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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Will Kulhanek
Erika Pritchard, UNK Communications

Lopers Have Strong Easter Weekend Home Meet

Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska Kearney track and field team won 13 events and freshman Will Kulhanek broke a 23-year-old school-record Saturday at the Loper Invitational at Kearney High School.

This was UNK's second home meet of the season with the third and final one coming up in May. 
Samantha Scemper
Samantha Schemper (Erika Pritchard)


On a calm Spring Day, Kulhanek (Overton H.S.) led the way by running a 46.97 to win at 400-meters. The effort breaks the 47.61 Casey Marsh ran back in May 2002 and moves Kulhanek (Lexington) into 16th place in Division II and third in the MIAA.

Next on the track, redshirt freshman Aaliyah Franklin (Omaha Burke) won both the 100 (12.46) and 200 (25.36) meter dashes with McCool Junction freshman Kassidy Stuckey (800/2:14.28) and Dannebrog freshman Hannah Swanson (1,500/5:03.44) winning their respective events as well. UNK had four of the top nine in the 200 and the top seven finishers in the high jump. Stamford junior Brianna Russell and Lincoln freshman Tasia Sadler led by both clearing 5-6; Sadler came in second and is now in an eight-way tie for 10th place in school history.

Finally on the women's side, Kearney junior Lily Novacek won the invitational hammer (204-5), Kansas sophomore Toree Slavik was first in the open hammer (164-4) with Holdrege senior Samantha Schemper and Hastings freshman Megyn Scott both reaching 11-7.25 in the vault. Schemper came in second with Scott third.

In the men's javelin, Kansas junior Kenyon Forest had a personal-best of 226-5 to place first. That moves him up one place to second in Loper lore and allows him to join teammate Rylan Basart as the only Lopers to ever reach 225-0 feet in the event. Forest now ranks fifth in D2 and fourth in the MIAA. 

Next, Ord redshirt freshman Sam Boettcher won the open discus (139-8), Kenesaw redshirt sophomore Eli Jensen took the open shot (46-4.75) with Brady sophomore Dillon Miller first in the 200 (21.67). Finally, UNK was two through five in the 1,500 led by Lincoln freshman Carter Hohlen (3:55.64) with the 4x4 relay team taking gold thanks to a 3:21.78. Sidney junior Mitchell Deer ran the second leg with his fourth-place time in the 400 (48.09) moving him up to eighth on the all-time list.

UNK will take part in four different meets next weekend to complete the regular season.
 
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