Nymeyer’s long-standing record broken
Arizona will induct Salim Stoudamire into the Pac-12 Hall of Honor next month, the 15th Wildcat so honored. He is deserving, but I think it’s time Arizona stepped back to induct several from earlier generations.
It’s time for Ed Nymeyer to be Arizona’s yearly honoree. And after him Ernie McCray and Warren Rustand, two former all-conference standouts.
When Nymeyer left Arizona in 1958, he was the school’s career leading scorer (1,255 points). He remains No. 31, which is astonishing, considering all of the top players who have come and gone.
Nymeyer, who went on to be a Hall of Fame volleyball/basketball coach at Flowing Wells High School, turns 80 this year. He was back in the news recently because his long-standing school record of 46 points at Globe High School, set in 1953, was broken.
B.J. Burries, a freshman at Globe, scored 68 points against Florence High School, which is an Arizona Division IV record (the equivalent of Class 2A in the old days). Nymeyer has watched video of Burries and likes what he sees.
“He’s a lefty, and he also scored 46 in an earlier game,” said Nymeyer, whose granddaughter, Lacey Nymeyer John, is a 2008 Olympic swimming silver medalist and the 2009 NCAA Woman of the Year. “There was nothing flukish about it.”
Precedent for honoring older players is established; Arizona State this year is honoring 1962 star Art Becker at the Pac-12 tournament. Utah is inducting Vern Gardner, who played from 1946-49.
Nymeyer set the Globe record, 46 points, against Florence 63 years ago. He plans to visit his alma mater and see Burries play as soon as he can arrange the trip.
