From the Jacksonville, Texas, Daily Progress. To read the entire article, click here.
YANKTON, S.D. — It’s good to be remembered.
Jacksonville businessman and former Lon Morris College and Brook Hill coach Keith Heingartner was recently inducted into the Mount Marty College Athletic Hall of Fame during a ceremony that took place on May 4.
“It was awesome,” Heingartner said of the experience of traveling back to South Dakota. “I had only been back one time in 27 years. The town is about the same, they have some special people there. It was great to visit with them. When I was playing we had a nice program. We beat some good teams. We played the best NAIA teams in that area.”
Heingartner, who was named the Player of the Year by the Kendallville News & Sun in 1975 led Prairie Heights to a 17 game winning season while averaging 24 points per game and 13 rebounds his senior season.
Despite playing just one season of high school basketball, the 6’5” forward/center received a scholarship to Grace College in Warsaw, Ind. While teaming with future Indiana-Purdue University coach Doug Noll, the team finished 22-7. Heingartner was selected to the All-Conference 1st Team and averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds per game.