When they were teenagers making their way through Kingfisher High School, Bausten Jech and Dalton Buck spent countless hours at the Shaw Park tennis courts.

They were not only honing their skills as a doubles team for KHS tennis, but also developing a bond of friendship.

Dalton Buck was back at those tennis courts late last Friday afternoon.

Bausten Jech was there as well…only in spirit and in family.

Family, friends and the current KHS tennis team gathered at the courts to dedicate a bench that was fabricated and installed in Bausten’s honor.

Bausten, a 2011 KHS graduate, took his own life on Feb. 18, 2019.

“Bausten will never be forgotten,” said his brother, Bryce Jech during the dedication ceremony. “He didn’t want to leave; he just wanted to be free from the pain he felt that he was no longer able to bear.”

The bench is not only to honor Bausten, but also a plea by his family for others to seek help if it’s needed.

“Bausten silently struggled with mental health,” Bryce said. “We want to share his story in hopes of saving the lives of those who may be too afraid to seek help due to the stigma associated with suicide.”

The bench was made by Kyle Coughlan of KC Custom Signs.

It reads:

“In Memory of Bausten Riley Jech 08.10.1993-02.18.2019 Call or Text 988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline”

“If you have thoughts of suicide or know someone who does, please reach out to a counselor, friend or loved one,” Bryce said.

“If you feel you are unable to reach out to any of them, please call or text 988, the mental health and suicide crisis hotline. 988 is a safe and judgment free helpline.”

Bausten’s main activities in high school were powerlifting and tennis.

During their senior season, he and Buck qualified for state in No. 2 doubles.

“Bausten and Dalton, standing 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-6, respectively, were a force to be reckoned with for anyone who would be paired against them,” Bryce said. “The two of them, and others among us, made a lot of special memories here.”

Among the others in attendance were Bausten’s mother, Tracey Jech Owens; his brother Blake; his grandparents Arnold and Donald Jech and Dennis and Joreta Martin; and an aunt, Teri Coplin, among others.

The family presented Buck with a framed photo of he and Bausten from their playing days.

“Dalton was not only an amazing tennis partner and friend to Bausten, but he continues to be a generous and selfless friend to our entire family,” Bryce said.

“He is especially generous to Mamoo and Pop (the Martins). He spends countless hours helping them around the house and yard and asks for nothing in return. Although Mamoo makes sure he always has a full belly when he leaves.”

Bryce also announced the “Bausten Jech Memorial Tennis Scholarship” which will be presented annually to a senior KHS tennis team member.

“As a family, it is our mission to continue his legacy,” said Bryce, noting the scholarship is one way in which they’ll do that each year.

Bryce thanked members of the tennis team and coach Brad Pennock for taking part in Friday’s ceremony.

“Your presence is important to us. Thank you for acknowledging and honoring Bausten’s life with us today,” Bryce said.

“He was much more than his suicide. He was a sweet, loving and altruistic young man. He was also a wild one. He was the very best of us and he made an impact in the lives of so many around him. His life mattered and it is important we continue to say his name.”

Due to Bausten’s lifelong love of tennis, the family felt it was important to dedicate the bench to his alma mater’s tennis team.

“Please use it as a place of respite, of reflection, a place to cheer each other on and, most importantly, a place to remember how very important each and everyone of you are,” Bryce said.