Top of the Class

H ARTINGTON – Lane Heimes finished his high school career as the academic leader of his class.

The 18-year-old received the title of valedictorian for the 30-member Hartington- Newcastle High School Class of 2023. His final grade-point average was 3.97.

'It feels great to be named valedictorian at my school,' Lane said. 'The valedictorian race has been very close my whole high school career. I was very relieved when I finished out the school year with straight A's to ensure my number one spot.'

He was motivated to finish at the top of his class.

'However, I just knew I had to do what I always did,' Lane said. 'The top two students in my class were very deserving, so I would have been happy (with) whoever got it.'

He noted he would not necessarily say he has always been motivated to do well in school.

'I would say I have always been motivated to do as well as I can to the best of my ability in everything I do,' Lane said. 'I am a perfectionist. I cannot force myself to put any less effort into homework or a test than my full effort.

'It is just the way that I am wired,' he said.

“There were several nights out of the year where I came home late from games or meets on a school night and I still needed to get homework done. Success is a choice.”

He recalled receiving several honors at Hartington-Newcastle’s end-of-the-year awards ceremony.

“I was recognized numerous times for highest grade in many of my classes,” Lane said. “I also was awarded the third-place medal for the Big Red Country Radio Quiz Bowl. I was also awarded my runner-up State speech team medal, as well as my leadership award. I was also awarded the Wildcat Award.”

He participated in several activities while in high school, including football, basketball, track and field, speech, one act, FFA, Quiz Bowl, the National Honor Society, the Student Council and the Big Cat/Little Cat mentoring program.

Lane, the oldest child of Bill and Darla Heimes, has five younger siblings – Cole, 16; Jason, 14; Nathan, 13; Caleb, 11; and Amanda, 9.

They live a couple of miles east of Hartington on their family farm.

“This summer, I plan to work on our farm,” Lane said. “This is one of the last times I can work with my family before college starts.”

He noted his future plans include attending South Dakota State University and studying agronomy.

“I want to study agronomy because I love agriculture and I am interested in crop production,” Lane said.

He explained he is going to miss his friends and the people who helped him graduate.

“It will be very different not seeing all the faculty I talk to every day,” Lane said. “I will also miss sports. It is hard to let go of the sports that have taken up most of my time since I was in sixth grade.”