noted that “attitude and effort are things you can control. I take that into everything I do.”
It was announced that the winners of the Athletic Booster Scholarship Awards are Gabe Bronstad, Olivia Grooters, Sam Heyn and Taya Mason. The awards will be presented during Class Night.
The inaugural Hard Working Athlete Awards were presented to Taya Mason and Connor Dodd. As their plaques noted, the award is presented “For an outstanding demonstration of dedication to H-M-S Athletics through hard work and sacrifice to make yourself and your teammates better.” Coaches nominated athletes for the award and then voted to determine the winners.