Nothing like diving into June head first.
Here in Great Bend we do it every year with annual June Jaunt festivities. This year the Friday night festivities will be out at the airport to give the folks a chance to ‘Run the Runway’ in a chip timed 1mile or 5K race to benefit the Airfest in September. The movie Pearl Harbor will be shown in the hanger.
If I heard Christina Hayes correctly, there are like 50 vendors lined up for Saturday at Jack Kilby square. This is nearly twice as many as last year. I think it is safe to say the event is alive and well.
There will be Jumbo Yard Games, MEAG Inflatables, Strongest and Fittest competition, and live entertainment all day at Jack Kilby on Saturday. There is also the Grand Opening of the Bear Exhibit at the Zoo, a Horseshoe tournament at Brit Spaugh, and a HAP Dumont baseball tournament at the Sports Complex just to name a few of the activities on the slate.
You can get an early start to the weekend Thursday night at Jack Kilby with Summer Street Stroll’s Family Night from 4-7 pm. It will include those Jumbo Yard Games as well as the fresh produce, craft, and all the usual amenities of the Street Stroll. In addition, the first City Band Concert of the season will start at 8:15 pm.

Prep Thoughts
Congratulations to all the state track participants that picked up a medal. That is not as easy task to accomplish. Any medal at the state meet is good stuff.
But there a couple of kids I want to give a shout out to. A couple kids I have watched since they were seventh graders.
First, I can’t say enough how happy I am for Kerby Depenbusch. Make no mistake, Kerby is a fantastic distance runner. Kansas State University good. For four years he has had to go up against some of the best competition in the state at the 5A level. Finishes near the top have been common place for him. But Friday morning in Wichita, he got his gold medal, winning the 3200m.
Then there is Lacora Bryant. She suffered a foot injury in her first event Friday in Wichita, the 400m. Coach Lyles Lashley decided to scratch her from the 200m prelims as well as the 4x400m prelims later that day. He did this in hopes of having her healthy enough for the 100m prelims and final on Saturday.
It worked. Lacora finished sixth in what was an absolutely murderous field. Two runners broke the 12-second barrier and third ran a 12.03. Lacora looked smooth running a 12.14 for sixth and a medal.
Great job to all who competed at the state meet.
Former Barton
Athlete/Coach update
Kevin Ellis was one of the top men’s soccer players ever to step foot on the pitch at Barton. A native of the Kansas City area, he was part of MLS’s homegrown program and signed with Sporting Kansas City out of Barton in 2011. He made his MLS debut in 2013 and played a total of 68 games for Sporting over five seasons. He was released this winter after appearing in just five games last season.
He didn’t stay a free agent for long. The Chicago Fire came calling and his career was reborn. So far this season the former Cougar has appeared in 11 of the Fires’ 12 games, starting 10. The defender has scored a pair of goals on just six shots and has two assists to go with it. He is on pace to put up career numbers this year if he continues to perform like he has to date.

And Finally
For some, white leg season is almost over. In fact, for many, they never take part in white leg season.
I, though, am a participant. In my younger days, it was a short season. Usually by late March or early April, the season was over for me. Sometimes it may stretch into May, but not often.
But now, I am full participant, heading into June. To be fair, I grew up less than a mile from Waconda Lake. White leg season around there is a much shorter season. But even in college at Fort Hays, I was out of white leg season fairly early in the spring.
And back then, when the shorts were shorter, there was more leg to tan.
I was reminded I am very much currently in white leg season by the nice ladies in the Foundation Office at the college. Not to name any names, Donna, but she informed me it was white leg season for me a couple of weeks ago.
Now, it’s not like I never wear shorts and get outdoors. I just think the older you get, the longer white leg season lasts. I know there have been a couple of times this year out mowing my yard it was extremely sunny. In fact, just last Friday I spent probably three or four hours working in the yard and such outdoors.
I even spent more time outdoors on Saturday, Sunday and on Memorial Day in shorts. Still, I am very much a participant in white leg season.
But I will continue my quest to complete white leg season. Like a cow heading to the trough at feeding time, I will keep a nice steady pace, focused on my destination.
I could also get a hybrid membership and cheat a little bit with a spray tan or tanning bed. But, while good for many, has never really been a thing of mine.
Oh well, hopefully by the time July rolls around I am at least down to a satellite membership and not a full fledge member.

Mike Marzolf is a guest columnist for the Great Bend Tribune and his views don’t necessarily reflect those of the paper. He can be reached at MarzolfM@bartonccc.edu.