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The Waukon boys golf team will field an overall young squad for its 2017 season, as just two seniors and one junior pace the upperclassman leadership for this spring’s squad. This year’s limited leadership experience also returns just one varsity veteran from each eligible grade level from last season, as senior Logan Sullivan, junior Jess Kloke and sophomore Michael Headington headline this season’s squad of 13 members as returning letterwinners from last spring.

“I will look for their leadership to help guide the underclassmen around the golf course,” Waukon boys golf coach Tharin Benson. “I will also look for them to shoot consistent scores and help the team be competitive this year.”

The two youngest grade levels make up the largest groups for this year’s squad, as five each of sophomores and freshmen will also take to the course this season.

The Waukon girls golf team is fielding one of its smallest teams in recent seasons, as 13 young ladies have reported for early-season rounds on the course. All but one of this season’s participants comes from the upperclassman ranks of either the junior or senior class, including a senior trio and one junior who make up the four returning letterwinners leading this spring’s squad.

Seniors Annika Anderson, Kayla Palmer and Caitlin Shelton, along with junior Kylee Hager, make up that list of varsity veteran returnees. “With the experience of all these players, I am looking to them for their leadership,” Waukon girls golf coach Kathy McMillan said. “Half the team are seniors and will all have the experience of competition, and they will have good competition within themselves. Actually, all team members but one will have the experience of competition.”

The 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has come to an end, crowning North Carolina as this year’s NCAA Champion after a 71-65 victory over Gonzaga Monday night, April 3. Likewise, The Standard’s NCAA Basketball Bracket Challenge has also come to a close, crowning its own champion in a battle that - just like this year’s championship game - also went down to the end to determine a winner.

That winner is Ernie Palas of Waukon, who was actually tied with Gregg Jones of Waukon with a final score of 136 points at the end of this year’s contest but edged out the victory by virtue of the combined points scored in the championship game tie-breaker. With that tie-breaker ironically also ending up at 136 points in the 71-65 final score, Palas guessed 161 points to finish closer to that actual game total than the 184 points guessed by Jones, giving Palas this year’s contest crown and $50 in Standard Bucks.

Waukon girls add May 1
Ed-Co meet, will host own Early Bird Invitational April 11

The boys and girls track teams from both Waukon and Kee High Schools all had their first outdoor competitions of the season canceled this past week by early spring conditions. Both the Waukon boys and girls track teams were scheduled for their first outdoor competition Tuesday, March 28 at Sumner-Fredericksburg, but had that co-ed meet canceled due to soft track conditions in this early spring.

A joint memorial service and memory sharing time for Jim and Kelly Bristol of Waukon will be held this Saturday, April 8, beginning at 2 p.m. at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon. A visitation will be held one hour before the service.

Jim Bristol passed away November 13, 2016 and Kelly Bristol passed away in 1995. Survivors include their daughter, Kappy Bristol of Los Angeles, CA.
 

James Eugene Reicks, 63, of Decorah, formerly of Lawler, went to be with our Lord March 26, 2017 with his family by his side at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, MN. His death was due to complications from a rare form of lung cancer, which had metastasized to his bones by the time of diagnosis.

Mass of Christian Burial was held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Lawler Friday, March 31 with Fr. Kyle Digmann, Fr. Nick March, Fr. Phillip Gibbs and Deacon Jim Zajicek officiating. Interment was at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Cemetery, Lawler.

James Eugene Reicks was born July 3, 1953 in New Hampton, the oldest son of Neal and Alice (Huinker) Reicks. Jim attended OLMC through eighth grade and graduated from Turkey Valley High School in 1971. Jim graduated with honors from Iowa State University with a degree in Agricultural Science. He was the leader of several champion hog judging teams while at Iowa State University.

Barbara Ann (Lewey) (Neuzil) Russell, age 68, of Waukon lost her battle with cancer March 23, 2017. Her family was assisted by Iowa Cremation.

Barbara was born December 2, 1948 in Waukon, her parents are Robert Lewey and Irene Hammel Lewey. She was baptized at St. Mary's Lycurgus Catholic Church.

Barbara attended grade school and high school at St. Patrick School in Waukon. She married Bob Neuzil at St. Patrick Church in Waukon, and they later divorced. September of 1993 she married Dean Russell at St. Patrick Church in Waukon.

Survivors include her children: Theresa Neuzil, Nancy (Randy) Pausch, Mike (Brandi) Neuzil and John Quanrude, all of Waukon; two brothers, Richard (Jean) Lewey and David Lewey, both of Waukon; one sister, Patty Pladsen of Waukon; three grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by an infant son, Joey; two brothers, baby Stephen and Michael Lewey; and Vern Quanrude, father of John Quanrude.
 

Gary Edwin McKee, 68, of Lansing, died Thursday March 23, 2017 at his residence in Lansing. There will be no services at this time.

In 1966 he graduated from Kee High School in Lansing. June 7, 1966 he entered the U.S. Air Force and served until 1970, serving overseas in Vietnam. September 9, 1973 he was united in marriage to Christina Marti in Lansing.  Gary worked as a shift leader for Dairyland Power his entire career.

He is survived by his wife, Christina; two sons, Eric (Thea) McKee of Waukon and Nick (Madai) McKee of Orlando, FL; two daughters, Shane (Bruce) Scott of Lansing and Brittney (Darren) McKee of San Carlos, Mexico; his mother, Florence McKee of Lansing; three grandchildren; and a sister, Phyllis Dymond of Phoenix, AZ.

He was preceded in death by his father and three brothers, Tommy, Harris and Keith.

The Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Lansing assisted the family.
 

Louis “Tim” S. Frank, 85, of Waukon died Friday, March 31, 2017 at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon is assisting the family.

Louis “Tim” Sheridan Frank was born February 28, 1932 in Nebraska, where we was raised. He graduated from high school at the age of 15 and then enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving from 1948-1951 in Korea as a frontline cook. After being honorably discharged, Tim resided in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan for seven years where he taught at a baking school.

A Lansing man lost his life after getting caught in the roller gates of the Genoa Dam on the Mississippi River early Friday evening, March 31. According to reports issued by the Vernon County, WI Sheriff’s Office and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), James Kenneth Freeman, age 52, of Lansing was killed Friday around 4:45 p.m. when his boat was pulled into the dam after being anchored in a restricted area. Freeman’s body was recovered from the water around 6 p.m. that same evening.

Further details of the incident will appear in the April 5 edition of The Standard. You can subscribe to The Standard's print edition or e-edition by clicking here.