Rocky basketball: David Trompke profile

In early June, I interviewed Rocky Mountain (Idaho) High School athlete David Trompke. He's truly a special kid, and has such a bright future that you will likely hear about him in the years to come. Here's the article that will appear in this year's Rocky basketball yearbook.

David Trompke:

His winning attitude and various skills

pushed every team to a higher level

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

             David Trompke’s high-school resume reads like few – if any – others.

            He was a three-sport athlete (football, basketball and track & field) at Rocky Mountain High School, but his biggest accomplishments were mostly off the field.
            “I was in the (National) Honor Society and I had a bunch of service projects,” he said. “I was always busy.”
            He was a member of Athletes Against Drugs, the Junior Red Cross, and helped with the Idaho Food Bank. He was part of so many organizations, his family created a website to name them all.
            His grades? He earned a scholarship to Harvard.
            Not surprisingly, despite all that he accomplished in high school, it was the email and telephone call he received from America’s most well known Ivy League school that he treasured most.
            “The goal of high school was always to go on to something better,” Trompke said. “I had a lot of fun, but I’ll always remember Dec. 15.
            “They (Harvard) were supposed to let me know by 3 (p.m.) that day,” he added. “It was right before we played Capital. I was sitting in the library working on a project. I went online and kept clicking the refresh button (waiting for an email). I never saw anything. I finally went home and mom grabbed me and hugged me at the front door. She was checking all day, too.”
            Trompke was a varsity player all four seasons at Rocky Mountain. He put the crowning touch on his career by using his sprinter speed to help the Rocky track team to its second consecutive state championship. The basketball team didn’t have as much success, but who know where it would have ended up without him.
            “Trompke has a mind to play defense … well,” said Rocky basketball coach Dane Roy. “He hurt his knee and wasn’t his complete self. Some kids would have shut down, but he stayed with it. He’s a special kid and showed a lot of leadership.”
            Trompke suffered a knee injury in football and underwent surgery shortly afterward. He recovered quickly and missed just one basketball game (the opener). He really came on as the season progressed.
            Trompke said that because Roy focused on defense, he was an obvious fit into the new system. He did everything he could to help the team.
            He averaged 8.6 points per game and 3.3 rebounds for the season. He also led the team in free-throw shooting percentage. He had a high game of 21 points against Meridian on “Senior Night” and played a major role in the Grizzlies’ 56-50 victory over Mountain View in the season finale.
            “We started playing really well at the end of the season,” Trompke recalled. “We were a young team, with a new coach, and had a lot of injuries early. When John Sherle came back that was a huge relief to me because I went from the point to a ‘2’ guard.
            “It was right about then that I also realized I was almost done playing basketball, so I started to try to enjoy it more,” he added. “I had become more consistent and I shot more. Those were fun games.
            “The (Mountain View) win was our best moment, but it was followed by the worst moment. I knew right after the game that we weren’t going to make the (district) tournament. My parents were texting people (at the Meridian-Vallivue game) and they told me afterward.”
            The next day, Roy texted the players to show up for practice, but not to dress down. Trompke’s season actuall continued as he played in a local all-star game. He also started preparing for track.
            He battled a hamstring injury in the spring. While he never was able to improve on his personal bests (11.0 seconds in the 100 meters and 22.0 in the 200), he was still motivated and an athlete that others respected. Despite only being its fourth year as a school, Rocky quickly became a track and field power and was a popular sport for its better athletes.
            “A lot of the kids are really buying into track. They knew what to expect going into the season. They’re getting more kids to come out and it’s building excitement,” Trompke said.
            Trompke planned to compete in football and track at Harvard which, officially, does not offer athletic scholarships but granted Trompke a huge academic fee waiver. He planned to major in business and/or economics.
            If he continues on his current path, there’s no doubt his successes will continue, too.