By Staff
The first Wednesday in May marked five years I've been working at the Niles Daily Star as the sports editor.
I won't say I remember that first year like it was yesterday, but several memories from that spring sports season have stuck with me and have suddenly caused some striking comparisons to this spring sports season.
First off, I remember doing a story with several Niles High School athletes who qualified for the State Track and Field Finals.
This year, if things go well, the Vikings should be sending several more athletes to the finals which will be held at Caledonia High School on Saturday, June 5.
The Niles track and field programs have been consistently improving since my first year here and the boys won their first league title since 1977. The Vikings may actually have a chance to advance as a team to the finals.
Both Niles teams will be in action today at Allegan High School for the Division 2 Regional Meet.
The Brandywine and Buchanan teams will compete in the Division 3 Regional Meet at Constantine High School and those schools also have a chance to send some athletes to the finals, which will be held at Comstock Park High School.
Another memory from my first year that seems to be reliving itself is the Niles varsity baseball team. In 1999 the Vikings won the district tournament and the regional tournament before bowing out in the quarterfinals.
Comparisons to that team may be a little premature since the district tournament is still more than a week away. This year, however, the Vikings captured their first league title since 1997 and have already beaten, at least once, the other four teams in the tournament.
The Brandywine varsity softball team was strong when I came here, and is even stronger now.
The first year I covered them, the Bobcats won the district tournament but lost in regional play. They have won every district title since then and won two regional titles, two quarterfinal games and one state championship.
Even the Niles varsity softball team is in a similar situation to the spring of 1999. The Lady Vikes are not the favored team to win the district title, but have enough talent to pull off a major upset.
Niles is the only team in the Division 2 District Tournament at St. Joseph to not have been ranked in the Top 10 at some point this season.
Certainly plenty has changed since my first spring in Niles.
The students who were seniors and about to graduate when I first got here have now been out of college for a year.
Many of the coaches that I met in 1999 have moved on and none of the athletic directors I worked with that first year are still in office.
Brandywine and Buchanan did not have girls' soccer teams when I first got here, but both are now in their second year as varsity teams.
Five years doesn't seem like much any more, but a lot can happen in half of a decade. A lot has happened in Niles when it comes to high school sports.
While the faces change every year, some things stay the same and I'm thankful to be a part of it all.
Dan Weiss is sports editor of the Niles Daily Star. Email him at dan.weiss@leaderpub.com