John Naughton recalls 30 years and 30 sports memories at the Des Moines Register

It no longer surprises me when I discover that the Iowa high school athlete I'm interviewing is the child of a star I wrote about 20 or more years ago.

Iowa high school sports is a tight-knit community of its own. And I've been privileged to cover many of those participants for the past 30 years.

There have been a lot of good times since 1988. Having people share their stories with me. Writing pieces that may help someone. In a way, I'm a historian and storyteller wrapped up in one.

I've interviewed players who became professionals, Olympians and stars of non-athletic worlds.

Lessons I've learned? Life is about relationships (that's No. 1). Everyone has something to offer. Memories last longer than any trophy.

Everyone has a story to tell. Thanks for letting me share them, and to all the people who helped me along the way.

Let's take a walk back.

Thirty of John's favorite stories and projects

30. Elle Ruffridge's favorite place is the G=gym (2017)

Summary: Ruffridge set the state girls' five-player basketball scoring record with 2,951 points. She's also one of the most hard-working athletes I've met. Shooting 1,000 free throws in one session is incredible. "A lot of emotion and memories fill me when I step into the gym," Ruffridge said. "It's where it all started."

29. Alcohol in Iowa's sports venues (2011)

Summary: This team project examined how arenas and stadium dealt with alcohol sales and enforcement of policies. (A change from my high school beat.) Working with the Register's Randy Peterson and others, it won the Iowa Newspaper Association's first place award for sportswriter.

28. The sky's the limit for Michelle Lilienthal (2000)

Summary: How did Iowa City High's Michelle Lilienthal, a failure at every sport she tried, become the state's best distance runner? Scratch your head and think. What if Bill Gates had never touched a keyboard, or Bobby Fischer never picked up a pawn. Lilienthal molded her limited athletic abilities to became a running machine. "No one thought I'd be a good runner; I didn't even think that," she said.

27. Jay's Journey (2002)

Summary: Melissa Jay of Ottumwa had a life-threatening tumor in her brain: "Jay was diagnosed with a walnut-sized astrocytoma attached to her brain stem two years ago after she began blacking out for two- or three-second spells. Her vision suddenly darkened like a pair of curtains being drawn inward across her eyes.

A chunk of the tumor was removed in surgery, but a portion remains, and a shunt, which doctors tell her is permanent, is a reminder with her on every lap of the track.

'I was afraid I couldn't be normal, that I couldn't be able to talk,' she said."

26. An Iowa baseball vacation (2007)

Summary: Driving from Van Meter, to Clinton, to the Field of Dreams was great fun. Especially sharing the experience with my co-worker and friend, Gregory Shriver. Greg is a passionate baseball fans and a wonderful traveling companion.

Field of Dreams: Vandals damage famous baseball field

25. Bus driver wants to see one more game (2017)

Summary: Gordy Emmons, the team bus driver for softball and girls' basketball at Waukee, was an inspiration to others, even as cancer claimed his body. Despite using a wheelchair and an oxygen tank, he watched the Warriors reach the state softball championship.

"When the basketball team bus was headed to the state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena, he made sure it was loaded with balloons and streamers — like a prom night on wheels — along with treats for the girls.

"All I've got to do is drive," Gordy said.

Emmons died in October, but not without inspiring the community.

24. Jerry Schartner's 400th win (2001)

Summary: The Des Moines Lincoln girls' basketball coach won a state tournament game while wishing his wife was there to celebrate with him. She had died the previous October. 

"All that time, my wife was always in the stands," Schartner said, eyeing the rafters of Veterans Memorial Auditorium. "I just hope she's up there somewhere."

I was told that a former Iowa first lady was inspired to put on a pair of sunglasses to disguise herself and watch the team's next state tournament game.

23. John Hayes returns to Dowling job (1997)

Summary: Dowling Catholic activities director John Hayes was fired for violating a school policy regarding timely handling of athletic department cash. He was rehired after an outpouring of support from the school and community. Hayes took the lead on building an athletic powerhouse, a reputation Dowling enjoys to this day. "It's hard walking into this end of the building and not thinking about John Hayes," said an emotional swimming coach Mark Crouch. "And I have to walk into this end of the building every day."

22. The changing face of Iowa high school athletics (2001)

Summary: Iowa saw an influx of migrants that made an impact across the state in the late 1990s. The wave of diversity had an impact on school enrollment and the composition of athletic teams in Marshalltown, Perry, Storm Lake and other communities. In 2018, migration seems to be an even more contentious issue.

21. Obesity among football players (2007)

Summary: High school football players grew heavier and heavier between the 1960s and to when the story ran. "Register Elite all-state linemen weighed an average of 258.9 pounds — more than 50 pounds larger than their 1960s counterparts." This story examined the issues at stake and suggested solutions.

20. Runner. Graduate. Mom. (2017)

Summary: Alexis Hernandez was a University of Iowa runner when she became pregnant. She was determined to manage the heavy burden of keeping up with the team, school and being a parent.

"People will sit here and tell you when you're pregnant all of the negatives and all of the bad things and all of the statistics, but I didn't want to be that," Hernandez said.

"I've always had this attitude since I was little just to do whatever I put my mind to, and that's how I treated being pregnant. I wanted to have the baby, I wanted to be a student-athlete, so that's what I did."

19. The Final Season (2006)

Summary: I never would have envisioned being on a movie set interviewing Sean Astin, Larry Miller and Powers Boothe. But it happened when a real Hollywood movie came to Norway, Iowa. The dream of Tony Wilson, who started with the idea that Norway's final state baseball championship was the thing of movies, was filmed in Iowa locations. The finished product, "The Final Season," is available for folks who want to see a bit of eastern Iowa mixed with a big time cast.

18. Iowans Take Flight (2003)

Summary: I suggested to editors that marking the centennial of the Wright brothers' 1903 first flight would be something to celebrate. They agreed. I switched my sportswriter role for that of a historian, showing Iowa's deep ties to the century of air travel. This was a team project, and Mark Marturello's information-packed graphic won a national award.

17.Iowans take 'Moneyball' approach to Kentucky Derby, and it's working (2015)

Summary: A group of Iowans stunned the world of juleps and garlands of roses in Louisville when they produced three Kentucky Derby entries in a six-year span. Donegal Racing, led by Des Moines attorney Jerry Crawford, developed bargain horses into Triple Crown threats. "Donegal's approach to horse buying? Think "Moneyball," with four-legged players. This was a national award winner — second place in the Associated Press Sports Editor awards.

16. The ultimate loss (2016)

Summary: Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball teammates Syd Wycoff and Emily Fontana were bonded together when they each lost a parent due to brain cancer. Their team went on the win a state title.

"All of the Centennial players at the state tournament passed around a black marker in the locker room before the game to write initials on their wrists: AF. GW.

Amy Staggs-Fontana. Greg Wycoff.

"We write it so we have something else to play for," Syd said.

15. Last Dance (2005)

Summary: The greatest statistic I've come up with in my career is 1,000. That's the total number of state girls' basketball tournament games played in the 50-year history of Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Ankeny won its fourth straight title to close the curtain on the venue.

14. Remembering Ed Thomas (2009)

Summary: The bond between high school coach and reporter can sometimes be distant, other times close as friends. I would call Ed Thomas a friend. I was set to go on vacation when my boss called to tell me that Ed had been killed by a troubled former player. I wrote about Ed, his family and the community in several stories over the years. To me, it was part of the closure of saying goodbye to a friend.

13. A matter of time (2016)

Summary: Johnston swimmer Lexie Winnett told a remarkable story about survival. The summer before her senior year, her car flipped over into a flood-swollen creek. It was absolutely harrowing.

"The passenger's and driver's-side windows of her Toyota Camry Solara had shattered, the airbags were deployed and smoke began rising from the car. The horn honked methodically, and the emergency lights flashed in the darkness.

"I was mostly thinking of my family. I just thought I was never going to see them again, or any of my friends," Lexie said, wiping her eyes with her shirt sleeve."

12. Iowa wrestlers in the Olympics (2016)

Summary: It took weeks, but I compiled the definitive list of Iowa-connected wrestlers who competed in the Olympics. I discovered through my research that Iowans wrestled in every games the U.S. competed in from 1920 to 2016.

"If the state was a country, its gold medal count through 2012 would rank as the 10th-highest nation, topping the all-time output of Italy (seven), Germany and France (four) and Great Britain (three)."

This was part of a broader project of determining all the Iowa ties through the history of the Olympics.

11. A tribute to No. 78 (2010)

Summary: Football player Cody Schmit of West Hancock of Britt died before his junior season when he was crushed when a dry-docked pontoon boat fell on him. But his memory lived on through teammates.

"Football players stop and pay respects at his grave before and after games — even holding a bonfire there in tribute after homecoming.

"We all hang out and be with him and tell him how the game went," senior Matt McDermott said. "Sometimes you want to talk about it and other times you want to be quiet and think about the fun times you had with him."

I never met Cody, but it was an honor to write about his legacy.

10. Kiana's World (2016)

Summary: I believed that Kiana Phelps wouldn't fit the profile of someone who was bullied. She was a star discus thrower that represented the U.S. in international competition and drew college attention from elite programs. But she opened up about how some of her fellow students made her a target for taunts.

"There comes a point that you've got two paths to choose," Phelps said. "I kind of chose to be different. I chose to be a critical thinker."

Even the best-known athletes may have special stories to share.

9. Sports injuries spur review of medical care (2000)

Summary: "It was only a football game," Sherry Fuhrman of Estherville said. "Kids don't die at football games."

Fuhrman had watched as her son, Chris, had limped off the football field after aggravating a concussion from the previous week's game. He began convulsing and was given life-saving oxygen on the sideline. She squeezed Chris' toes on the way to a Sioux Falls hospital — and a five-hour surgery — praying that he'd live.

A Register survey conducted by Bryce Miller and me indicated most high schools didn't have medical personnel at practices; one sixth of the state's activities directors said medical support at games was inadequate.

This project, an Iowa Newspaper Association story of the year, brought unprecedented attention to safety on the sidelines. Iowa is a safer place to play football now.

8. All-Century football team (2013)

Summary: The Register published its 100th all-state football team in 2013. As part of that centennial, I compiled a "best of the best" squad with the help of a team of coaches and reporters. The public voted for its own team, too.

7. One night in an Iowa gym (2004)

Summary: Then-sports editor Bryce Miller, in one of his most inspired moments, took the opportunity to sketch out an idea during a building evacuation after smoke from a small fire started entering the newsroom through ceiling vents. He wrote out a plan on a cocktail napkin. We'd assemble a team of reporters and photographers (about 15 individuals, as it turned out) and swarm over a high school basketball doubleheader. Someone would talk to the mascot. Another would interview parents. It was an extraordinary night in Glidden.

6. Buddy Holly: 50 winters later (2009)

Summary: Working with a team that included Kyle Munson and others, I got the chance to do some reporting outside of sports. Getting paid to interview musicians and fans may be even more fun than interviewing athletes and coaches. This project won a regional Emmy award for historic value by a media website.

5. 99 counties: Iowa's all-time champs (2011)

Summary: This was one of the most daunting projects of my career. Compile a database of every single Iowa state team champion. That included several sports that no longer exist, such as gymnastics, indoor track, synchronized swimming and the state team mile race. One of the most enjoyable parts was getting members of state team champs from seven different decades together for a group photo.

4. Alive and kicking (2004)

Summary: This story about West Des Moines Dowling soccer star Kristin Gredys was co-written with my great friend Jason Galleske. We got more than expected when we sat down with the Gredys family, as they unraveled the story of how Kristin survived toppling out of the family van onto the Interstate:

"Kristin Gredys runs her fingers over an old blue-and-white license plate, the one that looks like it was chewed up by a powerful lawn mower.

Gredys, a 15-year-old freshman soccer star at West Des Moines Dowling Catholic High School, stuns opponents with bursts of speed, quick sidesteps and kicks into the back of the net.

But in a moment she's transported back to the day of a four-vehicle freeway crash in 1991, when she was a helpless toddler thrown from the family van into oncoming traffic. She's slumped on a dividing line on rain-slickened Interstate Highway 235 west of downtown as cars speed past her motionless body.

A dramatic rescue by her father gave her a chance — for sports, to sing in choir, to touch the lives of others.

The Miracle on MacVicar, the family calls it.

"If a car hit me, I wouldn't be here," Kristin says. "They said guardian angels were looking after me. I think God chose me. He wanted me to survive that accident."

3. A son's promise (2013)

Summary: Vybert Greene, a Des Moines Lincoln football and track athlete, promised his dying mother that he would graduate on time with his senior class.

"As his mother's health declined, Greene took care of her. He cooked tilapia, potatoes and corn on the stove while she gave instructions. He drove her to chemotherapy appointments. He kept her coffee mug filled.

When she was at her weakest, Greene would carry her to the bathroom."

When his name on the diploma was read — Vybert Percival Greene — was read at commencement, he raised both arms toward the ceiling of the Knapp Center like a referee signaling a touchdown. He'd delivered on his oath.

2. A season of healing (2007)

Summary: The death of a student creates a stir in a small community. With three boys suddenly killed in a car accident, the mourning spreads. Cody Claussen, stepbrother Sam Collier and family friend Tony Clark died on a slush-covered bridge on Highway 20 one April morning on their way to Schaller-Crestland school in Early.

In an emotional display, parents of the deceased boys, two of whom played football, wore their uniforms at the season-opening game the following fall as a way of healing.

Talking to parents, fellow students and coaches was difficult. Yet I think it brought them a sense of comfort to confide in a reporter who could help let people know they boys were not forgotten.

Assistant coach Doug Davidson delivered a speech, his voice rising for emphasis:

"Is life going to deal you some tough things? You bet," he said after theloss to Graettinger. "When you get knocked down, you bounce back up."

1. Jordan Eglseder shares his story (2006)

Summary: At 7-foot-1 Jordan Eglseder of Bellevue Marquette seemed to dominate everything. But he had a weakness. He had ADHD, which constantly brought him difficulty in his classwork.

Jordan, who told the Register's Jason Galleske and I about his struggles, showed true character. While every athlete enjoys reading about themselves in their best, more successful light, how many are willing to let the public know that they're not perfect?

Eglseder went on to play at Northern Iowa, earning all-Missouri Valley Conference honors. The story went on to win a state award, too.

Jordan and his family trusted me to do a good job with his story. So many others across Iowa have, too. It's helped make 30 years move along so well.

John Naughton appeared on Iowa Public Radio's "Talk of Iowa" Monday to speak about his career at the Register. To listen, follow the link to IPR.