Rural Westcliffe resident, Kay Konerza-Bachert has received the prestigious honor of being inducted into the Minnesota State Hall of Fame for basketball May 17 in Minneapolis.

Konerza-Bachert, a 1982 graduate of Lester Prairie High School in Minnesota, holds the state record for most points in a girls’ basketball game. Her 58 point record was made prior to the 3 point line, meaning, all her points came two at a time—no three pointers. In those days, the girls played with regular heavy boys’ basketballs. Nowadays, girls use lighter weight, smaller basketballs. She was also a standout in volleyball and track and field where she earned 18 varsity letters in five sports. Konerza-Bachert was the most sought after prep player in the country, and 130 colleges and universities attempted to recruit her.

After college at Louisiana Tech University, Konerza-Bachert was assistant coach at CSU-Fort Collins, was the first female police officer selected to the SWAT team, and co-founded the Fort Collins “Heat” Basketball Team that was featured in Sports Illustrated and Sports Illustrated for Kids for their work with youth.

Konerza-Bachert lives in Westcliffe with her husband Garrett and children Keziah, 9; Mikyla, 5 and Gabriel, 3.

Garrett Bachert was also a sports’ standout in his days at Fla. State, and sports is still a major focus in both their lives. The Bacherts have aspirations to expand the track and field opportunities for elementary students at Custer County School. “I had people that I looked up to, and I want to be that role for others,” said Kay. Having achieved what she did coming from the small town of Lester Prairie, she says, “Don’t be afraid to dream big. Just because you come from a small community, you can still achieve great things.”

For those planning summer activities, the Bacherts are holding the Sangre de Cristo Peak Performance Track and Field Camp Monday – Wednesday, Aug 10–12, 1-3 p.m. Boys and girls entering first through seventh grades will learn the fundamentals of running, jumping and throwing. There will be a track meet the last day of the camp. Registration forms are available at the high school office during business hours.  Konerza-Bachert will be at Cliff Lanes Tuesday, July 7th from 5:30-7:00 p.m. accepting registration forms. They can be mailed to the address on the form. Discounts are available for families with more than two children attending.  

The Bacherts have been impressed with the achievements of the track and field program already in place and want to help build the future of a track program by offering it to younger students. Having standouts such as Kay and Garrett Bachert in the community is certainly an asset. They want to use their talents to help other youth learn life skills through sports as they did. State Hall of Famer Kay Bachert says, “Use what you learn in sports to learn how to run in life.”

For more information about the track and field camp, please call 719/646-0756.

– Jacque Keller