On this day, it's time for 59 for 59

My Facebook friends understand the significance of this day.

For the rest of you, here’s, uh, 59 things — in no particular order — that came to mind while thinking about sports and life in North Idaho over the last 35-plus years ...

- That drive out to Clark Fork from Sandpoint on Highway 200 on a fall afternoon ...

- The end of the introduction of the home team at Sandpoint Bulldog football games at Barlow Stadium, where the buildup led legendary P.A. announcer Ron Hanson to excitedly proclaim, almost as one word, “ ... coachSatiniPuailoaandtherestoftheSandpointBulldogs!”

- A longtime Sandpointite telling me, back in the early 1980s when that was an issue, “soccer will be played on Memorial Field over my dead body.”

- The feel — back in the day, of course — of a hard-driven spike to the floor during my rec volleyball days (I was going to add, the feel of pounding the ball over the fence in slowpitch softball, but that never happened — those darned restricted-flight balls!).

- The feeling of accomplishment — relief? — when your tee shot lands safely on the Floating Green.

- Watching track meets back in the days of cinder tracks.

- Showing up a few events into a track meet and hearing there was a false-start in the two-mile.

- Watching the excitement as a team closes in on a state title, and capturing that excitement through the players’ words.

- “ ... You. Are. An. Ironman!”

- The first five years I worked at the Daily Bee in Sandpoint, the Sandpoint High volleyball team won the state title all five years. I could get used to this, I thought.

- “JJ Winger for 3 ... ” (full disclosure — I was a long-distance shooter growing up, in the days after the peach basket, but before the 3-point line. Back then, a shot from long range was usually followed by a coach muttering, “work the ball inside.”)

- The electricity in the gym at North Idaho College a few years back, when Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene had to move their 5A Region boys basketball title game because the gym at Coeur d’Alene High had a leak. Folks packed up and moved from CHS to NIC, and the Trojans and Vikings put on a show before a festive crowd.

- Back in the days when two state volleyball tournaments were held in the same gym on side-by-side courts, watching Sandpoint wrap up a state title on one court, followed moments later by St. Maries doing the same on the other court. Or sometimes, the other way around.

- Chad Chalich going deep to Deon Watson for a touchdown, after Eagle had pulled close to Coeur d’Alene in the 2011 state 5A football title game on a snowy night at Bronco Stadium in Boise.

- Colson Yankoff avoiding the rush and easily scrambling for a first down — or, occasionally sprinting for a touchdown.

- Coeur d’Alene and Eagle playing in several inches of snow in the state 5A football semifinal at Viking Stadium in 2009. Still amazed how Eagle pulled that one out, helped by a snap that skidded in the snow past the quarterback, only to be picked up by the running back, who rambled for a big gain to set up the go-ahead score.

- Watching high school state soccer tournaments in Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls — sometimes even without having to take cover under a tent or an umbrella.

- The excitement of the Fight for the Fish spirit games. Still miss the Prairie Pig games.

- Byron Hout wreaking havoc on defense for Lake City High in the mid-2000s.

- Brandon Hanna barging up the middle for big gain after big gain, as Lake City dominated Highland in the 2006 state 5A championship football game at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow.

- The many Coeur d’Alene-Lake City football games that didn’t turn out quite as most people expected.

- Casey Stangel at the bat, putting fear into opposing pitchers during her time at Lake City. She was pretty good in the circle, too, as I recall.

- A Sandpoint-Lakeland football game starting at Lakeland High’s Corbit Field in Rathdrum, only to be moved down the street to Lakeland Junior High (to what is now called Kiefer Field) after a car hit a nearby power pole in the first quarter, knocking out power at the high school field.

- The North Idaho Cup (high school soccer fans in the 1990s will remember that one).

- Covering a spring fun run in Sandpoint where, one year, some runners showed up late because of the time change. Another year, the winner insisted his diet consisted of remnants from the dumpster.

- A much-anticipated Sandpoint-Coeur d’Alene high school boys basketball game which filled the Sandpoint High gym. Those turned away were able to watch the game on TV in the school commons.

- With his hands or with his feet, quarterback Melvin Speelmon routinely turning fourth-and-forever into a first down or a touchdown for the Clark Fork football team.

- Mullan’s boys topping 100 points in a 50-point victory at Clark Fork. “I’m in shock,” Clark Fork coach ‘Bird’ Nietmann said afterward.

- Watching Genesis Prep’s boys basketball team win its first state 1A Division II title last year, then repeating as champs this year.

- Watching the sustained excellence of Post Falls’ boys basketball program over the past decade.

- Watching the quartet of Marcus Colbert, Malcolm Colbert, Connor Hill and Shawn Reid spread the floor for Post Falls in the 2010 state 5A boys basketball tournament, leaving opponents helpless to stop them as they took turns beating their man off the dribble, setting up easy shots.

- Watching Marcus Colbert protect the ball with Post Falls holding a slim lead. Watching Max McCullough of Post Falls find just enough room to work his magic — via shooting, or driving to the basket.

- Covering state basketball tournaments at the Idaho Center in Nampa, back when they still allowed a cow-like blimp to float around the arena, dropping coupons for free ice cream products. Must have been a liability thing, as kids scrambled through the seats in search of the freebies.

- Covering state track, when all meets were held together at Bronco Stadium. The 4As and 5As had the spotlight on Friday night, and the smaller schools had the place to themselves on Saturday.

- Covering a state basketball game at one venue, then dashing out to catch what you could of the next game at another venue miles away. Then doing it again. And again. Without committing any major traffic violations. And, finding time to write all the game stories before deadline.

- The precision of Sandpoint High winning three straight state wrestling titles in the 1990s. The reception after the first title, when the Bulldogs returned from Pocatello on Sunday morning, stands out. Coach Dan Taylor’s speech/pep talk to the waiting fans was almost religious, and definitely inspiring. He talked about Sandpoint taking flak for not sticking around to support wrestlers from other North Idaho schools. His response: “We hammer. We leave!”

- Watching the cool mastery of Jared Lawrence, a four-time state champion wrestler at Sandpoint, undefeated throughout his high school career.

- Summer baseball games at Memorial Field in Sandpoint, with Lake Pend Oreille beyond the left field fence.

- Watching John Schroeder of Coeur d’Alene, he of the 19 RBIs in a doubleheader with Lewiston at McEuen Field (remember when there was a baseball park downtown?) hit a ball into the football press box in center field at Memorial Field in a game at Sandpoint. He also hit a bomb to right field that landed on the roof of the old fieldhouse. Don’t know if anybody’s done that before or since.

- Matt Troxel, scurrying around the football field for Lake City, making big plays out of seemingly nothing.

- A decade later, Jerry Louie-McGee, scurrying around the football field for Lake City, making big plays out of seemingly nothing.

- Legion baseball games at the aforementioned McEuen Field, where no lead in that cozy ballpark was safe (remember Coeur d’Alene 25, Lewis-Clark 24?).

- Covering a wild (aren’t they all?) 8-man football game between Clark Fork and Falls Christian Academy, at Falls Christian’s field behind the school.

- My short-lived TV career, calling play-by-play with my good friend Gale Dolsby for a pair of Sandpoint High road football games in the late 1980s. One was from on top of a bus at St. Maries’ old field at the city park (not sure how we got up there, much less stayed). The other was from the press box at Teeters Field in Kellogg, where someone walked into our booth during the opening shot. Like a true amateur, I stopped my intro and wondered what the heck they were doing in here.

- A quick nine at the Elks Golf Course in Sandpoint.

- Playing tennis on a summer night at Sandpoint City Beach (playing tennis at Lakeview Park on a summer night was also enjoyable — unless the wind was blowing from a certain direction). Also a cheap way to listen to The Festival.

- Walking the Centennial Trail, especially by the Spokane River, or by Lake Coeur d’Alene.

- Driving around the course of a triathlon in Sandpoint, getting out of the car to take pictures — and then forgetting to set the parking brake. Thankfully, the approaching runners yelled in warning, then helped stop the car before we all became roadkill.

- Looking forward to those (nearly) annual March trips to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament — and bemoaning the rare years when there is no trip.

- Missing the olden days of coaching women’s softball and playing coed softball out at Jack Stevens Fields in Kootenai.

- Back-to-back nights, a couple decades ago, when Sandpoint’s boys played at Lake City for the regional title — crazy games that went down to the wire, played in front of a packed gym where fans were lined up all the way to the school entrance, waiting to get in.

- District and regional high school boys and girls basketball tournaments at NIC — for 4As and 3As these days, and for 1As back in the day. Always a cool setting.

- The Tri-State wrestling tournament at NIC, especially on the first day, with wall-to-wall mats and, seemingly, wall-to-wall people.

- Watching softball at Memorial Field — the Coeur d’Alene version.

- Watching volleyball and basketball in the old Sandpoint High — now the Sandpoint Middle School — gym.

- More and more coaches submitting results electonically, rather than “calling it in.” The new way has its share of pros — but also some cons.

- The old days of producing an afternoon paper — complete with those morning phone calls to the aforementioned coaches.

- The Ore-Ida Women’s Challenge cycling race. I covered the North Idaho stretch of that race a few times. Once, in addition to the main story, I agreed to write a “notes” story for the Sunday paper — but only if I could call it “Tater Tots.”

- And whatever other memories I may have missed. Maybe I’ll save those for the next list.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.