I.C. Student Life director gets a “big break” moment as assistant announcer in Relays centennial
As a high school athlete in Cedar County, Jon Weih had the opportunity to compete in what many consider the defining Midwest track and field event—the Drake Relays. Now, as the famed annual spectacle in Des Moines reaches its own milestone year, Weih will be in a new, “higher” vantage point—the announcer’s booth.
Officials at Drake University gave Weih the word in March that he had been accepted to be the assistant announcer for the classic event, as the Drake Relays marks its centennial year. The Relays are set for the Drake campus Thursday through Sunday, April 23-26.
For Jon Weih, each of his three springs spent in the stadium at Drake had an unforgettable voice mixed into his memories.
“I was a big fan of the Drake Relays growing up, then I got to actually compete for three years. I fell in love with the spirit and competition—and of course, that fantastic announcer, Jim Duncan. His name and the Relays were so often said in the same breath! I have really dreamed for years that I would get a chance to do this,” he said.
Weih is no stranger to the role of a sports public address announcer. When he isn’t directing the student life events and programs for Kirkwood Community College in Iowa City, you can often find him manning a microphone at stadiums and gyms in Iowa City, Washington and other towns—including his hometown of Tipton. He even got an opportunity to be PA announcer for the Iowa High School Football Playoffs in his college days.
But he reckons this April it’s “a whole other level” for him, in emotional levels and for his loved hobby.
“Oh, this is the realization of something I have longed to do since I was a little kid, really. I give credit to my colleague, Mike Jay in Columbus Junction. He’s known as one of the great sports announcers in the country, and it’s been an honor to work with him at University of Iowa events the past few years. I think Mike might have played a role in my opportunity this year. I’d also thank my high school coach, Dave Vogelgesang for first giving me a chance to announce an eighth grade track meet way back in high school. That’s where it started. I can tell you that when Brian Brown, the Drake Relays director called me at home with the invitation, I felt like a player getting the call up to the Big Leagues. My kids and I were dancing around the house—it was pretty wild!” Weih recalls.
For this long-time competitor and sidelines announcer, it all comes down to a spot in a booth and many watts of PA power carrying his voice over the central Des Moines field. Jon Weih says he is “ready, nervous and proud” to have his day above the field. He pauses and shakes his head with a grin.
“Somebody pinch me!”