Twenty-three years after the school first opened its doors, Lincoln North Star finally brought home a state championship.

 

The Lincoln North Star boys track and field team earned the school’s first boys state title, in any sport, at the Nebraska School Activities Association Track and Field Championships May 20-21 at Omaha Burke Stadium.

 

Lincoln North Star finished second to Creighton Prep in cross country last fall, but avenged that loss by outscoring Creighton Prep 77-71.5 for the class A track title.

 

Josiah Bitker, the Class A cross country champion, earned a pair of individual titles in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter races in 4:17.97 and 9:15.89, respectively, and ran on Lincoln North Star’s winning 4x800 relay (7:47.47) to lead the way for the Gators. Jamal Little added a discus title, throwing 164 feet, 10 inches.

 

Creighton Prep’s highest point scorer, Ethan Laux, won both the 110 and 300 hurdles in 14.05 and 38.03, respectively.

 

Norfolk’s Evan Svoboda broke the state meet record in the 400 with a 47.29, finishing eight hundredths of a second ahead of Omaha Westside’s Will Urosevich, and won the 200 in a wind-aided 20.93 (+2.5 m/s). Svoboda also finished third in the 100 in 10.57, which was won by Evvann Daniels of Columbus in 10.47, the first from his school since 1922 to win the 100.

 

Svoboda's best times in the 100 (10.32w) and 200 (20.93w) are the fastest ever run in Nebraska under any conditions. 

 

Bellevue West’s Pierce Parker won the high jump by four inches with a lifetime best clearance of 7-0.

 

The Papillion-La Vista South girls won the school’s third title in the last four years with 94 points, defeating Kearney by 26 points.

 

Papillion-La Vista South scored 14 of the 17 events, including 40 points in distance events. Freshman Emily Hegge won the 1,600 (4:57.88) and 3,200 (10:42.09) and Alexis Chadek won the 800 (2:13.71) and ran on the winning 4x800 relay (9:21.16).

 

Papillion-La Vista South’s scored another 20 points in field events thanks Kasi Johnson winning the discus (139-1) and Finley Moone winning the long jump (18-7).

 

Jaiya Patillo of Bellevue West, the all-time Nebraska record-holder in the 400 meters, won that event in 55.62.

 

Millard West’s McKenna Kleppinger and Lincoln Southwest’s Bailee Hartwig both cleared a state meet record 12-6 in pole vault, with Kleppinger being crowned the overall winner based on fewer misses.

 

 

The Waverly boys repeated the Class B title with 69 points, winning a third title in the last four years.

 

Braxton Badman swept the 110 and 300 hurdles in 13.95 and 38.71, Jared Schroeder ran a lifetime best 4:17.40 in the 1,600 and Gavin McMillan made a personal best 6-8 in high jump, delivering Waverly four individual event wins.

 

Badman broke the meet record in the 110 hurdles, one of three meet records. Central City’s Wyatt Dent (long jump, 23-7.25) and the Blair 4x400 relay (3:19.55) were the other two.

 

Gretna East won 4x100 relay in 41.84 and Lincoln Pius X won the 4x800 relay in a state-leading 7:44.76.

 

The girls had a repeat team champion, too, in Bennington, which scored 85 points to beat Elkhorn North by 36.5 points.

 

Addison Kuntz was the top performer for Bennington, winning the 200 (25.03w) and running on the winning 4x100 relay, which ran a meet record 47.60. She also added a second-place finish in the 100 to Elkhorn’s Mia Cushing, who broke a meet record with 11.93.

 

Waverly’s Emma Steffensen was another standout. She won the 800 with a 2:07.88, second-fastest in state history, and t he 400 in 55.87.

 

Auburn’s Addi Darnell won both hurdle races, running a meet record 14.23 in the 100 hurdles and another meet record 43.55 in 300 hurdles.

 

 

Kearney Catholic’s top-point scorer Hazel Haarberg had a career weekend, running a meet record 11.45 to win the 100 and a state meet record 23.88 in the 200. Haarberg became Nebraska's all-time fastest girl this season, surpassing Dajaz DeFrand. 

 

Alyssa Onnen was another standout for Kearney Catholic in pole vault, clearing 12-6.

 

Kearney Catholic repeated its girls title for a third consecutive year, scoring 79 points to finish 22 points ahead Bishop Neumann.

 

 

The Chase County boys stood atop the podium for the first time since 2022, defeating Battle Creek 55.33 to 37.33 for the program’s fifth title since 2016.

 

Noah Rau’s state meet record performance in the discus (196-4) highlighted Chase County’s team title in addition to Tate Hubbard’s pole vault win (15-6).

 

Battle Creek’s Andy Ricchio broke the meet record in prelims in 10.64 before going on to win the final in 10.71. He also broke the 200 meet record in prelims, running 21.63 before going on to win the final in 21.71.

 

Cael Johnson of Wakefield, ran a meet record 37.93 in finals of the 300 hurdles.

 

Drey Puppe of Laure-Concord-Coleridge established a new state meet record 14.00 in the 110 hurdles.

 

 

The Dundy County Stratton boys and girls took home top honors in class for the second in year in a row, completing another team title sweep.

 

The boys team put together 75 points, defeating Anselmo-Merna by 23, and the girls team earned 70 points, beating Wausa by 21.

 

Brock Bailey had a big day in shot put and discus, winning both competitions with marks of 62-7.50 and 176-9, respectively, to lead the Dundy County Stratton boys. Ethan Latta (high jump, 6-7) and Kevin Garcia Guzman (300 hurdles, 39.35) won individual titles, too.

 

Abigael Spargo ran a meet record 43.23 in the 300 hurdles won the 100 hurdles in 14.92 as the top point scorer for the Dundy County Stratton girls. Clara Spargo ran a season’s best 57.59 in the girls 400, another individual winner for the girls team. Both Spargo sisters were on the Class D state record 4x400 relay (4:00.84).

 

Central Valley’s Taylor McIntyre lowered her own meet record in the 100 to 12.06 in prelims before winning the final in 12.13. McIntyre was also the 200 winner in 24.93.

 

 

Class A – Lincoln North Star boys 77 points; PL South girls 94 points - RESULTS

 

Class B – Waverly boys 69 points; Bennington girls 85 points - RESULTS

 

Class C – Chase County boys 55.33 points; Kearney Catholic 79 points - RESULTS

 

Class D – Dundy County Stratton boys 75 points; Dundy County Stratton girls 70 points - RESULTS