Buzz Humke moved into the Bay in the early 1950’s for his junior year. Anybody that had his father Bob for Freshmen Algebra over the next couple of decades knows all about the necessity of having a proper license. (Mr. Humke passed away in 2007 at age 98.)
Buzz was an outstanding pole vaulter, winning the Class B State title as a junior in 1953. The next week at the 1953 Suburban Outdoor, he lost a close one on misses to Waukesha junior Ron Reichert. In 1954, Buzz won the Suburban Pole Vault Triple Crown (Indoor, Relays, Outdoor) with Reichert finishing second each time. The 1954 Suburban Outdoor featured a close team battle all the way among the Bay, Waukesha and Wauwatosa. Buzz had to beat Reichert in the Pole Vault — and he did. Going into the final event of the meet, the 880 Relay, the Bay had 36 points, Wauwatosa 35 and Waukesha 34. Terry Kaminsky, the Bays top sprinter who had finished second in the 100 at the Class A State Meet the week before, won both dashes so he couldn’t run a leg in the relay. No worries, the Bay 880 Relay team of Tom Allen, Buzz Humke, John Bach and Jim Mueller came through for the win and secured the Bays 13th Suburban Outdoor title in 15 years.
The previous week at the State Meet, Buzz finished a tough third in the Class A Pole Vault, just one miss out of a tie for the title. Reichert finished fourth.
Coming into the 1954 season the school Pole Vault record was 11-10 set by Paul Farley in 1942. Buzz broke that record several times during the season with his best bar being 12-3 1/2 at the Whitefish Bay Sectional. That mark lasted as the school record until 1960, when Bob Pepper went 12-6 1/2.
1954 Suburban Outdoor champions:
From the 1954 Tower.
College graduation:
Whitefish Bay Track and Field History 