June 19, 2026
LANSING, Iowa — Kee High School honored longtime broadcaster Gary Gilbertson on Friday night by inviting him to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game.
Gilbertson, whose broadcasting career began in 1965 in Viroqua, Wisconsin, has been a familiar voice in local sports for decades. After serving in the U.S. Army and working with the Armed Forces Radio Network in Germany, he returned to Wisconsin and became WVRQ’s first sports director in 1969.
Over his career, Gilbertson estimates he has called more than 1,500 baseball games, including numerous contests involving Kee High.
His connection to the program dates to 1973, when the Lansing and New Albin school districts merged. Gilbertson said he recognized early on that the combined program had the potential to build something special. More than 50 years later, he remains closely associated with Kee High baseball.
Among his most memorable moments are Kee’s 13-inning state championship victory over Bancroft St. John in 1980 and a win over Highland pitcher Allen Rath, who later became the University of Iowa’s all-time strikeout leader.
Gilbertson also recalled longtime coach Gene Schultz, describing him as “one in a million.” He said the relationships and memories formed through the program have had a lasting impact on him and his family.
Before the first pitch, Gilbertson reflected on those connections, saying he believed past figures in the program were “looking down and yelling, ‘Go Kee High Baseball!’”
School officials thanked Gilbertson for his decades of involvement and contributions, noting that his storytelling and dedication have helped shape the program’s tradition.
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