Four Records Fall at MIAA Indoor Championships; NCAA's in Two Weeks

3/2/2025 6:40:00 PM

Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska Kearney track and field team set four new school records and had three top three finishes at the 2025 MIAA Indoor Championships this weekend in Maryville, Mo.

The three-day meet began on Friday with the multi-events and ran until Sunday night at Northwest Missouri State.

On Saturday, freshman Will Kulhanek (Overton H.S.) broke a 23-year-old record in the 200 by turning in a 21.63. That bests the 21.78 Allen Burrell managed in Feb. 2002 and was good for 10th place. Next, Kulhanek was the first leg on the 4x4 relay team that ran a 3:13.88 to conclude the meet on Sunday. That easily bests the 3:15.62 a Loper foursome ran in Feb. 2022. Joining Kulhanek was Omaha sophomore Reed Emsick, St. Paul junior Conner Wells and Sidney junior Mitchell Deer with the team finishing seventh.

McCool Junction freshman Kassidy Stuckey got into the school-record act on Sunday by finishing fourth in the mile (4:56.67). That just nips the 4:56.80 Brooke Harris ran back in Feb. 2012. Finally, Stuckey helped the DMR team set a record on Saturday (11:53.01). Coming in fourth place, they eclipse a time (11:55.99) set just last February. Joining Stuckey was Broken Bow junior Anna Lindstrom, York junior Brynn Hirschfeld and Blair freshman Reece Ewoldt.

2025 600 Yards - 3rd Place/Maeli Meier — **Maeli Meier**

In the team race, the eight nationally ranked squads – Pittsburg State, Northwest, Washburn, and Missouri Southern – each placed in the top four on both sides. Pitt (222.0 women; 218.50 men) easily defended both titles with the UNK women scoring 37 points to come in sixth with the men tallying 25 to be eighth.

Kearney redshirt junior Lily Novacek had the Lopers best effort, finishing runner up in the weight throw on Saturday (62-8.50). She then had a career-best toss in the shot put on Sunday to come in sixth place. The throw of 46-6.75 moves into 10th place on the all-time list.

Also on the women's side, Overton junior Maeli Meier was third at 600 yards (1:24.39) with her prelims time on Saturday (1:24.44) a career-best and keeping her second in the annuals. Finally, Ewoldt was fourth in the 3,000 (9:50.47), Kansas junior Charis Robinson placed seventh in the 800 (2:23.32; 2:20.74 prelim), Lincoln freshman Tasia Sadler and Grand Island freshman Keira Jones tied for eighth in the high jump (5-2.50) with the 4x4 relay team of Lindstrom, Meier, Robinson and Stuckey coming in seventh (3:59.83).

In the men's mile on Sunday, David City senior Payton Davis (4:13.49) and Cortland senior Zach Van Brocklin eighth (4:13.84) finished sixth and eighth, respectively. Next, Deer was sixth at 600 yards (1:11.65; PR of 1:11.57 in prelims), Firth junior Tanner Cooper was eighth in the 800 (1:55.56; PR of 1:52.06 in prelims) with Gretna junior Clayton Kelly eighth in the triple jump (46-10).

On Saturday, the DMR team of Van Brocklin, Kulhanek, Emsick and Davis finished third in 9:49.57 with the other scorers being Hastings sophomore Nolan Studley in the high jump (6-6.25) and Ravenna junior Jesse Drahota in the heptathlon (career-best 4,570 points).

Novacek will represent UNK at the NCAA Indoor Championships Mar. 13-15 in Indiana with the outdoor season set to begin at the end of the month.

Print Friendly Version