Iowa History Daily: On December 25, 2010, legendary Waterloo West high school basketball player Chris Gaines died of a heart attack at 42-years old. A standout scorer for the Warhawks, Gaines went on to become the all-time leading scorer at the University of Hawaii.
Gaines stood out at Waterloo West as a multi-level scorer. Part of a Waterloo West team which featured a one-two punch of Gaines (20.4 ppg) and future Iowa State Cyclone Terry Woods (20.1 ppg), the team made deep tournament runs in 1985 and 1986. A first-team all-stater in 1985 and a second-team selection in 1986, Gaines also won the prestigious Iowa Mr. Basketball Award for 1986.
During an unforgettable 1989-1990 season for the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, Gaines led the team to a school record 25 wins. In the process, Gaines racked up 1,734 points to gain status as the school’s all-time leading scorer.
“Christopher was a very humble, generous, kind, loving individual,” said Izetta Gaines at the time of his passing. “He always had a kind word. He loved children. Loved helping others.” The untimely death of Chris Gaines left behind three sons. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
