Every now and then, there’s a feel-good news story that needs to be shared. The #1-ranked high jumper under the age of 20 in the WORLD, lives in De Beque, Colorado. I’ve never heard of it either, and I’ve driven by it several times:

A long article in the Denver Post, April 20, 2024, starts this way:

Motorists whizzing along Interstate 70 between Rifle and Grand Junction are unlikely to notice tiny De Beque, a tumbleweed town of fewer than 500 souls with only four students in the high school’s graduating class.

“If you blink, you’ll miss it,” says kindergarten teacher Leslie Weis, whose son, Scottie Vines, is bringing attention to the town with his exploits as a budding track and field sensation in the high jump.

The De Beque High School senior jumped 7 feet, 4.25 inches three weeks ago in the prestigious Texas Relays at the University of Texas, which automatically qualified him for this year’s U.S. Olympic Trials and surpassed the Colorado high school record of 7-4 set in 1991 by Matt Hemingway of Buena Vista High School. Thirteen years later, Hemingway won an Olympic silver medal.

Vines’ jump in Texas was ineligible to be recognized as a state high school record because it happened out of state, but he went to a meet two weeks later in Grand Junction and leaped 7-4.25 again to claim the record.

I didn’t know that high school kids are jumping over 7 feet these days. I remember when the world record for the high jump was under 7 feet (now it’s just over 8 feet). Here’s Scotty breaking the Colorado high school record:

Goes to show that greatness can be found anywhere.

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” (John 1.43 – 46, ESV)

And speaking of greatness, not all that far from De Beque, south of Grand Junction, is Delta, Colorado, population 9,000. James Conley, one of the godliest pastors I know, ministers there, and he won’t be ranked (until the next life). Can anything good come out of Delta? Come and see.