HS Summer Games Wrap Up- Questions Every Player Should Be Asking

In Illinois, players workouts and games with their high school teams are probably wrapping up the last weekend of June. Hopefully it has been a great opportunity to work with your high school coach and understand the coach’s expectations. As these team workouts and games finish, it is important for players to take the time to reflect about how things went, and about their goals going forward. 

I would recommend high school players reflect on the following questions:

HS Summer Games Wrap Up- Questions Every Coach Should Be Asking

For many high schools across the nation, the month of June can be a wild scramble. Coaches go from the last day of school right into summer basketball. The players often are not in basketball shape, yet coaches want to do as much as possible in limited time. 

So this year, most of the Illinois HS teams are playing one last tourney the weekend of June 28. At that point, coaches are often ready to take their family vacations and decompress. 

Before the summer workouts get too far in a coach’s memory, it is important for the coach to sit down and take notes. The purpose of the notes will be to help prepare for the winter season, and also make next summer’s program more effective. 

So here are questions that are important for coaches to address soon after their summer programs end. 

Caitlin Clark- It’s A Long Season But

With the Fever this year, there have been some highs and some lows.

*** Inconsistent first few games.

*** Clark injured

*** Clark and Fever explode vs. New York Liberty

*** Fever win the East and will play for the Commissioners Cup

*** Fever looks dominate early vs Golden State and Las Vegas then falter.

It is a long season- 44 games, but having played 13 games, the season is about 30% over for the Fever. 

Knox College’s Tribute: Elizabeth Eckford Of The Little Rock 9

On my morning walk one morning, I came across this monument to Elizabeth Eckford at Knox College. 

In 1954, Brown vs Board of Education ruled that separate was not equal, and outlawed segregation in American public schools. While the federal government worked to support and enforce desegregation, some states resisted desegregation. 

Streaks Scrapbook- 1929 Boys Basketball- Sweet 16

I have had this ticket stub by my mom about 50 years ago. It was from her senior year at Galesburg High School. I have kept it on my desk since that time. I think I have kept it as a reminder of a connection with my mom. 

This past week, I was looking at the ticket stub and thought, I should go check out this tourney. And this is how I got started with this blog post- looking at the 1929 Galesburg basketball team. 

1934- More Things Change, More They Stay The Same

I was doing some research in the Galesburg newspaper from March of 1934. I came across the cartoon below. 

Corpus Christi At The 1935 Catholic State Tourney

 In 1935, Catholic schools were not part of the IHSA and held their own State Tourney. This tourney was being held in Decatur. Corpus Christi was one of 16 teams in the State tourney field. 

Corpus lost their first game but at this point won their first game in the consolation bracket of the tourney. 

Corpus Christi had won the 1934 State Championship. 

Streaks Scrapbook- Galesburg HS State Champs

This is a look back thru history at Galesburg HS’s 22 IHSA State Champions. GHS athletes have won: 4 Team State Championships, 1 Relay Team State Championship, 1 Doubles Championship, and 16 Individual State Championships.  

The first was the 1913 Boys Basketball team, and the most recent was Gauge Shipp in wrestling in 2023. 

Josh Eiker accounted for 4 of the 21 State Championships, Goff Eyre won two State Championships (one as an individual and one as part of a team), and Greg Whittle also won two State Championships (one as an individual and one as part of a relay).

Boys Track has accounted for 11 of the State Championships, while Boys Golf and Wrestling have each won 3 State Championships. 

Caricia Andrews in Girls Track has accounted for the only State Championship won by a female athlete at GHS. 

Fever vs Sun: Chaos On The Court- Your Thoughts?

The Indiana Fever defeated the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night 88-71. By my count, the match up produced 3 ejections, 5 technicals, 2 flagrant fouls, and too much trash talking to count.

History of Bad Blood- It is obvious that Caitlyn Clark (Iowa) and Jack Shelton (Ohio State) have bad blood. I am sure Iowa fans could explain to me the evil things that Shelton did in college, and the Ohio State fans could explain to me the evil things that Clark did in college. 

William Allen: GHS Teacher Makes Ultimate Sacrifice in WW2

 William Allen was a 1939 graduate of Knox College. While at Knox, he became a political activist. He was part of a large group of students who were unhappy with the school’s “chapels.” They felt that the chapels had become a way for the college to indoctrinate students with conservative, pro-business speakers. His activism led him to take a leadership role as the editor of the Knox Student (school newspaper). His outspoken approach caused some to label him as un-American and a Communist.  

After graduation, he taught three years in Fairview. He moved back to teach at Galesburg High School in 1942. He was an English teacher and in charge of all of the drama activities. At this time, before TV, school plays were performed almost monthly. 

Caitlin Clark’s Comeback, Fever Stun Liberty, Commissioner’s Cup Implications

I wasn’t the only one that was anxious to have Caitlin Clark back. The game set a record for most watched WNBA game. 

Streaks Scrapbook- From 1954 JH City Champs To 1957 Elite Eight

 

In 1954 Hitchcock hosted a junior basketball tournament at Steele Gym. The tourney included Galesburg’s three JH teams- Hitchcock (today Hitchcock apartments), Lombard, and Churchill (still downtown), as well as ROVA. 

Hey Coach- Happy Father’s Day

Mike Reynolds- DeKalb

"I Doubted I'd Ever be a Streak"

The old GHS located just off the square.

This post was originally published Nov. 13, 2011. 

When we think about segregation and racism in America during the 20^th century, most of us in the North immediately turn out thoughts to the South. The reality is that there were many examples of segregation and racism in the North during the 20^th century.

My mother told a story of when my father was coaching basketball in Savanna, Illinois in the 1940’s. Savanna was located about 40 miles from Wisconsin, so definitely the “North.” My father had an African-American player on his team. If the team was going to stop for a meal after a road game, my father would always go into the local restaurant to see if they would serve an African-American. If they would not, he would go back out and tell the team, “The restaurant is full.” And they would look for another place to eat. Having grown up in the 1960’s, I found this story to be a revelation. I was sure that only happened in the South.

Inside Hoops- Learning From Sue Bird

One of the best ways for coaches and players to learn about the game is to learn from the best players in the world. A great opportunity to do this is with Sue Bird’s podcast. Bird’s Eye View with Sue Bird drops every Friday. The podcast can be listened to as a podcast or on YouTube. 

Inside Hoops- Pacer’s Plan To Stop The Star

I write this after game #3 of NBA finals. It may well that the Pacer’s plan does not work in game #4 so you decide that this is not valuable. 

My take is that everyone who knows the NBA is in agreement that OKC has much more talent than Indiana. So how is Indiana managing to be up 2 to 1. 

Players Playbook- We Don’t Do That Here

When we think about the transition from JH to HS, it is easy to think about the basketball skills. It is easy to focus on the JH player needs to learn how to become stronger with the ball, clean up their shooting form, not take possessions off, get down in a defensive stance, etc. That is all true- a JH athlete transitioning to the HS must really improve their skill sets. 

The same is true of players transitioning from FS to Varsity. They have to improve their skill sets. All of this is true.

College Playbook- Advice and Insight From First Year Students

I had the opportunity to reach out to 10 Silver Streaks athletes, who graduated from GHS in 2024. They are all finishing their first year of college. Seven of the ten continued to play a sport in college, while three did not continue playing a sport.

These 10 shared their college experiences this year. They talk about classes, time management, high/lows, advice for graduating high school seniors, and things they missed in Galesburg. 

Summer Sports at GHS- Programs and Opportunities

Summer sports programs have been a part of Galesburg High School dating back to the 1960’s. 

With summer programs just getting ready to start, I reached out to GHS varsity head coaches to see what summer programs were available. 

It is exciting to see the opportunities being provided to Galesburg student-athletes.  

Massey Book Club’s Top Choices For Summer

A big thanks to the people who contributed to this booklist to the “Massey Book Club.” I feel like I am the member of the book club who hasn’t read any of the books but you keep me in the club because I supply the wine!!

Galesburg Summer League- Downstate Tradition

This is the 38th year for the Galesburg Summer League. We started the girls basketball league in the summer of 1987, and took one summer off for COVID. 

Previous to GSL, the Carver Center had run a summer league for men’s and women’s teams. Usually there were 3 Galesburg teams and a couple area teams who entered the Carver league. 

We started to take GHS varsity teams up to Maine West to play in their weekend tourneys. I had become friends with the Maine West coach, Derril Kipp- we were both on the All-State board. At the time, Maine West had a league during the week, and ran a couple one day weekend tourneys. We would go up and play, and usually lose badly. It was very obvious the Chicago area teams were very much ahead of us in the summers. They were playing a lot more basketball. 

The One-Sport Squeeze: Pressures on HS Athletes To Specialize

Greg Bennett is a retired Athletic Director at Lewistown High School in Lewistown, Illinois. I asked Greg to share what he did as AD at a small school to develop a culture where coaches, athletes, and parents saw the value of participating in multi-sports. 

Greg not only shares some of the ways he worked to establish a multi-sport culture, but also touched on some of the pressures placed on athletes to specialize. 

Promoting Multi-Sports Participation

 I had a coach share that a coach at their school was telling some players in their sport not to go out for other sports. The coach had a simple question,”How can this prevented and discouraged in an athletic department. 

To answer this question, I reached out to two individuals who were athletic directors. I wanted to know how they developed a “multi-sport culture at their schools. 

Mike Tracey and Greg King share great advice for athletic directors, coaches, and parents. 

Inside Hoops- Slappin’ Glass Podcast w/ Kellen Sampson

Slappin’ Glass Podcast produced another great one with Kellen Sampson, assistant coach for the Houston Cougars. Their questions and his responses make it a must listen to podcast. Some highlights of the podcast—

UNSCRIPTED POINTS

Houston’s Focus is to win “the unscripted points.” This means winning in three areas- 

1- Offensive rebounds

2- Producing turnovers and fastbreak

3- Rebounding and fast breaks. 

All three of these areas involve winning the battle of energy. 

Streaks Scrapbook- Galesburg’s All-Time Best Season

Galesburg’s all-time best team? The debate is on! There are some who say the best team has to be 1959 with Bumpy Nixon, 1966 with Dale Kelley, 1968 with Jim Reinebach, 1998 with Joey Range. And some might claim 1997 with Molly Watson, 1999 with Sarah Larson, or 2000 with Megan Pacheco. 

Caitlin Clark Reveals The Secret To Her Greatness

Clearly Caitlin Clark has drawn the attention of many, many fans- and brought fans to watch the WNBA. Fans analyze her game, and experts analyze her game. So why should I be any different? 

My question is: What is it that makes Caitlin Clark great? 

Parents Playbook- Advice From A Parent

The following is a Facebook post from a parent- giving parents advice on the do’s and don’t’s of being an athletic parent. It may take some courage for parents to read!!

The Architects of Galesburg Basketball

This is a picture of two Galesburg High School coaching legends- John Gillespie and Gerald Phillips. This picture is from the 1935 GHS Reflector. They are talking in Galesburg’s brand new spectator gym in Steele Gym. 

Streaks Scrapbook- The Legacy of Steele Gym: A Galesburg Treasure

According to the monument on the NW corner of Broad St. and Tompkins St., Galesburg High School was moved to this location in 1906. 

Inside Hoops- Pacers & Thunder- 5 Strategies That Will Shape Basketball

NBA teams are quick to imitate the champions in their league. Colleges and high schools then follow. The Pacers and the Thunder share a template that is sure to impact basketball at all levels in the future. 

PACE- Their uptempo offenses are exciting to watch and have worn their opponents out. They run off rebounds like most teams. The Thunder are deadly in creating and running off turnovers. A lesson from the Indiana Pacers is the value of running off the opponents makes. They don’t do this sometimes, they do it every time. Every game it seems that Siakam get 6-8 points off layups after makes. And when he is not beating the other team up the floor, he is wearing them out. 

Possible Impacts- 1) More HS teams develop true rim runners like Saikem. 2) More HS teams work to run out of the net on makes. 

Building Champions In Off-Season- Coaches Share Their Plans

I always enjoyed “summer basketball” when I was coaching. It was a great chance to build team culture, work on individual skills, and experiment with team offenses and defenses. Summer basketball is a more relaxed atmosphere where the focus can be completely on the process not the outcomes. 

I asked some of favorite high school coaches if they would share their approach to the summer. 

Alan Stein’s Expert Advice For Basketball Parents

Alan Stein started at a basketball trainer for pro basketball players. He worked with and helped develop some of the top NBA players. He knows the game and he knows the mindset of the best of the best. 

Today Stein has become a coach for organizations and of leaders in many fields. He shares the most effective and the least effective ways to help build up people. 

I have collected a series of Tweets from Alan Stein in which he shares expert advice for basketball parents. 

Any parent who wants to help their son/daughter reach their goals in basketball, MUST read these Tweets. Stein clearly spells out the do’s and don’t’s of being a basketball parent. 

As you read these- remember, he has been paid lots of money by the best pro players because he knows what leads to success!!

Alan Stein, Jr.‏ @AlanSteinJr Feb 24

Parents who shout instructions to their child during a game do a few things: 1) Undermine the coach 2) Confuse their child 3) Sound like an ass Remember, just because something is UNDERSTANDABLE doesn’t mean it is ACCEPTABLE. Good intentions doesn’t equal ‘right.’

Alan Stein, Jr.‏ @AlanSteinJr Feb 24

I will be attending my daughter’s kindergarten game and my son’s 2nd grade game today. You won’t hear a peep from me the entire time. When each game is over, all you will hear from me is, ‘I love to watch you play.’ Support Coach

2025 Galesburg Summer League Schedule

Galesburg Summer League for girls basketball will tip-off their 38th season on Tuesday, June 3. 

Games are played in Thiel Gym, and in Kimbrough Fieldhouse. 

Admission for adults is $3, while students are free. 

Old School Coaches- Mark Massey’s Blue Print for Success

Mark Massey was head volleyball coach at Clinton High School (Iowa) for 38 years. He had several teams go to State and five win the Mississsippi Athletic Conference championships. He won 232 conference matches which is the all-time best in MAC history. 

He finished his career with his teams having won 818 matches. 

Mark was the Iowa Coach of the Year in 1994 and twice the finalist for National Coach of the Year. He has been inducted into the NW Illinois HOF, the Iowa VB Coaches HOF, and the Clinton High School HOF. 

I have asked Mark’s players and coaches to share why they think Mark was so successful. 

Streaks Scrapbook- Jay Redfern- Molly Watson Inspiring (2003)

One of the most exciting things for a coach is to see the impact that one generation of players can have on the next generation. To see young players looking up to older players as their idols. 

Jay Redfern in 2003 captured this relationship between Molly Watson and younger players. In Silver Streaks Insider, younger players like Jenna Bicego talk about the impact Molly Watson had on her as a player. 

At the time of the article, Molly was a recent college grad and Jenna was a high school players.

Double The Talent, Triple The Bond: Twin And Triplet Athletes

I taught high school psychology and I took my fair share of psychology classes. So I read my share of “twin studies.” The basic premise of most of these studies was to compare if identical twins were more likely to share a characteristic than fraternal twins- so trying to get at the nature vs nurture question. 

According to the stats- in natural births, there is a 1 in 250 chance of having twins and 1 in 10,000 chance of having triplets. 

When one thinks about twin athletes at Galesburg HS, the first names that come to mind are Albert and Elbert Kimbrough (GHS Class of 1957). They were two of the all-time great athletes in GHS history. 

Beyond the Gold- Streaks Champs Share Their Stories (Part 2)

I reached out to 8 GHS athletes who won individual State Championships, and 2 GHS athletes who won a doubles State Championship. My purpose has been to celebrate and honor their achievements, and to use their stories as an inspiration for athletes today. 

I certainly appreciate this athletes taking the time to share their memories and to share their insights into what is needed to be a champion. 

This is Part 2 “talking” with Caricia Andrews, Greg Whittle, Travon Diggins, Josh Eiker, and Gauge Shipp. 

Caricia Andrews

2000 Long Jump State Champ

Massey- Can you give me a recap of how your state championship came about?

Andrews- I jumped 18’ 9 1/2” in the Prelims in the prelims on Friday and no one jumped further, so I didn’t have to jump on Saturday. My former rival that turned into a great friend , LaDrina (McCorkle) Wilson of Moline was just under me with 18’ 5 3/4”

Massey- Were you undefeated in this event, weight class during the year?

Andrews- I was not undefeated, I was always battling for 1st place with LaDrina at every meet 

Massey- Do you remember at what point of your career that you thought winning state was a reasonable goal?

Andrews- Coming in as a freshman, I had the goal to win state in an event. I did not know it would be long jump. I thought maybe it would be a relay team.

Massey- It seems like a lot of athletes in many sports have a goal of “getting to State.” That is a great goal for an athlete but sometimes it seems like then once they “make it to State,” there is kind of a let up- they are satisfied. How did you break thru that and not become satisfied with just getting to State, but wanted to win State? Was your goal always to win State not to just get there?

Andrews- I had gone to state in Junior High and knew that once I went to high school, I wanted to bring home the gold.  My goal for after Junior year was to win another state title my senior year but unfortunately it did not turn out that way 

Massey- When you won State- how would you describe that moment and the time after it? Was it more relief or utter joy? 

Andrews- I think I was in shock mostly but 100% utter joy

Massey- How does it make you feel knowing that in the 50+ years of girls sports at GHS, you are the only female athlete to have won a State Championship?

Andrews- Such an honor!! And the memories of high school sports are always alive! My best moments.

Massey- Who do you credit with giving you the push to achieve this tremendous accomplishment- credit with pushing you mentally or physically?

Andrews- I’d have to say my family, especially my track loving Uncle Rodney Blue, my coaches, and teammates (life long friends).

Massey- Do you think you learned something about yourself thru this achievement, and did accomplishing this impact you going forward?

Andrews- To always believe in myself and that it’s ok if you fail. It still drives my competitive spirit.

Massey- Did you do other sports at GHS?

Andrews- Played and started Varisty volleyball all 4 years and cheered 3 out of 4 years for boys basketball.

Massey- Where did you attend college? Did you continue in sports?

Andrews- I started out at the University of Missouri before becoming homesick and coming back to Galesburg and playing volleyball at Carl Sandburg College

Massey- What career path did you take?

Andrews- I always thought I’d be in the medical field but I found my calling in law enforcement and being a 911 dispatcher.

Massey- Do you have any advice for today’s athletes at GHS?

Andrews- To train hard, be coachable, remember that failing is ok, push harder with each future day. 

Greg Whittle

2009- 1600 Meter State Champ

Massey- Can you give a recap of when you won State?

Whittle- At the state meet in the 1600 meter (1600m) run, there are prelims on Friday and then the finals on Saturday.  I did not win my prelim race (I think I got second).  What ends up happening in many championship races in the 1600m or mile is that no one really wants to lead the race, since it takes more energy to set the pace and is more mentally taxing.  All of the others following the leader only have to focus on “holding on” to the guy in front and they are able to conserve energy.  So since no one wants to lead, the race turns into a “sit and kick” style race where the first three or so laps are very slow, and it's not until the last (fourth) lap that everyone starts kicking hard, which leads to very close races and fast finishes.  That is essentially what happened in the 1600m finals the year I won – the first three laps were very slow and the last lap was quite fast.  Throughout that track season, Coach Hillier had been having us do 300m runs all-out at the end of at least one practice per week to simulate the end of a race.  The thinking was that most runners don't begin their final kick until around 200m or 250m out from the finish, so if we could start our kick a bit sooner at 300m out from the finish we could get a jump on the other guys and gain an advantage that way.  I followed Coach Hillier's strategy and was lucky enough to come out on top that day.  I went into the lead at about 300m to go, but there was a guy named Ryan Todd in the race that came up beside me with about 100m to go and almost got past me, so it was a very close race that went down to the wire.

 

Massey- Were you undefeated in this event?

Whittle-  No, I was not undefeated that season in the 1600m run.  I had lost a few 1600m races earlier on in the season, especially during the indoor track season, which spans February, March, and maybe part of April too.  It normally took me a few weeks to get back into swing of things with distance running since I was on the swim team until around early February every year, and running works a totally different set of muscles and has a much higher impact on joints and such compared to swimming.

Massey- Do you remember at what point you realized that winning State was a goal?

 

Whittle- Since I was on the swim team every Winter in high school, I would often enter the track and field season and spend the first couple of meets “catching up” to the guys who had been doing track and field oriented training all Winter while I had been logging time in the pool.  Swimming was great for cardiovascular training, which is an important aspect of distance running, but the best way to train for a running event is by running, so it normally took a few meets once I switched to track season to knock off the rust and get some running-specific training under my belt before I felt like I could compete at a high level.  However, when I first made the switch from swimming to track my senior year it felt like I wasn't as far behind the top guys as I had been during previous years.  The cross-country state champion from the previous Fall was a guy named Tim Hird who ran for a school in Galesburg's conference, so I was able to race against him several times during the indoor season and actually ended up beating him at a home meet in the 1600m run.  It had never even crossed my mind that I might be competitive with the cross-country state champion because he had been so dominant during the cross-country season, and I think finally edging him out at that home meet during indoor season was when the thought that I could compete for a track and field state championship started entering the back of my mind.

 

Massey- For many very good athletes, the goal is “getting to State.” That is a great goal but sometimes they don’t seem to be able to shift gears and set winning State as a goal. Maybe they are satisfied.

Whittle- For a long time, getting to state was the goal.  In Summer 2008 leading up to my senior cross country season, we knew we had a pretty good team heading into the season, and Coach Hillier set a goal for our team to finish third and win a state trophy at the state meet that Fall.  I don't remember exactly when our cross country team finally started to believe that we could actually achieve that, but most of us had run for Coach Hillier for several years and had a very high amount of respect for his judgment.  Coach Hillier was extremely competent with his technical training knowledge, but the thing I remember most about him was his ability to inspire his athletes.  It wasn't long before he had us all believing that we were capable of a state trophy rather than just being “happy to be there” at the state meet.  I'd say Coach Hillier setting the concrete goal of winning a state trophy at the cross-country state meet and continuing to repeat it to us multiple times per week at practice during that cross-country season is what elevated our mindset above only making the state meet, and that mindset carried into the following track and field season.  And there were so many great athletes on both that 2008 cross-country team and 2009 track and field team (Luke Junk, Josh Thomas, etc.), being surrounded by such a high level of talent elevated everyone's expectations of themselves and belief in what we could accomplish.  And we were a genuinely close-knit cross-country team as well.  I think we only had 14 guys on that 2008 cross-country team, which was quite small historically for Galesburg and also very small compared to the other top teams in the state, so we naturally became very close and believed in each other – running 50-70 miles per week with the same small group of guys for multiple years can have that effect!

 

Massey- What was it like when you won State? Relief or joy?

Whittle- When I won the 1600m run at state, I'd say the feeling was 25% joy and 75% relief.  I had run the fastest qualifying time for the state meet in that event, so anything less than finishing first would've been worse than my seed going in and in my mind felt like an underperformance.  I also tended to put a huge amount of pressure on myself to do well with my running goals (probably an unhealthy amount) and had extremely high expectations for myself, which most of the time lead to good racing outcomes but sometimes took the joy out of it if I wasn't able to meet said expectations.  Also, all four of my grandparents and several other relatives had driven down from Michigan to attend the meet, and I remember wanting to do well since they had driven all that way to watch the race.  During the previous cross-country season (Fall 2008) when we'd finished third as a team at the state meet and won a state trophy, the state rankings leading up to the meet listed Galesburg as around seventh or eighth.  So although internally within our team we believed we could win a state trophy, most other folks who followed the sport discounted us and we overperformed by quite a bit compared to our ranking.  The feeling after that team performance was more like 80% joy and 20% relief.

 

Massey- Who are some of the people who gave you the push to win State?

Whittle- I've always been pretty internally driven to do well from a very young age, and my father pushed my brothers and I pretty hard to give our best effort at everything we did, so it was probably largely a combination of those two things.  I won't tell too many stories that would embarrass him, but he simply did not accept a poor effort when it came to schoolwork or sports or the extra schoolwork he'd have us doing on the weekends or during summers.  I think I mentioned it in an earlier question too, but Coach Hillier's ability to inspire his athletes was absolutely unparalleled, and his enthusiasm for the sport was contagious.  During cross-country season, he would spend fifteen minutes or so every Monday giving us a rundown of all of the big meets that had been run over the weekend with our conference rivals or the teams we'd be seeing at state and giving his analysis of how he thought we stacked up against them.  It was obvious that he cared a ton about the program and it was easy to stay motivated with a coach like that, especially when being surrounded by teammates that also cared about pushing themselves and improving.  Coach Hillier was actually my cross country coach in junior high as well as in high school (minus eighth grade, since that's the year he switched from junior high coach to high school coach), and he's 100% of the reason I became hooked on distance running.

 

Massey- What did you learn about yourself in winning State? What have you taken forward from that?

Whittle- I think I learned that most things in life worth doing take time and can't be achieved overnight.  It takes a while to build the fitness to succeed at distance running or to gain the expertise to be competent in a career.  One of the sayings that got thrown around a lot during that track season was “It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock n' roll,” and I think that phrase summarizes that sentiment nicely.

 

Massey- Did you do other sports?

Whittle- I ran cross country, track, and was on the swim team – I did all three sports for all four years I was in high school.  My parents required me and all five of my brothers to be on the swim team for all four years.  The joke my parents would tell is that we weren't allowed to live in the house if we weren't on the swim team...at least I think it was a joke!  Cross country and track were definitely my primary sports (mostly because I was better at them than I was at swimming), but the swim team was a really close-knit group of guys that got along really well, and we had a bunch of fun despite how difficult the sport was.  Coach John Willy was a bit of a legend who knew how to get the most out of his swimmers, and that involved a significant amount of time working out in the pool at all hours of the day.

 

Massey- Where did you go to college?

Whittle- I attended a small Christian college in Grand Rapids, MI called Calvin College (now called Calvin University, Go Knights!).  They were NCAA Division III in sports, and I continued with cross country and track there for all four years (2009-2013).  I was a three time track and field Division III All-American there in the 1500m run and mile run, but the highlight was a second place team finish at the 2012 NCAA Division III Cross Country National Meet.  We were blessed to have a fantastic coaching staff there as well, led by 1984 Olympic medalist Brian Diemer.

 

Massey- What path have you gone in your career?

Whittle-  I am currently a civil engineer at a civil engineering firm in Grand Rapids, MI.  It involves a lot of designing, permitting, and constructing roads, bridges, water main, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, residential subdivisions, sidewalks, commercial developments, and other infrastructure improvements.  If you run into me at a dinner party, be prepared to talk about the different classes of concrete pipe and their various applications.

Massey- Any advice to preset GHS athletes?  

Whittle- I would tell current GHS athletes to give it their all at their sport but also take the time to stop and enjoy it.  High school sports don't last for very long in the big scheme of life, and going after a goal with everything you've got with your teammates that you've grown up with, trained with, and competed with over a span of several years is an experience that is never replicated again in your life.  Enjoy the process as much as possible while still staying focused on a lofty goal.  I'd also say to take some time to figure out what you want to do with your life after sports, while still being committed to your sport.  Don't have blinders on and have your goals in life be only sports-oriented, or you might find yourselves directionless once your sports career is finished

Travon Diggins

2013 Long Jump State Champ

Massey- Can you give me a recap of how your state championship came about?

Diggins- It came about during my junior year. Freshman year I finished 12th, sophomore year I got 6th, so by junior year I was aiming for top 3. I wasn’t really an underdog; I was the favorite going in. The crazy part is the winning jump ended up being around 22 feet 3 inches. That wasn't my season best, but it was enough to get the job done that day. 

Massey- Do you remember at what point in your career that you thought winning state was a reasonable goal?

Diggins- Yes, it became evident early on during my freshman year. I had already won state in junior high while at Lombard. I won in both seventh and eighth grade, so I came into high school with that mindset already. I knew it was possible — it was just about putting the work in and getting better.

Massey- A lot of athletes are satisfied just making it to state. How did you push past that and stay focused on winning?

Diggins- By the time I got to high school, the mindset was already different. Coach Hillier, Brad Gross, and Coach Luptak had built a strong culture. It wasn’t just about getting to state; it was about winning medals. I was lucky to come into a great group of older guys in the jumps. When I was a freshman, they were all seniors, guys like Bailey Ricketts, Drexler Blue, Justin Davidson, and Calvin Mosley. We had a solid jump squad, and being around that kind of energy early on made it clear that just making it to state wasn’t enough.

Massey- When you won state, how would you describe the moment and the time after? Relief or joy?

Diggins- It was more of a relief for me.  It really came down to just going out there and executing. I didn’t feel like I had to prove I could win; I just had to do it. So yes, getting it done felt like a weight off my shoulders more than anything.

Massey- Who do you credit with helping you mentally or physically through this journey?

Diggins- Besides coaches, mentally I’d say some credit must go to my brother, Derrick Diggins. Just following in his footsteps athletically gave me a lot of motivation. He was a Lombard State Champion too, and at the time, he was jumping about a foot farther than me so that kind of set the bar for me early on.

And honestly, my grandma was a major piece too. She always taught me to push through and be the best I could be, no matter what I was doing. She used to tell me I was the best,  just constant words of affirmation. And that really does a lot for a kid’s confidence. That stuck with me.

Massey- Do you think you learned something about yourself through this achievement? Did it have the impact you hoped for?

Diggins- I’m not sure I learned anything new about myself through the achievement, but it had an impact on my future. Winning state helped open doors — I was able to earn a scholarship to Illinois State University, where I competed for four years and earned my bachelor’s degree. So, in that sense, it helped set the course for what came next.

Massey- Did you do any other sports at GHS?

Diggins- Yes, I did track and field, football, and basketball at GHS. I liked staying active and competitive year-round, each sport brought something different to the table.

Massey- What career path did you take after high school and college?

Diggins- I’m currently employed at a general contracting company called Xanadu Builders, based in Elgin, Illinois. I do some project management with them — coordinating jobs, working with crews, and making sure projects run smoothly start to finish.

Massey- Do you have any advice for today’s athletes at GHS?

Diggins- My advice would be to limit the distractions. You really don’t know how far you can go if you fully lock in and put your mind to something. Sometimes it just comes down to choosing to be different, to separate yourself by how you focus, how you work, and how you carry yourself.

Josh Eiker

2015, 2016- 100 & 200 State Champ

Massey- Can you give me a recap of how your state championship came about? 

Eiker- For me, winning the State Titles wasn't the most exciting part of those seasons. Going into State I was the #1 or #2 Seed so on paper I placed where I was expected too. The excitement was really getting 2nd Place as a team my Junior year. The list of names for that team in the Hall of Fame is short but there were a lot of guys that played key roles throughout that entire season. I don't think I would have been anywhere close to a State Title if it wasn't for my teammates and coaches. 

Massey- Were you undefeated in this event during the year?

Eiker- Yes, I went undefeated in the 100m and 200m my Junior and Senior year. 

Massey- Do you remember at what point of your career that you thought winning state was a reasonable goal?

Eiker- In the 200m my Sophomore year at State. I was leading for about 120m and got passed. Obviously I was not in a very good mood afterwards but my coaches told me something that really flipped the switch. Every time you take the line, remember that feeling of leading and getting passed whether it's in practice or a meet and you'll get one of these things. 

Massey- It seems like a lot of athletes in many sports have a goal of “getting to State.” That is a great goal for an athlete but sometimes it seems like then once they “make it to State,” there is kind of a let up- they are satisfied. How did you break thru that and not become satisfied with just getting to State, but wanted to win State? Was your goal always to win State not to just get there?

Eiker- I don't think I've ever been asked this question before! The "breakthrough" was after I got 2nd my Sophomore year. I now knew what it takes it get there and that I had so many thing to still work on. I had broken the School Record earlier that year but had no consistency. The goal leaving the State Meet that year immediately became breaking 21 seconds and consistently running low 21's. If I could find consistency the 200m should be exciting. The goal to win State in the 100m didn't come until after a few races into my Junior year once I figured a few things out with my starts but still had a lot of work to do. 

Massey- Was it tougher to win the second year than the first year?

Eiker- The actual running part no but everything yes. We got moved from Class 2a to 3a going into my Senior year which made a big difference at Sectionals, qualifying for State. We knew going in that all the times were going to be very close and the State Champion in many events would most likely come from our Sectional. We had a really good day but other teams had season best days. At that level not everything can go your way all the time. 

Massey- When you won State- how would you describe that moment and the time after it? Was it more relief or utter joy? 

Eiker- My situation was somewhat unique because after I won a State Title for the first time, I still had 2 more races to run so that was still the main focus. There was really only a relief in the sense of okay, that one's done, now let's get 2 more. It finally started to set in for me when we got back to Galesburg that night and had a police escort back to the high school and seeing how many people were out cheering and celebrating. There's a few pictures of that somewhere! 

Massey- How does it make you feel that in the 100+ years of GHS athletics, you have won more State Championships (4) than any other athlete?

Eiker- It's an incredible honor. I still hard to believe that I'm in the same conversation as all of the great athletes that have came through GHS. 

Massey- Who do you credit with giving you the push to achieve this tremendous accomplishment- credit with pushing you mentally or physically?

Eiker- My teammates, coaches, family and everyone around me. 

Massey- Do you think you learned something about yourself thru this achievement, and did accomplishing this impact you going forward?

Eiker- Definitely, I think the most important thing I learned is that you can't do it alone. You need a good team around you. 

Massey- Where did you attend college? Did you continue in sports?

Eiker- I went to the University of Illinois to run track and ran from 2017-2020.

Massey- What career path did you take?

Eiker- I work for The Libman Company, handling Online Sales. 

Massey- Do you have any advice for today’s athletes at GHS?

Eiker- The game, match, race, etc will start to slow down the more you focus on doing the little things right over and over again.

Gauge Shipp

2023 Wrestling State Champ

“I love it so much.”

Massey- What initially got you excited about wrestling as youngster?

Shipp- As a young kid who played multiple sports, I instantly fell in love with wrestling particularly because of the individuality that wrestling offers. I loved that it was just me vs someone else. But in all honesty, even to this day, I love it so much because it makes my family proud. I love the support and having people that respect what I do. It gives me a purpose. 

“What really made the difference was what zi was doing when I was alone.”

Massey- You achieved so many great things in high school. What things drove you as an athlete?

Shipp- By the time I entered high school, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to be a Division 1 wrestler, and I also knew what it really took to become one. Luckily, I was beyond blessed with supportive parents, family, and coaches that helped me along the way. But what really made the difference, was what I was doing when I was alone. I spent so many hours alone in wrestling rooms, gyms, running at night, and doing anything I possibly could to feel satisfied. I also wanted to put myself on the “Mount Rushmore” of Galesburg athletics. 

“The reason I have gotten this far in athletics is because I enjoy the process.” 

Massey- When you read about championship athletes in any sport, most of them are more focused on the “process,” vs on the “outcome.” Championship athletes seem focused on just getting better each day. Does any of that fit your experience? What was your feeling about practice? Did you like practice?

Shipp- Absolutely, and I feel like in order to become successful, in essentially anything, it takes that mindset and approach. The reason I have gotten this far in athletics is because I enjoy the process. I love that feeling of accomplishing something hard or difficult, and I think I practice and compete every day just to chase that feeling. If you asked me what my ideal practice would look like, I would probably always tell you I want to live wrestle as long as possible. I love to compete, and I love the challenge of doing something you shouldn’t enjoy. 

“I love that feeling of accomplishing something hard or difficult, I think I practice and compete everyday to chase that feeling.”

Massey- Sometimes in sports great teams and great athletes win, and then they immediately become focused on the next match. With your tremendous record and achievements, were you able to ever to stop and appreciate all that you accomplished? Do you look back now and smile when you think about what you have achieved?

Shipp- Something I may regret, is not appreciating some of the big moments. But I had such a great high school wrestling experience. I met so many teammates that I can call my brothers to this day, and those are forever bonds that we will always have. We had fun, I made so many memories, and I learned so much. When competing in highschool, I was chasing perfection. I didn’t want anyone to score on me, I wanted to pin everyone, and I spent every day thinking how I could accomplish that. But other than not appreciating the moment, I cannot say that I have any regrets. 

“Then maybe that loss will sting a little less.”

Massey- Your loss as a senior was heartbreaking I am sure. Champions like you learn and grow from every experience. How has that loss impacted who you are as a wrestler now?

Shipp- That loss definitely broke me for a while. And those type of loses you never really forget. But that next week when I was stuck in a boot, really down on myself, and stuck at home, my closest teammates and loved ones were stopping by my house, hanging out with me, and keeping my mind as clear as they could. But now I am competing at the Division 1 level, those high-school credentials aren’t relevant. Everyone I wrestle in this level of athletics are state champs, national champs, some even world champs. Now the focus is to make it to nationals, become an All-American, and find a way to become dominant where I am at. Then maybe that loss will sting a little less. 

“I hope I became known as a great leader.”

Massey- What do you hope your high school teammates and coaches would say about you? Besides wins, what impact do you hope you had on Galesburg wrestling and your teammates?

Shipp- I hope I become known as a great leader. A lot of my closest Galesburg teammates, I either convinced them to join wrestling when we were younger, or I encouraged them to start coming to extra practices or tournaments with me. I hope I set a good example for the youth, and gave them a good guide to what it takes to accomplish your goals. Like I said, I consider my former teammates my brothers and sisters, and they all know they can reach out to me and I would be there for them, and that goes both ways. 

“He was willing to do anything to help me get there.”

Massey- Your parents have been very supportive of you during your career. As a coach, I have sometimes seen parents who struggle to encourage their son/daughter athletically without the parent becoming demanding and turning the sport into a high pressure thing? How were your parents able to walk that line and support you but letting you still be in charge? 

Shipp- Unlike a lot of youth athletes, I was never pushed into my sport. I was not born to become a great wrestler, I was not put on mats as soon as I could walk. I played lots of sports when I was young, and my grandpa actually took me to my first wrestling clinic which was in Galesburg. I credit my parents for so much when it comes to my wrestling career. My younger sister as well. They have sacrificed so much for me, and I love making them proud. My dad has been my coach since I was little, and he never pushed me like lots of dads would. He knew what I wanted to accomplish and what my goals were. And he was willing to do anything to help me get there and did a great job. My mom was my number 1 fan, and it was extremely rare she missed a match. She helped me diet growing up, and I could always rely on my mom. My little sister Rylyn has also spent so much time in bleachers watching me, and I am very thankful for her as well. I have a great family and have been extremely blessed