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June 10, 2008

Heingartner inducted into Hall of Fame

Special to the Progress

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.

He then transferred to Dawson Community College in Glendive, Mont. joining several other Northern Indiana high school players. Heingartner led the team to a 27-7 record and averaged 18 points and 12 rebounds on a team where all five starters averaged in double figures. The team became the first team in the school's history to win both the Empire and Mon-Dak Conferences. They advanced to the regional final tournament which was held in Scottsbluff, Neb. Heingartner was named all-conference and all-region.

Keith signed a National Letter of Intent with Mount Marty College in Yankton, S.D. where he played his last two seasons. His impact was immediate as he averaged 20 points per game and 14 rebounds during his junior year while shooting 65 percent from the field which ranked fourth in the nation. His uncanny ability to shoot with either hand, his long reach, and anticipation for the ball helped the Lancers to a 21 game winner his senior year. He led the team in scoring, field goal percentage, and free throw percentage.

He received his degree in health, physical education, and recreation from Mount Marty College in 1980. He later completed his master’s degree at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, N.M. where he served as the assistant coach for the woman's program. He coached for 12 years including Eastern New Mexico, Elida High School (New Mexico), Lon Morris College, and the Brook Hill school. While at Lon Morris College, he was the recruiting coordinator and the Bearcats had a record 12 players sign from the 1985-1986 team with NCAA Division 1 programs. Heingartner was selected Coach of the Year while coaching at Brook Hill. Two of his sons, Kyle and Tyler, both played for him at Brook Hill and were selected to the all-state team. They were also both Academic All-State selections.

Heingartner moved into the private sector and became owner/operator of Spherion Incorporation for over a decade. He currently serves as co-owner of Aaron's Rent to Own store in Jacksonville with his wife Brenda. They have three sons Kyle 21, a junior at Texas Tech University, Tyler 19, a sophomore at Texas Tech University, and Josh 12. Keith is the son of Dean and Lore Heingartner of Pleasant Lake, Ind.

“I got to see John Osborne, a player I coached at Lon Morris.He now lives in Yankton,” Heingartner said. “He is a successful mechanic in that area, doing very well He told me that if he had not played basketball at Lon Morris he would have gotten in trouble in Houston.”

Heingartner added, “Then he hugged my neck. I was a special thing. It’s one of the rewards you get from coaching. I was glad to see him again.”

Dennis Harp and Mount Marty College contributed to this article.

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