Ben Clark Scheible

Ben Scheible was a personal high-school hero of mine, and it truly saddens me that he is gone. He was the epitome of cool. He was gifted as an athlete and an intellectual, a real whiz at math. His twin sister, Debby, was also someone I looked up to, a mental giant like her brother. They would both tell me how they had this connection where each knew the other was in distress and each often seemed to know what the other was thinking.

My first ride in a jet plane was with Ben and the track team that went to state in Los Angeles in June of 1971. I was the team's manager, a sophomore at the time, but he made me feel like part of the group and included me in everything. At the end of it all, Ben thanked me for wanting to make the trip with them and for being at trackside to take away their warm-up clothes and encourage them on.

I'm gratified he enjoyed such a vibrant and successful life. He worked hard and deserved it.