June 04, 2007
Dave Uphoff
:Editor
Congratulations go to Fieldcrest athletes for their success in the school's spring sports. Fieldcrest's Brian Peterson captured 2nd place in the 3,200 meter race of the Class A championship state track and field meet at Charleston. Peterson set a school record of 9:28:31 and has placed highest of any Fieldcrest athlete in track and field. Few know, however, that Minonk High School also had some great track athletes from years ago.In 1904, Minonk placed fifth overall in the State Track meet that was won by Chicago's Hyde Park. A Minonk athlete whose last name was Parks captured 2nd place in both the broad jump and the standing broad jump. In 1927 Winfield Morrison, Jr. won first place in the pole vault at the State Track meet. Morrison, was the the son of the late Doctor Winfield Morrison and brother of the late Bob Morrison and is a great uncle to the children of Jim Meyers of Minonk. Winfield Morrison, Jr. went on to play with some of the great swing bands of the 1930's and 40's and was reported to have played with the Tommy Dorsey band. The Fieldcrest Knights baseball team went all the way to the sectional finals before losing to Olympia, 2-1. It was the first time a team from Fieldcrest or its predecessor, Minonk-Dana-Rutland, went this far in baseball. The Knights final record was 21-9. Fieldcrest's baseball season was mired in controversy because of the Board of Education's decision to move the baseball games to Wenona this year stating that the ball diamond at Minonk did not drain well and could cause cancellation of games during wet weather. I don't know if any games would have been canceled if the team played in Minonk. I was told, however, that the Fieldcrest team practiced at the Minonk diamond one night because there were no lights at the Wenona field.
|
The Mayor of Minonk is to meet with the Fieldcrest Board of Education at this month's school board meeting in an effort to resolve the issues over the ball diamond at Minonk. The City is prepared to make improvements to the diamond which include solving the drainage problem and making the fences higher to meet state tournament standards. The City already has made improvements to the dugouts and has installed a new scoreboard. While no mention has been made of it publicly, I would recommend that the City install a grass infield that should improve the drainage as well as make for a more playable and pleasant looking ball diamond. There is no way to prove whether or not the Fieldcrest baseball team would have advanced to the finals of the sectional if they had played their games in Minonk. Furthermore, it is not even important to make that determination. There has been an implicit agreement that all sports teams should play their games in the community in which the school is located. In addition, last month's survey on this website clearly showed that most people concur with that agreement. Finally, the City of Minonk is doing its best to make sure that the baseball diamond will be brought up to the standards requested by the Fieldcrest administration. With these facts in mind, the Fieldcrest Board of Education should vote to bring back the Fieldcrest High School baseball games back to Minonk where they belong.
|
To reply to this editorial please send your comments to
Your letter will be published in the email section. Viewers
are welcome to submit a guest editorial.
|
|