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GARET VON NETZER - INDUCTEE #112

hall of fame fast fact:

Did you know that Garet von Netzer once beat Gale Sayers, who later gained fame as a Chicago Bears running back, in a hurdles race? Yep, it was during von Netzer's junior year at Missouri. He finished ahead of Sayers of Kansas in an AAU meet in Kansas City.

Garet von Netzer

Garet von Netzer excelled as a hurdler in Fredericksburg, winning the high hurdles state championship as a senior in 1962.

He attended Mizzou for track and their top journalism program. At Mizzou, von Netzer ran the 120-yard high hurdles, the 330-yard intermediate hurdles, and was a quarter-miler. Von Netzer set a school record when he ran the 120 highs in 13.9 seconds.

After three years in the Army, he returned to Missouri to pursue his master’s degree; he began working at the Boonville, Missouri Daily News doing sports, news, and photography. He emphasized and valued local news and its readership.

In Amarillo in 1971, he also emphasized and introduced complete coverage of girls’ and women’s sports.

Von Netzer stayed in Amarillo for more than 30 years as a sports writer, sports editor, managing editor, executive editor, general manager, and publisher.

Von Netzer was a chronicler of sports, but also a supporter and coach. He coached for Kids, Inc., Little Dribblers, AAU, and Basketball Congress International teams for 13 years.