Kyle's Bell Lap: So who is the new sports editor, anyway?

The “bell lap” is a slang term for describing the last lap of any distance event in track and field. Since Sports Editor Kyle Cajero was a longtime track athlete — and because he couldn’t come up with a creative name — he went back to his more athletic roots to name his semi-recurring Saturday column.

The first installment will answer some introductory questions that you, the readers, have definitely asked.

Are you the new sports editor at the Daily Bee? I think I’ve seen you at Sandpoint basketball games, but I might be mistaking you for one of the student reporters on the Cedar Post.

Does this person look like a dorky high schooler?

Do they usually carry a red notepad, have a Canon around their neck and a pen between their teeth?

Are they not wearing enough layers?

Do they look high-strung as they orbit the court while shooting photos in the third quarter?

If the answer to these questions is “yes,” then you’ve seen me. Feel free to stop by and say hello — working on deadlines might make me look stressed, but I promise I’m not as standoffish as I seem.

How did you end up at the Bonner County Daily Bee?

Long version: After graduating from college, I returned to Tucson, Arizona, thinking that I’d spend a couple weeks at home before starting a job back in California. As fate would have it, a couple weeks turned into six months filled with around 200 job applications, several heartbreaking rejection emails and several existential crises.

Current and future college students, take note: Nobody prepares you for this.

Thankfully, Managing Editor Caroline Lobsinger and General Manger Alsy Brinkmeyer rescued me from unemployment after a month-long application process.

At first, I didn’t get my hopes up — getting rejected several times will do that — but as I learned more about Sandpoint, the Bee and how the sports sections in the Hagadone News Network worked together, I couldn’t help falling in love with everything. I didn’t care that I hadn’t been to Idaho (or experienced real winter, for that matter); working for the Daily Bee seemed like the best fit for a young reporter like me.

Short version: With three years of college newspaper experience under my belt, I took my talents to Sandpoint, Idaho after an extensive job hunt.

Which parts of Sandpoint have stood out to you so far?

On a general level: I am encouraged by Sandpoint’s close-knit atmosphere. I haven’t lived in a small town before, so the close-knit community feels homely. The thought of a community rallying around its high school sports teams (plus alumni that go on to play at the next level) is absolutely heartwarming; in an age where professional sports are king, and athletes whom play outside of the ESPN family of networks toil in relative obscurity, this approach is refreshingly old-school.

Plus Sandpoint is a gorgeous town. I’ve been told that I missed fall, but I can’t wait to see the leaves turn next year.

Okay, but I meant Sandpoint athletic highlights. What about those?

Some highlights include, but aren’t limited to: how Sandpoint junior Maddie Morgan always shoots like she has the green light. Not to be overlooked, I admire the leaps and bounds Hattie Larson and Izzo Edwards have taken iso far.

I like Priest River forward Karah Fink’s fearlessness on the glass.

Although Thursday night’s game was a heartbreaker, I’m definitely a fan of Kobe Banks on defense, plus Alex Stockton’s tenacity ­—how many times have you seen a high school center dive out of bounds to save multiple possessions?

I like Sandpoint senior wrestler Casey Olesen’s confidence in not being afraid to call his shot during the wrestling preview article.

And of course, I like how Sandpoint cross-country coaches Angie and Matt Brass have created such an encylopaedic website for their teams.

So you were a Pepperdine grad? How does it feel being in Zag country now?

Yes, Gonzaga has won the last 35 games against Pepperdine. And yes, covering my alma mater as it finds new and exciting ways to tear my heart out has been exhausting.

But I’ve grown to respect Gonzaga basketball.

And it’s not a begrudging, jealousy-filled respect that Husky or Gael fans often show; in fact, I actually really like this year’s team.

Zach Norvell Jr.’s ability to turn in 20-point outings after starting games zero-for-whatever is thrilling. Brandon Clarke is an absolute terror around the rim. Filip Petrusev is growing up before our eyes.

Plus I can’t wait for Rui Hachimura to make history as the first Japanese-born lottery pick in the NBA Draft. Throw in Mark Few’s nearly unprecedented two-decade streak of making the NCAA Tournament, and the Zags are a legitimate title threat this season.

With that said: Gonzaga is good, but they’re no Nevada. Gotta go!