By MAYAN PAZ
Tiger Media Network
It’s not often that a player is recognized as the all-time scoring leader of a school, but last Thursday, the crowd at Gross Memorial Coliseum stood up and cheered for Kaleb Hammeke, who achieved the astonishing milestone a week before. On Thursday, Jan. 9, Hammeke passed Alonzo Goldston on the list, scoring 12 points in the win against Emporia State. While it was expected throughout the season Hammeke would claim the record, it was clear that the achievement meant a lot to him when he stepped up to receive a recognition trophy. The crowd greeted him with a loud and long round of applause, as deserved in such an event.
Hammeke, who hails from Hutchinson, only a couple of hours southeast of Hays, started his journey with the Tigers in 2019. He redshirted through his first season and had another year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so he is currently in his last year of a master’s degree and has had the opportunity to be on the Tiger basketball team for six years. Despite the fact that he has been here since 2019, Hammeke is not yet in the top five games played at FHSU, and yet he has managed to become the top-scorer of the program’s history, scoring 1,802 points.
Hammeke was humble when talking about his achievements and kept his focus on the team’s season goals.
“It’s a blessing to be able to do all that. Everything I’ve done is God willing, he’s given me the ability to do all this, and I’ve got great teammates [and coaches] for so long,” he said. “My whole life, I’ve had so many people around me supporting me and just helping me be the best I can. So the milestones are cool, but I’m happy we’re winning games and moving away at the conference.”
Kaleb is not the only Hammeke to attend FHSU; his brother Lucas is currently on the team as well and FHSU Athletic Director Curtis Hammeke is Kaleb and Lucas’s uncle. They also have family members who previously attended FHSU, as well as some who are from Hays. Hammeke acknowledges his familial ties and said it’s part of what made him come to play at FHSU and what makes it so special to achieve his milestones for the Tigers.
“My parents went to Hays. My grandparents are from here, and my uncle is the AD. I have a ton of family around here, so when I got the opportunity (to play here), I couldn’t turn it down,” he said. “In year one, I struggled. I was undersized and had to learn how to play at this level. So it took me a little bit. All my teammates have helped me so much since I got here, and then coach [Mark Johnson] has had a ton of faith in me and just had a lot of help along the way with my dad, my wife, and everyone. So, it’s been a fun journey, and I’m happy to grow right now.”
FHSU Head Coach Mark Johnson was appreciative of Hammeke’s achievement and said that there is no one who deserves this more than Hammeke.
“Kaleb’s as good a person as he is a player. He’s one of the best people we’ve ever had in our program,” Johnson said. “So, I think that he is fitting for that honor. And for Fort Hays State University, he’s a great player. He’s tough. He’s just a winner. He’s as good or the best winner that I’ve ever coached.”
Forward Shaun Riley, who averages 10 points and nearly seven rebounds a game for FHSU this year, said that he and Hammeke have a special connection on the court.
“I think it’s a privilege for me to play with him as my teammate, seeing all these milestones he’s creating and doing great. I’m proud of him and congratulate him,” Riley said. “Me and him, it’s a one-two punch. You can get both sides. You can get the outside game. You get the inside game. After I roll, he passes to me, or you get the three ball or the pull-up jumper.”
The community of Hays showed their appreciation towards Hammeke, and Riley was able to recognize that as well.
“They have somebody to look forward to seeing. Having a star player they can look up to for the kids and for the fans around here, so I think it’s pretty cool that they have somebody to appreciate like that,” Riley said.
Hammeke also expressed his gratitude to the fans and the community.
“We’ve got some of the greatest fans in the nation. Every time other teams come here, they’re looking around, and, I mean, it’s a privilege for other teams and for us that we get to play every home game here,” Hammeke said. “So without our fans, it wouldn’t be the same, and they’ve been huge to me. The Hays community is unbelievable. And I’m happy to be part of it.”