Novacek, Russell & Stuckey Earn Hardware on Day One of NCAA's

3/13/2026 7:07:00 PM

Kearney, Neb. – Seniors Lily Novacek and Brianna Russell and sophomore Kassidy Stuckey earned All-American honors Friday at the 2026 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships in Virginia Beach.

The two-day meet began on Friday (March 13) with five Lopers competing. With Stuckey (McCool Junction/York H.S.) reaching the mile finals, four will be in action on Saturday. A top eight finish is good for first-team All-American honors with places nine through 12 on the second-team.

Novacek (Kearney H.S.) is now a three-time All-American as she finished fourth in the weight throw. She reached the finals thanks to tosses of 63-2.25, 63-6.25 and 61-5. She then fouled and had a throw of 61-11 before uncorking a heave of 65-7. That bests her own school record of 64-1.50, set in Feb. 2025. That briefly put her in third with Ashland's Leslie Pollock (69-0.75) and Molly Winner (68-10.50) and Missouri Southern's Dailynn VanDeren (67-8.25) placing one through three. Last season, Novacek was eighth in this event and then won the hammer national title in the spring. Kassidy Stuckey

Next, Russell (Stamford) cleared 5-4.25 and 5-6 to earn her second AA accolade. She tied for 11th as she reached the first height on her second attempt and the next right out of the gate. She bowed out at 5-8 which many did. Pitt State's Jazmine Williamson won a three-way jump off (5-10.75) to win the national title. Russell previously tied for fourth at the 2024 indoor championships.

Earlier in the day in the mile prelims, Stuckey had the fifth best time (4:48.33) in the second heat to reach Saturday's finals at 4:50 p.m. Central. She is the eighth seed in a field of nine with Annie Wild from Cal State Stanislaus (4:46.84) leading by almost a second. Stuckey's older brother, Luke, was a 4-time track AA for the Lopers between 2021-23.

Finally, St. Paul senior Conner Wells (800-meter prelims/18th; 1:54.46) and Kansas sophomore McKenzie Campbell (weight throw/17th; 53-3) were in their first indoor national meet. Wells was an AA back at the 2023 outdoor championships as a member of the 4x4 relay.

Joining Stuckey on Saturday are Gretna senior Clayton Kelly in the triple jump and Hastings junior Nolan Studley and Kearney freshman Luke Brachle in the high jump.

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