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About Wayne Estes

More than fifty years after a tragic accident cut short a stellar college basketball career, Wayne Estes' astounding accomplishments on and off the court remain fresh in our memories.

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Wayne scored 1,430 points during high school, including 630 during the 26 games of his senior year. At that time his career point total was second only to Ed Kalafat, who scored 1,561 during four years with the varsity team.

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He took state in the shot put, his best shot put of 59-4.5 still stands as an Anaconda High School record, 43 years later.

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Playing basketball for Utah State University, Wayne's field goal percentage climbed to 49 percent and his free throw percentage to 88 percent. In his final game on the very evening of Wayne's untimely passing, Monday, February 8, 1965, he shattered the USU Nelson fieldhouse scoring record, set a record of 2,001 points, scoring more points than any other USU player in the fieldhouse.

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In 1984 community leaders in Wayne's hometown of Anaconda, Montana got together and decided that the best way to honor his legacy was to organize a tournament that would allow players from throughout the region to come together and play the game that Wayne loved the most in the way that he loved in the spirit of camaraderie and fiendly competition that were hallmarks of his brief but notable career. Each year, our memories and appreciation of a great athlete are renewed through the Wayne Estes Memorial Basketball Tournament. To see a video produced about the all too brief life of Wayne Estes, click here.

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Come join us and show off your own skills in the shadow of a hometown hero's legacy.

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